Historical and cultural aspects of paganism among the peoples of tatarstan

Abstract

Copyright © 2016 by Sochi State University.On the basis of the literature and field data the authors examine the phenomenon of "paganism" (traditional folk belief) among the Turkic (the Chuvashs) and Finnish (the Mari, the Udmurts) peoples of Tatarstan in the context of historical and ethno-cultural processes in the Volga-Urals region. There shown the history of the emergence of groups of "pagans" in Tatarstan, placing of their settlements, history of research in different periods (pre-revolutionary, Soviet and post-Soviet), the results of inter-confessional and inter-ethnic interactions in the formation of religious practices of "pagans" in the past and the present. Authors have marked objective and subjective factors in preserving the cultural and religious traditions, among them - The relative geographical and demographic isolation; predominantly rural style of life; the continuity of religious practices; "personality" factors. The conclusion of the favorable prospects for the development of ethnic and religious groups of the pagans, based on sufficient domestic capacity of communities and external public support for their ethnic and cultural distinctiveness was made.