What religion are the Mordovians? About the emergence of ancient Mordovian tribes

National character of the Mordovians

The most numerous people in Russia and one of the oldest aboriginal ethnic groups of Eastern Europe, which arose at the end of the 1st millennium BC. e. - beginning of the 1st millennium AD e. The history of the Mordovian people is inextricably linked with political, socio-economic and cultural life Russian state. This is supported even by the many hydronyms and toponyms with Mordovian roots in the center of Russia: Tambov in Mordovian means That Side, Penza - End of the Path, Arzamas - Erzyams, i.e. Erzyan; The names of the rivers Moscow and Yauza are of Finno-Ugric origin.

Mordva consists of two subethnic groups - Moksha and Erzi; there are ethnographic groups of Tengush and Karatai Mordovians. In the Republic of Mordovia, Moksha inhabits mainly the western and southern regions, Erzya - the eastern. There are two - Moksha and Erzya. They are part of the Volga group of Finno-Ugric languages. Mordovian languages ​​are spoken by 1/3 of the population of the Republic of Mordovia. Among the Mordovians, believers profess Orthodoxy. There are Old Believers of various persuasions, as well as adherents folk religion(traditional religion of the Mokshans is Mokshenkoy).

Mordva are a Finno-Ugric people of the Volga-Finnish subgroup. The number of which in the Russian Federation is 744.2 thousand people, in the Republic of Mordovia - 333.1. thousand people (according to the 2010 All-Russian Population Census). They are also distributed in a number of regions of the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.

The term “Mordovians” is the external name of an ethnic community (exoethnonym). Neither the Mokshans nor the Erzyans called themselves Mordovians - the word itself was absent in the dictionaries of these peoples and initially had a rude, disparaging connotation. According to N.F. Mokshin, the ethnonym “Mordva” goes back to the Iranian-Scythian languages ​​(compare Iranian mard - man, Tajik mard - man). In Mordovian languages, this word was preserved to designate a husband-spouse (mirde). In the Russian word “Mordva” the particle “va” has a collective connotation. It can be compared with the ethnonym “Lithuania”.

When the Mordovian people are mentioned in conversations, curious sayings about the Mordovians first come to mind: “stubborn as a Mordvin,” “transverse Mordovians,” “a Mordovian nail is a knot,” etc. To figure out whether these folklore characteristics correspond to the essence of the Mordovian ethnomentality, First of all, one should turn to data collected by ethnographers, psychologists, historians, writers, philosophers of the past and present.

For example, A. M. Gorky, an expert in Mordovian psychology, left for us unique images with strong characters - the forester Ivanikha, the carpenter Lenka, the maid Liza and others (stories “The Medicine Woman”, “Ice Breaker”, “Mordovka”, “Town”, the story “In people”) and, emphasizing, brought to the fore kindness and hard work, intelligence and prudence, love of freedom and strong will, courage and determination, honesty and love of truth of the Mordovians (“Your god loves faith, and Kiremet loves the truth. Truth is higher than faith.” , “It is disgusting to serve greed”).

Modern ethnopsychologist V. G. Krysko identifies the following features national character Mordovians:

“Representatives of Mordovian nationality are simple and good-natured in communicating with representatives of other ethnic groups, they have mental alertness, good memory, constancy and stability of behavior, and ambition. The Mordvins have a highly developed sense national pride, but they prefer that their individual merits and personal dignity be noted first.”

The initial period of the history of the Mordovian people is associated with tribes, whose culture archaeologists call Gorodets and date back to the 7th century. BC e. - beginning of AD e. Its monuments (mostly settlements) were discovered on the right bank of the middle reaches of the Oka and are found throughout the area between the Oka and Volga rivers. In the west of this vast territory the process of ethnogenesis of the Mordovian people took place. From here, from the Oka lands, the ancient Mordovians settled to the east and southeast. The first written mention of the Mordovian people occurs in the 6th century. from the Gothic historian Jordan.

In the 10th century The Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus reports about the Mordovians (the country of Mordia). In Russian chronicles, the Mordovian people were first mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. These written testimonies and their etymology are recognized in science and are currently rarely disputed by anyone.

