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This article presents the activities of cooperative organisations in the Ukhta District in the 1920s. The main objective of the research is to consider the various types and forms of cooperative associations of residents of the Ukhta District of Karelia and establish the most important areas of their activities. The leading research methods are historical narrative, analysis and synthesis of information identified in archival and printed materials, methods of microhistory and regional studies. The main sources of the research are documents from the funds of the National Archives of the Republic of Karelia. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that, using the example of the Ukhta District, inhabited by northern Karelians, it examines the development of various types of cooperative peasant associations in Karelia, taking into account not only the national specifics, but also natural environment and climatic and foreign policy factors. In this regard, the difficulties of restoring the economy at the beginning of the New Economic Policy in the Ukhta District, which suffered from military operations and bad weather conditions, are revealed. Using the example of the Kemsk-Ukhta District Union of Cooperatives, distinctive features in the work of cooperative societies in the border zone were discovered and general shortcomings of consumer cooperation in the 1920s were detected. Other types of cooperative associations created in Ukhta district have been established: credit partnership, agricultural commune, land reclamation partnership. The peculiarity of peasant cooperatives in northern villages, where reindeer herding partnerships were created, was clarified; the importance of peasant cooperation for the economic growth of Ukhta district is shown.

The article* focuses on an analysis of the funeral and memorial rituals of the Ludian Karelians in the context of folk religion. For many years, rites of Orthodox origin were either viewed unilaterally or ignored altogether in ethnographic literature, with the reconstruction of 'pagan' elements being highlighted, which in turn gave rise to the theory of dual faith. According to the results of my research, the funeral and memorial traditions of the Ludians (from the late 19th to the late 20th century) are based on an Orthodox funeral system in which many aspects derived from a Christian basis found new interpretation. For example, the requirement to light candles was explained as lighting the way to the afterlife, the importance of making confession was so that the dying person's sins would not attach to the living, and funeral services were to help the soul of the deceased 'settle', etc. The principal exponents of the funeral rituals, who ensured the successful transition of the soul to the next world, were representatives of the people: women who washed the body of the deceased, and lamenters, but the church priesthood nonetheless played a significant role in conducting the rituals. The priest's participation is apparent at all stages of the funeral ritual, from confession to commemoration. Following the abolition of the institution of the church during the Soviet period, the functions of the priest were assumed by elderly women who knew the prayers and church burial traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction. The research analyzes and systematizes the field materials of folk medicine of the Karelians collected by the authors among the Karelians living in Karelia in the 2000-ies. Materials and Methods. Field materials were collected in the places of residence of the Karelians. The research was carried out using comparative and comparative-historical methods. Results and Discussion. In the presented study, the authors turn to one of the most widespread and ancient methods of ethno-medicine which is a treatment by berries, namely the use of berries, berry plants and their components by the Karelians. This topic is relevant both from the point of view of the application of traditional medical knowledge to the treatment, and because the range of medicinal herbs reflects the ethnic identity of the people and local characteristics. The collected and reviewed materials showed that berries and parts of berry plants have a fairly wide range of applications in the medical practice of all groups of the Karelians. Such types of berries as lingonberry, cranberry, blueberry, bird cherry, viburnum, raspberry, cloudberry, strawberry, irga, wolf bast, black currant were used for medical purposes. Herbal medicine was very popular in the treatment of colds, gastrointestinal diseases, general malaise and some skin diseases in all groups of the Karelians (Livvic and Ludic). The most common methods of berry treatment, which are common throughout the territory of Karelia, were fresh cranberries and lingonberries; raspberry jam; tea with dried raspberries or cloudberry sepals; decoction of raspberry leaves and berries; lingonberry or cranberry juice. The same plant could be used to treat different diseases, but the parts of the plant and the way it was consumed could vary. Conclusion. The collected material and the research have shown that berries and parts of berry plants have a fairly wide range of applications in the medical practice of all groups of the Karelians. In general, treatment with berry plants was very popular in the treatment of colds, gastric diseases, general malaise and some skin diseases in all groups of the Karelians.

