G. A. Kornishina (Saransk, Russia). Ethnic structure and features of ethno-cultural functioning of the Mordovian population in Ulyanovsk region

Galina A. Kornishina,
Doctor of History, Department of Russian history,
Ogarev Mordovia State University
(Saransk, Russia), g.kornihina@mail.ru

Mordovian ethnos is a complex structural community that includes several hierarchical taxons, including ethno-territorial and Diaspora groups. One of the up-to-date problems of modern ethnological science is the development of generally accepted principles for their separation. The object of the research is one of the largest local groups of Mordovian living in the Ulyanovsk region. The main goal is to study the main components of the ethnic community of the Mordovian population of the Ulyanovsk region and determine the appropriateness of using the following definitions: ethno-territorial group, Diaspora group, Diaspora in relation to its structural divisions.
The source base consisted of diverse statistical, archival and field materials, as well as Internet sources. The theoretical basis of the research being presented is problem-chronological, comparative-historical and statistical methods. They allowed to consider the formation of ethnoterritorial groups of the Mordovians in Ulyanovsk region, the demographic and ethno-cultural aspects of their development at various historical stages, as well as the modern institutionalization of Mordovian public organizations and associations.
The research of documentary and theoretical sources gives grounds to believe that the ethnic structure of the Mordovian population of the Ulyanovsk region includes several hierarchical taxons. This local ethnic community is an integral part of the Mordvinian ethnos, which is represented in the region mainly by representatives of the Erzya sub-ethnic group. Important components of this community are ethno-territorial groups, which still retain the basic elements of traditional cultural and economic complexes. In addition, the Mordovian population of the Ulyanovsk region is currently positioning itself as a Diaspora group through the activities of cultural and public organizations.

Key words: Mordovian ethnos; sub-ethnos; Moksha; Erzya; Ulyanovsk region; ethno-territorial groups; Diaspora; cultural and economic complex.

For citation: Kornishina GA. Ethnic structure and features of ethno-cultural functioning of the Mordovian population in Ulyanovsk region. Finno-ugorskii mir = Finno-Ugric World. 2018; 2: 77–89. (In Russian)