Head of the Department of Theory of Culture, Ethics and Aesthetics at the Institute of Philosophy and Socio-Political Sciences of the Southern Federal University, Ekaterina Lipets, spoke about the culture of the Don region, Cossack weddings and folk art.
Ethnocultural code of SFU Ethnocultural code of SFU
International Day of Culture has an interesting history. And it is associated with the name of our artist, writer, philosopher – Nicholas Roerich . He was convinced that culture is the main engine of the progress of society and an instrument of unity, regardless of age, religion, nation and ethnic group. In 1931, Roerich initiated the establishment of World Culture Day at an international meeting , advocating immersion in culture, cultural exchange and a call for the protection of monuments of art – all the beautiful things created by humanity. He presented this in the form of a public project, which was called the Roerich Pact . The most prominent figures of their time spoke in his support: Einstein, T. Mann, G. Wells, B. Shaw, Maeterlinck, R. Roland, R. Tagore and others. The document was signed in 1935, but was not widely disseminated. In 1998, the International League for the Defense of Culture proposed establishing World Culture Day on April 15 (the date of signing of the Roerich Pact).
“Today the essence of World Culture Day is international cultural cooperation without borders, mutual exchange and protection of cultural heritage. The full name of the holiday, which is rarely used in full, is World Culture Day under the Banner of Peace. It can be seen above the buildings of UN headquarters in different cities of the world and is a symbol of the past, present and future of humanity with its achievements,” said Ekaterina Lipets, head of the department of cultural theory, ethics and aesthetics at the Institute of Philosophy and Socio-Political Sciences of SFU .
2022 has been declared the year of intangible cultural heritage in Russia . According to the expert, cultural and national traditions provide connections between generations. There are many worthy representatives who devote their lives to their preservation. According to UNESCO’s definition, “intangible cultural heritage is the knowledge, skills, practices and beliefs, and associated artefacts, objects, instruments and cultural spaces that are recognized by iniduals and groups as part of their cultural heritage. ”
“Intangible culture is directly related to the material cultural heritage of the people. Traditionally, it is passed down from generation to generation, thereby ensuring the continuity of generations. This is important for the cultural identity of the people, a tolerant attitude towards the creativity of other peoples. In a multinational state, this message remains relevant,” noted Ekaterina Lipets.
Intangible cultural heritage is the language of the people, folk and national holidays, rites, rituals, beliefs, skills, traditional crafts and crafts.
The culture of the Don region is connected with the culture of the Cossacks, but we should not forget that our region is multinational and is widely represented by various diasporas.
Ethnocultural code of SFU Ethnocultural code of SFU
There are a lot of cultural traditions. Each of them reflects inidual characteristics of the life and way of life of peoples. For example, the Don Cossacks had a widespread tradition of living in large families, several generations under one roof; there was special respect for the elders in the family, which was absorbed by the younger generation from a very young age.
“The woman ran the household and raised children, and the more of them there were in the family, the better. If a boy was born into a family, he received a weapon as a gift. As a rule, the grandfather gave his grandson a saber or a gun. This symbolic relationship spoke of recognition of him as a future warrior,” the expert shared.
No less interesting are the traditions of Cossack weddings . Thus, the church wedding ceremony became widely used only at the end of the 19th century. Typically, weddings took place twice a year: in autumn and winter. The date should not have coincided with Orthodox Lent, and the matchmaking process took place in several stages.
“The first stage of meeting the future husband and wife-bride. The matchmakers talked about the beauty of the bride, her hard work and numerous virtues, invited the girl to appear in all her glory and asked how she liked the groom. Next came matchmaking: an agreement was established on the bride price, the date and details of the wedding were discussed. The third stage is pillows. Accompanied by songs and dances, the bride’s dowry was transported to the groom’s house. It should be noted that all stages were accompanied by festivities. The wedding was celebrated on a grand scale; tables were set with a large number of treats. Don cuisine has also formed its own traditions,” shared Ekaterina Lipets.
Each region of our country has its own intangible cultural values, which are represented by museum exhibitions, folk art groups, folk craftsmen and crafts, and oral folk art. The Don region is no exception; it has its own flavor and a large baggage of intangible cultural heritage. The main message of the folk art of the Don Cossacks is reflected in folklore and crafts related to military affairs. Oral folk art is widely represented in legends, epics, sayings, and fairy tales. The peculiarity of Don folklore also lies in the fact that it is very closely connected with ritual, with religion and with the phenomena of life: birth, baptism, initiation, wedding, farewell, burial rites.
“Intangible cultural heritage is the totality of all cultural achievements, all the most valuable things created over the entire period of human existence. Every nation should know, cherish and respect its heritage. It has a huge impact on a person’s upbringing, shapes his spirituality, views, hobbies, ideas, that is, shapes him as a person. Of course, this allows us to talk about the formation of national self-awareness and the spiritual revival of the people. In a multinational society, this is especially important, since without knowledge of traditions and cultural values, the unity of society and the formation of patriotism are impossible,” summed up Ekaterina Lipets.
Southern Federal University, as a classical university, pays great attention to the humanities, including cultural studies, regional studies and social sciences. Thus, in 2021, the SFU Ethnocultural Code project was launched at SFU. It was created on the initiative of students in order to strengthen interethnic and interfaith friendship among the youth of the South of Russia. Since the beginning of the project, many events have been held dedicated to the culture, history and traditions of different peoples. “The SFU Ethnocultural Code” makes it possible to learn the history, culture and traditions of the peoples living on the Don, not from textbooks.