Sinkretizm religiosity of Kumyks and Nogais at the beginning of the XXI century

In work the general tendencies of the attitude of Kumyks and Nogais to Islam, paganism, atheism and Christianity are analysed. The basis of work was formed given Internet poll, and also by publications of the theological plan of these people. In total 48 Kumyks and 42 Nogais have taken part in poll. Questions of Internet poll consider not only religious self-identification of respondents, but are directed to identification of degree of an involvement interrogated in Islamic, traditional Turkic, pagan and orthodox cultures. Kumyks and Nogais - the people of Turkic group of the Altai language family which believers practise Sunni Islam. Most of Kumyks belong to a shafiitsky mazkhab, and most of Nogais to hanafitsky. Kumyks compactly in the Republic of Dagestan. Most of Nogais live in Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol Krai. Religiosity of Kumyks and Nogais often drew attention of scientists. Sinkretizm motives in the publications devoted to religious representations of Kumyks and Nogais are traced regularly. Many archaic ceremonies canonized by local Muslim spiritual figures are executed in the Kumyk and Nogai environment now. The analysis of questionnaires shows that primary religiosity of respondents is at very high level. Most of respondents carry themselves to Muslims and believers. The largest level of primary religiosity was shown by Kumyks - the people which are compactly living in the east of the North Caucasus unlike Nogais whose area of accommodation has more difficult configuration. Among Kumyks there are no non-believers. High level of religiosity of Kumyks is explained by a special transnational role of Islam in multinational Dagestan, it levels the possible interethnic conflicts. One more reason of distinctions consists in a difference between shafiitsky legal school and a hanafitsky mazkhab. By ceremonial and dogmatic part, religiosity of respondents of both groups coincides. Equally Christian Orthodoxy and atheism exerts impact on outlook of these people. The author considers that distinctions in primary religiosity at these people not always have under themselves deeper basis from system of ceremonies and representations. The outlook of Kumyks and Nogais is not rigid system, but a live existential continuum in which there are no strictly certain communications. High primary religiousness not always involves the appropriate high level of ceremonialism or competence of the sphere of dogmatics. Distinctions between the interrogated Kumyks and Nogais are shown especially obviously only at the level of pagan representations. 8 of Nogais and 3 of Kumyks addressed sorcerers and magicians. Safety of these representations has deep historical roots at these people and is connected with a cult of the "islamized" shamanism. In answers of the Nogai respondents polysyncretism is more obviously shown, is defined by scattered moving of this ethnos, and also the general liberal views of a hanafitsky mazkhab in comparison with shafiitsky.

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