Russian Ethnography Research Articles

Рукопись И. П. Сойкконена в аспекте изучения зимней повседневности якутов первой трети ХХ в.

The Yakutia Comprehensive Research Expedition of 1925–1930 proved a most essential stage in the intellectual discovery of Russia’s Arctic and North. Even nowadays the insights into climate and natural resources, socioeconomic and demographic analyses, living conditions assessments remain as topical. It is noteworthy that the efforts undertaken were largely humanitarian, thus making the collected data on socioeconomic history and everyday life rich enough. Ivan Soikkonen was heading the Yakut Ethnographic Subgroup in 1926–1927, the latter to have been working in the central part of the Republic. Long-term stationary observations resulted in materials covering ethnic culture of the Yakuts, including detailed descriptions of household life, economic activities, and family relations. Soikkonen’s papers are distinguished by ‘photographic’ reflections of rural Yakutia’s local realities typical for earliest decades of the 20th century. Goals. The article aims to introduce into scientific circulation one manuscript by the Russian ethnographer Ivan P. Soikkonen containing ethnographic materials from late 1920s Central Yakutia. Materials. The manuscript titled ‘Winter Day of the Yakut Woman’ is stored together with other unpublished Yakutia-related materials of Soikkonen at the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg Branch). Results. The expedition materials are invaluable sources for humanities research. The manuscript examined contains interesting facts that shed light on social relations, standards and qualities inherent to rural life refracted in the mirror of everyday gender. The phenomena dominating throughout the to be presented document is that of natural winter cold which limits, restrains, and regulates activities of a Yakut woman in winter everyday life in earliest decades of the past century. Soikkonen’s notes make it possible to examine aspects of the economic determinism among Yakuts to have arisen from natural and climatic conditions of the region in the period prior to the Soviet modernization in interdisciplinary perspectives. Conclusions. The paper is first to publish the manuscript, only some small fragments have been cited before. The article pioneers the interpretation of Soikkonen’s materials from the standpoint of the anthropology of cold. The author comments and transcribes Yakut terms contained in the manuscript.

Рукопись И. П. Сойкконена в аспекте изучения зимней повседневности якутов первой трети ХХ в.

The Yakutia Comprehensive Research Expedition of 1925–1930 proved a most essential stage in the intellectual discovery of Russia’s Arctic and North. Even nowadays the insights into climate and natural resources, socioeconomic and demographic analyses, living conditions assessments remain as topical. It is noteworthy that the efforts undertaken were largely humanitarian, thus making the collected data on socioeconomic history and everyday life rich enough. Ivan Soikkonen was heading the Yakut Ethnographic Subgroup in 1926–1927, the latter to have been working in the central part of the Republic. Long-term stationary observations resulted in materials covering ethnic culture of the Yakuts, including detailed descriptions of household life, economic activities, and family relations. Soikkonen’s papers are distinguished by ‘photographic’ reflections of rural Yakutia’s local realities typical for earliest decades of the 20th century. Goals. The article aims to introduce into scientific circulation one manuscript by the Russian ethnographer Ivan P. Soikkonen containing ethnographic materials from late 1920s Central Yakutia. Materials. The manuscript titled ‘Winter Day of the Yakut Woman’ is stored together with other unpublished Yakutia-related materials of Soikkonen at the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg Branch). Results. The expedition materials are invaluable sources for humanities research. The manuscript examined contains interesting facts that shed light on social relations, standards and qualities inherent to rural life refracted in the mirror of everyday gender. The phenomena dominating throughout the to be presented document is that of natural winter cold which limits, restrains, and regulates activities of a Yakut woman in winter everyday life in earliest decades of the past century. Soikkonen’s notes make it possible to examine aspects of the economic determinism among Yakuts to have arisen from natural and climatic conditions of the region in the period prior to the Soviet modernization in interdisciplinary perspectives. Conclusions. The paper is first to publish the manuscript, only some small fragments have been cited before. The article pioneers the interpretation of Soikkonen’s materials from the standpoint of the anthropology of cold. The author comments and transcribes Yakut terms contained in the manuscript.