Introduction. The author studies religious and mythological representations regarding the death of one of a little-studied ethnic groups which are Ludian Karelians. The purpose of the study is to identify the components that formed the worldview complex of the Ludians associated with the concepts of “soul”, “death”, “underworld”, including signs and symbols. Materials and Methods. The research is based on the archives and field studies as well as folklore texts, dictionaries, speech samples. It employs the comparative-historical method and the ethnolinguistic approach. Results and Discussion. In general, the Ludians as well as the Karelians defined death as an act of separation of the soul from the body (heng lähtöu ‘the soul leaves’, heng lendau ‘the soul flies away’), and it occurs upon the will of the ancestors (syndyd). Among the Ludians the term iče (in the initial meaning ‘shadow, soul’) is associated with the representations of the Finno-Ugric people of the existence of the second shadow-soul as well as the idea of “rodimchik” as the terminal illness. Ludian believed that unusual behavior of a cuckoo, a woodpecker, a rooster and a chicken (knocking at the window, knocking on the wall of the house) can be interpreted as the impending death of a family member. The Russian influence on Ludians is associated with Christian ideas about the underworld as the place of the reunion of a human being with God and Orthodox holidays as “favorable” dates for dying. Conclusion. According to a comprehensive comparative-historical analysis of the sources of the funeral and memorial rites of Ludian Karelians, the components of the Baltic-Finnish, common Finno-Ugric and Karelian origin can be distinguished in the representations of Ludians of the death and the underworld. At the same time, the influence of Slavic ideas of the death on Ludians is traced weakly in the materials under consideration, despite the length of contact between Russians and Ludian Karelians.

The social construction of the concepts of Karelian people, culture, and land develops in temporal flux. In the 2010s, the expansion of internet usage empowered previously unheard voices engaging these concepts in Russia. In this article, Russian-language internet discussions are used to find out how the state of Karelianness was negotiated in Russian-language internet (RuNet) discussions in the 2010s. My research distinguishes how manifestations of (sub)national identifications were dialectically approved and disapproved in accordance with nationalism discourses that I codify as civic, regionalist, and ethnic. The discussions show how the territory of the Republic of Karelia defines the boundaries within which manifestations of Karelianness are considered. Moreover, they depict the critique and rejection of issues such as Karelian culture, language, and descent due to their perceived juxtaposition against Russianness.

Introduction. Insects act as an element of the mythological system and rituals, provided by a variety of functions, occupied a certain place in the rituals, beliefs and medical practice of the Karelians. Among domestic insect parasites, the lice are most widely represented in the Karelian language and rituals. The research novelty of the study is determined by the fact that researchers did not turn to the question of the functioning of insects in mythological views and the ritual tradition of Karelians. However, such research is necessary in order to recreate the integrity of the mythological picture of the Karelians, which determines the relevance of this article. Materials and Methods. The material for the study was entomological images in the beliefs and folk medicine of the Karelians. They were considered using comparative historical, comparative and comparative and ethnolinguistic methods. Results and Discussion. The authors dwell on the mythological views of Karelians about domestic parasite insects using the example of lice. These beliefs are reflected in the causes of diseases, methods of treatment, as well as in mythological stories and folklore. Conclusion. The collected and analyzed linguistic and ethnographic data make it possible to come to the conclusion that the lice are the representatives of the entomofauna. Karelians have many beliefs connected with lice, which are reflected in the linguistic picture of the world and traditional culture.

Introduction. The article considers the use of animal products in Karelian folk medicine in the XIX – early XX centuries. Special attention is paid to the functions of a snake in the medical practice of Karelians in comparison with Veps, Finns and Russians. The author refers to a comprehensive analysis of the functioning of snakes in the ethnomedicine of the Karelians, which includes conservation magic, and the methods of treating diseases. The relevance of the study is defined by the need to study the functioning of representatives of the fauna world in various rites of life cycle, folk medicine of one of the indigenous small peoples of the Republic of Karelia – Karelians. Previously such studies have not been carried out on Karelian material, which determines its novelty. Materials and Methods. The material for the study was animal products (on the example of snakes) used in Karelian folk medicine, examined using comparative historical and comparative methods. Results and Discussion. The author focuses on the use of means of animal origin in folk medicine of the Karelians, the functioning of the snake in medical rites, mythological ideas about snakes. For comparative analysis, information is attracted on the use of snakes as a means of animal origin in the ethnomedicine of Veps, Finns and Russians, the peoples that the Karelians have a close connection with and mutual influence both in cultural and linguistic aspects. Conclusion. Animal products took a significant place in Karelian folk medicine. In the study, this was first traced on the example of a snake, which functions are contradictory. On the one hand, parts of the snake were used by healers as amulets, and “assistants” in magical rituals, on the other hand, it was seen as the embodiment of evil and the cause of disease. A comparative study showed that snakes took an important part as a means of animal origin not only in folk medicine of Karelians, but also of Veps, Finns, as well as Russians.