The division of the ancient Mordovian tribes into Erzya and Moksha occurred in the middle of the 1st millennium. It can be assumed that a whole complex of factors acted as the reasons for the collapse of the ancient Mordovian ethnic community. Apparently, the vastness of the territory occupied by the ancient Mordovians played an important role in this.

Moksha formed in the basin of the Moksha and Tsna rivers, the Erzya - on the left bank of the Sura, and lived on the right bank, interspersed with the Chuvash, some of them in the 17th–18th centuries. I came to my senses.

Mordovian tribes were in contact with East Slavic, Iranian, Turkic tribes. The history of the Mordovians is closely connected with the Russian people. Mordovian lands already at the beginning of the 11th century. were part of some ancient Russian principalities (Matveev, 2009: 136).

The entry of the Mordovian people into the Russian state (the oath was taken in 1551) and its integration into more developed and complex economic and political structures could not but entail changes in the ideological plan, the formation of which is associated with the Christianization of the Mordovians. Innovations, both positive and negative, came into conflict with tradition. And traditions in the Middle Ages always had a religious overtones.

The pagan worldview among the Mordovian people was experiencing a crisis and the way out of it was Christianization.

Christianization is primarily associated with the spread of world culture. This also took place in the Mordovian region, because it is no coincidence that from among the Mordovians in the 17th century. one of the greatest Russian philosophers of the Middle Ages, Patriarch Nikon (born in 1605 in the family of a Mordovian peasant in the village of Veldeminovo near Nizhny Novgorod), comes forward. Christianization led to changes in worldview, but it did not eradicate paganism, which led to the formation of very unique ideological ideas. The Christian god received the name of the pre-Christian supreme god of the Mordovians, and Mordovian deities were mixed with Orthodox saints. Remnants of paganism persisted in the life of the Mordovians until the 20th century.

Capitalism, which invaded the life of the peoples of Russia in the second half of the 19th century, produced a genuine revolution in the life of the Mordovian people. Its history has never known a more dynamic development. Economic, social, ethnic, and cultural processes have accelerated. XX century revived the statehood of the Mordovian people (the emergence of the first state entities among the Mordovians dates back to the turn of the 1st–2nd millennia.

Mordovia became an autonomous region in 1930, in 1934 it was transformed from the Mordovian Autonomous Region into the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and in 1990 it was proclaimed the Mordovian Soviet Socialist Republic. Since 1994 it has been called the Republic of Mordovia.

The binary nature of the Mordovian ethnic group, the presence in its structure of ethnic communities of a secondary order (Erzi and Moksha) is an important feature of the Mordovians. Hence the two-stage nature of her ethnic self-awareness. “The interaction of trends of integration into Mordovians (macroconsolidation), on the one hand, and Moksha and Erzya microconsolidation, on the other, permeate almost the entire ethnic history of the Mordovians, from the early Middle Ages to the present.

Firstly, we see the stability of the Moksha and Erzya identity itself.

Secondly, the same Mokshans and Erzyans are energetically laying claim to the exclusive, monopoly priority of being called Mordovians, excommunicating each other from this.” Currently, both Mokshans and Erzyans are increasingly aware and recognize that they are two components of a single Mordovian people, despite the differences in their languages ​​and cultures.

Describing the physical type of the Mordovians, a prominent educator of the peoples of the Volga region, Professor N.V. Nikolsky, in his work “The most important statistical information about the foreigners of Eastern Russia and Western Siberia exposed to the influence of Islam” (Kazan, 1912) notes:

“The physical type of a Mordovian does not differ significantly from a Russian. According to the observations of I. N. Smirnov, Moksha represents a greater variety of types than Erzya; Along with the blond and gray-eyed ones that predominate among the Erzi, among the Moksha there are also brunettes with a dark skin color and more delicate facial features. The height of both divisions of the Mordovians is approximately the same, but the Mokshas, ​​apparently, are distinguished by their larger build (especially women).”

The Mordovians have less Mongoloid admixture than other Finnish-speaking peoples of the Volga region.

The traditional occupation of the Mordovians was arable farming in combination with livestock raising; hunting, fishing, beekeeping, and wood processing were developed. The main type of settlements was villages, where the dwelling was a log hut; the open-ended development of estates, the location of the hut in the middle of the yard with the door oriented to the east are similar to the Chuvash ones.

