Chuvash People Research Articles

TRANSFORMATION OF THE “PATRON IMAGE” AND LOCALIZATION OF THE “SOURCE OF EVIL” IN THE PERSONAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE CHUVASH ETHNIC GROUP OF THE EARLY XX CENTURY

The relevance of this study is determined by the fact that the problems of functional intraethnic conflict and personal consciousness from the standpoint of the theory of historical ethnology on the material of the Chuvash ethnos have remained undeveloped to date. The purpose of this work is to determine the type of mechanism of action of the intraethnic conflict of a particular ethnic group (in this case, the Chuvash) based on the poetic creativity and behavior of ethnophores with a vivid personal consciousness. In our opinion, the functional foundations for the intraethnic conflict of the Chuvash ethnic group can be found only in a historical context. Materials and methods. The materials for the study were the creative and biographical facts of specific Chuvash poets in the context of the most significant cultural and political events in the life of the Chuvash ethnic group of the early XX century. The theoretical and methodological provisions of historical ethnology from S.V. Lurie’s textbook were used. Results. The analyzed material shows that for the poets of the peoples of the Volga region with a developed personal consciousness, the beginning of the XX century really became a stage of a sharp rise in their national consciousness and an active search for ways to further develop their people. K. Ivanov (Kashkyr) and other literary classic authors developed their concepts of the spiritual and moral relationship between a creative personality and the people, the man and the society. They were concerned about many constant formulas and cultural codes of their native ethnic groups. As people with a developed personal consciousness, they were looking for ways for the ethnic group to function in the new conditions of reality. The functional conflict of the Chuvash ethnic group, which served as a mechanism for its development, had a clearer outline at the beginning of the XX century. In the context of a wide range of socio-political models, it became an effective conflict taking place within the ethnic community itself. Conclusions. The Chuvash people with personal consciousness in the early XX century began to place the evil inclination both outside their ethnic group and inside it. Accordingly, the images of patrons also changed: the moral qualities of people came to the fore in them, without highlighting their national origin. The Chuvash students became more intolerant of public and everyday criticism of them, both from representatives of other ethnic groups and from some of their fellow tribesmen who preferred traditional values of more prestigious ethnic groups.

THE CULT OF ANCESTORS IN THE BELIEFS OF THE CHUVASH

The relevance of studying the cult of ancestors lies in the fact that it occupies the central place in the system of traditional ethnic culture plays an important role in the formation of systemic knowledge about the past, and preservation of historical memory. The cult of ancestors, which originated in ancient times, has been preserved in a truncated form to this day, so its scientific analysis makes it possible to better understand the succession of generations, to use the experience of ancestors not only to strengthen the foundations of the family, clan, but the society taken as a whole. The purpose of the study is to study the peculiarities proper to the manifestation of the ancestors’ cult in the mythology, religious beliefs and ritual practice of the Chuvash in the XIX – early XX century. Materials and methods of the study. The research is based on the analysis of folklore and literary materials using general scientific and special (observation, document analysis) methods of scientific analysis. Chronological, comparative methods, cultural and anthropological approach were used. Results. The article reflects both common, characteristic for most peoples, and special features of the manifestation of the ancestral cult among the Chuvash. The ideas about the afterlife, supernatural opportunities of those who have passed into another world, can be considered universal. The Chuvash also believed that those who died of natural causes passed on to another world and continued their existence, and therefore needed food and tools, unlike the “unsanctified” – sorcerers, suiciders, etc. There are many parallels in the beliefs of the Chuvash and neighboring peoples: the Mari, the Mordvins, the Udmurts. The peculiarities are manifested in the details, which can be established, in particular, by analyzing the works of verbal folklore. For example, according to Chuvash myths, the universe consists of seven floors (worlds). The upper world or the heavenly world was considered the abode of the god Tura, deities and good spirits. The middle world, “çut tĕnche”, was considered the habitat of people and all living things, and the lower, underground “lesh tĕnche” was the habitat of evil spirits headed by Shaitan. God created a man to be immortal in his own image and likeness, but because of non-observance of his commandments the man was sent to the earth. The interaction of the heavenly, earthly and other worlds can be considered one of the widespread folk myths. The next feature of the ancestors cult manifestation among the Chuvash can be considered a special reverence for the mythical heroes pattӑrsem: Ulyp, Atӑl, Uslati, Temen, Sarri, Akhplata, Sakhata, Surӑm, Shu, etc. The author agrees with the opinion of scientists who believe that some historical figures turned into an object of worship. The worship of the Bilar Muslim preacher Maalum Khoja (Valĕm Khuça) was widespread among the Chuvash people. Individual rituals of reposing the dead and escorting them to the underworld are considered. Transformation of traditional beliefs under the influence of Christianization and bourgeois modernization is reflected. Conclusions. The cult of ancestors was formed during the time when tribal relations dominated in the society and it is one of the most conservative in the system of traditional beliefs. The Chuvash ideas about the universe, gods and spirits, creation of all living things and man, life and death, the interaction between mythical worlds, etc. contain common features with myths, legends, traditions, and the ritual system of different peoples, which can be called panhuman and universal. Significant parallels were identified in the cult of the ancestors of the Chuvash and the Volga peoples: the Mari, the Mordvins, the Udmurts, the Tatars. Chuvash mythological and epic works, recorded in archival and museum collections, various publications, as well as observations of the authors, enabled us to identify the features in the manifestation of the cult of ancestors in the beliefs of the Chuvash. The impact of historical changes and especially Christianization on destruction and transformation of the traditional culture of the Chuvash people is noted.

