Mari сlothing in the funeral and memorial rituals (late XIX – early XX century)

Introduction. The paper considers the Mari clothing for funeral and memorial rituals, its specific features, and functions. The purpose of the research is to define a role and application that clothes have in ceremonies. Materials and Methods. As the research materials for the article, the author used ethnographic sources published in the XIX and early XX centuries, field journals by Tatyana Kryukova belonged to the Archive of the Russian Museum of Ethnography, as well as the author’s personal field research materials, collected during personal expeditionary activities in the Mari El Republic. The structural-functional and comparatively historical methods were the major methods for the research. The research materials were collected by means of participant observation and semi-structural interview methods. Results and Discussion. The Mari clothing during the funeral and memorial ceremonies marked two core functions, being represented by a costume of the deceased person and as an independent ritual object. Dressing the deceased person entailed a number of taboos whereas some clothes of the deceased were used to fill up the coffin. During the memorial rituals, the clothing of the deceased became a part of the «substitution» ritual when the role of the deceased was taken on by living people who were present at the ceremony. Apart from that, the clothing served as a present for the participants of the ceremony. Conclusion. A change of clothes in the lifecycle rituals marked a transfer of the clothes’ owner from one condition to another. A deceased person was a key figure during the funeral rite, while a change of his clothes facilitated their separation from the living ones. The costume itself was characterized by the inversion of the details and revealed its reference to wedding items. In the context of the memorial ceremonies, the clothing functioned as means of communication between a deceased and living ones, whereas its prolonged use accepted as a gift allowed maintaining the communication.

100 years of the Mari fine arts: ethnographic realism (1920–1930)

Introduction. The article is the first in a series of publications dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Mari autonomy and the fact of the emergence of professional visual arts among the Mari people. The author regards it as a systemic element of national-ethnic culture, which performed the function of ethno-cultural reflection by artistic means throughout the entire century, in which four major stages and corresponding stylistic forms can be traced. The article describes the initial stage of the Mari fine arts of the 1920s – 1930s. Materials and Methods. The main material was the collection of art and ethnographic works of the 1920s–1930 found in the funds of the National Museum of the Republic of Mari El. The author used various methods: historical research, art history analysis of works of art, as well as the author’s own method of structural and archetypal analysis. Results and Discussion. The first art institutions appeared in the mountainous Mari region at the turn of the 1910–1920 thanks to the artist A.V. Grigoriev, who together with his associates later founded the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia in Moscow. The systematic institutionalization of the Mari fine arts began in the second half of the 1920, which was facilitated by the activities of the Mari Regional Society of Local History and the Central Mari Museum in the town of Krasnokokshaisk. The founders of the Mari fine arts were the invited artists from Kazan, namely P. A. Radimov, G. A. Medvedev, V. K. Timofeev, M. M. Vasilyeva, the first Mari artists K. F. Egorov and E. D. Atlashkina, and P. G. Gorbuntsov. With the beginning of the “Great Terror” period, the first stage of the Mari art was interrupted, and socialist realism replaced ethnographic realism. Conclusion. The development of the fine art of the Mari at the initial stage was stimulated by the Mari Regional Society of Local History and the Central Mari Museum represented by V. A. Mukhin (Savi), V. M. Vasiliev, T. E. Evseev. Their educational interests, combined with the documentary-oriented program of the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia, contributed to the formation of such a stylistic form as ethnographic realism, which became the first artistic form of ethnocultural reflection by the means of fine arts.