Consists of a shirt, caftan, fur coat, various women's headdresses, breast and hip decorations. A distinctive feature of wearing a women's shirt is the lush volume that is created by letting it smack in the front, and the hem does not fall below the knees. This feature, like many decorations, as well as the custom of thickly wrapping the legs with onuchas, etc., bring the Mordovian costume closer to the attire of the riding Chuvash. The Mordovians have developed artistic crafts: weaving, embroidery, beadwork, wood carving.

N.V. Nikolsky notes: “In terms of numbers, Erzya prevails over Moksha; In addition to the Nizhny Novgorod and Simbirsk provinces, it extends into the Tambov and Penza provinces, and also makes up the bulk of the Mordovian population of the Volga region. Comparatively, the Mordovians live better than other nationalities in the same areas; in Saratov province, for example, its debt is less than that of the Chuvash, Russians and Tatars.

In the external life of the Mordovians, in their dwellings, methods of farming, etc., little original has been preserved, although in the old days Mordovian villages and huts differed from Russian ones in being more scattered and placing the hut in the middle of the yard, or, if facing the street, then with windows only to the side yard

Specially Mordovian crafts include in some areas the production of potash, hemp oil, and homemade cloth (the favorite color of the Mordovians is white). The Chuvash and Cheremis are more indifferent to the art of the Mordovians, for example, many objects are decorated with carvings; only Mordovian women take no less care of decorating their costume and carefully embroider their shirts and hats.

A woman here exhibits a greater breadth of needs compared to a man. She, no less than a Chuvash and a Cheremisian, works on decorating her costume and shows a certain amount of originality in this area. A comparison of Erzya and Moksha embroideries with Cheremis and Chuvash embroideries shows that this originality is revealed to a greater extent by Erzya, and to a lesser extent by Moksha.”

"IN wedding ceremonies and the customs of the Mordovians still preserve many features of antiquity, echoes of ancient customary and tribal law. The experience of tribal life is also the cult of ancestors, the remains of which can be seen in detail funeral customs, wake. The Mordovians still have many beliefs preserved, which, however, due to their fragmentation and confusion, do not allow a more accurate restoration of the ancient Mordovian theology.

It is only known that (moksh. pavas) gods, ava - spirits, fathers, kirdi - guardians, who were presented anthropomorphically and partly merged with Russian ideas about brownies, water creatures, goblins, etc. The sun, thunder and lightning were also objects of worship , dawn, wind, etc. One can discern traces of dualism-antagonism between the shkaal (sky) and Shaitan, who, by the way, created the Amanjei (disease carriers). The Mordvins still have molyans in some places, remnants of former pagan sacrifices, partly dedicated to Christian holidays.”

Until the beginning of the 20th century. An important institution where, to one degree or another, some ethnic characteristics of the Mordovians were preserved was the rural community, which, on the basis of customary law, regulated many aspects of the economic, social and cultural life of the Mordovian peasantry, including religious cults associated with economic activities and other spheres of life of community members.

“Analysis of the role of the community as a social cell of national existence provides the key to deciphering many hidden, specifically mental qualities Mordovian people. The community is a spontaneously arisen, native social phenomenon, corresponding to the mentality of the people who are not ready for a responsible social life outside the control of the collective.

The extreme nature of the natural and climatic conditions, the excessive fiscal burden that placed a heavy burden on the peasantry, determined the search for an optimal socio-economic organization that corresponded to the mental qualities of the Mordovians. The Mordovian people responded to the challenges of nature and history by forming a community. The peasants held tightly to the communal way of life, which allowed them not to worry about the future. The entire structure and entire organization of education in the community of young generations occurs under the authority of the head of the family” (Volgaev).

Rich and wealthy householders, formally “elected”, formed the support of the authorities, dominating the “ordinary” community members.

Moreover, “Mordovians,” wrote in the 1870s. the famous ethnographer V.N. Mainov, knows the value of money, and as an enterprising people, she increased the value of money to the extreme. It is the custom here, as elsewhere, that money is loaned by those who live richer and have managed to accumulate capital; It’s not uncommon to meet such owners in Mordovian villages...”

