Finno-Ugric world

Introduction. The spiritual quest of humanity and the reevaluation of the role of religious factors in society, driven by global transformations, necessitate an examination of the distinctive features of religious worldviews. Interdisciplinary research conducted within the frameworks of linguistic culturology, theolinguistics, and religious conceptology enables the analysis of language as a means of recording, preserving, and transmitting the most significant aspects of culture, thereby revealing the essential characteristics of such a unique phenomenon as the Mari ethnic religion. The texts of Mari prayers have not previously been examined as objects of linguistic and culturological inquiry by scholars. The aim of this study is to identify the semantic content of words and constructions expressing devotional invocations in the prayer texts of the Mari ethnic religion.

Materials and Methods. The study used prayer texts recorded and published between the 19^th and 21^st centuries. A linguocultural analysis comparing the Mari people’s religious and linguistic worldviews revealed that lexical units and syntactic structures representing ritual practices reflect the distinctiveness of their ethnic religion. The application of comparative-historical and contrastive methods to a corpus of prayer texts enabled the identification of linguistic elements demonstrating the influence of Islamic and Christian traditions on the Mari religious system.

Results and Discussion. For adherents of the Mari ethnic religion, who continue to observe ancient religious rites, it is essential to use indigenous linguistic structures and forms to express their prayerful supplications, gratitude to the gods, and to experience a sense of connection with acts of the divine. A comprehensive analysis of sacred texts within the Mari traditional religion has revealed that when articulating requests in prayer texts, a categorical tone is avoided: imperative mood forms function in conjunction with linguistic devices that soften their meaning. Such forms include verbs in the subjunctive mood and compound verbs. Semantically, this emphasizes the absolute free will of the gods, underscores the enduring connection between the celestial and the earthly, and consequently, in the Mari worldview, affirms the unchanging support of individuals, families, clans, and the people by higher powers. Borrowed verbs and their modifiers serve as indicators of Mari-Turkic linguistic and cultural contacts, demonstrating that the Mari ethnic religion is an open system characterized by syncretism.

Conclusion. The findings of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of the meaning of religious rituals, as well as the role and significance of linguistic structures functioning within Mari sacred texts, while also helping to eliminate distorted interpretations of the foundational tenets of the Mari traditional religion. This, in turn, make a meaningful contribution to the fields of religious studies, theolinguistics, and linguoculturology, as well as to the strengthening of interethnic and interfaith harmony. The conclusions regarding the specific features of linguistic forms' functioning should be taken into account when translating texts from Mari into Russian and other languages, which represents one of the prospective directions for further research.

Introduction. The relevance of the research is conditioned by the introduction into scientific use of a previously unused set of archival sources – farmstead cards of the 1920 agricultural census in Little Bashkiria, stored in the National Archive of the Republic of Bashkortostan, which have a significant potential for studying the history of the peasantry and ethno-demography of the region. The aim of the study is to clarify the number and determine the geographical areas of compact residence of the Finno-Ugric peoples (Mordovians, Mari, Udmurts) of the Middle Volga region on the territory of Little Bashkiria as of 1920 on the basis of a critical analysis of the primary census materials.

Materials and Methods. The study is based on the analysis of the collection of farmstead cards of the agricultural census of 1920. The historical-systemic, historical-comparative and statistical methods were applied, which allowed, on the basis of the farmstead cards of 1920, to specify the number and compare the previously unknown data with the published results of the census, to determine the geographical areas of residence of the Finno-Ugric peoples of the Middle East.

Results and Discussion. Significant discrepancies between the data from the household cards and the official results of the 1920 census were revealed. It was found that the number of Mordovians (16,713 people) was underestimated by official statistics by 26% (22,603 people), while the number of Mari (9,311 people) and Udmurts (531 people) was higher than the official data (7,894 people and 440 people, respectively). The discrepancies between the primary data and the published totals are explained by possible loss of some cards and/or errors in their summarization. Geographical areas of settlement were determined: the Mordovians lived compactly in the central and southern regions of Little Bashkiria, with a maximum concentration in the Sterlitamak canton (9,069 people). The main part of Mari and Udmurts settled in the north-east of the region, mainly in the territory of the former Krasnoufimsk county of Perm province.

Conclusion. The study of the primary source of the 1920 census allowed us to reveal in detail the issues of the number and geographical areas of residence of the Finno-Ugric peoples of the Middle Volga region on the territory of Little Bashkiria. Because of the insufficient source base of the Civil War period in the country, further study of the materials of the statistical research of 1920 will allow us to open new horizons in analyzing both the composition of the peasant family and the peculiarities of the economy (including the specifics of the introduction of agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry farming, etc.) of different ethnic groups of variable geographical areas of residence, as well as to determine the common and special features of each group of the population.