КОМПЛЕКСНАЯ ЭКСПЕДИЦИЯ НА ПОДКАМЕННУЮ ТУНГУСКУ. ВЗГЛЯД ЧЕРЕЗ СТОЛЕТИЕ. 1921–2021 ГГ.

The paper presents an overview of the results of a comprehensive expedition of the Museum of the Yenisei Territory and the Krasnoyarsk Department of the Russian Geographical Society in 1921 to the Podkamennaya Tunguska River. The purpose of the study is to introduce into scientific circulation the materials of the expedition in the field of archeology, ethnography, ornithology and botany. The main complete collections are indicated in the indicated areas. Such scientific methods as comparative-historical, natural science, field observations, analogies and others are used. The chronology of the stages of the expedition, its route, the composition of the participants and their role in achieving the goals are given. The result of the expedition is the collection of 2,300 items in all major branches of local lore knowledge of the Yenisei North. The subject of the study is a zoological collection of 817 items, a herbarium of 782 exhibits, 216 units of geological samples and fossils, 410 items of Evenk and Russian ethnography and 45 archeological artifacts. For the first time, archival illustrative material on the expedition is presented. The results obtained by the expedition members a hundred years ago are compared with modern scientific ideas. Along the route of the 1921 expedition, modern monitoring of the state of objects was carried out. The authors concluded that the expedition collected unique materials in the north of the Yenisei province. They significantly expanded scientific information and replenished museum collections.

KOKOSHNIK: A FEMALE HEADDRESS IN THE TRIANGLE OF TRADITION, TALISMAN, AND GENDER ROLES

Folk costumes, which are among the elements of material culture and concrete indicators of the lifestyle of individuals, carry the reflections of the life shaping beliefs from generation to generation. Because of these aspects, they are the target of Westernization movements while being embraced by a certain group as a symbol of national values. Kokoshnik, a traditional headdress worn by women, goes through a similar transformation process from the time it is first used to the date when it is pushed out of daily life due to ideological concerns. The headdress is named after the Old East Slavic word kokosh meaning “chicken”, because of its form similar to that of poultry’s comb. The tailors with specialized training in sewing this flamboyant headdress adorned with precious stones and embroidery, called kokoshnitsa, which also comes from the same root. In this review article, it is aimed to contribute to the international literature, which has been determined to be quite limited in terms of content and quantity. Studies that deal with kokoshniks both as a traditional headdress and an indicator of women’s marital status and social position, are evaluated through comparative method. This study, which compares the etymological studies of Russian ethnographers, folklorists, art critics, and linguists such as G. S. Maslova, N. I. Gagen-Torn, D. K. Zelenin, V. V. Stasov, V. I. Dal’ and S. I. Ojegov on kokoshnik, also includes current research. In all these studies, it is revealed that two basic tendencies gain importance: In early studies, the emergence of the headdress due to the religious superstition about uncovered hair brings bad luck is discussed and its function as a talisman is emphasized. The values symbolized by kokoshnik in the social status of women and in distribution of responsibilities within the family are also examined in the light of ethnographic data. However, in current studies, a critical perspective draws attention that the kokoshnik is reflected as an accessory that symbolizes traditional costumes in a stereotypical way, and thus, the Russian clothing culture, which has a very rich history indeed, is reduced to a monotonic image.

A New Turn in Russian Ethnography

Abstract The article is based on the text analysis of previously unknown archival documents (letters, petitions) to assess the impact of Pervaa Vserossiiskaya etnographicheskaya vystavka (the first all-Russian ethnographic exhibition) had on different spheres of Russian life – ranging from reinterpreting Slavic identity and rallying Western and Southern Slavs around the empire to growing museum attendance. Demonstrating the diversity of ethnic groups in Russia, in addition to emphasising its imperial power managed to also serve the purpose of structuring and further developing academic knowledge, and presenting its results to the larger public in an easily accessible yet sophisticated way: the Ethnographic Department of the Imperial Society of Devotees of Natural Science, Anthropology and Ethnography at Moscow University was founded in 1868, and the first ethnographic museum (Dashkov Museum) in Moscow used the items for its collection. Russian ethnography exercised this new chance of proclaiming itself as an independent and actively evolving discipline and field of knowledge.

