Ethnology  

Khakhovskaya L.N.

Status and prestige in the aboriginal culture of the North-East of Russia (by the example of articles with uniform buttons)

The article describes a borrowing from a contacting community and assimilation of high-status metal articles — uniform copper buttons — in the culture of aborigines from the North-East of Russia (the Chukchi, Koryaks, and Evens). These articles in the initial (Russian) culture and society denoted a distinctive and high social position, since they were arranged on uniforms of military officials and civilians. Metal hetero-ethnic attributes of military power and civil government, including uniform buttons, were attractive for aborigines in the first place exactly as symbols of prestige. Penetrating into the aboriginal culture, those most often became the property of a cultic practice. At the same time, such things «overstepped» the domain of sacred things, playing a role of ornaments in everyday life, for all that not losing the property to emphasize  a social prestige of their owners.

The Chukchi, the Koryaks, the Evens, North-East, metal, uniform buttons, prestige, sacrality, status, shaman practices, ornaments.

Petrov D.D.

 «Evil places» in sacral landscape of the Russian North (after materials of Lyeshukonsky, Mezen’ and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast’)

Subject to investigation being «negative» sacral geography of the Russian North, namely, notions of «evil places». Subject to presentation being field data of North Russia ethnographic expedition of the Moscow University named after M.V. Lomonosov in Lyeshukonsky, Mezen’ and Pinezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast’, as well as archival materials of the Moscow University and Russian State University for the Humanities. Basing on analysis of field data, subject to identification being a number of properties, typical for evil places and distingui-shing those from sacred places worshipped in the region.

Russian North, sacral geography, cultural landscape, sacred places, evil places, popular religion.

Adayev V.N., Rakhimov R.Kh.

Traditional culture of travelling with tundra Nenets

The article considers basic characteristics regarding traditional culture of travelling with tundra Nenets as a sphere in which mythological notions being closely intertwined with rational knowledge and practical experience. Subject to presentation being such components of this cultural sphere as communicative motivation, choice of time to start out, preparation to travelling, and travel itself. Basing on the investigation, they suggest a version of lacking a clear contradistinction in the Nenets tradition between a travelling person and a person staying at home.

Ethnography of peoples of the North, traditional beliefs, omens, customs of hospitality, social relations.

Abolina L.A., Fyodorov R.Yu.

Particulars of traditional culture with Semejsky from Transbaikalia

Backing up by results of expedition investigations, the article considers certain aspects of ethnocultural interactions of Semejsky — Russian old-believers from Transbaikalia — with representatives of other ethnic groups. Subject to investigation being household and cultural borrowings of Semejsky from Byelorussians, made under their dwelling on the territory of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in XVII–XVIII cc.

Semejsky, old-believers, agrarian migrations, Byelorussians, ethnocultural interactions.

Nam Ye.V.

Particulars of cultural identification through the opposition «organism — the environment», and their embodiment in a tradition of Siberian shamanism

The article actualizes a particular importance of the identification strategy «organism — the environment» in a shamanistic tradition of Siberian peoples. Differentiation between a human organism as a certain psychosomatic entity and the environment held a prominent place among cultural adaptation mechanisms with peoples of Siberia. Different parts of a human body determined most important characteristics of the existence, serving channels of communication between the worlds. The consideration of a shamanistic tradition through particulars of the opposition «organism — the environment» offers prospects to construct a worldview model built upon the hierarchy of vital principles correlating to this or that extent with a human organism.

Cultural identification, vital force, channels of communication.