Characterizing the Mordovians, many researchers of the 15th–16th centuries. indicate the special role of hunting in her life. Let us present evidence from a 19th-century ethnographer. V. Ragozina: “In hunting, which the Mordvins love, they show amazing patience and tirelessness: with one piece of black bread, the Mordvins walk all day through the forest or along the banks of rivers and lakes, looking for game; he will stand for several hours, hiding in the bushes, waist-deep in water, just to wait for the game and shoot successfully.”

According to I. G. Georgi, a peculiar character trait of the Mordovians is conservatism, lack of flexibility in relation to new phenomena of social, spiritual and material life, action according to given patterns. He emphasized that representatives of this people “are honest, diligent, friendly, but not agile; They will follow no less what they adopted from the Russians, as well as what they borrowed from the Tatars in various matters and customs, but not in neatness and aversion to pork, who adhere to their pagan faith.”

Y. Pototsky mentioned their timidity: “(Mordovians) are extremely wild; As soon as we got a little closer to them, they immediately ran away and hid in houses.”

O. N. Shkerdina argues that these examples speak of such a trait of the Mordovian national character as “isolation, since the appearance of new people with a different model of behavior, in unfamiliar clothes, speaking and behaving differently, caused rejection and fear among representatives of the ethnic group.” However, here we need to talk, most likely, not about the isolation of the Mordovians, but about the protective, defensive reaction of the people to constant oppression and raids on their settlements by enemies, which was fixed at the level of ethnomentality in the form of a specific feature. Caution, timidity (more precisely, escape by flight) cannot be identified with isolation.

The ethnographer and statistician of the 19th century wrote a lot and with sympathy about the characteristic national characteristics of the Mordovians. P.I. Melnikov-Pechersky, who had a good command of the Mordovian language.

In his opinion, “Mordva - good people, although at first glance they will seem strange to everyone due to their silence, lack of development and half-Russian dialect. By nature, the Mordovians are very meek, good-natured, hospitable and cordial, in economic terms they are hardworking, zealous... They are generally reputed to be good workers and efficient housekeepers, not inferior even to the Russians...

Look with what dignity and how freely a Mordovian speaks to you, how naturally he bows, how easily he extends his hand if you know him well enough, not paying attention to the difference in social status between him and you... Mordovians especially flaunt their legs, for what and wear short shirts and ponevas. The condition for the beauty of legs is their thickness and a strong gait. For this purpose, instead of onuch, muzzles wrap several arshins of thin linen, well-bleached canvas and try to keep it as smooth as possible. Mordovians are distinguished by their cheerful gait, they always hold their heads straight and high, never lower their eyes to the ground and walk with a strong, even gait.”

Considering the position of the Mordovians in the composition Russian Empire, P. I. Melnikov-Pechersky notes: “ Repeated experience has shown that as soon as internal unrest arises, foreigners immediately pester it and thereby increase the danger to the state. . In the 17th century they began to look at the Mordovians with extreme caution and take care in every way to ensure the greatest strengthening of the Russian population among foreigners.

At the same time, it was forbidden to sell them weapons and all sorts of military supplies, it was not allowed to open forges in Mordovian villages, and even agricultural tools and other metal things needed in household life were allowed to be bought only in the city and, moreover, in the most limited quantities. After Razin’s rebellion was pacified, precautions against the Mordovians were strengthened: their weapons were taken away, they were even forbidden to have bows and arrows, and animal hunting was banned.”

An ethnographer of the early twentieth century gave a flattering description of the Mordovians. M. Burdukov, who speaks of them as a people with a very lively mind, which allows almost all Mordovians, without exception, to know several languages ​​(besides their native one, also Russian and Tatar).

Modern Samara ethnographer E. A Yagafova correctly points out that the characteristics of ethnomentalities are clearly revealed through mutual psychological characteristics peoples Please note: in the village. Timyashevo, Samara region, Mordovians consider the Chuvash “petty”, but hardworking, and themselves - simple, but prone to drinking and fighting.

The Chuvash also consider themselves hardworking and simple, and also, unlike the Mordovians, proactive. Moreover, these negative stereotypes did not prevent interethnic marriages between Mordovians and Chuvashs, which were historically practiced in this village and contributed to the assimilation of the Chuvashs.

