Doctoral defence: Pavel Kutergin "Современные творческие коллективы Шарканского района Удмуртии в деле сохранения и популяризации традиционной культуры"

On March 27th at 14:00 Pavel Kutergin will defend his doctoral thesis “Современные творческие коллективы Шарканского района Удмуртии в деле сохранения и популяризации традиционной культуры” (“The Role of Modern Creative Collectives in Sharkansky District, Udmurtia, in the Preservation and Popularisation of Traditional Culture”) for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ethnology.

Supervisors: Prof. Art Leete (University of Tartu), Research fellow Eva Toulouze (University of Tartu)
Opponents: Aīda Rancāne, PhD (University of Latvia), Irina Sadovina, PhD (University of Sheffield)

Venue: Senate hall (Ülikooli 18–204) and via Zoom (meeting ID: 921 7100 9436, pääsukood: 528779)

Summary:
The spiritual heritage of each ethnic group is a key marker of its uniqueness and cultural identity. Despite globalization, traditional culture retains its distinctive features, especially in historically diverse regions like Udmurtia. In the 20th century, folklore adopted stage forms, altering its original character. Only in the second half of the century did a movement emerge to revive authentic folklore, including in the Udmurt Republic.

Preserving folklore heritage is crucial, as local cultural traits remain vital to ethnic identity. A key example is the study of Sharkan Udmurts' folklore, explored in my doctoral dissertation. The research, based on personal experience, years of fieldwork, archival sources, and scientific literature, marks a new stage in studying cultural-ethnic processes in Udmurtia within the global cultural context. For the first time, folklore collectives are examined in terms of Udmurt language preservation and promotion.

Research on Sharkan District traditions revealed a unique blend of northern and southern Udmurt musical folklore, confirmed by analyses of song repertoire, instrumental traditions, and rituals. It also highlighted ways to preserve musical traditions through authentic performance and stylization. Today, three types of collectives promoting Udmurt culture in the district have been identified:

1. Folklore and ethnographic groups, performing folk songs, dances, and reconstructing rituals to sustain local traditions.

2. Musical-instrumental ensembles, focusing on traditional melodies and original compositions using local instruments.

3. Groups blending musical styles, incorporating folklore elements into contemporary songs.

The Sharkan District is actively reviving folk music traditions: folklore ensembles reconstruct rituals, study archival materials, and restore authentic repertoire. These creative collectives not only promote Udmurt culture regionally but also integrate it into modern cultural life, ensuring generational continuity and the preservation of unique traditions.