НАУЧНАЯ ЭКСПЕДИЦИЯ АКАДЕМИЧЕСКОГО ОТРЯДА (1733–1746)

This article talks about a well-known event in the study of the peoples of the north and Siberia, which in history was given the name "Academic detachment", or "Journey of Academicians in Siberia", organized in the period from 1733 to 1746 by the father of Russian ethnology and ethnography Gerhard Friedrich Miller. This event is what formed the basis for the formation and development of ethnography and ethnology of modern Russia, which was held on the territory of our state in the eighteenth century. The scientific expedition was carried out as part of the Great Northern Expedition, headed by Vitus Bering. The work gives a brief presentation of the main events associated with the ethnographic and ethnological research of the Academic detachment. The Academic Detachment had the different objectives. It is work with the archives of Siberian cities. The goals of the detachment included the development of universal methods for studying the Siberian peoples and study of Siberian folklore of local peoples. Scientists needed to study the Siberian folklore of local peoples, life, worldview, rituals, public order, clothing, customs of the Siberian population, philological research. It was very interesting to consider artifacts that will be very interesting for global ethnographic scientific research of aboriginal traditional cultures, which made it possible to draw up general programs for comparative studies of Siberian traditional peoples with various neighboring peoples, revealing global patterns in the development of various cultures, etc. The article also presents brief results of this scientific expedition.

Historical, cultural and ethnographic studies by Anatoly Fedorovich Koni

The famous lawyer Anatoly Fedorovich Koni is known for his works in various fields of humanitarian knowledge. At the same time, his historical, cultural and ethnographic research is completely unknown. In our work, we reveal this important aspect of the work of the outstanding prosecutor and senator of the Russian Empire.
 Historical works Anatoly Fedorovich wrote under the influence of his father, who was known as a biographer of Frederick the Great. In addition, in the 1860s, he was strongly influenced by Russian historians from St. Petersburg and Moscow universities. Under the influence of these persons, Konya gradually developed his own style, which included subjectivity, emotionality, the identification of ethical aspects and a tendency to biography. Despite repeated attempts to begin writing history, the lack of time did not allow the lawyer to constantly study history.
 Another object of interest was urban culture, which was strongly interested in Koni. Noticing many cultural features of Russian cities, he kept notes, collected materials, but also did not create much work in this area. His essays on Russian ethnography were popular and descriptive. Despite the fact that many of Koni's efforts in history, cultural studies and ethnography did not end with major works and not one of his studies was published, the study of his works allows us to better understand the worldview of a major lawyer of the empire, as well as to determine the degree of understanding of the situation of people from his environment.

The Image of Kazakh Society in the Studies of Russian Ethnographers during the Russian Empire: on the Example of Material Culture

The Image of Kazakh Society in the Studies of Russian Ethnographers during the Russian Empire: on the Example of Material Culture

Features of the exposition of culture and life of Armenians in some Russian museums and its influence on the activation of national identity

One of the most important categories of classification is the type of museum, based on the relationship of the museum with a specific science. Ethnographic expositions are directly related to ethnographic science: the concepts of development, replenishment of collections, creation of expositions and exhibitions are aimed at preserving, studying, recreating, presenting the culture and life of a long or recent past.National identity is formed from birth, from childhood. It can be assumed, that this is a stable and constant concept throughout a person's life. However, changing the country of residence for one reason or another sometimes leads to a change in perceptions, a revision of the system of values, interpersonal relations, and a mixing of cultures, which in turn can contribute to the creation of new options for national identity.In the process of preserving the national identity of Armenians, museums organized in those countries where there is a stable Armenian diaspora occupy a special place.According to the profile, none of the museums operating on the territory of non-Armenian states is ethnographic. However, an impressive part of their collections and expositions consists of objects characterizing the culture and life of the population of those areas of Armenia from which representatives of this diaspora or their ancestors emigrated.The article considers the corresponding collections and expositions of the Museum of Russian-Armenian Friendship in Rostov-on-Don, the Armenian Museum of Moscow and the Culture of Nations, the Museum of the Peoples of the East in Moscow and the Russian Ethnographic Museum in St. Petersburg.

