Earth and sky equites of the Berezov city: the question of mytho-epic tradition in the historical consciousness of the Russian population in Asian part of Russia (XVII - early XX century)

The aim of this article is to explore the mytho-epic tradition role in the identity formation of the population of Asian part of Russia. The methodological basis of the research is a systematic approach that allows us to present social consciousness as a system consisting of structured elements that integrate society in accordance with their functions. Reconstruction of the historical identity in the preindustrial era involves the use of not only written sources, but also folklore, religious beliefs, and toponymy. In the administrative and religious center of the Lower Ob region, city Berezov, there were ancestral traditions about “descendants of the Yermak Cossacks” among the service class. The basis for forming such ideas was the popular story of the “Yermak’s capture of Siberia” as well as the desire to get a promotion or to keep a social status. As a result the inhabitants of many villages and rural areas from the Urals to the Yenisei considered themselves as a descendants of Yermak’s Cossacks. Images on the gonfanons and subjects of icons that were supposedly brought to Berezov by Yermak’s Cossacks are evidence of the sacred component of self-consciousness folding. The “Yermak’s gonfanon” depicts Michael the Archangel in the image of the “Terrible warlord”. In the same image he is depicted on one of the “Yermak icons”. The second icon is “Nikola Mozhaysky”. Saint Nicholas was considered as the patron saint of travelers, sailors and merchants in the North Russia and Siberia. Michael the Archangel was perceived as the patron saint of soldiers. The Trans-Urals and then Siberia were inhabited by people from the Russian North, where there were many representatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Analyzing the folklore of the Russian North and the Northern Trans-Urals, the author comes to the conclusion that the “folk Orthodoxy” of the newcomer population of the Berezovsky region contains Finno-Ugric religious motives. On the other hand, under the influence of the Christian message, the Ob Finno-Ugric’s idea of the main deities triad, which had existed before, became stronger. The next step was to rethink this triad in Christian images. The subjects of the “Yermak” icons were corresponded to the essence of the aboriginal religious representations. (Mansi, Khanty, Nenets) The “Russian God Nikola” was perceived as one of the numi-Torum incarnations -the presiding deity and Michael the Archangel practically had a complete iconic and functional coincidence with Mir-susne-Hume, the son of numi-Torum. In this regard, another ancient icon - the mother of God, fit into pagan ideas as the wife of numi-Torum and mother of Mir-susne-huma-Kaltasekva. There is how the local Orthodox tradition was developed, which has been repeatedly reflected on the level of venerated icons and dedications of Church thrones throughout the entire review period.

Keywords

Authors

References