The paper discusses the content of one of the largest folklore archives in Russia belonging to the Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Systematic work of collecting folklore, carried out for more than 100 years, contributed to the creation of archives reflecting the historical events of an entire era. In the 1930s a new historical period began, giving life to the new forms of epic art — the so-called “novinas,” held in the Archive. During the Great World War, prisoners of the Finnish concentration camps created the so-called pieces of camp folklore, reviving the genre of lamentation. In the postwar period, researches were urged to deal with “Soviet” folklore, and not with the “frozen” forms of folk art. The archival materials collected among the representatives of deported people — Ingrian Finns — bear witness of the historical time. In the second half of the 20th century ideological pressure in the folkloristic studies continued, as superstitions and prejudices were sought to be eradicated, and the collection of folklore reflecting folk religious beliefs was not welcomed.

The Livvi Karelian sub-ethnic group started forming in the 17th century in Olonets land (Olonets Pogost), and from the 18th century, Livvi ethnogenesis expanded to the Serdobol Ladoga region (Sortavala, Imbilaksha, Suistamo, Salmi, and Suojarvi pogosts), which originally was populated by the Karelian proper subgroup. This article reveals how this ethnogenesis was influenced by the family and marital relationships among Olonets Livvi and with Ladogan Karelians. These factors are analyzed in detail over a century-long period (late 17th -- late 18th century) through the example of the Tulmozero Volost of the Olonets Governorate, which bordered the Ladoga region. The study is based on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th tax censuses, and the findings are verified using the present-day ethno-linguistic characteristics of Karelian supradialects and dialects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary source of material for this research was the folklore-ethnographic evidence stored in the archives of Karelia and collected over a century-long time period by Karelian folklore researchers. Comparative-historical, synchronous-descriptive and comparative-typological methods were employed. The scientific novelty and relevance of this research arise from the fact that the topic has not been studied through 19-20th century mythological stories of Karelians. The focus of the study was on the images of two mythological characters that are antagonistic and struggle for power over the child: yönitkettäi 'night placheya (evil night spirit of crying)' and uniukko 'old man of sleep'. They enter the house at night, the former by breaking the established taboo, the latter invited by a human. The worlds of the spirits are also antipodal both to each other and to the human world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an example of in-depth interview analysis using software tools for analytical text coding. The study was based on a joint interview with a Karelian woman and a Pomor woman recorded during a 2021 summer expedition to Knyazhaya Guba Village (Murmansk Region, Russia). The villagers belonged to different ethnic groups, which have been in the area for a long time. It was of interest to study the self-identity of the Karelians and Pomors and the ethnic and cultural boundaries they draw. The article analyzes the constituent elements of the Karelian and Pomor identity highlighted by the informants, including ethnic markers, symbolic appropriation of the space, and perception of the surrounding landscape. We preliminarily conclude that the regional identity prevails. Regional identity in this sense is more of a figurative and emotional category, not only the administrative-unit affiliation. Both groups have adapted to the peculiar northern lifestyle, while preserving their distinctive markers -- the language and place of birth for Karelians, and the value frame of reference among Pomors, which is associated with a focus on fishing and cooperative labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the potential rights implementation assessment for the Karelians, the Vepsians, and the Finns — indigenous minorities and ethnic (national) minorities in the Republic of Karelia. The purpose of the article is to form an observational passport of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the Republic of Karelia (i.e., the Vepsians, the Karelians, and the Finns), which would record the varying degrees of satisfaction of the indigenous small-numbered population of the Republic with the results of the policy pursued. The subject of this article is the peculiarities of the potential rights implementation Karelians, Vepsians, and Finns - indigenous peoples and ethnic (national) minorities of Karelia. As part of the study, a tool was developed to assess the potential rights implementation in the Republic of Karelia - an observational passport of indigenous peoples. The presented material is based on the results of a survey organized in the fall of 2017 in all municipalities of the Republic of Karelia. The authors substantiate the differentiation of potential rights implementation of the indigenous peoples of the Republic in 4 sectors (economic, social, cultural, and religious), according to 3 levels (low, medium, and high). It was found that the low potential rights implementation in almost every sector of the study is typical of the Vepsians, the Karelians, and the Finns are generally characterized by the potential rights implementation of the average level.