Образ восприятия эвенков в художественной этнографии китайских писателей (на материале творчества Ужерту)

The Evenki are a small ethnic group living in Russia and China, which has preserved its traditional culture and rituals. The “Evenk theme” has become a significant phenomenon in modern Chinese literature and has contributed to ethnographic studies of Evenk culture. The relevance of the study is due to the interest of modern literary criticism in various artistic projections of imagological methodology through the prism of ethnic cultures, as well as the attention of modern Chinese writers to the life of small nationalities. The aim of the study was the imagological analysis of the image of the self-perception of the Evenki in the artistic ethnography of the Evenk writer Uzhertu. The research is based on the methodological developments in the field of artistic ethnography, as well as imagological studies of cultural images and artistic images of perception in literature. The principle of attracting and using ethnographic material is based on the works by Russian ethnographers. During the research, the stories of Uzhertu were analyzed. The image of the Evenk in his works is given from the point of view of self-perception. At the same time, it is emphasized that despite the positive qualities, the Evenk nation is weak and small in number, dissolving in the Han culture under the influence of globalization, modernization, and developing economy. As a representative of an ancient ethnos, faced with the impact of modern civilization, with each new stage of creativity, Uzhertu became more and more aware of his responsibility to his people, trying to fix and preserve its unique culture in an artistic form. In the “Evenk” works by Uzhertu, the main typological techniques of artistic ethnography were captured: the creation of images of perception of a foreign culture (Han) and images of perception, the imprinting of traditional religious ideas and a mythological picture of the world, a description of household and trade customs and rituals. Uzhertu sadly records the processes of enveloping the Evenks, their dissolution in the Han culture and everyday life.

The History of the Country through the Course of Life. Professor Valentina Pavlovna Nevskaya (1919-2009)

The article is dedicated to the prominent Russian scientist, ethnographer and historian Valentina Pavlovna Nevskaya (1919-2009), who received international recognition for the outstanding achievements in the development of the history of antiquity and world Caucasian studies. The biography of the scientist, which reflected many of the most important events of Soviet history (Civil War 1918-1922, economic experiments of the Bolsheviks of the 1920-1930s, the tragedy of the "great terror" policy of 1937-1938, mass repressions, the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 years of the Cold War, etc.). The fate of Valentina Pavlovna was quite typical for the representatives of the Soviet intelligentsia: the choice of her major, as well as the choice of work, was determined by the status of "member of the family of the enemy of the people." Since ancient history was the least politicized branch of Soviet historical science, V.P. Nevskaya chose the history of Byzantium for her thesis topic. The book, written based on the aforementioned thesis, was translated into German and Japanese. The scientific studies conducted by V.P. Nevskaya, who left a big mark in the historical science of the North Caucasus (including taking part in a large-scale academic project of the Soviet era - "History of the peoples of the North Caucasus (end of XYIII in - 1917"). Nevskaya V.P. is the editor and author of the main overview works on history of particular areas and peoples of the region. Particular attention is paid to the works of a scientist on the history of Karachay-Cherkessia (from ancient times before the Bolsheviks came to power), in which, on the basis of numerous personally collected materials, including ethnographic and archaeological proof, the history of the region (population, social, family, land and legal relations, way of life, folklore, traditions, etc.) was recollected and restored. Valentina Nevskaya, having carefully studied the very complex social structure of the hereditary relations of the mountain peoples, came to the conclusion that these peoples were at the feudal stage of development, determining that at the turn of the XVIII - XIX centuries. These relations took place and were firmly fixed in the adatas, the customary law of the peoples of the North Caucasus. Particular attention in the writings of V.P. Nevskaya was given to the Karachais, a small Turkic people living high in the mountains of the Western Caucasus. After analyzing a large number of diverse sources, the researcher concluded that feudalism in Karachai developed directly from the general system, and land relations determined the nature of the relationship of Karachais with neighboring peoples, in particular, with Kabardians as a “military-political confederation”. Her experience teaching as a professor at the Stavropol State Pedagogical Institute (now the North Caucasus Federal University), where she headed the department of general history, is described. Valentina Nevskaya taught ancient history, continued her research on the history and ethnography of the North Caucasus and prepared a number of candidates of historical sciences. It is emphasized that the works of V.P. Nevskaya are currently important sources for writing disserta-tions, monographs, and articles on topical issues in the history of the North Caucasus. The texts of her books and articles testify to the highest level of professional skill, versatile erudition, the steady observance of ethical standards, and the awareness of the scientist’s moral responsibility.

