Finno-Ugric World

Svetlana V. Saraikina,
Candidate Sc. {Geography}, Associated professor, Department of Tourism,
National Research Mordovia State University,
(Saransk, Russia), ssarajjkina@rambler.ru

Liudmila V. Sotova,
Candidate Sc. {Geography}, Associated professor, Department of Tourism,
National Research Mordovia State University
(Saransk, Russia), sotova@mail.ru

Elena N. Antipkina,
Candidate of Sc. {Philosophy}, Associate Professor,
Department of theater art and folk art culture,
National Research Mordovia State University
(Saransk, Russia), elana19@mail.ru

Olga N. Prokaeva,
Candidate of Sc. {Philosophy}, Associate Professor, Department of Cultural Studies
and Library and Information Resources,
National Research Mordovia State University
(Saransk, Russia), naukaink@rambler.ru

Introduction. Ritual, ceremonial and festive events of the Mordovians represent a sphere of concentration and representation of spiritual-moral and value-oriented views of the people. They contain the origins of theatre and scenography as types of art. However, they cannot be considered as independent types of art in its modern meaning, as they used to exist in forms of theatricalization (pretheater) and pre-scenography. The subject of the article is the specifics of the functioning of pre-scenography in ceremonial, ritual and festive events of the Mordovians, as well as the disclosure of its main types: character type, determination of the place of action and game type.
Materials and Methods. The theoretical materials are based on the research in the field of theatre and scenography. The reliability and academic validity of the research are ensured by the sociocultural approach, as well as by research methods, namely system-typological method, analytical method and interpretation method.
Results and Discussion. Having studied the functioning of pre-scenography in ritual, three types of ceremonial and festive events of the Mordovians are revealed. The character type included a variety of components: metaphorical image, nature phenomena and objects, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic images, as well as objects of material culture. The next type determined the place of action which included everyday human environment, as well as production and household spaces. The game type implied conversion of performers of rituals and ceremonies into zoomorphic images, into various human (sometimes imaginary) characters through costumes, makeup and masks.
Conclusion. Based on the analysis of the ritual, ceremonial and festive events of the Mordovians, a typology of pre-scenography is given, the special features of its functioning are determined.

Keywords: Mordovians; pre-theater; pre-scenography; theatricalization; ritual; ceremonial and festive events.

Acknowledgement: The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Government of the Republic of Mordovia in the framework of the scientific project “Value Dominants of Finno-Ugric Culture and the Methods of Their Updating in Modern Society” (No. 18-49-130003).

For citation: Antipkina EN, Prokaeva ON. Features of pre-scenography functioning in the ceremonial, ritual festive events of the Mordovians. Finno-ugorskii mir = Finno-Ugric World. 2020; 12; 1: 81–89. (In Russian)

Rodion I. Chuzaev,
Candidate Sc. {History},
Director of the Institute of National Culture and Intercultural Communication,
Mari State University,
(Yoshkar-Ola, Russia), chuzaevr@mail.ru

Introduction. Mari people formed in the IX–XI centuries AD and settled due to historical circumstances mostly within the Volga-Kama region. For many centuries it had two ethnonyms: Cheremis and Mari. In the first quarter of the XX century the representatives of the Mari people selected one ethnonym in favor of another one, which was authentic and complimentary; it turned out to be a very complex historical fact.
Materials and methods. The use of a systematic analysis of the sources of the studied period, an attempt to restore events in chronological dynamics, studying the events of the Mari ethnic history in the context of all-Russian history allows us to formulate the most objective answers to the research problems.
Results and discussion. One of the earliest precursors to the solution of the ethnonymic alternative was “Marla Calendar” yearbook, the first publication to receive official recognition, where the self-name of the people took its rightful place on the cover of the printed edition. The turning point in using of the ethnonym was the First All-Russian Congress of the Mari People in July 1917. The materials of the Congress, both in the original language and in translation into Russian, do not contain a single use of the term Cheremis. February Regional Congress of Mari (1918) made a historic decision to abandon the existing name Cheremis people and replace it with the self-name of the people, Mari.
Conclusion. The historical process of legitimization of the ethnonym Mari developed according to a certain pattern: “the position of a broad ethno-social base → a small number of the intelligentsia capable of formulating ideas → the agenda and resolutions of the national movement → legal acts, official record keeping, the language of science …”.

Key words: ethnonym; endoethnonym; exoethnonym; Marie; Cheremis; Mari ushem; Mari national movement; Mari autonomous region.

