HISTORY AND FOLKLORE IN ETHNOPOLITICAL DISCOURSE IN THE ALTAI REGION IN THE 1930s
The article addresses a problem of formation of ethnic and national identity among the native peoples of Altai. This research is based on the original materials of central and regional media, archival records as well as folkloric data. The authors analyzed ethno-political discourse during the Soviet period of history; reviewed the process of Altai people’s collective memory formation and identity structuring under the Soviet regime. They especially focused on processing the folklore texts interpreting the revolutionary events and sociopolitical changes in the region. Based on careful analysis of Soviet ethnopolitical discourse they specified the following ideologemes: victim’s motive; colonization paradigm in the relationships between the native Turkic speaking people and Russian government; focus on the class stratification within this ethnic group; criticism of the clan system of Altai people and traditional forms of economic management; images of family; Soviet ethnic cohesion; creating images of political leaders with the help of folklore themes. The authors come to conclusion that official media in the 1930s constituted the break with ethnic past, traditions, and traditional ethnic institutes. People/’s solidarity based on social and class principles became the main function of the Soviet normative social culture. It was a cultural paradigm shift: there was a focus on a “new” man, who was not connected with the past, looked to the future and in fact did not have any ethnic roots. The idea of a working nation became one of the main categories used in the description of revolution and civil war period. In consideration of different spheres of life (including the folklore and historical past) people/s productive activities come to the fore. The new reality was formed, including the images of the past.