О международной научной конференции "культура и взаимодействие народов в музейных, научных и образовательных процессах - важнейшие факторы стабильного развития стран Евразии"

The information about the International Scientific Conference “Culture and interaction of peoples in museum, scientific and educational processes - the most important factors of stable development of the countries of Eurasia” is presented. The conference was held on September 21-22, 2021 in Omsk. The event was timed to the 80th anniversary of N.A. Tomilov, a Russian ethnographer, anthropologist, museologist, professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences. The conference considered the issues of history, culture and ethnocultural interaction of peoples, methodology and results of the study of folk culture, the multiplication and use of cultural and natural heritage, museology and museum processes in Eurasia, museological and local history research, museum work and museum marketing, the role of ethnographic and ecological tourism in the development of regions.The conference was held in an online format. Within the framework of the scientific forum, events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Nikolai A. Tomilov were held. A significant event of the plenary session was the presentation of N.A. Tomilov's monography “60 years in the scientific community: humanitarian studies, Russian scientists and their environment (the second half of the 20th - first decades of the 21st century)”. Five sections worked at the conference: “Folk culture from antiquity to modernity: methods and results of research”, “History and culture of peoples: interdisciplinary approaches in modern humanities”, “Historiographical aspects of the study of ethnocultural history”,“Cultural and natural heritage as a factor and tool of intercultural interaction and attraction of tourists”, “Museology and Museum processes: history and current state”.

The Expedition of Stanisław Poniatowski to the Land of the Golds and the Orochs (1914)

The aim of this article is to describe and analyze the contribution of Stanisław Poniatowski to the ethnological study of Siberia - the region that has always attracted travelers and discoverers. Even those who had been exiled by the tsarist regime in the second half of the 19th century not only intended to survive in the new, harsh environment, but also frequently conducted their own geographic, ethnographic, or botanical research. The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was also the time of the first academic expeditions to Siberia, such as the one led by Vladimir G. Bogoraz (1894-1896), a Russian ethnographer and linguist, during which systematic research in various fields of humanities and natural sciences was conducted. The scientific contribution of Stanisław Poniatowski to Siberian studies is based, in the first place on his extensive and detailed fieldwork which, nonetheless, would not be possible without the support given by the acclaimed Czech anthropologist Aleš Hrdlička. Thanks to his assistance, Poniatowski’s expedition could be carried on and produce unique ethnographic data on relatively unknown peoples of that region of Asia.

