Everyday Life of Kalmyks, 17th–19th Centuries: Defining the Problem and Its Background
https://doi.org/10.22162/2619-0990-2022-59-1-8-18
Abstract
Introduction. The majority of Russian historiographic works deal with political history, namely: class struggle, wars, sociopolitical and socioeconomic development, prominent figures, etc. Meanwhile, it is evident enough that an ultimate basis for historical development and existence of any ethnos is everyday labor of the masses. The article reviews the emergence and development — in historical science as such and Russian historiography proper — of the research trend exploring everyday life. The paper notes virtually no such works have been published in Kalmykia, nor can one find any essential scholarly narratives on everyday life of Kalmyks. Goals. The study aims at delineating long-term benefits of academic insights into Kalmyk routine life, all estates and social groups throughout the 17th to 19th centuries. Results. The paper revisits activities by founders of the Annales school (France) — Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre. Special attention is paid to similar works on everyday life in Russian historiography. Conclusions. The available ethnographic narratives examine the past household life of Kalmyks, their rites, economic affairs and other aspects integral to the subject area ‘mundane life’. However, the article concludes no special works to have covered Kalmyk routine life of the past have been published yet.
About the Author
Maksim M. BatmaevRussian Federation
Dr. Sc. (History), Leading Research Associate
References
1. National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia.
2. Bakaeva E. P. Buddhism in Kalmykia: Historical and Ethnographic Essays. Elista: Kalmykia Book Publ., 1994. 128 p. (In Russ.)
3. Bakaeva E. P., Sangadzhiev Yu. I. Culture of Dwelling: Ethnic Traditions and Contemporary Priorities of the Kalmyks. Elista: Dzhangar, 2005. 196 p. (In Russ.)
4. Batmaev M. M. Family and Marriage in Kalmyk Traditions. Elista: Gerel, 2008. 256 p. (In Russ.)
5. Batyrov V. V. Historical Essays on Kalmyk Traditional Culture, 1770s to 1850s: A Case Study of Materials from the National Archive of Kalmykia. Elista: Kalmyk Humanities Research Institute (RAS), 2014. 250 p. (In Russ.)
6. Belovinsky L. V. Culture of Russian Everyday Life. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola, 2008. 766 p. (In Russ.)
7. Bentkovsky I. V. Kalmyk woman of Bolshederbetsky District in physiological, religious and social perspectives. In: Collected Statistical Data on Stavropol Governorate. Stavropol: Stavropol Statistical Committee, 1869. Pp. 141–167. (In Russ.)
8. Bentkovsky I. V. Kalmyk woman of Bolshederbetsky District in physiological, religious and social perspectives. In: Collected Statistical Data on Stavropol Governorate. Vol. 3. Stavropol: Stavropol Statistical Committee, 1870. Pp. 95–119. (In Russ.)
9. Bentkovsky I. V. Kalmyks of Bolshederbetovsky District: Dwelling and meals. In: Collected Statistical Data on Stavropol Governorate. Stavropol: Stavropol Statistical Committee, 1868. Pp. 82–104. (In Russ.)
10. Bloch M. Apologie pour l’histoire ou Métier d’historien (The Historian’s Craft). E. Lysenko (transl.); A. Gurevich (introd., comment.). 2nd ed., suppl. Moscow: Nauka, 1986. 254 p. (In Russ.)
11. Bordzhanova T. G. Kalmyk Magic Poetry: Studies and Materials. Elista: Kalmykia Book Publ., 1999. 182 p. (In Russ.)
12. Butenko I. A. Social Cognition and World of Mundanity: Horizons and Dead Ends of Phenomenological Sociology. L. Ionin (ed.). Moscow: Nauka, 1987. 144 p. (In Russ.)
13. Dubrova Ya. P. Kalmyks of Stavropol Governorate: Everyday Life Reviewed. Elista: Kalmykia Book Publ., 1998. 181 p. (In Russ.)
14. Dushan U. Unhealthy folkways of Kalmyks and struggle against the former. In: Ethnographic Collection. Vol. 1. Elista: Kalmyk Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, 1976. Pp. 5–88. (In Russ.)
15. Ethnographic Collection. Vol. 1. Elista: Kalmyk Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, 1976. 173 p. (In Russ.) Frolov I. T. (ed.) An Introduction to Philosophy. Textbook for university students. In 2 vols. Vol. 1. Moscow: Politizdat, 1989. 367 p. (In Russ.)
16. Georgi J. G. Description of Russia’s Peoples. Part IV: Mongolic Peoples, Armenians, Georgians, Indians, Germans, Poles, and Imperial Russians with the Mentioning of All Cossacks / Qazaqs, History of Rus’ Minor, and Detailed Insights into Kurland and Lithuania. St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1799. 385 p. (In Russ.)
