Telengit Monuments to Ethno-Cultural Renaissance

The Telengits, an ethno-territorial group of southern Altai, live in Ulagansky and Kosh-Agach districst of the Altai Republic where Russians are an ethnic minority, and the Kazakhs - the largest diaspora. Ethno-cultural renaissance resulted in revival of Telengit zaisan's (head of the clan-Seok) position. Its strengthening takes place due to practical installation of monuments to tribal leaders of the past. In June 2013 in Ulagansky district on the initiative of the tёlёs zaisan Akai Kine there was erected a monument to Yarynak (Jarynak), the founder of Kobok Seok, who lived in XVII century. On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Telengits' entry to Russia in July 2014, in the village of Kokorya (Kosh-Agach district) was put up a monument to Ochurdyap Mandaev ( Seok ak Kobok ), Chui Volost zaisan in XIX century. In order to determine the monument place in ethno-cultural life of the region and specifics of its perception in multiethnic environment there was used an idea that ethnic society turns to the past to understand the present. Traditions published in regional newspapers and anthologies were put into scientific circulation. As the legend runs, the Telen-gits came from the valley of the Chulyshman (Ulagansky district), where lived Yarynak, the founder of Telengit Seok Kobok. His descendants headed by Mandai moved to Chui steppe and were hereditary zaisans of II Chui volost (Kosh-Agach district). Zaisans' names serve historical marks: the last Zaisan Ochurdyap pointed out issues of land management and conservation of the Telengits' territory, the conversion of Kosh-Agach into a traiding center of the frontier region. While Ochurdyap was the zaisan the Kazakhs who moved from the Irtysh and the frontier areas of China, were permitted to settle. The research results showed that the revived Telengits' zaysanat is updated by installing monuments to the tribal leaders of the past. The monument to clan leader Yarynak (Ulagansky District) is called "Kaeser Tash", meaning "hewn stone" due to similarity with an ancient statue. Stele to a Chui volost zaisan in Kosh-Agach District is called "kёzhё tash" meaning "boundary stone / stone monument." Telengit monuments give a generalized image of the past - features of the hero, or drawing of the appearance of ak Kobok descendant as a typical face of Chui zaisan. Saving Telengit traditions contributes to appearance of landmarks of historical past in ethno- cultural renaissance conditions.

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