Of course, it is necessary to add here that in any village you can equally hear “yes” and “no” regarding the characteristics of someone. But according to our observations, in the Pokhvistnevsky district of the Samara region (in the homeland of prominent Mordovian storytellers and the hero Siyazhar) and in the Mordovian village of Malye Karmaly, Ibresinsky district of the Chuvash Republic (in the homeland of the outstanding Mordovian scientist and educator M.E. Evsevyev), Mordovians and Chuvashs live in great friendship, adopting from each other the best traits of character and everyday life. Unfortunately, the local features of the ethnomental wealth of the Mordovian diaspora have not been sufficiently studied by scientists of Mordovia.

In the village Naumkino (Republic of Bashkortostan), continues E. A. Yagafova, despite long-term residence in one village and religious unity, interethnic marriages were not practiced, as, indeed, in other regions of the Urals.

Relations between neighbors were sometimes determined by mutual hidden discontent, which, however, did not lead to serious conflicts (informants more often recall clashes between young people), but at the level of stereotypes, hostile attitudes still exist in some villages.

Mordovians note the “cunning” and “secrecy” of the Chuvash, and the Chuvash note the “laziness” of the Mordovians. Mordovians value their own practicality, which is manifested, for example, in the desire to leave the village for the city (“Mordovians are smarter, more civilized, so they leave for the city”). The Chuvash interpret the same plot as the reluctance of the Mordovians to work on the land (“Mordovians love the city more, it was unprofitable to work for workdays, and the Chuvash have always been hardworking and modest”).

Along with negative stereotypes There is also a positive opinion about neighbors. Chuvash village Naumkino consider the Mordovians to be more courageous, capable of standing up for themselves, and recognize their “melody.” Mordva village Kalmantai of the Saratov region highly values ​​the Chuvash for their organization and ability to manage a household; the Chuvash are impressed by the sociability of the Mordovians. But in the family and marriage sphere there is a preference for partners of their own nationality. They say about a Mordvin who married a Chuvash that “he couldn’t even find himself a Mordovian.” Despite this, Chuvash-Mordovian marriages are considered by both groups to be preferable to marriages with Tatars.

In a survey of the population of Mordovia “Ethnic autostereotypes”, it was asked to name several character traits of representatives of their nationality, which they evaluate positively or negatively (positive and negative autostereotypes).

The Mordovian people approve of such qualities in their fellow tribesmen as “hard work - 36%, kindness - 29%, hospitality - 17%, perseverance - 17%, mutual assistance (brotherhood, solidarity, caring for each other) - 9%, honesty - 8% , patriotism - 7%, etc.; they condemn stubbornness - 29%, drunkenness - 11%, laziness - 6%, etc.”

Ideas about the characteristic features of their people, attributed by an ethnic group to itself (ethnic autostereotypes), are included (along with self-determination and proficiency in their native language) in the concept of “ethnic self-awareness” and make it possible to identify the specifics of the mentality of the people.

A thorough, detailed analysis of the features of the Mordovian ethnomentality was carried out in the dissertation work of T. A. Volgaeva “The mentality of the Mordovian ethnic group: origins and essence (historical and cultural aspect)” (Volgaeva, 2007a, electronic resource). According to the researcher, the essence of the mentality of the Mordovian ethnic group is multifaceted and represents a complex combination of mental qualities formed under the influence of natural geographical factors, historical and cultural conditions, and religious and mythological views. These qualities are inextricably interconnected and constitute the mental structure of the Mordovian ethnicity (ibid.).

So, the natural-geographical environment had a significant influence on the formation of the mentality of the Mordovian people. “The rich and generous nature of the Mordovian region, contentment and the long-developed feasible ability to use the gifts of the surrounding nature, respect for the forest - without a doubt, nothing more than the direct consequences of a deep-rooted disposition towards the inhabited Mordovian country.

Based on this, the Mordovian ethnos developed such a pronounced mental trait as love for their native places (numerous proverbs called for high patriotism: “In native land, as in paradise”, “A man without a homeland is like a bird without a song”). Natural characteristics also determined hard work.

Forest-steppe zone, harsh climate, peculiar vegetation and animal world, the abundance of rivers near which the Mordovians settled contributed to the development of the habit of patiently struggling with adversity and deprivation, the formation of such mental traits as endurance, unpretentiousness, perseverance, dedication, and willingness to sacrifice personal well-being in the name of saving one’s people.

