Orthodoxy and Literacy as Factors in Preserving Nagaibak Ethnic Group

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of the threat of disappearance facing the Nagaibak people, one of the small ethnic groups in Russia. The Nagaibaks are a non-literate ethnic group, whose population is steadily declining. In the 19th century, there were over 12,000 of them, but today there are just over 5,700 individuals. The identity of the Nagaibaks is based on collective memory, rooted in Orthodoxy, Cossack heritage, and their unique Turkic language. The relevance of this study lies in the necessity of preserving a people whose distinctive culture is of great interest to modern historians, ethnographers, and art scholars. The aim of this research is to demonstrate the originality of the Nagaibak language and the significant role of Orthodoxy in their fate, as well as to identify ways to save the ethnic group from assimilation into neighboring nations. The novelty of this work lies in its emphasis on the collective memory of the Nagaibaks, reflected in their spoken language, folklore, prayers, holiday names, rituals, and attributes. A linguistic project is presented, the implementation of which will lead to the introduction of Nagaibak script. In addition to supporting Orthodox worship, dictionaries published with the author’s involvement, a Russian-Nagaibak phrasebook, the development of an alphabet, grammar, and a guide for Nagaibak language teachers will ensure the preservation of this unique ethnic group in multicultural Russia.