Introduction. The article studies the role of the furnace in funeral-memorial rite and folk medicine of the Karelians. The study examines the functions of the furnace at all stages of the funeral-memorial rite, starting with the death of a person. The authors address the issue of the function of the furnace in folk medicine, focusing on healing and protective magic, which also traces the furnace with one of its functions: an intermediary between the earthly and the afterlife. The relevance of this study is determined by the absence of special works based on Karelian material, as well as in comparison with the Finno-Ugric and Slavic peoples. Materials and Methods. The material for the study was the funeral-memorial rites of Karelians and Karelian folk medicine studied using comparative-historical and comparative-comparative methods. Results and Discussion. This article analyzes the functioning of the furnace in funeral-memorial rites and folk medicine of the Karelians. The analysis considered the data of the Baltic-Finnish peoples (Karelians, Finns, Vepsians) and, more generally Finno-Ugric peoples. In addition, it reviewed the information about the traditions of Russians who originally lived at the same territory with the Karelians. In the course of the study, it established the common features in the rites at all stages of burial of the studied peoples, and in folk medicine at the moment of a person passing away when a dying person departs to another world and. Conclusion. Household items, funeral ceremonies and folk medicine appearing in funeral rites, as well as some representatives of the fauna were endowed with the ability to be an intermediary between the earthly and the underworld. Among the household items, a furnace and its utensils associated with the cult of ancestors, which were endowed with cathartic and apotropic functions and played a crucial role in the final rite of a person’s life cycle. According to data on Karelian folk medicine, it was believed that a dog, a snake and a crow have a connection with the “other” world, where diseases come from. For example, a dog was used in medical rites to remove the disease from the world of people to the «other» world. In some cases, both a dog and a furnace appear in the process of treatment.

