Folklore Songs of the Amur River Region in Records of M.K. Azadovskiy

Abstract

The article is devoted to the scientific heritage of M.K. Azadovskiy, the famous Russian philologist, whose folklore materials are the key source of early 20^th century folklore culture belonging to the old residents of the Amur River region. His records made in 1913–1914 give the idea of richness and diversity of regional songs, both ritual and nonritual. In accordance with the collector’s opinion, wedding ritualism in spite of contraction of some rituals saved basic elements of the traditional complex. This fact was later confirmed by other folklore specialists. Calendarian songs had lost the close association with certain holidays and acquired the status of nonassociated lyrics. The ring dance and game repertory mentioned by M. K. Azadovskiy preserved its active role in the first half of the 20^th century. The special attention should be paid to the researcher’s observation concerning the functioning of a four–line racy folk rhyme (chastushka) that confirmed the theory of late origin of the genre. Observations and conclusions of the researcher that have not lost their relevance up to these days make it possible to consider M.K. Azadovskiy the originator of the Far–Eastern folklore studies.