Russians in the Heart of Asia
Songs, Stories, Beliefs
The remote village of Shebalino is populated by both indigenous Altains and descendants of Russian settlers who arrived in the 1800s. These very different cultures have lived side by side for 150 years. How has this affected local folklore? Team members will interview residents about holidays and ritual occasions like weddings and funerals, and collect local stories about the supernatural, all with an eye towards understanding the expression of Altain and Russian folklore in local traditions.
Meet the Team
Dr. Yelena Minyonok
Major Researcher and Chief Curator of the Folklore Archive
Gorky Institute of World Literature, Moscow
Lena Minyonok is a philologist, folklorist, and Principal Investigator of the American Friends of Russian Folklore. Dr. Minyonok graduated from the Philological Department of the Moscow State University, where she received her M.A. degree from in 1988. Her postgraduate studies were at the Gorky Institute of World Literature (Russian Academy of Sciences, 1988-1991). She received her Ph.D. in Folklore (Moscow, 1998) and now serves as Chief Curator of the Folklore Archive and Major Researcher in the Folklore Division of the Gorky Institute. Dr. Minyonok has been a Principal Investigator for countless folklore expeditions and has published over 60 articles about Russian folklore traditions. Most recently, she has led expeditions for the American Friends of Russian Folklore (PREEEF’s former name) in conjunction with the Institute of World Literature at the Russian Academy of Sciences. She was a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky in 2007, as a Fulbright scholar.
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Dates:
July 1, 2019 to July 14, 2019Location:
Shebalino village, Shebalinskiy district, Altai Republic, Russia -
Email:
Please send all digital forms or inquiries to this email.
info@preeef.orgMailing Address:
Partnership for Russian, East European & Eurasian Folklore
11544 23rd Ave. NE
Seattle WA 98125
