Scholarly record

MASLENITSA IN THE MODERN BORDERLAND: THE CASE OF LATGALE REGION (LATVIA) AND PSKOV REGION (RUSSIA)

O. Kovzele, N. Bolshakova

Abstract

Today there is an increasing interest in reviving folk festivities and outdoor celebrations. At the same time, the attempts of modern society to properly identify and understand the roots of these festivities and celebrations oftentimes resemble a costume show, or a theatrical performance with a new twist, in which once deep and meaningful traditions and rituals, with original historical and cultural significance, are lost, devoid of any meaning to a modern observer or participant. Realia more familiar to modern consumers tend to dominate, and commerce in this area is thriving. Maslenitsa is one of these popular festivities that are undergoing significant transformations at the junction of traditions and modernity. This process is most evident in the modern borderland. The present research provides a comparative analysis of different perceptions and celebrations of Maslenitsa in Latgale (a south-eastern region of Latvia), and its neighbouring territory of the Pskov region in Russia. The aim of the research is to analyse perceptions and interpretations of Maslenitsa, as well as to identify common patterns of development of modern festive culture using the case of the Latvian-Russian borderland. It should be noted, however, that in case of Latgale, we are going to speak about two largely related, but still different festivities – Meteni (a Latvian festivity) and Maslenitsa (a Slavic festivity). As a result of globalisation and multiculturalism, these two festivities are often united in one festive event in the Latgale region. In turn, the phenomenon of an All-Russian Maslenitsa, which in practice has turned out to be a bright, but very short-term project, is typical for the Russian counterpart. The empirical basis of the research: 810 long form questionnaires and 68 interview records, 112 publications available in local periodicals (in the Latgale and Pskov regions). The research methods include: survey, interviewing, quantitative and qualitative processing of data, comparative method.

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