FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL RITES OF THE CHUVASH IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORKS OF THE XX – EARLY XXI CENTURY: TO THE HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE PROBLEM
Authors: Petrov Igor G. 
Published: November 2024

The article presents the history of studying funeral and memorial rites of the Chuvash during the century period between the twentieth and the beginning of the XXI century. The problem under discussion is relevant and of both scientific and practical interest. Despite the fact that the history of ethnographic studying the Chuvash people has been covered many times in previous publications, this area in the historiographical aspect has not been specifically considered or it was analyzed in general terms along with other issues.

The purpose of the study is to conduct a brief review of the literature on funeral and memorial rites of the Chuvash from the XX century to the beginning of the XXI century. The scientific novelty of the article lies in primacy of the problem statement and its scientific analysis.

Materials and methods. The article is based on the analysis of literary and documentary materials using the chronological method – the study of historical events and facts from the perspective of sequence, movement and changes in accordance with the progressive course of historical time. The research was conducted using the methods of analysis, synthesis, systematization, historicism, objectivity, consistency and concreteness.

Research results. The work shows the historiography of studying funeral rites and funeral feasts of the Chuvash of the Ural-Volga region in the Soviet (1920–1990-ies) and post-Soviet (1990s – the first decade of the XXI century) periods. It was made taking into account the most significant publications on the subject in question that were published during the period under study. The historiographical review and analysis of the literature show that, compared with previous eras, the Soviet and the post-Soviet periods are characterized by a more systematic and in-depth approach to the study of this problem. Research on this topic is distinguished by a wide chronological and territorial coverage, a high scientific and methodological level, introduction of archival, field (expedition) sources into scientific circulation, a comprehensive development of the topic with participation of scientists of different specialties – historians, ethnographers, art historians, linguists, folklorists, philosophers, cultural studies scholars, etc. Despite this, the funeral rite of the Chuvash did not become a topic of special and in-depth study. In the vast majority of studies, customs and rituals associated with human death are shown generically, without detailing and differentiation in accordance with the ethnographic, ethno-territorial and ethno-confessional characteristics of the Chuvash people. They lack a holistic approach and comparative analysis, descriptiveness and compilation prevail, the transfer of individual or local features of the ritual to the funeral rites of the entire Chuvash people.

Conclusions. To date, a huge amount of information has been accumulated on the funeral and memorial rites of the Chuvash in the Russian science, including during the chronological period under consideration, however, an attempt aimed at its holistic characterization and analysis in the form of a special scientific study has not been undertaken yet and is waiting for its researcher. Perhaps in the near future, this gap in Chuvash studies will be overcome and this type of family ritualism will be studied appropriately.