E-mail: helsa@rambler.ru
Tel.: + 7 (495) 690-50-30
25a, Povarskaya str., Moscow, 121069, Russian Federation
Full Professor (Philology), senior researcher, Folklore Department, Institute of World Literature
named after A.M. Gor’kiy, Russian Academy of Science
This paper deals with mentality of Russian Old-Believers from South America, who maintain national folklore at a great distance away from their motherland. During ceremonial fests and in everyday life Old-Believers wear handmade folk clothes with old-fashioned cut, sing folklore songs, narrate popular tales, practice embroidering. They have saved the traditional system of folklore genres, including ritual and non-ritual songs, lullaby songs, spiritual verses, children’s games, folktales and mythological prose, proverbs and sayings, which appeared in the end of the 1920’s, when their ancestors were compelled to leave Russia and migrate to China at the beginning. Certain plots and denominations of oral folklore creations reflect the impact of everyday life of the populations of those countries, where Russian Old-Believers have lived and continue to live. Due to the fact that the folklore specimen have existed in verbal form, they have survived as traditional considerably better, than productions of handicrafts and decorative art. The latter need a lot of room, which is inappropriate during regular resettlements, or are intended for trading and thus do not have the market at out-of-the-way forest territory. Folklore of OldBelievers existing in Russian language abroad is subjected to bookish influence most of all. The article is based on interviews conducted by students of folklore with Russian Old-Believers during their visits to Russia in 2010 and 2012. The main hero of the article is a well-known author of such book as “Story and Biography of Danila Terent’evich Zaytsev” (2015), also some female members of his major family have been interviewed.
Bolivii. Gosti: O.G. Rovnova, D. Aleshkovskiy [Russian Old-Believers in Bolivia. Guests Rovnova O.G., Aleshkovskiy D.]. Radio «Ekho Moskvy» [“Echo of Moscow” radio]. URL: http://sociologyofreligion.ru/topic/4116/ (retrieved: 20.10.2016). In Russian.
Bychkova O., Shevardnadze S. Svoimi glazami: Kak sootechestvenniku vernut’sya v Rossiyu? [Through own eyes. How can a compatriot return to Russia?] Radio “Ekho Moskvy” [“Echo of Moscow” radio]. Airing: 14.02.2012 at 22 : 08. URL: http://echo.msk.ru/programs/svoi-glaza/858465echo/; http://www.mesto-doma-tvoego.ru/f18/ t323.html (retrieved: 20.10.2016). In Russian.
Gnezdilov Vl. (recorded) (2015) Danila Zaytsev: “Mne prishlos’ prozhit’ vsyako raznoe”. Reportazh s prezentatsii knigi Danila Zaytsev: “I’ve got to live different, anyway”. Reportage from the book’s presentation]. Chitaem vmeste. Navigator v mire knig [Reading together. Navigator in the world of books]. 2015. April. URL: http:// chitaem-vmeste.ru/interviews/danila-zajtsevmne-prishlos-prozhit/ (retrieved: 20.10.2016). In Russian.
Samodelova E.A. (2013) Skazki i skazochniki Tsentral’noy Rossii v kontse XX — nachale XXI vekа: Nablyudenie-issledovanie [Tales and narrators of Central Russia in the end of the 20th — beginning of the 21st centuries. Observations and studies]. Ryazanskiy etnograficheskiy vestnik [Ryazan’ ethnographic herald]. 2013. Issue 51. Vol. 2. In Russian.
Skazki Tsentral’noy Rossii v kontse XX — nachale XXI veka v zapisyakh E.A. Samodelovoy i druzey-fol’kloristov: Teksty [Tales from Central Russia in the end of the 20th — beginning of the 21st centuries in recordings by E.A. Samodelova and fellow folklore researchers: texts] (2013). Ryazanskiy etnograficheskiy vestnik [Ryazan’ ethnographic herald]. 2013. Issue 51. Vol. 1. In Russian.
Zaytsev D.T. (2013) Povest’ i zhitie Danily Terent’evicha Zaytseva [Story and biography of Danila Terent’evich Zaytsev]. URL: https://www. alpinabook.ru/catalog/; http://starove.ru/news/ kniga-povest-i-zhitie-danily-zajtseva/ (retrieved: 20.10.2016). In Russian.