Nicolai F. Mokshin on the Ethnic History of the Chuvash

This is the first time Professor Mokshin’s publications devoted to ethnic history of Chuvash people are analyzed. The article addresses various ethnonymic issues, historical and geographical works, as well as anthropological, archaeological, ethnographic and folkloric passages. The author of these lines recollects Nikolai Fyodorovich as an impetuous man, an uncompromising debater who knew how to raise a new point to clarify any dispute. Thus, so far, Academician M. N. Tikhomirov, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was considered to have put an end to the discussion about whether the ‘Veda’ ethnonym had been applied to the Chuvash. However, N. F. Mokshin noted that there was actually an uncertainty in M. N. Tikhomirov’s observation. When M. N. Tikhomirov spoke of the Chuvash, he meant the Cheremis, the Vedas, or the Burtas. Therefore, N. F. Mokshin provided a clearer historiography of the identity of “the Veda = the Chuvash”. He also undertook expeditions to Mordovia, Chuvashia and the Gorky Region to find out how the ethnonym ‘Veda’ was used by the Mordovians. At the same time, he was the first to show that Mordovian names and surnames were derived from the word ‘veda’. It is probably no coincidence that it is among the Mordovians that one can find people with Chuvashov surname. N. F. Mokshin also wrote about the affinity of the peoples of the Volga and Urals regions in terms of their traditional practices and beliefs, insisting that the Bulgars and Suvars were two different peoples, not one. He used numerous facts to show the process of the Kypchakization of the Tatars and, consequently, the Tatarization of the Chuvash. N. F. Mokshin’s works are distinguished by their topicality and novelty.

ABOUT CHUVASH COLLECTIONS OF PROFESSOR I.N. SMIRNOV IN THE RUSSIAN MUSEUM OF ETHNOGRAPHY

I.N. Smirnov’s outstanding contribution to the collection of cultural, household and religious faiths items of the Chuvash people was not subjected to in-depth analysis, nor yet covered by professional researchers. Meanwhile, in the history of collecting Chuvash ethnographic collections in the pre-revolutionary period, there was no figure equal to Ivan Nikolaevich. He was at the origin of forming the funds of the ethnographic department of the Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III. In the year of its opening, he donated a rich «Chuvash collection» to the museum – 92 items, mostly antique embroidery. The purpose of the study is to trace the stages of I.N. Smirnov’s selfless work in the field of collecting ethnographic objects, including photo illustrations from the Chuvash everyday life. Materials and methods. The research was based on newly identified documents stored in the archive of the Russian Museum of Ethnography and the Scientific Archive of the Chuvash State Institute of Humanities, as well as published materials. The principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency were used, as well as research methods: factual, descriptive, analytical, problem-chronological ones were used. Study results. Among numerous works on research and collecting activities of Professor I.N. Smirnov, a special article about his contribution to compiling the Chuvash collections appears for the first time. It provides brief information on cooperation of the ethnographer-collector with the Museum of Russian Studies at Kazan University. However, it mainly tells about his fruitful ties with the Russian Ethnographic Museum. We revealed that during 1902–1904 Ivan Nikolaevich presented 9 Chuvash collections to St. Petersburg repository of ancient ethnographic items – about 1110 works of ornamental art and household items in total, the collector calls them «folk antiquity, original, beautiful», which «melts every year», since he «went to the Chuvash and the Cheremis 12 years ago, went last year… and I found a huge change: things that used to be found in almost every house could not be obtained in the whole village». We analyzed the contents of the catalogue of collections presented to the museum, fortunately, on the initiative of N.V. Nikolsky, a student and follower of Ivan Nikolaevich’s work, this truly original document turned out to be in his Manuscript Collection, now stored in Department I of the Scientific Archive at the Chuvash State Institute of Humanities. Conclusions. Biographical materials published to date about Professor I.N. Smirnov give only a passing mention of his activities in collecting Chuvash ethnographic items for museums. This article makes an attempt to comprehensively cover the path of the researcher-collector. In the author’s opinion, the catalogue of collections, originally stored in the Scientific Archive at the Chuvash State Institute of Humanities, as well as reports and correspondence of the professor on ethnographic expeditions in governorates densely inhabited by the Chuvash, should be published in a separate book.