The Mordovian people subconsciously felt these natural limitations and therefore developed in their mentality the habit of self-limitation of needs, the ability to steadfastly endure severe material deprivations. These qualities, given by nature, tempered the mentality of the people through centuries of military threats, military successes and defeats, new gatherings of forces and new military tension.

The vagaries of nature, painful expectations, sometimes hopeless, of the results of their own labor plunged the Mordovian peasant into “pagan amateur activity” - into the bottomless world of superstitions, omens and rituals. Natural conditions forest expanses of the forest-steppe zone often contributed to the formation of many local spaces with the originality of general weather processes, which led to differences in field yields.

In the peasant perception, this seemed to split the universal unified power of the Supreme Deity into its individual components. It is quite possible that it was these phenomena that constantly awakened in the mentality of the Mordovian ethnic group purely pagan emotions of local worship of natural objects (such as archaic rituals of prayer near water, trees, etc.)

In the Mordovian worldview, powerful and mysterious nature was reflected with exceptional rationality from the point of view of its influence on their life and the life of their household, on the fate of their household. The diversity and reality of this influence inevitably led to the fact that the general capacious formula of the all-encompassing dominion over the world and people of the Supreme Being, God, the Almighty is combined in the peasant mentality with a craving for archaic pre-Christian interpretations of nature (Viryava (Mistress of the Forest), Mastorava (Mother Earth) , Vedava (Mistress of Water), etc.).

The formation of the Mordovian mentality was greatly influenced by historical development people and features of socio-economic life. Among the historical realities that influenced the Mordovian mentality, the most important are ethnogenesis (independent development of the Mordovian ethnic group, interaction with other ethnic groups), the Mongol-Tatar yoke, the entry and development of the people into the Russian state.

In the course of history, ideas about the state and power, and patriotism were formed. The relations that have developed between the state and the people over a long period of history dictated the peculiarities of the perception of freedom and rights, and determined the value of the individual. The socio-economic organization in the form of a community cultivated values ​​that became the property of the Mordovian mentality - the joint responsibility of people for each other, honesty, selflessness, modesty, conscientiousness, respect for elders.

Collectivism developed among the Mordvins as a cultural norm, requiring the subordination of the thoughts, will and actions of the individual to the requirements of the social environment.

This norm developed in the conditions of communal life of patriarchal life - it should be noted that self-isolation carried with it a range of negative consequences... Little by little, the predominant type of introvert was formed and genetically fixed, showing ingenuity, intelligence, and ingenuity, and feeling quite comfortable in a corporate environment, but completely loses these qualities in a foreign ethnic environment.”

But not only did the person depend on the community, but the community was also obliged to take care of the person. She provided any of her members living wage, preventing even the weakest from starving to death. Here a transition is made to an important principle of community life, which has become a valuable asset of the Mordovian mentality - to justice. Justice was understood by the people as the original social equality, rooted in economic equality in relation to the land. As a result of living together in the community, another striking mental trait of the Mordovians developed - extreme friendship among themselves. The communal way of life has not been overcome in the 20th century: it was mothballed during the Soviet period and continues to retain its importance to the present day.

Introduction to ethnic culture and the formation of an ethnic mentality occurs primarily in the family.

"Creation new family, the emergence of a new peasant household in the community was considered a public matter and required recognition of the marriage by society. The community took part in marriages in the form of material and moral support, as well as direct presence during wedding festivities.

The community jealously monitored the performance of the wedding rituals; the opinion of relatives, closest neighbors, and the village as a whole was a regulator of behavior. Proverbs also spoke about the responsibility of choosing spouses: “Yonftema rvya langs rvyams, luchi erhkti vayams” (Marrying a stupid woman is better than drowning in a swamp), “Kodama stump, istimo regrown” (Like the tree, so are the branches).”

“Marriage has traditionally been not so much the business of young people as of their parents and relatives. Mordvin took as his wife, first of all, a worker and, moreover, one who would be capable of bearing children. Before marrying a girl, they made exhaustive inquiries about her, her parents, her relatives, and found out about the family’s reputation” (ibid.: 147). “Mordovians had large families consisting of ten or more people. Large undivided families, as a rule, had many children.