17. Georgieva T. S. Culture of Everyday Life. Book 1: Private Life and Household Activities in Ancient Societies. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola, 2005. 335 p. (In Russ.)
18. Georgieva T. S. Culture of Everyday Life. Book 2: Private Life and Social Norms from the Middle Ages to Present Days. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola, 2006. 478 p. (In Russ.)
19. Gmelin S. G. Travels through Russia for the Study of the Three Natural Provinces. Part 2: Travel from Cherkask to Astrakhan and Stay in the Latter, From Early August 1769 to 5 June 1770. S. Moshkov (transl.). St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1777. 361 p. (In Russ.)
20. Gurevich A. Ya. Historical Synthesis and the Annales School. Moscow: Indrik, 1993. 328 p. (In Russ.)
21. Gurevich A. Ya. Theory of social formations and realism of history. Voprosy filosofii. 1990. No. 11. Pp. 31–43. (In Russ.)
22. Ishin V. V., Toropitsyn I. V. (eds.) Historical Destinies of Russia in Vasily Tatishchev’s Scholarly Heritage. Conference proceedings. Astrakhan: Astrakhan State University, 2004. 167 p. (In Russ.)
23. Khabunova E. E. Kalmyk Weddings Ritual Poetry: Studies and Materials. Elista: Kalmykia Book Publ., 1998. 223 p. (In Russ.)
24. Kim G. F., Shastitko P. M. (eds.) History of Oriental Studies in Russia before the Mid-19th Century. Moscow: Nauka—GRVL, 1990. 435 p. (In Russ.)
25. Knabe G. S. Dialectics of everyday life. Voprosy filosofii. 1989. No. 5. Pp. 26–46. (In Russ.)
26. Leleko V. D. The Environment of Daily Life in European Culture. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts, 2002. 320 p. (In Russ.)
27. Lepekhin I. I. Across Different Provinces of the Russian State in the Years 1768 and 1769: Daily Travel Notes. Vol. I. St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1771. 562 p. (In Russ.)
28. Lüdtke A. What is history of everyday life? Its achievements and prospects in Germany. In: The Yearbook of Social History – 1998/1999. Moscow: ROSSPEN, 1999. Pp. 77–100. (In Russ.)
29. Medvedev V. A. Revelation, Myth or Betrayal. Moscow: Evraziya+. 1998. 416 p. (In Russ.)
30. Nebolsin P. I. Kalmyks of Khosheutovsky District: Essays on Household Life. St. Petersburg: K. Kray, 1852. 383 p. (In Russ.)
31. Nefedyev N. A. The Volga Kalmyks: Detailed Eyewitness Accounts. St. Petersburg: K. Kray, 1834. 383 p. (In Russ.)
32. Ostrovsky E. Letters of Eduard Ostrovsky about Kalmyks. In: Ethnographic Collection. Vol. 1. F. Steklova (transl., ed.). Elista: Kalmyk Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, 1976. Pp. 88–111. (In Russ.)
33. Pallas P. S. Travels across Different Provinces of the Russian Empire. Vol. I. 2nd ed. St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1809. [9], 657, 116 p. (In Russ.)
34. Pavlenko N. I., Andreev I. L., Kobrin V. B. A History of Russia: From Earliest Times to the Year 1861. N. Pavlenko (ed.). 2nd ed., rev. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola, 2001. 560 p. (In Russ.)
35. Popov A. Brief notes on the Volga Kalmyks. Zhurnal Ministerstva narodnogo prosveshcheniya. 1839. Vol. XXII. No. 4. Part 2. Pp. 17–46. (In Russ.)
36. Prost A. The Twelve Lessons of History. Yu. Tkachenko (transl.). Moscow: Russian State University for the Humanities, 2000. 333 p. (In Russ.)
37. Shalkhakov D. Key traditional features of family and marriage: A case study of literary sources. In: Ethnographic Collection. Vol. 1. Elista: Kalmyk Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, 1976. Pp. 112–129. (In Russ.)
38. Smirnov P. Across Kalmyk Steppe of Astrakhan Governorate: Travel Notes. Elista: Kalmykia Book Publ., 1999. 248 p. (In Russ.)
39. Zhitetsky I. A. Essays on Household Life of Astrakhan Kalmyks: Ethnographic Observations of 1884–1886. Moscow: M. Volchaninov, 1893. [6], II, 75 p. (In Russ.)
Review
For citations:
Batmaev M.M. Everyday Life of Kalmyks, 17th–19th Centuries: Defining the Problem and Its Background. Oriental Studies. 2022;15(1):8-18. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22162/2619-0990-2022-59-1-8-18