Концептуальные основы дидактики И.Я. Яковлева и современные технологии самостоятельной работы обучающихся в педагогическом вузе

The article is devoted to the study of the conceptual foundations of I.Ya. Yakovlev's didactics. The work presents an analytical description of the technologies of independent work, self-development, self-education in the pedagogical system of the educator of the Chuvash people. Based on the content of federal state educational standards of higher education, the author proves the relevance of I.Ya. Yakovlev's didactic system in modern conditions of the implementation of the "Core of Higher Pedagogical Education", their innovative nature, the effectiveness of the organization of the educational process in the Simbirsk Chuvash Teachers' School. The work presents the results of the analysis of modern curricula in the direction of training "Psychology and Pedagogy of Preschool Education" for the presentation of a description of technologies and the amount of time for completing assignments for independent work. The study of I.Ya. Yakovlev's didactic system is built taking into account the knowledge, ethnocultural, personological paradigms and on the principles of consistency and competence. The results of the study, obtained on the basis of theoretical analysis of pedagogical literature and normative regulators of education, have a methodological nature, are consonant with the requirements for the results of the formation of universal, general professional and professional competencies. The author presented a substantive analysis of the author's and advanced technologies for the 18th century for organizing the classroom and extracurricular work of students: reading, retelling, taking notes on pedagogical literature, research, project, essay-reasoning, developing logic and critical thinking. The described technologies require reconstruction in new socio-cultural conditions, they can be recommended for use in the educational process of a modern university.

The History of the Chuvash People through the Eyes of an Ethnographer

Ethnic history presupposes an interdisciplinary analysis of primary sources and basic publications on the subject. For this reason, the researcher must possess the skills not only of a historian; he is obliged to include the scholarly achievements in the study of ethnonyms, geography, genetics, anthropology, archeology, religion, ethnography, linguistics, art history, and folklore studies. In this instance, we turn our attention only to several fundamental characteristics and events in the traditional ethnography of the Chuvash people. The article covers the Caucasian, Volga-Don, and Middle Volga stages, according to the historical period in which the ancestors of the Chuvash were living. They are space-time boundaries in the history of the Chuvash. An interdisciplinary approach (history <-> ethnography) is used. The chronology of events extends from the 2nd to 10th centuries. At the same time, we try to trace the historical dynamics of one or another tendency. All of this should further the study of the ethnic history of one of the numerous peoples of the Russian Federation.

Этногенез чувашей в трудах Н.И. Воробьева: особенности трактовки

The article examines the contribution of Professor N.I. Vorobyev to the scientific study of complex aspects of the ethnogenesis of the Chuvash people. The scientist is rightfully considered one of the prominent researchers of the problem of the origin of the Chuvash. Being one of the leaders and authors of the first volume of the collective monograph “The Chuvash. Ethnographic research. Part One” (1956), N.I. Vorobyev outlined in it his so-called "autochthonous theory" of the ethnogenesis of the Chuvash, as a people based on Finno-Ugric, but with the Turkic Bulgarian language. The article highlights the scientist's not always unambiguous views on the origin of the Chuvash, as set out by him in publications of 1930, 1950, 1953. It is noted that while many scientists at the beginning of scientific research adhered to the concept of the Finno-Ugric origin of the Chuvash, and subsequently took the position of N.I. Ashmarin, N.I. Vorobyev initially rather inclined to the Bulgarian theory, and only later became an autochthoniste. It is pointed out that one of the weak points in the scientist's interpretation of the issues of ethnogenesis was the ignoring of the factor of their Bulgarian-type language. For N.I. Vorobyev, the main basis for judgments about the origin of the Chuvash was the material and partly spiritual culture, which had a lot in common with the Mari. The article also points to the fact that the scientist did not pay attention to the factor of pagan religion in the ethnic history of the Chuvash. At the same time, it should be noted that in search of the origins of the Chuvash people, he quite widely attracted materials from famous archaeological sites of the Chuvash region. Special attention is paid in the article to the coverage of critical assessments of N.I. Vorobyev’s views by Chuvash historians V.F. Kakhovsky and V.D. Dimitriev.