Three or four generations lived under one roof. The head of such a family was the eldest man - kudazor (moksh.), pokshtya (erz.). Large families were more valuable to society from the point of view of simple reproduction of the labor force. Children from large families turned out to be better suited for socialization” (ibid.: 147). “According to the views of the Mordovians, submission to a husband comes from love and respect for him. However, the feelings must be mutual.

V. N. Mainov makes rather interesting observations: “If a wife does not obey her husband, then they blame the man for this, citing the fact that he was unable to force respect for himself and his word.” The key to prosperous family relations there were love marriages. In everyday life, relations between spouses were characterized by great restraint.”

The Mordovian languages ​​do not have the word “family” in its modern meaning. In everyday use, this concept corresponds to the word kud (moksh.), kudo (erz.) - house. Family and home are synonymous. This is reflected in the proverbs: “Like the owner, so is the house (family)” (Moksh. Kodama azors, stama and kudon family), “A house with children is a happy home” (erz. Eykaksh marto kudos - utsyaskav kudo), “With good children family (house) - happy family (house)” (moksh. Tsebyar iden markhta family (kuds) - pavazu family (kud).

The treatment of girls and boys in a Mordovian family was almost the same, but in traditional peasant families preference was given to boys: they were considered the continuers of the clan, family, heirs of the house and land.

Mordovians highly valued and showed deep respect for the woman-mother. This feeling has ancient tradition and is rooted in the religious views of Moksha and Erzi. In Mordovian mythology, the main role is given to female deities. They patronized the hearth and economy and personified the forces of nature.

In popular culture, in many cases, priestly functions were in the hands of women. Her role is clearly revealed in oral and poetic creativity.

It is expressed figuratively and meaningfully in proverbs: “Without a queen, a swarm cannot survive,” “ Mother's heart warms better than the sun”, “Like a mother, like a daughter”, “A good wife is like a queen bee”, “Where there is a bad housewife, there is an empty house”, “Whoever marries whom will change according to her.”

A significant role in the formation of the mentality of the Mordovian people was played by religious and mythological views, consisting of an ancient pagan component and a later syncretic layering, formed as a result of cultural interaction with Christianity (Orthodoxy), which ultimately led to dual faith. Mordovians began to worship some of the Christian saints who entered the Mordovian pantheon.

Gradually, the idea of ​​a demiurge took shape, ideas about the soul, death, the afterlife, etc. changed. The educator and ethnographer M. E. Evseviev wrote in detail about the Ozks holidays of the Mordovians, about weddings and in general about the spiritual life of his people. He noted that family prayers were performed by the elders in the house, usually the mistress of the house, and at public prayers, especially respected old men and women were chosen as leaders, as among the Chuvash, Mari, and Udmurts. “Usually the same people were chosen. The main point was the sacrifice to the deities.”

Many researchers have noted the respectful attitude of the Mordovians to the memory of deceased parents and relatives. Without appealing to the spirits of ancestors, virtually no business was ever undertaken, not a single issue was resolved. Every prayer traditionally began with an appeal to the ancestors.

The symbol of the clan was the ancestral candle - atian shtatol (old people's candle).

According to popular belief, as long as the shtatol burns, the race will continue. “The ancestral stadol was a unifying principle, a symbol of unity, continuation of the family, its longevity. During the prayer to the new generation, the idea of ​​the importance of following the behests of our ancestors was conveyed.”

One of the main ways of normative regulation of a person’s actions and behavior in a particular social community is the ethical and aesthetic system of values, which determines the manner of behavior, a typical way of life, national consciousness, attitude towards one’s culture and the surrounding world. The most significant values ​​of the Mordvins are the desire to live according to the customs of their ancestors, in harmony and harmony, kindness, veiled external manifestations of love and affection, respect and honor for parents, peacefulness, integrity, pragmatism, respect and honor for the older generation, hard work, hospitality, etc. d.