For citation: Chuzaev RI. The legitimization of the endo-ethnonym “Mari” in the first quarter of the XX century. Finno-ugorskii mir = Finno-Ugric World. 2020; 12; 1: 73–80. (In Russian)

Boris I. Chibisov,
Candidate Sc. {History}, Associate Professor, Department of Theology,
Tver State University
(Tver, Russia), chibisov.bi@tversu.ru

Introduction. History of the North-West area of Novgorod land at the end of the XV century attracted the attention of researchers mainly in the socio-economic aspect. This is due to the fact that Novgorod scribal books are dated by the end of the XV century. From the standpoint of socio-economic history their value is not in doubt, but from an ethno-historical point their onomastic content is underestimated.
Materials and methods. The main source of research was the scribe book of the Vodskaya Pyatina 1499/1500. The descriptive method of research is to identify and record the Baltic-Finnish oikonyms (names of rural settlements) and anthroponyms mentioned in the scribe books. Baltic-Finnish anthroponyms are identified on the basis of an analysis of formal indicators of borrowing the anthroponyms.
Results and Discussion. There are several areas where the Baltic-Finnish oikonymy and anthroponymy were concentrated, namely Korboselsky graveyard in the northern Prinevye, Lopsky and Terebuzhsky graveyards in the southern Ladoga, as well as Dudorovsky and Izhora graveyards south of the Neva. Archaeological sources record a significant presence of the Izhora antiquities. The presence of Karelians is noted in the northern Prievye and southern Ladoga. Slavic onomastic materials are recorded throughout Orekhovsky and Ladoga counties, but to mostly in the cities of Oreshka, Ladoga and their nearest areas.
Conclusion. By the end of the XV century the north-western graveyards of Novgorod land were inhabited by representatives of various ethnic groups: Slavs, Vodians, Izhora and Karelians, as evidenced by the data of anthroponyms and toponyms of the scribe’s books and confirmed by archaeological sources.

Key words: Novgorod land; Vodskaya pyatina; scribe books; Baltic-Finnish peoples; onomastics.

For citation: Chibisov BI. The ethnic composition of the population of Prinevye area and the Southern Ladoga area at the end of the xv century. Finno-ugorskii mir = Finno-Ugric World. 2020; 12; 1: 62–72. (In Russian)

Irina G. Napalkova,
Candidate Sc. {History}, Associate Professor,
Department of General History, Political Science and Regional Studies,
National Research Mordovia State University
(Saransk, Russia), zamisi@yandex.ru

Ksenija V. Kurochkina,
Master student, research fellow,
Research and educational center “Political analysis of territorial systems”,
National Research Mordovia State University
(Saransk, Russia), ksen.kurochckina2017@yandex.ru

Introduction. Active promotion and positioning of the regions is a condition of their competitiveness, which actualizes the study of imaging practices aimed at creating an attractive image of the territory for various target groups: from federal elites and large businesses to tourists, highly skilled migrants, and the population. The image is based on symbolic capital, which is unique for each region. For Mordovia as a Finno-Ugric Republic in Russia, being unique is associated, firstly, with the use of ethnic symbols (elements of a national costume, Moksha / Erzia embroidery, musical instruments, dishes of national cuisine, etc.). These ethnic symbols actualize “ethnic” memory, national traditions and customs. Secondly, it is associated with the inclusion in the information space of the symbols of regional “pride”, such as “successful” fellow country people, whose positive image stimulates the processes of consolidation and identification. The purpose of this article is to study historical and modern personalities and images used in the formation of image-based visualizations of the Republic of Mordovia.
Materials and methods. The methodology was based on the hermeneutic, axiological and communication paradigms. Among the applied methods such focus groups were included into the research as “Image of the Republic of Mordovia: symbols, brands, images”; content analysis of foreign, federal and regional mass media, which chronologically reviewed the publications from 2014 to 2019, etc.
Results and discussion. The most recognizable historical characters of Mordovia who resonate with the audience are F. Ushakov, S. Erzia, M. Devyataev. Among contemporaries whose images can present the region, there are the representatives of the politicals (V. D. Volkov, N. I. Merkushkin, P. N. Tultaev) and sports (O. Kaniskina, V. Borchin, S. Kirdyapkin).
Conclusion. Using famous names that have a weak or implicit reference to the territory does not always lead to a positive emotional response (especially among visitors), which ultimately reduces the significance of this symbolic element for the republican image and strengthens its counter-narrativeness.

Key words: Republic of Mordovia; region; image of the territory; symbol; form; person-image; historical characters; modern personal symbols.

Acknowledgment: The study was supported by Russian Foundation of Basic Research and the Government of the Republic of Moldova, and the project “The Modern Region in the Focus of Political Imageology (on the Example of the Republic of Mordovia)” (No. 18-411-130012 r_a).

For citation: Napalkova IG, Kurochkina KV. Historical and modern personality and image as an element of symbolic ethno-national capital of the Republic of Mordovia (2014–2019). Finno-ugorskii mir = Finno-Ugric World. 2020; 12; 1: 42–61. (In Russian)