Ethnolinguistic Expedition to the Greeks of Anapa, Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk

This paper presents an overview of the ethnolinguistic expedition (July 2023) to the Greeks of the North-Eastern Black Sea region (Anapa, Vityazevo, Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk). The modern Greek population of this area was mainly formed by the migrants from the Ottoman Empire, who moved to the Black Sea coast in the 19th–20th centuries. The main motives for the resettlement were persecution by the Ottoman authorities and, subsequently, the genocide of the Greek population. The coastal towns of Russia repopulated by the Greeks (such as Anapa and Gelendzhik) once were the Ancient poleis. The Ancient Greek past of the region therefore became an important element of the group identity, which is emphasized both in the names of the Greek societies and newspapers, and in their visual content. The Greek population of the Krasnodar krai received governmental support from the newly formed Soviet state during the 1920–1930s, but this brief period of recognition was soon interrupted by mass repressions and deportations. The main goal of the field research was to record the vocabulary of funeral and memorial rituals. The Pontic dialect vocabulary in this region coincides with one recorded in previous expeditions during 2022–2023. Among the lexemes which were not previously recorded is the term kanona instead of the common Pontic lexeme kokia, both stand for ‘ritual dish from grain’. We also recorded the lexeme Charon for ‘death’. In general, the Greek presence in the region is noticeable primarily in the visual landscape: recognizable Greek fonts of signs as well as the names of cafes, hotels and other businesses hint at the origins of their owners. The main actors promoting Greek culture in the region are cultural societies where the population can learn modern Greek language and traditional dances.