Pastoral culture in the economic space of the Kolyma region of Yakutia based on historical and ethnographic observations in the early twentieth century.

Abstract

The main idea of the presented publication is to highlight the processes of spreading pastoral practices as a separate element of traditional Yakut culture in the Kolyma region of Yakutia in the first half of the twentieth century. The object of the study is the data of historical and ethnographic studies conducted in the 1950s by the staff of the Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The materials they have collected are an important source on the ethnocultural history of the region, requiring a modern interpretation of the scientific data they have obtained. The subject of the study of this article is the reflection in these sources of the processes of expansion of pastoral practices to the northeast of Yakutia in the first half of the twentieth century and their adaptation to local natural, cultural and socio-economic conditions, which had not previously been considered in such a perspective and did not become the object of a separate study. The methodological basis of the article was the historical method of analyzing archival data and scientific literature related to the research topic. The use of historical-comparative, historical-systemic, problem-chronological and statistical methods allowed the most complete analysis of the studied processes. It has been revealed that studies conducted in the north-east of Yakutia in the middle of the twentieth century make it possible to more clearly understand the history and culture of its inhabitants, as well as identify the features of their daily life, traditions and customs. The works of scientists of that time are undoubtedly a valuable source of information about life and social relations in Kolyma. At the same time, the processes affecting the interaction of northern cultures in the conditions of adaptation and the formation of new economic models still remain insufficiently studied. Based on the collected materials, the main results of the ongoing integration economic processes in the north-east of Yakutia in the first half of the twentieth century were identified and it was noted that the modernization processes that took place during this period had an even more significant impact on the ethnic composition and economic activities of the indigenous population, accelerating the transition of local aboriginal ethnic groups to new, previously unusual for this region.