The social construction of the concepts of Karelian people, culture, and land develops in temporal flux. In the 2010s, the expansion of internet usage empowered previously unheard voices engaging these concepts in Russia. In this article, Russian-language internet discussions are used to find out how the state of Karelianness was negotiated in Russian-language internet (RuNet) discussions in the 2010s. My research distinguishes how manifestations of (sub)national identifications were dialectically approved and disapproved in accordance with nationalism discourses that I codify as civic, regionalist, and ethnic. The discussions show how the territory of the Republic of Karelia defines the boundaries within which manifestations of Karelianness are considered. Moreover, they depict the critique and rejection of issues such as Karelian culture, language, and descent due to their perceived juxtaposition against Russianness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les sépultures en grotte sont généralement absentes après le changement d'ère en Europe. C'est pourquoi l'inhumation moderne d'un enfant enterré avec au moins une tête d'oiseau placée dans la bouche, qui a été mise au jour dans la grotte de Tunel Wielki (sud de la Pologne), apparaît comme une découverte exceptionnelle. L'objectif de cet article est de présenter les interprétations possibles à cette sépulture unique. Ces interprétations sont basées sur des analyses pluridisciplinaires menées sur les restes humains et fauniques, dont des analyses génétiques et isotopiques, ainsi que de la tomodensitométrie, des datations au radiocarbone et des mesures anthropologiques et paléontologiques. Les résultats indiquent qu'il s'agit d'une fille d'environ 10 à 12 ans d'ascendance vraisemblablement fennoscandienne ou balte qui est décédée durant la période moderne et a été enterrée dans une grotte avec des restes d'oiseaux. Les caractéristiques de la sépulture, combinées aux analyses génétiques et aux datations au radiocarbone, tendent à créer un lien entre cette enfant et les troupes finno-caréliennes de la garnison suédoise situées dans le proche château d'Ojców durant l'invasion de la Pologne par le roi Charles X Gustav en 1655–1657. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The article reveals funeral and memorial rituals of the Ludian Karelians at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries, which have Christian origins and exposes their further transformations. Materials and Methods. This research is based on an integrated approach to the humanities. The most valuable group of sources for the research is unpublished expeditionary materials, stored in the archives of the Republic of Karelia and Finland. Results and Discussion. The funeral and memorial tradition depends on Orthodox funeral complex of rites. Almost every aspect of the funeral, which has Orthodox semantics, find its own interpretation in mind of the Karelians, such as candles at a casket necessary to light a way for a deceased in the next world; the sacrament of penance obligatory for the living not to carry any sins of the dead; the requiem mass to grant peace to the departed soul and etc. A priest participated in all steps of funeral ceremony: from a confession to common wakes. In the Soviet era a priest’s role in burial practices of Karelian countryside begun to subside by elderly women who could read in Church Slavonic. Ludian burial practices contain some echoes of burial orgies (also known as “funny funerals”) and ancestor worship. Conclusion. Despite of atheistic propaganda and intense fighting of the Soviet State against religion, Christian funeral ceremonies continued to be observed by Ludian Karelians and preserved the features of the Pagan-Christian syncretism.

Introduction. On the southern coast of Lake Onega there is a significant layer of Baltic-Finnish geographical names. The medieval ethnic history of this region remains poorly understood. This is due to the fact that the Novgorod scribal books date back to the end of the XV century, the toponymic and anthroponymic material of which remains not quite sought after by historians. The study of this material makes it possible to shed light on the ethnic history of the southern Obonezhye. Materials and Methods. The main source of research was the scribal book of Obonezhskaya pyatina of 7004 (1495/96). The descriptive method of research consists in identifying and fixing Baltic-Finnish oikonyms (names of rural settlements) and anthroponyms mentioned in the scribal book. It revealed Baltic-Finnish anthroponyms by analyzing the formal indicators of adoption of anthroponyms. Results and Discussion. According to the toponymy and anthroponymy of the scribal book, the population of the southern Obonezhye was mixed: it consisted of Slavs, Karelians and Vepsians. Karelians were present on the Olonets isthmus and in the south-western Prionezhye. This is largely explained due to the migration flow of Karelians from the north-western Ladoga area. The Vepsians lived in vast areas of the south-eastern and south-western Prionezhye, the Svir River basin and Oshta. Ethnographic studies have shown that many Vepsian settlements survived from the end of the XV to the middle of the XX – the beginning of the XXI century. Conclusion. The scribal book in the surviving fragments and Novgorodian acts indicate that by the end of the XV century the southern coast of Lake Onegа was inhabited by various ethnic groups: Slavs, Karelians and Vepsians, as evidenced by the anthroponyms and toponyms of the southern part of Obonezhye.

On the northern coast of Lake Onega there is the Zaonezhsky Peninsula, or Zaonezhie, which has retained a significant number of Baltic-Finnish geographical names. The medieval ethnic history of this region remains poorly researched because the Novgorod scribal books date back to the end of the 15th century and their toponymic and anthroponymic materials remain not much required by historians. The study of this material makes it possible to shed light on the ethnic history of Zaonezhie. The research is mainly based on the scribal book of Obonezhskaya pyatina of 7004 (1495/96). The descriptive method of research consists in identifying and fixing Baltic-Finnish oikonyms (names of rural settlements) and anthroponyms mentioned in scribal book. Baltic-Finnish anthroponyms were revealed by analyzing the formal indicators of adoption of anthroponyms. The medieval colonization of Zaonezhie by the Slavs led to mixed ethnic composition of the territory. The claims of the boyars to the local lands, mastered by the Baltic-Finnish peoples, led to conflicts in the second half of the XIV century. The names of the inhabitants of Zaonezhie are represented mainly by calendar names in the Slavic form, which reflects a significant proportion of Slavs in this region. Also, it is important to consider the influence of the Slavic cultural and religious traditions on the local Baltic-Finnish population, many of whose, judging by their names, became Orthodox. The scribal book in the surviving fragments and earlier acts indicate that by the end of the XV century the northern coast of Lake Onega was inhabited by various ethnic groups: Slavs, Karelians and Vepsians, as evidenced by the anthroponyms and toponyms of the Zaonezhsky peninsula.