Introduction. The article employs qualitative and quantitative research data to examine the key manifestations of ethnicity in everyday communication and its institutionalization within the urban environments of the Finno-Ugric republics of the Russian Federation, focusing on the capital cities of the Udmurt Republic and Mordovia – Izhevsk and Saransk. The study addresses the pressing social issue of how ethnicity among the populations of Russia’s republics transforms amid the modernization of regional societies, yet the forms and expressions of ethnicity within the polyethnic urban settings of contemporary cities remain underexplored. The research aims to characterize the principal manifestations of ethnicity in the urban contexts of these Finno-Ugric regional capitals, both at the level of interpersonal interactions and in its institutionalized forms.

Materials and Methods. The field study conducted under the author’s supervision in 2020–2022 employed sociological methods, including large-scale questionnaire surveys and focus groups, as well as the “anthropological genealogy” approach to examine the city as both space and place through in-depth expert interviews. The research comprised four focus groups with residents of the surveyed cities (2020), large-scale questionnaire surveys of urban populations in Saransk (November – December 2020) and Izhevsk (2021), and an expert survey using in-depth interviews.

Results and Discussion. In the capital cities of ethnic republics, ethnicity manifests itself at the interpersonal level through micro-practices of everyday communication, including linguistic markers that signal group affiliation. At the level of mass consciousness, the ethnonational components of identity in these regional capitals are characterized by an association of the republic with its titular ethnic group, an identification of the capital city with republican state symbols and institutions, and an acceptance of official bilingualism as a symbolic attribute of the republic – despite the absence of mandatory participation in corresponding language practices. In ethnocultural terms, this is reflected in the acknowledgment of the urban environment’s multiethnic and multicultural nature.

Conclusion. The conclusions drawn by the author contribute to the advancement of such fields as urban anthropology, ethnosociology, and regional studies, particularly in the examination of ethnicity within urban environments. This includes identifying the social preconditions for the development of tolerant interethnic relations and analyzing the transformation of capital cities in republics into “transnational cities”.

Introduction. The tradition of belt-making among the Ural Mari people represents a unique element of cultural heritage, possessing both practical and symbolic significance. The research problem lies in the insufficient study of how these craft traditions have transformed under the influence of geographical, socio-economic, and spiritual factors. Existing literature lacks a comprehensive analysis of the Ural Mari’s craft practices, which underscores the relevance of research in this field. The aim of this study is to determine the extent of transformation in the belt-making craft traditions of the Ural Mari people under the influence of geographical, socio-economic, and spiritual factors.

Materials and Methods. In the course of the work, the ethnographic method was used in combination with a sociological survey technique, employed for data collection during field research. This included observation, interviews with practitioners of Mari craft traditions, photography, and video recording. The reconstructive and analytical approaches to the study made it possible to identify the distinctive features of weaving techniques among Mari artisans.

Results and Discussion. The study results show that the Ural Mari people, isolated from their Volga region kin, have managed to preserve unique craft practices that remain a symbol of their cultural identity and worldview to this day. Traditions such as tablet weaving and loom weaving carry not only utilitarian but also profound symbolic meanings, reflecting the Mari people’s life cycle and spiritual beliefs.

Conclusion. The article highlights the importance of preserving traditions in the context of globalization and cultural exchange, which pose risks to the survival of unique artisanal practices. Modern changes call for the integration of educational programs and community initiatives aimed at transmitting knowledge and engaging youth in traditional crafts. Recommendations are provided for organizing cultural events, workshops, and state support to ensure the sustainability of Mari cultural heritage. The study emphasizes the need to safeguard cultural constants, maintain ethnic identity, and preserve traditional crafts in the face of contemporary challenges.

Introduction. Currently, there is a growing relevance in the study of animism within the traditional cultures of Finno-Ugric ethnic groups in the academic sphere. In this regard, a number of scientific gaps concerning the Mordovian people have been identified, necessitating further scholarly attention. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive description of the concept of the “human soul” in the traditional worldview of the Mordva. Based on this, the authors propose their own model of the “human soul” within traditional Mordovian culture.

Materials and Methods. The study was conducted based on published folklore-ethnographic materials, the authors’ field materials, and their own observations. The following research methods were employed in the work: the descriptive method, which allowed for the generalization of folklore and field materials; the systemic method, applied for the comprehensive analysis of folklore materials in their interconnection with ethnographic facts and cultural-historical processes; and the structural-typological method, which helped construct a comprehensive model of the concept of the “human soul” in the traditional culture of the Mordovians.

Results and Discussion. A comprehensive model of the concept of the “human soul” in the traditional culture of the Mordovians has been proposed, integrating structural, functional, and substantive components. For the first time, the soul of a living person was examined: its acquisition, location within the body, and external appearance. Additionally, information was supplemented regarding the transition of the soul to the afterlife, its existence there, and its interaction with the world of the living. A hypothesis was put forward about the possible belief among the Mordovians in the reincarnation of the soul among relatives. The authors concluded that in modern Mordovian culture, the rituals of commemorating the deceased’s soul have undergone significant transformation and exhibit similarities with those of Orthodox Finno-Ugric peoples and Russians.

Conclusion. The conclusions drawn by the authors contribute to the development of research on the traditional worldview of the Mordovian people. The proposed comprehensive model of the concept of the “human soul” can be applied to the study of animistic beliefs in the traditional cultures of other Finno-Ugric ethnic groups.