Phraseological synonyms in Russian and Moksha subdialects of Mordovia

Introduction. The article describes phraseological synonyms in Russian and Moksha subdialects on the territory of Mordovia. The subject of the analysis is the specific features of dialect phraseological units. The purpose of the study is to present a comprehensive description of the phenomenon of synonymy of phraseological turns in the considered subdialects. Materials and Methods. To achieve this goal, it employs various research methods, the main of which is descriptive one. In addition, it uses the elements of distributive and component analysis method. The language material was made up of phraseological units extracted by continuous sampling from the “Dictionary of Russian subdialects on the territory of the Republic of Mordovia”, Moksha-Russian dictionaries and field observations of the authors. Results and Discussion. As a result of the analytical review of the material, it is identified that in the phraseological units of both the Russian and Moksha languages develop synonymous series covered by the phenomenon of variance. The emergence of synonymous series is primarily associated with the renewal of the figurative basis of phraseological units belonging to the same topic. In the process of synonymous development of phraseological units, there is a search for a better image and linguistic means of constructing it while maintaining the unity of the logical side of the concept underlying it. Conclusion. The article is of practical importance, its results can be used in writing teaching handbooks on Russian dialectology, in teaching the course “Russian dialectology”, “Dialectology of the Moksha language” and corresponding courses for students majoring in Arts and Humanities.

Features of artistic bilingualism in modern Udmurt literature (based on the poetry by B. Anfinogenov)

Introduction. The article deals with artistic bilingualism which is interpreted as the creative use of two languages in creating works of literature based on precise understanding of the specific features of semantic and pragmatic potential of these languages. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of artistic bilingualism in the work of the modern Udmurt poet B. Anfinogenov. Materials and Methods. The main source of research is the collection of B. Anfinogenov’s poetry “Aishet of the future”. The methodological framework includes linguistic analysis of poetic texts, synthesis and generalization of the achievements in literary studies, structural analysis, etc. The research is based on the use of the descriptive method as well as the method of full coverage and methods of contextual and situational-contextual analysis. Results and Discussion. Based on the analysis of the poetry of the young Udmurt author Bogdan Anfinogenov, it was revealed that one of the techniques inherent in the bilingual communication strategy is the use of code switching, which performs various functions. In addition to the traditional thematic function, emotional, decorative, recipient, factual and emphatic functions of code switching, artistic bilingualism in the work of this author draws the reader’s attention to the Udmurt language and culture. Also, the Udmurt poet deliberately emphasizes changes in the social environment and orientation towards Western culture. In other words, the use of code switching introduces additional semantic nuances into the literary text, a certain system of values, a certain type of modal-emotional meanings. Conclusion. The main constituent elements of code switching are language units representing all language levels: phonetic, morphological, syntactic. Special attention is paid to the phenomenon of code switching, represented at the level of the graphic system of the Udmurt language.

Fabric semantics as a basis of Mordovian embroidery

Introduction. The semantics of the fabric of the traditional costume is one of the underdeveloped topics in modern humanitarian studies. Meanwhile, the fabric can be interpreted as a chronicle of the history of culture. Being a man-made and material on which embroidery arose and developed, it was used in the customs and rituals of many peoples, including the Mordovians. The article deals with the semantics of the fabric of traditional Mordovian clothing, decorated with embroidery. Materials and Methods. The work investigates the museum collections of the Republic of Mordovia, the data from written sources of the Russian Geographical Society, archaeological research of Mordovian artefacts. The methodological basis is the comparative-historical, structural-semiotic and phenomenological approaches to the material. Results and Discussion. The analysis of the semantics of the fabric, decorated with the embroidery, and the conditions in which it was formed, makes it possible to reveal the intention of the master, the creator of the ethnoculture. It defined the various utilitarian, magical functions performed by canvas (hemp) and linen fabrics of traditional Mordovian clothing in the culture of the people, the economic, moral meanings of the fabric used in oral folk art. The Mordovians had woolen fabric as the most important material that replaced leather and fur in the manufacture of clothing and changed the appearance of the person wearing the costume. Its importance was recorded in many concepts of the Mordovian language, in folk ideas about wool as a source of magical properties. Conclusion. The semantics of the fabric of a traditional Mordovian costume reflects a person’s ideas about harsh natural conditions, the real world and the need to master it through creative activity in accordance with the laws of the traditional worldview. Fabric is also capable of transferring updated and relevant symbolic information about diligence, accuracy, moral qualities of a person, which could also be a means of regulating norms of behavior in society.