The paper examines the main problems of the formation and development of the “foreign” school in the European North of Russia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The main attention is paid to such significant factor in the process of pedagogical practice transformations as increasing the number of students, training teaching staff, and publishing educational literature. It was revealed that the “foreign” school had a significant impact on the processes of interethnic interaction throughout the territory under consideration, steadily leading to the integration of the Finno-Ugric peoples’ representatives into the Russian society.

The article discusses the main problems associated with the status of women in the traditional, but gradually undergoing, ever deeper modernization of the culture of the northern outskirts of the Russian state. It was revealed that the processes of modernization were inevitably accompanied by a significant change in the social status of women. The factors contributing to changes in the gender sphere include the development of the educational system, the complication of religious life, and the development of small business. The penetration of women into areas previously accessible exclusively to the male population inevitably led to a significant increase in the participation of women in criminal communities.

Since the nineteenth century, Karelian folklore has been used to reinforce Finnishness. However, the Karelians remain invisible in Finland's folklife and public spheres because the notion that Karelian culture exists only in an idealized Finnish past--rescued by Finns--is deeply rooted in both official and vernacular understandings of Finnishness. Despite this, Karelian cultural organizations in Finland are working to develop the Karelian language and culture and prevent their museologization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the photographic representation of the evacuations from the former Finnish Karelia in the late 1930s until mid-i940s in military history photobooks. It examines from a comparative perspective the images taken during the evacuation process - before, during and after the Winter War (1939-1940) as well as during and after the Continuation War (1941-1944). Thereby it pays special attention to the construction of pictorial narratives about the evacuation, and it investigates the motives behind the choice of these narratives and how they changed over time. Furthermore, it asks whether the narratives in the photobooks differ from those in the archives - and if so, in what respect. The article seeks to determine whether there are topics that are only reflected in the archived photographs but do not appear in the books, or vice versa. One of the aims of this study is to identify the influence of the images on the Finnish cultural memory of the evacuation processes. The article is ultimately a contribution to the understanding about the iconography of large-scale population transfers in the history of Eastern Europe and the power of photographs in constructing cultural memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with Russian geographical terms in the Karelian dialects of Tver Region and is mainly based on field materials collected by the author in the 2000s. The author argues that the main corpus of geographical terms and place names of the studied area is of Karelian origin and correlates with geographical terminology and toponymy of other groups of the Karelian population that migrated in the past from the north-eastern Lake Onega Region. At the same time, as distinct from other areas of settlement of the Karelian population, the dialects of Tver Karelians are rich in loan words from the Russian language which appeared in different periods: a part of them represent traditional geographical terms of the Russian population of Tver Region, while others seem to be relatively recent innovations, mainly of the Soviet period. According to the data provided by the author, approximately 40 % of current geographical terms of the Karelian dialects of Tver region are of Russian origin. This proportion can be explained by the specificity of the landscape of the studied territory which differs from the landscape of the original Karelian areas, as well as by Tver Karelians' long habitation in the Central Russian Historical Zone which made permanent contacts with the Russian population inevitable.

Ethnocultural diversity of the Russian Federation is not only an important component of its historical heritage but also a significant resource for development. However, a number of ethnic groups are on the brink of extinction. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of changes in state and administrative borders on the territorial and demographic development of small ethnic groups. The article analyses the case of three Baltic Finnish peoples living in the Russian North-West and divided by borders of different levels: Karelians (Finland, the Republic of Karelia, and the Leningrad and Tver regions), Vepsians (the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad and Vologda regions), and Setos (Estonia and the Pskov region). The analysis is based on the cartographic and statistical demographic data, as well as the results of a complex expedition made in summer 2014 in the Pechory district of the Pskov region. The results of the study show that the assimilation of peoples divided as a result of migration and di vision of their ethnic territory by political borders takes place at an accelerated rate. The study makes it possible to formulate certain recommendations and improve the measures to maintain the language and culture of ethnic minorities of the Russian North-West.

