Old Believers of the Bukhtarma valley
Old ways, new generations
For hundreds of years these remote Altai valleys have sheltered runaway serfs, escaped prisoners and Old Believer religious dissidents. On the banks of the Bukhtarma River you can still find several villages founded by Old Believers in the 1700s.
Since 1826 their distinctive Russian Old Believer way of life has been documented by multiple ethnographers, linguists, and folklorists. Our expedition will add to this multi-generational portrait by visiting two riverside villages, Bykovo and Bogatyriovo, to record songs and document the family histories, local architecture, holiday customs, life-cycle rituals, and traditional beliefs of the local population.
Along the way our team will join in on the traditional midsummer celebration of Ivan Kupala, hosted by the regional folklore-collecting-and-performing ensemble >>Bastenki<<
Our expedition will begin and end in Ust Kamenogorsk / Oskemen, Kazakhstan
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Dates:
July 5, 2025 to July 17, 2025Location:
Northeast Kazakhstan, Zyrianovsk regionExpedition Languages:
Russian, English -
Expected Fee Range:
(Price varies depending on the number of volunteers.)
$2554 - $1870Team Size:
3-6 -
Apply By:
May 6, 2023Submit your application. We’ll review and respond with your acceptance status.
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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
