Finns-Ingermanlanders and Cross-Cultural Dynamics of the Suburban Area of Saint Petersburg

Abstract

Introduction. Cross-culturality has always been and remains a defining feature of territories where representatives of various ethno-cultural groups interact. In Northwestern Russia, this process has reached its greatest development in Saint Petersburg and its suburbs. While the cross-culturality of the city has been studied to some extent by researchers, the intersection of cultures in the suburban area has been explored far less frequently. The aim of this study is to identify and characterize manifestations of cross-culturality in the suburban areas of Saint Petersburg, using the residential zones of the Finns-Ingermanlanders as a case study.. Materials and Methods. The research object is the areas of compact settlement of the Finns-Ingermanlanders within the suburban zone of Saint Petersburg, where almost the entire subethnic group was concentrated. To assess the cross-cultural characteristics of the selected region, an original system of indicative indicators was developed and applied, serving as the basis for a criterion analysis. The materials utilized include census data, publicly available information from official websites of various organizations (religious, museum-related, etc.), as well as data collected in the field through the participant observation method. Results and Discussion. The authors tested a methodology for the criterial assessment of a region’s cross-cultural characteristics, using the example of the area inhabited by the Finns-Ingermanlanders population in Saint Petersburg and certain districts of the Leningrad Region. Indicators such as the quantitative and qualitative components of the toponymic system, the number of Lutheran religious infrastructure objects, the ethnic composition of the population in historical and contemporary contexts, and the presence of museum exhibits and tourist routes thematically linked to the material culture of the Finnish-Ingrians were utilized. Conclusion. The authors’ conclusions contribute to the development of research on ethno-confessional topics related to Finns who lived in areas adjacent to St. Petersburg. The proposed model for assessing the cross-cultural nature of the region is universal and can be applied to other locations. The materials of the article may be useful in the development of thematic tourist routes covering the suburban areas of St. Petersburg.

Keywords

• сross-culturalism, st. petersburg, suburban zone, finns-ingermanlanders, settlement system, toponymy, evangelical lutheran church