К юбилею профессора Н.И. Воробьева: введение

The article opens a special issue of the Historical Ethnology journal dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the outstanding scholar Nikolay Iosifovich Vorobyev, geographer, historian and Turkologist, Honored Scientist of the Tatar ASSR, Honorary Member of the USSR Geographical Society, founder of ethnographic Tatar studies and one of the leading researchers of the ethno- and cultural genesis of the Chuvash people. Professor Vorobyev is the author and editor of such fundamental works as the Fundamentals of Physical Geography of the Tatar Republic (Kazan, 1936); The Kazan Tatars: Ethnographic Study of the Material Culture of the Pre-October Period (Kazan, 1953); The Chuvashes. Ethnographic Study (Cheboksary, 1956); Tatars of the Middle Volga and Ural Regions (Moscow: Nauka, 1967), as well as other academic publications. The paper outlines important milestones in the biography, the main areas of the scientist’s research activities, starting with his student passion for the ethnic culture of the peoples of Siberia to academic maturity – fundamental research on the ethnography of the Turkic peoples of the Volga and Ural regions. The article presents vectors of his teaching work at Kazan State University, at the Kazan Eastern Pedagogical Institute (KSPI), as well as administrative and expeditionary practice within the walls of the Central Museum of the Tatar ASSR and the Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Kazan branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Вклад Н.И. Воробьева в районирование этнографических групп чувашей (по данным этнографии)

N.I. Vorobyev made a great contribution to the comparative study of the history of settlement and traditional culture of the ethnographic groups of the Chuvash, their interethnic interaction with the contacted ethnoses. He identified three ethnographic complexes based on the features, both those that had archaic signs and newly formed ones. Regarding the history of the formation of ethnographic groups, the researcher argued that the population of the north-east of the Chuvash Volga region perceived more southern Turkic influences in their everyday life, began to differ in language and way of life from the north-western population, although they retained commonality with it in the main elements of language, culture and lifestyle. His conclusion that the main ethnographic groups of the Chuvash, as he considered the upper Viryal and lower Anatri, were finally formed during the 15th century in the northern regions of Chuvashia as a result of the rapprochement of the indigenous population of these areas with newcomers from the south, cannot be considered justified. The work of ethnographic expeditions in the Chuvash regions in the late 1940s and early 1950s, she showed that the archaic complex was most characteristic of the costume of the middle-aged Chuvash Anat enchi, although N.I. Vorobyev considered them an average or mixed ethnographic group. In general, he represented that group as part of the Anatri, who changed their way of life under the influence of borrowing from the Tatars. The author’s team, under the guidance of the scholar, developed in detail the classification of the Chuvash into groups and subgroups based on folk costume. N.I. Vorobyev for the first time identified three subgroups as part of anatri. The border zone between Anatri and anat yenchi, which was not clearly defined by its predecessors, in particular G.I. Komissarov, N.I. Vorobyev, was also not resolved. The riding costume was formed as a result of interaction with the mountain Mari people, although many features that unite it primarily with the anat Enchi costume were not replaced in it. The authors emphasise that the striking external differences that were recorded in the riding Chuvash northwestern subgroups and grassroots chuvashki hirti. They did not violate the common cultural community of the Chuvash people. It should be noted that the task of a more detailed substantiation of cultural and linguistic areas at the level of subgroups within the ethnographic groups of the Chuvash, divided into four subgroups in the upper zone and three in the middle and lower ones, unresolved by the expeditions of the late 1940s – early 1950s, remains relevant.

ACADEMIC CENTERS OF THE BASHKIR, TATAR AND CHUVASH PEOPLE’S COMMISSARIATS OF EDUCATION: MAIN DIRECTIONS AND RESULTS OF ACTIVITY

