page 149–158 RUS
ÓÄÊ 291 EDN: UCOMUW
Dolgan churchyards as a space of religious syncretism: the interaction of shamanism and Christianity
Vladimir I., Diachenko, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher, Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia, vid@kunstkamera.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4423-1359
Summary
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of Dolgan churchyards as a unique cultural space. It enables us to identify key features of material culture, to examine the mechanisms of religious syncretism and their connection with ethnic traditions, and to assess the significance of these sites for understanding the history of wooden architecture in the Arctic region. The research is based on a comparative analysis of photographic materials collected by the author, supplemented by data from museum collections. This approach enabled the identification of stable elements and local variations in material culture. Special attention was given to the constructive features of burial monuments, contributing to the understanding of the processes of religious syncretism. Analysis of the interaction between shamanic traditions and Christian practices in the design of graves has significantly deepened the understanding of religious syncretism among the Dolgan people. A close correlation has been established between the architectural features of Dolgan cemeteries and the ethnic traditions of their ancestors. The study also reveals the importance of Dolgan churchyards as a source for investigating the history and spread of Russian wooden architecture. The work demonstrates the unique aspects of cultural and religious interaction in the Arctic region, emphasizing the value of these monuments for a comprehensive understanding of the historical process. The geographical scope of the study encompasses Central and Eastern Taimyr, located within the Dolgano-Nenetsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The area extends from the Ust-Avam River in the west to the eastern administrative border of the Khatanga District, which serves as a boundary with the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The chronological framework spans the end of the 20th century to the first quarter of the 21st century. This period corresponds to the average preservation period of wooden grave structures in the Arctic tundra and forest tundra zones.
Keywords: Dolgans, Yakuts, Russians, architecture of funerary structures, historical heritage, traditional beliefs.
© Diachenko V.I., 2026
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Received 03.09.2025
Accepted 02.03.2026
Article is published: 15.06.2026
Funding.
References
Anisimov, A.F. (1958). Evenki religion in historical and genetic studies and problems of the origin of primitive beliefs. Moscow; Leningrad: Nauka. (Rus.).
Bravina, R.I., Popov, V.V. (2008). Funeral and memorial rites of the Yakuts: Monuments and traditions (XV–XIX centuries). Novosibirsk: Nauka. (Rus.).
Diachenko, V.I. (2009). Grave monuments of the Dolgans through the prism of their ethnogenesis. In: Sibirskii sbornik-1. Pogrebal’nyi obryad narodov Sibiri I sopredel’nykh territorii. Kn. 2. St. Petersburg, 38–44. (Rus.).
Diachenko, V.I. (2010). Dolgan tombstones: what are the monuments silent about? In: Ot bytiya k nebytiiu: Fol’klor i pogrebal’nyi ritual v traditsionnykh kul’turakh Sibiri i Ameriki. St. Petersburg, 159–188. (Rus.).
Diachenko, V.I. (2019). The origins of the traditions of the Dolgan churchyard. Alleya nauki, 29(2), 240–248. (Rus.).
Gemuev, I.N. (Ed.) (1990). Traditional worldview of the Turks of Southern Siberia: Sign and ritual. Novosibirsk: Nauka. (Rus.).
Golubkova, O.V. (2006). Ethnocultural interaction of northern Komi-Zyryans and Russians in the sphere of sacred symbolism. Archaeology, ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, 27(3), 101–111. (Rus.).
Gurvich, I.S. (Ed.) (1980). Family rituals of the peoples of Siberia. Moscow: Nauka. (Rus.).
Konstantinov, I.V. (1971). Material culture of the Yakuts of the 18th century (based on burial materials). Yakutsk: Yakutskoe knizhnoe izdatelstvo. (Rus.).
Listova, T.A. (1993). Funeral and memorial customs and rituals among Russians of the Smolensk, Pskov and Kostroma regions (late 19th — 20th centuries). In: Pohoronno-pominalnye obychai i obryady. Moscow: IEA RAN, 48–83. (Rus.).
Miheeva, İ.V. (2007). Cult monuments: on the issue of legislative definition (historical and legal aspect). Yuridicheskaya tehnika, (1), 147–153. (Rus.).
Popov, A.A. (1934). Zatundra peasants. Sovetskaya etnografiya, (3), 77–86. (Rus.).
Popov, A.A. (2023). Dolgan's religious beliefs. St. Petersburg: MAE. (Rus.).
Popova, U.G. (1981). Evens of the Magadan region. Moscow: Nauka. (Rus.).
Reshetnikova, A.P. (2005). Fund of plot motifs and Olonkho music in an ethnographic context. Yakutsk: Bichik. (Rus.).
Rudenko, S.I. (1910). Chuvash tombstones. In: Materialy po etnografii Rossii. T. I. St. Petersburg, 81–88. (Rus.).
Rybakov, B.A. (1987). Paganism of ancient Rus'. Moscow: Nauka. (Rus.).
Rychkov, K.M. (1922). Yenisei Tungus. Zemlevedenie, 3–4, 107–147. (Rus.).
Vasilevich, G.M. (1969). The Evenki: Historical and ethnographic essays (XVIII — early XIX century). Leningrad: Nauka. (Rus.).
Zelenin, D.K. (1991). East Slavic ethnography. Moscow: Glavnaya redakciya vostochnoj literatury. (Rus.).
