Ethnology 

Pashkova T.V.

Wind in the mythology of Karelians (based on folk medicine data)

The chronological framework of this research covers the period from the mid-20th to the early 21st century. The geography of the study includes the areas of traditional residence of Karelians within the modern administrative borders of Russia: the Republic of Karelia, the Leningrad Oblast (Tikhvin District) and the Tver Oblast (Vesyegonsk, Likhoslavl and other districts). The purpose of the presented research is a comprehensive study of linguoculturological data on the image of the wind in the mythological views of Karelians based on the material of folk medicine. The study was conducted using the comparative method, which involves comparing and contrasting linguistic data and information on the traditions, rituals, and beliefs of various groups of Karelians, peoples closely related to Karelians — Veps and Finns, as well as unrelated peoples — Russians. At present, the studies involving the linguistic and ethnographic aspects of minority peoples are topical. The scientific novelty of this research is due to the poorly studied mythological ideas of Karelians about the element in question, as well as the lack of research on the motives for naming diseases, the source of which is wind. The main result was the determination of the significance of wind in folk medicine: negative (source of diseases) and positive (treatment of diseases according to the principle of “like is cured by like”, sending the disease to go to the wind) connotations were identified. To cure an ailment from the wind, the power of a healer was often used. The treatment, as a rule, took place through spells that were pronounced simultaneously with various manipulations aimed at recovery.

Keywords: meteorological name wind, Karelian beliefs, diseases, nomination, methods of healing, traditional Karelian culture.

Dashkovskiy P.K., Traudt E.A.

The status of the Buddhists of Buryatia in the context of the religious policy of the USSR in the second half of the 1960s — first half of the 1980s

Based on the analysis of archival materials from the State Archive of the Russian Federation (Moscow) and the State Archive of the Republic of Buryatia (Ulan-Ude), this article examines the status of the Buddhist community of the Buryat ASSR in the context of the religious policy of the Soviet Union. A particular attention is given to the study of the financial, economic and ritual activities of the Ivolginsky Datsan. It has been determined that the main rites during this period were funeral services, for which the Ivolginsky Datsan receives significant financial resources. The analysis of the dynamics of the staff numbers of the datsan has shown that there was a personnel shortage associated with the advanced age of the lamas, which they tried to solve by various methods. Despite the atheistic policy pursued in the USSR, and all the associated challenges, the religious association of Buddhists continued to develop, which was due to a combination of many factors. One of the important aspects that had a positive effect on the development of Buddhism in Buryatia during this period was the foreign policy of the USSR, during which the Buddhist leaders of the Soviet Union acted as a certain instrument for the implementation of diplomacy with the countries of Southeast Asia.

Keywords: Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Buddhism, state-confessional policy, Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists of the USSR.

Shaidurov V.N., Osipov V.A.

German bakers and their position in the urban economy of Saint-Petersburg in the 19th — early 20th century

The results of the study of the position and role of German bakers within the structure of urban economy of Saint-Petersburg in the 19th — early 20th century have been summarized. The theoretical basis of the research is the theory of frontier modernization, which allows tracing changes in the economic life of both the capital of the Russian Empire and some of its inhabitants (German bakers). The devastating wars in Central and Eastern Europe provoked labor migration, as a result of which many Germans moved to Russia in the 18th century. One of the economic “niches” that they successfully occupied in the capital was the production of bread. In this domain, migrants-Germans formed the majority at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Later, the natives of Saint-Petersburg prevailed among German bakers. In the 1820s and 1840s, they managed to monopolize the city's grain market, holding the leadership until the 1880s. During the post-reform period, under the conditions of the interethnic division of labor, they were pushed by numerous Jewish burghers who got engaged into breadmaking. In order to maintain their positions, German craftsmen started modernization of their workshops. As a
result of technical transformations, electric motors and various mechanical devices became widespread, which contributed to the transformation of the technological cycle. However, these changes did not lead to a massive intensification in production.

Keywords: craft shop, bakers, confectioners, monopolization of the market, technical modernization, St. Petersburg.

Jemec S.

“Selling noodles, making money”: informal economic practices of Chinese students in a Siberian city

The purchase and consumption of familiar foods and goods from their homeland is a significant part of the daily life of international students in a foreign country. The Chinese student community in Tomsk represents a clear example of self-organization in this matter, especially in the context of lifting of coronavirus restrictions and the increase in the number of foreign students in Russian regions. The purpose of this study was to identify the social interactions and the formation of economic niches within the Chinese student environment in the informal microeconomic processes of purchasing, exchange and advertising of goods that are important for students as a reminder of their home and familiar life. The main source of ethnographic information was the results of participant observation conducted by the author in 2022–2024 in Tomsk and Irkutsk. The study revealed that students do not just contemplatively fit into the host environment, but create alternative and interactive social spaces in it. Everyday practices, as examples of reflective epistemology and demonstrations of practical knowledge, demonstrate the (trans)locality, agency, and initiative of Chinese students.

Keywords: translocality, provision of goods, informal economy, Chinese students, self-organisation.

Kozlov V.E.

Cultural distance and the image of a migrant among the Russian population of Tatarstan: “foreign”, “different”, “tolerable”

The article considers the features of the perception of migrants by the Russian population of the Republic of Tatarstan, reflecting the degree of the intergroup social distance. One of the factors that shape it is the generalized image of a migrant prevailing among local Russians, which can be reduced to three conventional types: “foreign”, “different”, and “tolerable”. Each of them, in addition to socio-cultural connotations, is equivalent to the characteristics of the intergroup distance — close, medium, distant. The purpose of the study is the analysis of the social distance between the Russian population of Tatarstan and migrants, represented in generalized figurative nominations: “foreign”, “different” and “tolerable”, as well as the factors contributing to it. The research is based on the materials of the comprehensive study “Russian population of the Republic of Tatarstan”, which was carried out in 2022, as well as on the results of other studies on ethnic issues conducted in 2023–2024. It is worth noting that the problem of migrants has become remarkably topical over the past two years in the local multicultural community, which affects both the perception of migrants and attitudes towards the interaction with them. The image of a migrant as a “different” remains predominant among the Russian population of the republic, with a tendency to transform into the image of a “foreigner”, which indicates an increase in intergroup social distance.

Keywords: migrant, ethnic identity, cultural distance, ethnic stereotype, autochthonous group, heterogeneity.