In the 1920s, academic centers – special bodies of the People’s Commissariats of Education, which united and directed research, educational, methodological and local history work within the autonomy – played an important role in the development of education and science in autonomous republics of the Middle Volga region. Studying the history of academic centers, which at one time managed to consolidate the best intellectual forces of the autonomous republics around themselves, is extremely important for understanding the processes that took place in the spiritual life of the regions of Russia in the 1920s. The purpose of the research is to study the history of the activities performed by the academic centers of the Bashkir, the Tatar and the Chuvash People’s Commissariats of Education from the moment of their uprise until their subsequent liquidation in the early 1930s, to identify the most important areas of work carried out by academic centers and to evaluate the effectiveness of their activities. Materials and methods. This article is based on the study of scientific literature and materials of the State Historical Archive of the Chuvash Republic. The methodological basis of the research is made by the principles of objectivity, historicism and consistency, as well as the aggregate of general scientific and special historical methods. Research results. Despite all the difficulties that academic centers had to face in the 1920s, their activities turned out to be useful in those conditions. This is largely due to the fact that in all the three republics, local authorities managed to attract the best intellectual forces to the work of academic centers. The article gives prominence the following main directions and results of the activities carried out by the academic centers of the Bashkir, the Tatar and the Chuvash People’s Commissariats using specific examples: The role in solving the problem of developing the Bashkir, the Tatar and the Chuvash literary written languages. The activities of terminology commissions at academic centers, which considered the issues of writing and pronunciation of special terms. Implementation of editorial and publishing activities. Development, review and approval of numerous programs for various educational and cultural institutions. Solving other issues related to educational institutions (professional development of education workers, approval of various regulatory and departmental documents, etc.). Promoting the development of research in the autonomous republics. Support for the local history movement. Influence on the development of national culture. Conclusions. There were certain differences in the activities carried out by the academic centers of the Bashkir, the Tatar and the Chuvash People’s Commissariats of Education in the 1920s. However, in general, all of them played an important role in providing the educational process with work programs and educational literature, in the development of science and the local history movement. Academic centers were of particular importance for the development of the Bashkir, the Tatar and the Chuvash languages.

FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL RITES OF THE CHUVASH IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORKS OF THE XX – EARLY XXI CENTURY: TO THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE PROBLEM

The article presents the history of studying funeral and memorial rites of the Chuvash during the century period between the twentieth and the beginning of the XXI century. The problem under discussion is relevant and of both scientific and practical interest. Despite the fact that the history of ethnographic studying the Chuvash people has been covered many times in previous publications, this area in the historiographical aspect has not been specifically considered or it was analyzed in general terms along with other issues. The purpose of the study is to conduct a brief review of the literature on funeral and memorial rites of the Chuvash from the XX century to the beginning of the XXI century. The scientific novelty of the article lies in primacy of the problem statement and its scientific analysis. Materials and methods. The article is based on the analysis of literary and documentary materials using the chronological method – the study of historical events and facts from the perspective of sequence, movement and changes in accordance with the progressive course of historical time. The research was conducted using the methods of analysis, synthesis, systematization, historicism, objectivity, consistency and concreteness. Research results. The work shows the historiography of studying funeral rites and funeral feasts of the Chuvash of the Ural-Volga region in the Soviet (1920–1990-ies) and post-Soviet (1990s – the first decade of the XXI century) periods. It was made taking into account the most significant publications on the subject in question that were published during the period under study. The historiographical review and analysis of the literature show that, compared with previous eras, the Soviet and the post-Soviet periods are characterized by a more systematic and in-depth approach to the study of this problem. Research on this topic is distinguished by a wide chronological and territorial coverage, a high scientific and methodological level, introduction of archival, field (expedition) sources into scientific circulation, a comprehensive development of the topic with participation of scientists of different specialties – historians, ethnographers, art historians, linguists, folklorists, philosophers, cultural studies scholars, etc. Despite this, the funeral rite of the Chuvash did not become a topic of special and in-depth study. In the vast majority of studies, customs and rituals associated with human death are shown generically, without detailing and differentiation in accordance with the ethnographic, ethno-territorial and ethno-confessional characteristics of the Chuvash people. They lack a holistic approach and comparative analysis, descriptiveness and compilation prevail, the transfer of individual or local features of the ritual to the funeral rites of the entire Chuvash people. Conclusions. To date, a huge amount of information has been accumulated on the funeral and memorial rites of the Chuvash in the Russian science, including during the chronological period under consideration, however, an attempt aimed at its holistic characterization and analysis in the form of a special scientific study has not been undertaken yet and is waiting for its researcher. Perhaps in the near future, this gap in Chuvash studies will be overcome and this type of family ritualism will be studied appropriately.

Этническое мифотворчество в киберпространстве как фактор репрезентации этничности чувашей

The article is devoted to the study of Chuvash ethnic myth-making in cyberspace. The aim of the work is to determine its role as one of the factors of ethnicity representation. The study is based on the analysis of the relevant content presented on popular web platforms and social networks YouTube, Rutube, Zen, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki. The study identifies a certain section of content offered by search algorithms as the most viewed and included in thematic collections and playlists. The author examines the myth-making components of the Internet space, characterizes formats and plots, identifies their authors, and studies the audience's reaction to the content. Data analysis showed that ethnic myth-making has a positive effect on the representation of the Chuvash culture. Despite some inaccuracies in the information, such material generally evokes positive emotions in users. Information in video and text format is published on popular Russian platforms, making ethno-myth-creating content accessible to a wide audience. The myths created by the authors reflect their desire to show the antiquity and significance of the Chuvash people, which helps the Chuvash people to understand their identity, place and role in the world. Ethno-myth-creating content on the Internet increases interest in the Chuvash culture, promoting its popularization and representation.

