Matveeva I. A. The Musical and Ethnographic Tradition of the Moksha-Mordovians of the Penza Region: Toward the Identification of Musical Dialects

Posted on 28.06.2026 by editor

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https://doi.org/10.15507/2076-2577.26182.254-270
https://elibrary.ru/jrycmj
УДК / UDC 94:391(470.40)

The Musical and Ethnographic Tradition of the Moksha-Mordovians of the Penza Region: Toward the Identification of Musical Dialects

I. A. Matveeva
Penza State University, Penza, Russian Federation

Abstract

Introduction. The second half of the twentieth century was characterized by a steadily growing interest in the spiritual culture of the Finno-Ugric peoples, resulting in large-scale expeditions to numerous regions of Russia. Today, the traditions of the Mordovian people of the Penza Region demonstrate a high degree of preservation; however, they have not yet been examined by researchers in the context of identifying local musical dialects. As part of the Finno-Ugric ethnic community, the Penza Mordovian share common Mordovian stylistic features within their musical and ethnographic tradition. At the same time, their tradition has been shaped by the considerable distance from the central core of Mordovian culture, which developed within the territory of the Republic of Mordovia. In this regard, the research problem is associated with the process of consolidation of local song styles in ethnocontact areas. The significance of this issue is determined by the need for self-determination and self-identification of the Mordovian people in the contemporary world, as well as by the importance of preserving their authentic cultural heritage. The aim of the study is to investigate and analyze the musical and ethnographic traditions of the compactly settled villages of the Shemysheysky and Gorodishchensky districts of the Penza Region.

Materials and Methods. The research material consists of field records collected by the author during expeditions to Moksha-Mordovian villages between 2005 and 2025. The study combines the methodology of historical-comparative analysis with an ethnographic approach to the documentation and subsequent systematization of the collected data. Historical-comparative analysis was employed in the examination of sources revealing the migration movements of the Mordovian population across the territory of the Penza region. The ethnographic approach served as the foundation for the fieldwork, during which a wide range of information was documented, including song and dance folklore, descriptions of agricultural and family-domestic rituals, mythological beliefs, and other aspects of traditional culture. The process of systematization encompassed not only data obtained during recent field expeditions but also the processing of materials collected by other researchers in the areas under study. The investigation of musical folklore genres required the use of terminology and methodological principles established in the works of leading ethnomusicologists and folklore scholars, including N. N. Gilyarova, V. M. Shchurov, and G. Ya. Sysoeva.

Results and Discussion. In the Moksha settlements located at the junction of the Gorodishchensky and Shemysheysky districts, a local musical dialect has developed, centered in the village of Staraya Yaksarka. At the same time, the musical and ethnographic tradition reflects different historical and cultural tendencies at various levels. Thus, the traditional folk costume demonstrates the influence of the surrounding Erzya villages, while Moksha spoken language contains occasional Erzya lexical borrowings. At the musical level, however, a different tendency can be observed. The extensive song repertoire is based on distinctive indigenous song narratives and is characterized by pronounced genre dominants, including spring songs accompanied by movement, matchmaker songs, and songs of the bride’s kin group. Stable features of this musical dialect include specific types of texture closely associated with particular song genres, as well as such significant stylistic traits as the flexibility of pitch organization, the abundance of fine vocal ornamentation (including upward vocal “falls”), and the accentuation of individual tones within melismatic passages, resulting in the emergence of additional syllabic insertions.

Conclusion. Despite the contemporary dynamics of socio-cultural processes, the identified characteristics demonstrate considerable stability and serve as markers of the local Moksha- Mordovian musical dialect. These findings contribute to contemporary ethnomusicology and provide a direction for future research. The materials presented may prove useful for the identification of other Mordovian musical dialects and may also help refine the current understanding of the processes underlying the consolidation of song styles in ethnocontact territories.

Keywords: Mordvins, Moksha, Erzya, local traditions, Old Yaksarka, Penza region folklore, musical dialect, Penza region

Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.

For citation: Matveeva I.A. The Musical and Ethnographic Tradition of the Moksha-Mordovians of the Penza Region: Toward the Identification of Musical Dialects. Finno–Ugric World. 2026;18(2):254‒270. https://doi.org/10.15507/2076-2577.26182.254-270

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Information about the author:

Irina A. Matveeva, Cand.Sci. (Arts), Associate Professor of the Department of Music and Music Teaching Methods, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya St., Penza 440026, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5351-3561, SPIN-code: 6293-2465, redkina1983@rambler.ru

The author has read and approved the final manuscript.

Submitted 27.01.2026; revised 05.03.2026; accepted 10.03.2026.

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