Abstract:
This paper is a part of the project Georgian-Caucasian Folklore Relations:
19th-20th Century Sources and Modern Narratives (sponsored by Shota
Rustaveli National Science Foundation, FR/532/2-154/13). Research of Georgian-
Caucasian folklore relations is closely connected with political-ideological
issues, as the authors of folklore-ethnographic descriptions of Caucasian people
were militaries in the service of the Russian Empire from the second half of the
19th century.
Data collected by Russian authors, provide rich material about the
countries included in the Russian Empire for study of separate historical,
ethnographic, folklore, literary and culturological issues, as well as from the
viewpoint of researche of imperialism in general. Important part of the folklore
studies of the 19th century are the works of Georgian and Russian historians,
linguists, ethnographers, literary critics, public opinion researchers, as well as
foreign travelers, where folkloric material is used, as folkloric studies as a field
of science, is based on these sciences.
This paper deals with folkloric and ethnographical sources published in
the newpaper “Kavkaz” [Caucasus], periodical of the Russian geographical
society’s Caucasian department. Throughout its existence, this collection largely
contributed to accumulation and publication of issues of the Caucasian culture,
ethnography, archaeology, language, literature and folklore. In various years,
many authors had collaborated with “Kavkaz”: R. Eristavi, N. Berdznishvili, P.
Ioseliani, D. Qipiani, I. Evlakhishvili, G. Tsereteli, M. Janashvili, A. Khakhanashvili,
S. Pushkarev, N. Dunkel-Welling, K. Chernishev, K. Dayubinsky etc.
People of various social and educations levels provided materials for the
“Kavkaz”: teachers of gymnasiums and schools, students of high grades,
travelers etc. The purpose of publication of the collection was to study and
become familiarized with the Caucasian peoples, which had political-state
background. Knowledge of customs and mentality of newly joined peoples had
a great importance for the Russian Tsarism for their assimilation.
The folkloric and ethnographical materials published in “Kavkaz” describe
various aspects of Caucasian folk life: social shifts, tradition of hospitality,
folk festivals, gender problems etc.