Концептуальная оппозиция «правда – ложь» в чувашской и русской языковых картинах мира

The purpose of the study is to identify the linguistic and cultural features of the representation of the concepts of TRUTH and LIE in the Russian and Chuvash language worldviews. The article examines the structural and semantic features of the concepts as complex mental formations, identifies their intercultural correspondences, analyzes conceptual, figurative and moral-aesthetic components reflecting important attitudes of the life philosophy of the Russian and Chuvash peoples. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the fact that it for the first time presents a description of the concepts of TRUTH and LIE based on the material of Russian and Chuvash proverbial expressions in a comparative way, examines the linguistic and cultural aspects of their linguistic implementation, identifies intercultural correspondences and differences that determine the linguistic mentality of the Chuvash people. As a result of the study, it was found that the cognitive categories "truth" and "lie" are the basic elements of the cultural code of nations. They form a single semantic paradigm in the space of the Russian and Chuvash worldviews and act as units of a functional and pragmatic level. The emotional and evaluative interpretation of the considered components is determined by life or behavioral situations and receives various metaphorical content within the framework of the studied linguistic cultures.

Guest Visits in the Contemporary Festive and Ritual Culture of the Chuvash People

Рассматривается традиция гостевания ретпе çӳрени / эртеле кайни в современных праздниках и обрядах чувашей на примере сельских сообществ -традиционной среды формирования и бытования их этнической культуры. Цель исследования -выявление форм гостевания и определение их роли в системе социальных связей этнической группы. Дается характеристика традиционных элементов и новаций в культуре гостевания, описаны основные признаки трансформации данного обычая, выявлены причины изменений под влиянием социально-экономических факторов в XX -первых десятилетиях XXI в. Гостевание рассматривается как социально обусловленное явление, отражающее в своей динамике процессы трансформации сообщества. Исследование основано на полевых материалах авторов, собранных в 1998-2003, 2020-2022 гг. в Республиках Башкортостан и Татарстан, Самарской области и Чувашской Республике. Анализ традиции гостевания показал, что они были вписаны в календарные праздники и обряды чувашей, определяли их структуру, пространственно-временные, акциональные характеристики, а в масштабах сельской общины выступали одним из действенных способов социального взаимодействия в рамках патронимических групп. В современной культуре гостевание и связанные с ним ритуальные действия продолжают бытовать в целостных формах или в виде отдельных элементов в календарной обрядности чувашей, составляя актуальную часть религиозно-обрядовых практик в отдельных сельских локусах. Сохраняются элементы гостевого этикета, цифровой код обрядности, отношение к гостям в контексте ритуала, приготовление традиционных блюд и др. Существующие практики гостевания свидетельствует о востребованности данной формы социального взаимодействия для поддержания и укрепления внутрисельских связей и родственных отношений. Трансформация обычая проявляется чаще в замещении традиционных форм новациями, которые носят внеэтнический характер, изменении состава участников, форм гостевания, его атрибутов, сокращении ритуала во времени. Изменения вызваны ослаблением (частичной утратой) родственных и соседских связей в сельских сообществах, уменьшением значимости народных праздников и обрядов в общественной жизни, появлением современных средств коммуникации.

Professor P.V. Denisov – A Distinguished Alumnus of Kazan University

This article considers the role of the Kazan school of history and ethnology in the development of Professor P.V. Denisov’s views and professional expertise. Kazan University is the alma mater of numerous notable Chuvash researchers. Many studies on the Chuvash people were performed within its walls, particularly by N.V. Nikolsky, V.K. Magnitsky, I.Ya. Yakovlev, N.I. Zolotnitsky et al. P.V. Denisov, who rose to prominence as a scholar and lecturer within the scientific and educational centers of Kazan, carried on their work with great merit. Here, his collaborations with Kazan colleagues and his substantial contributions to the advancement of ethnology and pedagogy were analyzed. Based on the analysis, several conclusions were drawn. P.V. Denisov dedicated his life to promoting science and mentoring further generations of highly qualified and skilled historians and ethnologists. His academic and pedagogical endeavors were mostly connected with I.N. Ulyanov Chuvash State University, where he taught historical and ethnographic disciplines, as well as established and headed the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography, and Regional History. Throughout his life, he published 120 scholarly works and supervised 20 holders of candidate and doctorate degrees in history. He was proud to be an alumnus of Kazan University and always maintained friendly and professional ties with his colleagues from Tatarstan. P.V. Denisov’s heritage and achievements have become deeply ingrained in Russian ethnology and pedagogy. His influence and ideas live on in the memories of his students. The obtained results hold both scientific and practical significance, shed light on the history of ethnology in the Volga–Ural region, and provide valuable material for studying and sketching the lives of famous Kazan University alumni.

