Long Night at the Vepsian Museum
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 160
ISBN-13: 9781442636187
Subjects: Russia (federation), social life and customs; Ethnology, russia (federation); Russia (federation), religion
Description: This book takes readers to the village of Sheltozero in northern Russia. It highlights a tiny community of indigenous people called Veps, known colloquially as "the forest folks" for their intense closeness and affiliation with the forests in their ancestral territories. Davidov uses a tour of the local museum to introduce a cast of human and non-human characters from traditional Vepsian culture, while journeying through various eras under Russian, Finnish, Soviet, and post-Soviet rule. In the process, she explores how contemporary political struggles mesh with traditional beliefs, illustrating how Veps make meaning of their history and unfolding future--back cover.