LOZUM HUM: VALERIY N. CHERNETSOV AS A PHENOMENON IN THE FIELD ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE 1930S

The article explores the archives of an outstanding Russian specialist in Ugric Studies, Valeriy N. Chernetsov. It aims to reconstruct the researcher’s work and the context of his expeditions, and is a continuation of the previous publication by the authors dedicated to the researcher’s work in the 1920s*. Chernetsov’s research efforts intensified in the 1930s, with his focus at the time being mainly on the northern group of Mansi living on the river Severnaia Sos'va (Northern Sosva). His work reveals continuity in his humanistic orientation, the use of empathy and in-depth interviewing as central field research methods, and his special attention to the study of the Mansi language. His ability to empathize was such that in the 1930s he was no longer seen as an outsider by the Mansi – they called him ‘Lozum hum’, that is, ‘the Lozva Man’. He came to be one of them and was widely known, which allowed him to gain access to the innermost spheres of the Mansi culture and acquire knowledge thereof. As a field researcher, Chernetsov thus became a phenomenon famous for his ability to immerse himself in a culture and explore it from within. It is concluded that during his expedition from 1933 to 1934, Chernetsov was already able to write down long texts in Mansi – such was his knowledge of the language. Thanks to this, his research focus shifted to include the study of Mansi folklore and rituals, including ritual folklore. The main object of his study then was the Bear Feast – the dominant ritual element in the Mansi culture. Most informative in this regard was the expedition that lasted from 1936 to 1937, on the rivers Severnaia Sos'va and Ob'. The article analyzes the social and political context of the 1930s and Chernetsov’s attitude towards the ethno-social processes among the Mansi at the time. His view of these was ambivalent. On the one hand, he was enthusiastic about and actively engaged in developing written Mansi and teaching the language in schools, yet, on the other, he was worried about the transformation of the traditional culture of the Mansi initiated and sustained as a state policy, which concerned, first and foremost, the Mansi youth. A part of Chernetsov’s archives that remains unknown to the wider research community is made up by his drawings, sketches, and photographs – 36 files and 1,239 items, in total. The article explores these materials’ themes, with most informative of them being on fine arts, the Bear Feast, and Mansi clothing. It also provides a general description of the materials filmed by Chernetsov, which include a second version of his film, with episodes that had initially been left out, and some of the film footage from the original version. These materials show the Mansi everyday life and celebration of the Bear Feast by the Mansi on the river Gornaia Ob' and by the northern Mansi on the Kazym River.