VASILY DIMITRIEVICH DIMITRIEV, A RESEARCHER OF THE HISTORY OF THE CHUVASH PEOPLE, IS 100 YEARS OLD (in memory of the scientist)

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in January 2024, Vasily Dimitrievich Dimitriev, an outstanding researcher of the history of the Chuvash and other peoples of the Middle Volga region, turned 100 years old. His life and work are an example of service to science; his works are of lasting value for modern and future generations of researchers. The purpose of this article is to trace the life path of V.D. Dimitriev and evaluate his contribution to science, socio–political and cultural development of the republic and the country as a whole. Materials and methods. The main source base of the research was made by materials published in various publications about the personality of V.D. Dimitriev as a scientist, organizer of science and public figure, memoirs of his relatives and colleagues, unpublished documents and materials stored in the State Archive of Modern History, the personal archive of one of this article authors V.I. Sokolova, etc. In the context of the problem’s historiography, one can identify the research made by T.S. Sergeev, A. Kappeler, I.I. Boyko, S.M. Kashtanov, Y.P. Smirnov and many other researchers of V.D. Dimitriev’s works. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the biography, the role and the place of V.D. Dimitriev in studying the history of the Chuvash people, the Chuvash region, the Middle Volga region, the Urals and Russia as a whole are described in detail. Study results. Professor V.D. Dimitriev dominates among the researchers of the Ural-Volga regions of the XVIII–XIX centuries. It should be noted that he was the first who began to study the history of the Chuvash and other peoples of the Volga region since ancient times, the first to include oral folk tales in the study. Conclusions. The article presents a brief biography and results of V.D. Dimitriev’s activities as a scientist, public figure, teacher and organizer of education. His significant contribution to the development of science and education of the republic is noted.

ASSESSMENT OF V.D. DIMITRIEV’S ACTIVITY AND SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE IN MODERN HISTORICAL SCIENCE

The article analyzes the publications of the famous historian V.D. Dimitriev (1924–2013), the main directions of his research, as well as publications about his activities and scientific works. In 2024 the scientific community celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth, so it is necessary to show some results of studying the activities and scientific heritage of this outstanding personality. The purpose of the article is to review and classify the entire range of publications about V.D. Dimitriev and to analyze some historiographical works on the historian’s scientific works. Materials and methods. When writing the article, the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency, methods of historical research were used, i.e. historical-comparative, historical-typological, problem-chronological methods, as well as the ones of historiographical analysis. Study results. The largest number of publications about V.D. Dimitriev are biographical articles, mostly anniversary ones. Only some of them contain a historiographical assessment of his scientific heritage (the works of Y.P. Smirnov, I.Ya. Froyanov and others). Three collections were published for the anniversary of the scientist, which give a more detailed description of his works on ethnogenesis of the Chuvash people, the history of Chuvash towns, the history of feudalism in Chuvashia, V.D. Dimitriev’s research of Chuvash historical legends, biographical sketches of representatives of the Chuvash people, the scientist’s research methodology, etc. The scientist’s research was evaluated by leading experts on the problems studied by Vasily Dimitrievich: A.G. Ivanov, G.N. Aiplatov, A. Kappeler, A.I. Nogmanov, G.N. Plechov, E.K. Mineeva, Yu.V. Gusarov, V.P. Ivanov, Yu.P. Smirnov, A.A. Chibis, and others. Dimitriev’s research on the history of Chuvashia during the feudal era and the study of Chuvash historical traditions received the greatest number of responses in the scientific world. Conclusions. Despite a significant number of publications about V.D. Dimitriev, they are unsystematic in nature, that is why there is an urgent need to create a holistic monographic study on the activities and scientific heritage of the scientist. It is necessary to introduce the materials contained in the archive of V.D. Dimitriev into scientific circulation. It is advisable to post small-circulate.

