Mark Egart’s Travel Writings: Anthropology and Religion in Altai

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The article analyzes the anthropological and religious aspects of Mark Egart's travel essays, which focus on the indigenous peoples of Altai during the Soviet collectivization of the 1930s. His book “The Ferry: Sketches of the Struggle for Socialism in the Altai Mountains” (1932) is examined as a valuable source that combines literary and ethnographic techniques to illuminate the profound cultural and religious transformations brought about by Soviet modernization. The study highlights shamanism, Burhanism, and everyday practices, through which Egart explores the interaction between traditional belief systems and Soviet ideological processes. Special attention is given to the methods Egart used to document the region’s spiritual and cultural heritage, as well as to how he integrated ideological narratives into his ethnographic descriptions. The article emphasizes the duality of Egart’s position: on one hand, he meticulously records the cultural specificities of the region; on the other, he interprets them through the lens of Soviet ideological paradigms, portraying traditions as relics of the past to be modernized. The study's findings evaluate Egart’s contribution to shaping the perception and literary image of the indigenous peoples of Altai through the interplay of anthropology, religion, and politics in the context of Soviet history. His travel essays are presented as an important source for understanding the dynamics of cultural change and the influence of ideology on traditional communities.