Ethnocultural diversity of the Russian Federation is not only an important component of its historical heritage but also a significant resource for development. However, a number of ethnic groups are on the brink of extinction. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of changes in state and administrative borders on the territorial and demographic development of small ethnic groups. The article analyses the case of three Baltic Finnish peoples living in the Russian North-West and divided by borders of different levels: Karelians (Finland, the Republic of Karelia, and the Leningrad and Tver regions), Vepsians (the Republic of Karelia and the Leningrad and Vologda regions), and Setos (Estonia and the Pskov region). The analysis is based on the cartographic and statistical demographic data, as well as the results of a complex expedition made in summer 2014 in the Pechory district of the Pskov region. The results of the study show that the assimilation of peoples divided as a result of migration and di vision of their ethnic territory by political borders takes place at an accelerated rate. The study makes it possible to formulate certain recommendations and improve the measures to maintain the language and culture of ethnic minorities of the Russian North-West.

Soils of low-mountain landscapes in the northwest of Karelia have been studied. The soil cover of the studied area is mainly represented by Al-Fe-humus soils (Podzols); thin soils (Leptosols) are widespread. Characteristic morphological features of all the studied soils are relatively shallow profiles, high stone content, and underlying by hard bedrock with fine earth material in crevices between large boulders. The studied soils have the high carbon and low nitrogen content, which points to unfavorable conditions of organic matter transformation. The content of most macro- and microelements is not high, which is typical for soils of the region; the content of copper and zinc exceeds the regional background two-three times. Regularities of the vertical zonality in the properties of soils of mountain ecosystems manifest themselves in decreasing thickness of the soil profile at higher altitude above sea level in parallel to decreasing thickness of the layer of loose rocks, while the stone content increases. In soils of the forest-tundra zone, the organomineral horizon with the high organic matter content is formed immediately under the forest litter. The litter horizon is the soils of this zone is characterized by increased concentrations of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of paleomagnetic studies and paleointensity determinations from two Neoarchaean Shala dikes with an age of ~2504 Ma, located within the Vodlozerskii terrane of the Karelian craton, are presented. The characteristic components of primary magnetization with shallow inclinations I = −5.7 and 1.9 are revealed; the reliability of the determinations is supported by two contact tests. High paleointensity values are obtained by the Thellier-Coe and Wilson techniques. The calculated values of the virtual dipole moment (11.5 and 13.8) × 10 A m are noticeably higher than the present value of 7.8 × 10 A m. Our results, in combination with the previous data presented in the world database, support the hypothesized existence of a period of high paleointensity in the Late Archaean-Early Proterozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers common youth leisure activities in traditional Karelian culture, from the point of view both of the culturally prescribed norms and the actual behaviour. Special attention is paid to official and social adolescent development frameworks and to reflection of these age-related stages in folk vocabulary. The paper uses a large number of recently published and unpublished ethnographic and folkloristic sources. The authors come to the conclusion that in Karelian culture there is a specific age-group framework for adolescence, as well as gender-related differences between male and female behavioural patterns. The paper shows that girls had to undertake more varied tasks than boys as, on the one hand, they were to play socially prescribed roles and follow moral obligations, remaining modest and, on the other hand, had to be active in order to get married and give birth to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I examine the intertextuality of reminiscence writings of Karelian evacuees in Finland. The main topics of these writings are the two journeys of evacuation from the ceded Karelia to Finland, which writers experienced as children during and after the Second World War, and journeys back to the region of their childhood, which became possible after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the case of negotiations surrounding spatiotemporal distance and the creation of bridges between the past and the present, I argue that intertextuality plays a crucial but somewhat underanalyzed role in reminiscing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Palaeoproterozoic (2.0-1.8 Ga) Svecokarelian orogen in central Sweden consists of a low-pressure, predominantly medium-grade metamorphic domain (central part of Bergslagen