ON THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF VASILY DIMITRIEVICH DIMITRIEV

The relevance of studying the biography of a prominent Soviet and Russian scientist, Honored Scientist of the RSFSR, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Vasily Dimitrievich Dimitriev is due to the growing interest in representatives of the second post–war generation of historians who made a great contribution to the development of historical education and to studying the problems of national history in the second half of the twentieth – early 21st century. The purpose of the study is to reconstruct the biography of V.D. Dimitriev, who, mastering and successfully implementing research practices, in his writings focused on studying the medieval history of the Chuvash people and the Chuvash region, as well as problems of ethnography, demography and historical memory. Materials and methods. The analysis of V.D. Dimitriev’s organizational, pedagogical and scientific activities is based on the study of the historian’s scientific heritage, historiographical literature, memoirs and Internet sources. When writing the article, the principle of historicism, the historiographical approach, the biographical method, as well as methods of systematic and comparative analysis were used, which made it possible to reveal the scientist’s diverse activities during the longitudinal period. Study results. Three stages of V.D. Dimitriev’s life were established. During the first stage (1924–1942), his personality was developing, his studies at the historical faculty of the Chuvash Pedagogical Institute were effective, during which he was elected secretary of the Komsomol committee of the university. The second stage (1942–1945) was conditioned by the Great Patriotic War, during which, after graduating from military school, he showed heroism defending the Soviet Homeland. The talent of the prominent Soviet and Russian historian Vasily Dmitrievich Dimitriev was fully revealed in the post-war period. Completing his studies at the Chuvash Pedagogical Institute, working at the Chuvash Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, and studying at the postgraduate training program of Lomonosov Moscow State University gave a powerful impetus to his organizational, scientific and pedagogical activities, which significantly influenced the effectiveness of his research practices in studying the medieval history problems of the Chuvash people and the Chuvash Region. An assessment of the historian’s scientific heritage and his contribution to the development of historical education in Chuvashia in the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the 21st century is also presented. Conclusions. The role of V.D. Dimitriev in the development of the Chuvash Research Institute of Language, Literature, History and Economics, historical education in Chuvashia in the modern period is revealed. He is proved to be one of the leaders of historian’s scientific school of the Chuvash Republic.

СИСТЕМА ТРАДИЦИОННОГО ПИТАНИЯ НАГАЙБАКОВ: СТРУКТУРНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ

The ethnic processes that took place in the Southern Urals since the mid-18th century had been accompanied by Slavic-Turkic contacts and the emergence of new identities. One of these was the Nagaybaks, baptized Tatars who were transferred to the Cossacks. Their ethno-cultural image was formed during contacts with unbaptized groups — the Chuvash people, the Transkama Udmurts and the Eastern Mari. From the mid-19th century, Russian influences increased, and relations with the Kazakhs appeared. As a result, by the beginning of the 20th century, the Nagaybaks had developed their own original complex of economy and culture, which allowed them to be considered as a new ethnic phenomenon. Despite numerous innovations, the Nagaybaks culture retains archaic features, obviously reflecting deep historical ties with the Tatars and the Turkic world as a whole. In this regard, nutrition system seems to be a convenient material for studying. The article offers its structural-chronological and structural-functional analysis. Three chronologically consecutive layers in the genesis are distinguished — substrate, main and adstrate-superstrate. Each of them reflects the stages of the Nagaybaks’ ethnic history and their ancestors, the Tatars and other Turks. A significant part of the vocabulary related to agriculture, cattle breeding and the raw material base of the nutrition system reveals similarities with such phenomena among most Turkic peoples and defines its substrate. The main one reflects the Kazan-Tatar period. The later superstrate phenomena are Russian, Kazakh and other influences.

ЭТНОГРАФИЯ УЛИЦЫ У ЧУВАШЕЙ БАШКОРТОСТАНА

The domesticated objects of the Chuvash people of Bashkortostan and adjacent territories, represented by settlements, housing and outbuildings, are an important component of traditional views about space. The example of these objects clearly demonstrates how the conditions that create a life support system interconnected with the natural geographic landscape, sociocultural and socio-economic state of the population are reproduced. A man demonstrates a personal (special) attitude towards settlements, houses and outbuildings. First of all, these are the traditions of the construction business that have formed over the centuries, as well as religious and ceremonial views projected onto domesticated objects and reflecting the ideological picture of the world. The article presents factual confirmations of the existence of stable connections between the Chuvash people living within the ethnic territory of settlement and the Chuvash people who moved to other regions. The transformation was expressed in the development and modernization of settlements, in the traditions of building of housing and outbuildings, as well as in the ethnography of the street. The village space was actively involved in the cycle of family rituals — in wedding, maternity and funeral and memorial activities. The street of the settlement served for communication and exchange of news, where inhabitants made decisions on holding ritual events or convocation of help. The crossroads of the street and the alley, as the central square of the settlement, was also often a place of gathering and communication. Innovations associated with new conditions of the natural geographical landscape, interethnic interactions, legislation and administrative regulation, collectively demonstrate the particularities of the studied region. The combination of the traditional and the new in ethnic culture presents a synthesis of historical memory and innovations.