The Phenomenon of Dual Faith in the Volga Region as a Result of Russian Cultural Policy in the 18-19th Centuries

Abstract

The subject of the study is the phenomenon of dual faith in the Volga region, which arose as a result of the cultural policy of the Russian Empire in the 18-19th centuries. At present, this phenomenon does not lose its viability, manifesting itself in various ritual practices of the population of the region. The study is based on the principle of historicism, which makes it possible to show the consequences of the influence of Russian cultural policy on the traditions of the peoples of the Volga region. The use of a systematic approach in the article explains the stability of the phenomenon of dual faith in regional everyday culture. The following historiographic methods were also used: comparative historical, logical, retrospective. The source base of the study was made up of official documents and reports of ethnographers located in scientific archives, as well as author's fieldwork. An additional source of information that gives significance to this work was the published materials of foreign researchers of the Volga region in the 18th century. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that the phenomenon of dual faith was one of the key factors in the formation of a unique everyday culture of the peoples of the region. For the first time, the approaches of the public authorities and local historians to the description of the traditional beliefs of the inhabitants of the Volga region are singled out: “condemning”, “justifying”, “ironic”. The conclusion is made about the fundamental nature of dual faith, thanks to which ethnic identity was maintained in the region. The results of the study can be claimed by lecturers, graduate students and students of the humanities for educational and research purposes.