Semiotics of Ethnographic Collections of the Peoples of the Amur Region and Primorye by V. K. Arseniev at the Beginning of the 20 th Century Based on the Materials of the Russian Ethnographic Museum: Ethnocultural Features

Semiotics of Ethnographic Collections of the Peoples of the Amur Region and Primorye by V. K. Arseniev at the Beginning of the 20 th Century Based on the Materials of the Russian Ethnographic Museum: Ethnocultural Features

Автобиография Ю. В. Кнорозова: эволюция документа в личном деле исследователя

The publication characterizes autobiographies of the historian, ethnographer, linguist, “father” of the Russian school of Mayanism Yuri Valentinovich Knorozov (1922–99), that have been identified in the fonds of various institutions and departments: (State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), Scientific Archive of the Russian Ethnographic Museum (REM), Scientific Archive of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (MAE RAN). Autobiography is a “free” author's presentation (with fixed semantic accents, sometimes duplicating the data of personnel sheet) and a mandatory formal element of Soviet personnel management. The text of the autobiography was influenced by the document’s purpose: individual facts unfit for socially and ideologically correct biography were “hushed up” or otherwise carefully explained by the author. Drawing on Yu. V. Knorozov’s autobiographies written in different years and for different reasons (admission to graduate school, employment, dissertation defense, promotion to honorary titles), the article assesses how explanatory statements were changing textually. “Corrections” are considered using the example of specific facts: during the Great Patriotic War (from 1941 to February 1943), Yuri Knorozov, a student of the Kharkiv Pedagogical University, unfit for military service for health reasons, was in the territory occupied by the enemy. The article is accompanied by the publication of a detailed autobiography of Yuri Knorozov (1981) compiled on the occasion of his nomination as corresponding member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in “General history” (ethnography). The autobiography text contains information on most important facts of Yuri Knorozov’s scientific biography, including his expeditions (field research), reports at foreign scientific events and participation in international scientific associations. The author concludes that it is more important to analyze not the content of the autobiography, but the socio-political circumstances and practices that determined its semantic framework.

MUSEUM ETHNOGRAPHY IN THE CONTEXT OF ETHNOGRAPHIC FINNO-UGRIC STUDIES IN THE USSR (1920s-1930s)

This paper offers a discussion of the role of ethnographic Finno-Ugric studies in Soviet nation building. In particular, it is concerned with the issue of representation of ethnicity/ethnic identity in various fields of museum studies: expeditions, local history, educational work, and exhibition activities. Special attention is paid to the field studies of Moscow and Leningrad ethnographers who participated in the formation of collections of regional museums of local lore and the construction of “authentic” visual images of Finno-Ugric peoples in the Soviet ethnographic portrait of the “family of peoples of the USSR”. One of the key questions is how the ethnographic reality and the transformative perspective of Soviet nation building correlated in the expedition practice. The role of the institute of museums in national movements is emphasized in recent studies of the history of Russian ethnography and the implementation of various ethnographic projects. In the authors’ opinion, ethnographers who conducted expert and scientific research, acted as intermediaries in the dialogue/conflict between local communities and authorities in building a regional national discourse.

V. A. Moshkov: the birth of gagauz studies in Russia

The Russian ethnographer V. A. Moshkov was a general in rank and a member of the Russian Geographical Society and seriously studied the traditions and life of the peoples inhabiting the Russian Empire. At the end of the 19th century, he began to research the Gagauz people. The research “The Gagauz of Bendery Uyezd”, published in the journal “Ethnographic Review” at the beginning of the 20th century was published as a result of V. A. Moshkov’s travels. Thanks to V. A. Moshkov, the general public learned about the small Orthodox people living on the area of a small region in the south of Bessarabia – the Gagauz. This article examines the multifaceted activities of the researcher aimed at highlighting various aspects of traditional culture – material culture, as well as customs, rituals, beliefs and folklore. It is noted that V. A. Moshkov tried to study the problem of human origin. It is curious that he was prompted to consider this issue because of his acquaintance with the material and spiritual culture of the Gagauz people, in which the scientist found parallels with other peoples not related to the Gagauz people by a common origin. The authors emphasize the role of the Gagauz scholars who have devoted their attention to studying the scientific heritage of V. A. Moshkov in the preservation and development of the identity of the Gagauz ethnos.

