A Summer Ethnographic School opened at Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin. It was organized by the N.N. Miklouho-Maclay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ethnosport Federation of Russia, and Derzhavin University.
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, Rector of Derzhavin University Pavel Moiseev, and Director of the Institute of Economics and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexey Zagrebin. Leading experts from the Russian Academy of Sciences, ethnologists, folklorists, dialectologists, local historians, ethnosport activists, Derzhavin museologists, historians, and philologists are participating in the School's work.
– For the past two years, my colleagues and I have been working on a new version of the Strategy of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nationalities Policy. It was approved by the president last November and runs until 2036. This is a truly strategic document, clearly emphasizing the goal of studying the ethnography of the Russian people, their history, culture, and traditions," emphasized Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev. "The Summer Ethnography School, organized at Derzhavin University, seems to me to be a very important stage in the practical implementation of this presidential strategy. The Academic Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology decided to select Tambov State University named after G.R. Derzhavin. We see great interest in this topic here. I hope that our discussion will make a real contribution to a deeper understanding of the ethnography of the Russian people and to promoting interethnic peace and harmony in our country.
The main scientific objective of the School will be to immerse participants in the foundations of traditional Russian culture, drawing on current research conducted by researchers at the IEA RAS and the faculty of Derzhavin University." "The Summer Geography School is a unique project that our university is fortunate to implement. Almost seventy years ago, the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology studied the traditional Russian village of Viryatino in the Sosnovsky Municipal District. Now, so many years later, my colleagues and I will conduct new research using the same methods, but this time jointly. Using one of the striking examples of an ancient Russian village in Central Russia, we will see how traditions, ethnic composition, lifestyle, and economic practices have changed," emphasized Pavel Moiseev, Rector of Derzhavin University.
Classes will be held at Derzhavin University and in the Tambov Region – in the villages of Viryatino and Atmanov Ugol. The School program is divided into theoretical and practical sections. The theoretical section will include lectures on Russian culture, as well as the history and ethnography of the Tambov Region population. The practical module will focus on organizing and conducting ethnographic expeditions. The location of the Summer School was chosen because the villages near Viryatino in the Sosnovsky District of the Tambov Region were the site of a fundamental ethnographic field study of the culture of the Russian rural population in the early 1950s. Since then, this location has remained one of the most important symbols of Russian ethnography.
The conclusion of the School will be held at the Tambov Interregional Center for Archaeological Research. A video and photo report based on the results of the Summer School will be published on the official websites of the IEA RAS and the Derzhavin Institute, as well as on social media.