Archaic and innovative phenomena in the case paradigms of the Erzya dialects in the Volga region and the Southern Urals

Introduction. The modern differentiation of the Erzya dialects in the Volga region and the Southern Urals is the result of a long historical development. The migration of the Mordovians from their former places of residence contributed to their formation. The fact that in these regions the Erzya lived isolated from the rest of the Mordovians and contacted directly with peoples having different patterns of language contributed to preserving archaic phenomena of the base language and appearing innovative components in the structure of the dialects under study. The purpose of the work is to identify and describe archaic phenomena and innovations in the case paradigms of the study area. Materials and Methods. The article is based on the field materials collected by the authors during linguistic expeditions in the places of concentration of the Erzya in the territory of the Volga region and the Southern Urals. The dialectal material was collected based on the questionnaire, reflecting the lexical, phonetic and morphological variations of linguistic phenomena. The descriptive and comparative historical methods were used to analyze language material. Results and Discussion. The study of the linguistic material of the Volga region and the Southern Urals showed the differences in the case paradigms of the noun from the corresponding paradigms of the Erzya codified languages and other Mordovian dialects. In analysis showed that in the paradigms of the definite declension singular, there are different sets of cases and there is no single structure of word forms. Some paradigms are archaic, consistent, and logical. In the composition of others, new formations have developed, homonymous case suffixes and postpositional constructions have appeared. Conclusion. The main dialect types of the Erzya languages were developed before the migration processes to the eastern territories of the modern residence of the Erzya. The isolated development of the dialects of the Volga region and the Southern Urals made it possible both to preserve archaic phenomena in the paradigms of the definite declension and to develop new formations uncharacteristic for them.

The system of county administration in the Komi Region at the end of the XVII – first half of the XVIII century

Introduction. The work studies the system of county administration on the territory of the Komi Region at the end of the XVII – first half of the XVIII century. This period was characterized by significant transformations based on changing the system of public administration from voivodeship- clerical into collegiate. It was actively implemented in the highest and central authorities, not only changing the document management system, but also forming a new state apparatus. The situation was different in the county voivodeship offices, such as, the voivodeship office in Komi Region. Materials and Methods. The main research methods were system-structural, historical, formal-legal, etc., which became basic in the analysis of published and unpublished documents. Results and Discussion. As shown by the study of published and unpublished documents on the territory of the Komi Region (Yarensky uyezd), populated with black-collar and later state peasantry, there was no transition from the voivodeship – clerical to the collegiate system of management and office management at the time under study. The collegiate model of public administration, formulated in the new administrative legislation, could not displace the Voivodeship model. The clerical system evolved according to its own laws and demonstrated viability, and the collegiate system was forced to adapt to the requirements of the reforming tsar. This was especially evident when the county office carried out the document management. Conclusion. Carrying out the reforms of the beginning of the XVIII century, the authorities on the county level could not organize the transformation of the clerical service and management and was not ready for changes. As a result, the clerical office work was maintained along with the collegiate one. Collegiate office work was actively introduced and developed in the central office. On the ground, for example, the Yarensky uyezd, clerical office work continued to be preserved, and collegiate one became dominant only by the middle of the XVIII century.

Ways to quantify of abstract nouns in the modern Erzya language

Introduction. The article analyzes abstract nouns based on the material of the modern Erzya language, which in various contexts can be concretized, becoming the basis for the formation of their plural. These lexemes begin to express a real quantitative meaning, in other words, they acquire the ability to quantify. The purpose of the article is to identify and describe the contexts in which abstract plural nouns denote quantifiable relations. Materials and Methods. The main method is structural-semantic description, used for direct observation of contexts when abstract nouns express quantitative relations. The material of the study is based on 1 500 examples extracted from the texts of Mordovian writers written their works in the Erzya language. Results and Discussion. It has been determined that in the modern Erzya language the plural forms of abstract nouns are capable of expressing quantitative relations in those cases when they denote a real quantitative meaning. It defines two quantification ways, namely: discrete way, which conveys the semantics of the internal quantity, is based on the peripheral components of the abstract noun, and unitary way, which expresses the semantics of the external quantity, based on the central components of the abstract lexeme. The main contexts are briefly characterized, when abstract nouns denote quantifiable relations. Conclusion. In the modern Erzya language abstract nouns that have the ability to quantify, carried out discretely or unitarily are often encountered. The contexts with such nouns are often found in the texts of Mordovian writers, who use them as a source of speech expression, a means of creating artistic expression, shaping, interpreting and evaluating images and events.

Mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the sociocultural conditions in cities and villages in Mordovia

Introduction. The article presents an empirical study on the actual problem of supporting single-parent families in modern sociocultural conditions. The purpose of the work is to conduct a comparative analysis of the features of everyday life, current problems and mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the social and cultural conditions in cities and villages in Mordovia. Materials and Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is presented by a set of concepts and theoretical approaches in accordance with the subject and problem of the study, the methodological tools of family sociology, cultural studies, and psychology. It used the methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, secondary analysis of empirical data, and questionnaire. Results and Discussion. The authors conducted a questionnaire of parents from single-parent families in Saransk and Bolsheignatovsky district of the Republic of Mordovia. The subject of the study is everyday life, family culture and mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the conditions of urban and rural socio-culture. As a result, the conditions and factors that influence the spread of problems of single-parent families, their everyday features, are empirically revealed in comparison of social and cultural conditions of the city and the village. The article analyzes the support mechanisms that single-parent families can use in the city and in the countryside, taking into account their opinions. Conclusion. It is empirically proved that the life, family subculture and problems of modern single-parent families are mainly defined by the socio-cultural features of the area of residence. The families are influenced by the location and the infrastructure of the locality, the employment of a single parent, and the forms of interpersonal communication in the socio-cultural conditions of the locality. It was revealed that in Saransk there are state, charitable organizations, where single-parent families can address when having problems. The research novelty of the study is that a comparative analysis of the features of everyday life, current problems and mechanisms of support for single-parent families in the urban and rural social and cultural conditions of modern Mordovia is carried out at the theoretical and empirical levels.

Ethno-aesthetics in the system ethnic culture: theoretical and methodological aspect

Introduction. The article deals with the study of theoretical and methodological foundations of ethno-aesthetics as a “cultural code” of an ethnos through a systematic approach to solving the problem of the ratio of ethno-culture and ethno-aesthetics. The aim of the study is a philosophical analysis of ethno-aesthetics to determine the semantic potential of the symbolic capital of ethnic culture. Materials and Methods. The logic of the research, ascending from the abstract (definition of ethno-aesthetics) to the exact (ethno-futurism), is based on a systemic approach. It distinguishes the following methods: dialectical (ethno-aesthetics at the level of the singular, particular and universal), comparative-historical (transformation of ethno-aesthetic values); structural and functional (ethno-aesthetics as an open system of aesthetic values that serve as “markers” of ethnic originality). Results and Discussion. The author denotes the theoretical and methodological aspects of ethno-aesthetics in the modern conditions of being of an ethnos: ethno-aesthetic values, aesthetic ontology of ethnos, expression in ethno-aesthetics of the “spirit of a people”. In the ethnic world-picture the expression of the concept “spirit of the people” allows to highlight the levels of ethno-aesthetics in ethnoculture: substantial (aesthetic consciousness, aesthetic values that reflect/express the “spirit of a people”); functional-historical (transforming system of aesthetic relations and aesthetic experience of an ethnos). The author notes the relationship of ethno-aesthetic values with mentality, the “spirit of a people”, the deep layers of ethnic consciousness (traditions, rites, beliefs, mythological representations, archetypes), art as a system of creating symbolic images. The dialectics of single, special and universal with regard to aesthetic values distinguishes ethno-aesthetics as the level of being of special, which at the same time combines (values and creative potential of an ethnos in world exploration) and determines the specifics of understanding and interpretation by an ethnos the basic values (the beautiful, the tragic, the comic, etc.) and its fixation in the language. The source of aesthetic ontology is the experiencing by an ethnos life, nature, labour, creativity, which have creative and harmonizing potential. Conclusion. The author interprets ethno-aesthetics as an integral part of aesthetics, which creates a philosophical theory of an ethnos aesthetic relationship to the world (nature, art, labour), reflects the process of formation and development of aesthetic sensuality and aesthetic consciousness, the value of the world.