Традиционная хозяйственная культура татар в трудах Н.А. Халикова (памяти ученого и коллеги)

The article highlights the main directions of scientific work of Nail Alfredovich Khalikov, a well-known Russian ethnographer who studied the life and traditional economy of the Tatars, the author of significant academic works on the ethnography of the people. The main research of the scientist is related to the collection and interpretation of ethnographic sources (expedition, museum, archival, visual) and preparation for publishing “Historical and Ethnographic Atlas of the Tatar People”, where he was the author and a permanent member of the editorial board. In the 1970s–2000s, rural settlements of the Volga-Ural Tatars (Tatarstan, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, Bashkiria, Mari El, Kirov, Penza, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Perm, Orenburg, Chelyabinsk regions), then Astrakhan (Astrakhan, Saratov regions) and Siberian Tatars (Tyumen, Omsk, Tomsk regions) were examined according to a special program developed by N.A. Khalikov. As a result of that work, a source base on traditional farming, including agriculture and folk crafts, as well as numerous monographs, publications in scientific collections, articles in the multi-volume “Tatar Encyclopedia” was created. Currently, N.A. Khalikov’s expedition materials (field diaries, photographs, sketches and drawings) have been partially digitized and are stored in the archive of the Marjani Institute of History of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences.

Истоки предания «Как Пушкин учился в школе». Замечания к московским легендам о Пушкине, записанным Евгением Барановым

The sources of the legend “How Pushkin studied in school”. Reflections on the Pushkin legends noted down by Evgeny Baranov in Moscow. In my study I analyze the Pushkin legends noted down by Russian ethnographer Evgeny Baranov in the 1920s in Moscow. My research primarily focuses on the myth “How Pushkin studied in school”, although I also partly discuss what sources the peasant-born speakers could have used when forming their Pushkin image in the myths “Pushkin and the tsar”, “Pushkin and Gogol”, “How Pushkin was taken out by his wife”, and “Bruce, Sukharev, and Pushkin”. I demonstrate how the legend “Как Пушкин учился в школе” (“How Pushkin studied in school”) has a primary source in the materials surviving from the first year of the Tsarskoye Selo lyceum, variants of which became perennial pieces in the popular anecdote collections of the end of the nineteenth century. Beyond the philological investigation it is especially interesting to follow the metamorphosis during which the literary anecdote loses its generic characteristics and expands into a “biographic” story on a central protagonist. The analysis of the Baranov myths draws attention to the power of the Pushkin monument in Moscow to create meaning and the influence of other legendary Moscow characters on the reception of the Pushkin character.

LEISURE OF THE PEOPLES OF DAGHESTAN: TRADITIONS AND INNOVATIONS

The purpose of this article is to show, using the example of Daghestan, the traditional forms of leisure and their transformation at the present time. The sources for its writing were the studies of Russian ethnographers, as well as the field material of the author. Traditional forms of leisure, like other components of everyday culture, are closely related to the lifestyle, worldview and religious beliefs of peoples. The natural-geographical, economic conditions of Daghestan, the peculiarities of the norms and stereotypes of interpersonal, social relationsб developed over the centuries, as well as the dynamics of the ethno-cultural characteristics in the modern time - these and other factors underlie the formation of a pronounced, recognizable originality of leisure culture Daghestanis. Both in everyday life, and on holidays, not only collective leisure, ritual meals, fun, and relaxation were needed, but also mutual assistance, material and physical participation in the organization and conduct of leisure activities. The article notes that in our days, an awakened interest in traditional culture is expressed in the return to folk forms of leisure, in their revival. Examples are given that confirm the thesis that a changing way of life ultimately leads to the transformation of forms of leisure. It is emphasized that the main part of the traditional leisure was aimed at the all-round development of the personality, physical improvement, as well as entertainment. Over time, almost all traditional forms of leisure were transformed or completely lost, and in their place came other models, not always the best, but generally corresponding to the modern way of life of the people.