lithotectonic unit), enclosed to the north and south by low-pressure migmatite belts. Two periods of metamorphism (1.87-1.85 and 1.83-1.79 Ga) are known in the migmatite belts. In this study, new U-Th-Pb ion microprobe data on zircon and monazite from twelve samples of locally migmatized gneisses and felsic intrusive bodies determine both protolith and metamorphic ages in four sample areas north of Stockholm, inside or immediately adjacent to the medium-grade metamorphic domain. Two orthogneiss samples from the Rimbo area yield unusually old protolith ages of 1909 ± 4 and 1908 ± 4 Ma, while three orthogneisses from the Skutskär and Forsmark areas yield more typical protolith ages between 1901 ± 3 and 1888 ± 3 Ma. Migmatized paragneiss samples from this and two earlier studies contain a significant detrital component sourced from this 1.9 Ga magmatic suite. They are interpreted to be deposited contemporaneously with or shortly after this magmatism. Migmatization of the paragneiss at Rimbo was followed by intrusion of leucogranite at 1846 ± 3 Ma. Even in the other sample areas to the north (Hedesunda-Tierp, Skutskär and Forsmark), metamorphism including migmatization is constrained to the 1.87-1.85 Ga interval and penetrative ductile deformation is limited by earlier studies in the Forsmark area to 1.87-1.86 Ga. However, apart from a metamorphic monazite age of 1863 ± 1 Ma, precise ages were not possible to obtain due to the presence of only partially reset recrystallized domains in zircon, or highly discordant U-rich metamict and altered metamorphic rims. Migmatization was contemporaneous with magmatic activity at 1.87-1.84 Ga in the Bergslagen lithotectonic unit involving a mantle-derived component, and there is a spatial connection between migmatization and this magmatic phase in the Hedesunda-Tierp sample area. The close spatial and temporal interplay between ductile deformation, magmatism and migmatization, the P- T metamorphic conditions, and the continuation of similar magmatic activity around and after 1.8 Ga support solely accretionary rather than combined accretionary and collisional orogenic processes as an explanation for the metamorphism. The generally lower metamorphic grade and restricted influence of the younger metamorphic episode, at least at the ground surface level, distinguishes the central part of the Bergslagen lithotectonic unit from the migmatite belts further north and south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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After the Second World War, Finland had to cede territories to the Soviet Union and Finnish people from those areas were evacuated. In this article we analyse the narrated memories of former Karelian child evacuees. We focus on the sites of memory and the materiality of memory practices as they are reflected in these narratives. We examine how narrated memories, both written and oral, are formed in the interplay of embodied recollections of the childhood evacuation, with the intra-action of matter such as sources and mementos, and immaterial things such as affects and emotions. We conclude that things and matter are agential in six ways in narrated memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the toponymy of the western coast of the White Sea. Linguistic analysis allows us to conclude that for many centuries the territory has been an area of interethnic communication, traces of which can still be seen in the language and toponymy of the present-day population of the area. The article shows that on the White Sea coast Finnic place names occur side by side with Russian toponymy, which was formed first by Novgorod and then by Moscow colonizations. A number of linguistic facts prove that the south-western coast of the White Sea was an important transport junction of water and portage ways, which were developed by Finnic population as well as by Russian settlers who were in close relations with the local Sami population. The linguistic data also proves that Slavic population settled down nearby the territory which had already been developed by representatives of the Finno-Ugric language family. In the author's opinion, this is also evidenced by a. large number of place names of non-Russian origin as well as by hybrid toponyms in the toponymy of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Architectural features of the structure and dendrochronological analysis of its timber has disproved the previously held opinion of the history of the chapel erected in a small Karelian village. It was found that the eastern part of the building, which was thought to have been built last, is in fact the oldest part of the structure. According to dendrochronological analysis it was erected in 1745. In 1891 the western part with the bell tower was added. Later on, plank sidings were mounted and the roof was modified. The study confirmed there was a time gap between the usage of the same engineering practices among the Russian and the Karelian population of Karelia, indicating a more archaic architecture among Karelians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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