Novye Issledovaniâ Tuvy (Jun 2018)
A historical and cultural study of the adaptation of Russians in Tuva
Abstract
This is a review of: Tatarintseva, M. P. and Mollerov, N. M. Russkie v Tuve (konets XIX — pervaia polovina XX v.) [Russians in Tuva in late 19th and the first half of 20th centuries]. Novosibirsk, Nauka, 2016. 295 p. ISBN 978-5-02-038689-1 The monograph is a historical and cultural study focused on the Russian population of Tuva. Tatarintseva and Mollerov’s book provides a comprehensive and detailed look at the process of sociocultural adaptation of Russians to the new living conditions in Tuva, covering their everyday lives, material and spiritual culture, as well as their contributions to the economic and cultural welfare of the region. The first three chapters are devoted to the earliest Russian settlers – craftsmen, traders and farmers, and their motives for immigrating. Chapter 4 deals with the sensitive issue of Russian-Tuvan relations. The authors have provided a treasure trove of archival documents and field materials to challenge and expand the conventional opinions on the interrelations between Russian settlers and the indigenous population, thus adding edge to this issue. Chapters 5 and 6 examine the legal status of the Russian migrants, their social structure and economic activity. The following six chapters provide an in-depth coverage of various aspects of spiritual and material culture of the Russian settlers. The authors note their commitment to traditional Russian values and stereotypes. The settlers continued to observe their family and calendar rites and traditions, preserved their food preferences and etiquette rules. At the same time, they did not reject Tuvan culture, social norms and values. Ultimately, this facilitated their ethnocultural integration into the host society and the development of a new mentality which differed from those existing in their regions of out-migration and the society of their new resident territory. The final chapter deals with the Soviet residents of Tuva who took part in the Great Patriotic war. The book appeals to a wide readership, but primarily to historians and ethnologists with an interest in everyday lives, customs, traditions and culture of Russians living among other ethnicities.
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