Hard work as an ethno-mental quality of the Mordovians needs to be discussed separately. In the literature one can find the opposite point of view of some researchers on the attitude of the Mordovians to work. “For example, according to the traveler to Seliksa M. Popov, laziness destroys the people. Because of this constant laziness, they are slow, indecisive and always work reluctantly. He also spoke about this in late XVIII V. K. Milkovich, calling the negative traits of the Mordovians slowness and indecision, since “they have the habit of talking about very little things before getting down to business, and talking for a long time...”. However, one cannot help but notice that the perception of the Mordovians as a people who love and know how to work and at the same time lazy are not logical. Therefore, the perception of individual researchers should either be considered an exception to the rule, or the laziness of the Mordovians should be regarded not as an unwillingness to work, but simply as a slowness and thoroughness of approach to work.” Mordvin “swings” for a long time until he starts working: “Can you move Mordvin?” - people say.

An important source reflecting the ethnic worldview, self-awareness and psychology, as is well known, is the oral and poetic creativity of the people. IN various genres folklore reveals attitudes and stereotypes, the obligatory adherence to which makes the life of the ethnic group normatively stable.

The folklore of the Erzya and Moksha contains important information about the Mordvins’ perception of themselves as individuals and reflects the basic values ​​cultivated by the ethnos.

This can be clearly seen in the genres of epic, epic, historical, lyric-epic and lyrical songs, social fairy tales and anecdote, characteristic feature which is the Mordovians’ perception of themselves as fighting, witty and resourceful people, while their enemies are portrayed as fools and narrow-minded people. The fighting, military prowess and at the same time the peace-loving, friendly character of the people are fully highlighted in the poetic epic “Siyazhar” (compiled by V.K. Radaev) and in the 8-volume edition of Mordovian folklore.

Traditions, legends, ballads, tales about heroes (primarily about the tribal leader - Tsar Tyushta) clearly reflected the mentality of the Mordovian people - the willingness to sacrifice personal well-being in the name of saving their people, endurance, unpretentiousness, perseverance, perseverance, dedication. The peace-loving character of the Mordovian people can be judged by the action of Tsar Tyushti, who, saving his people, takes part of the Mordovian population overseas.

The characteristics of people and nations are presented even more boldly in fairy tales.

In Mordovian fairy tales, the enemy is presented sharply negatively - as a wild beast, the master is portrayed as stupid, funny, lazy, evil. Mordovian songs and proverbs contain abundant manifestations of a sense of self-respect, awareness of the ethnic self, love and exaltation of one’s surroundings and the working person, love for one’s native places (“Our land is the best of the best”) (ibid.).

The proverb has always served in Mordovian folklore as an expression of the positive ideals of the people, including courage, generosity, frugality, patriotism, respect for elders, etc. For the Mordovians themselves, hard work is one of the priority qualities. “The Mordovian people are a hardworking people”, “A day without labor is a lost day” say Mordovian proverbs. In folk aphorisms, sayings and proverbs, the originality of the poetics of an ethnos, its national mentality, and worldview are manifested (“ Strong man and the mountain is afraid”, “If you live by the truth, you will get everything”, “Whoever fights for the truth is an invincible hero”, “Shame is heavier than death”, “You can’t satiate your womb with theft”, “What is acquired is what is gained”). Ineptitude and laziness were ridiculed by the people in satirical songs. “Marya cannot spin threads, She cannot weave canvas, She will spin threads as thick as the staff of rural old men,” is sung in one of the Mordovian songs.

One of the mental traits characteristic of the Mordovian people is the belief in the existence of supernatural forces, reflected in superstitious signs. Ritual beliefs and magic are contained in ritual poetry.

Genre love lyrics contains information about intimate relationships and the expression of this feeling in the Mordovian environment. The peculiarity is that the word “love” can rarely be found in song lyrics. It's about rather, about bright, shy feelings, about experiences of separation, tolerance, etc. The people rightly believed that feelings are joyful when they are hidden from prying eyes and chaste.

Lovers often go away from prying eyes, into the field (as if to reap bread), into the meadow to graze geese, into the forest to pick mushrooms, etc. However, in some studies there are facts of the negative influence of Russian customs on Mordovians in the sphere gender relations.

In her study, T. A. Volgaeva concludes that the ethnic self-awareness of the Mordovian people in many ways still remains a living part of the ethnocultural context, less connected with the system of normative attitudes of the Russian state. However, modern Mordovians are most characterized by a balance of republican and all-Russian identities, which indicates a readiness for interethnic cooperation.

In the article by I. V. Zagorodnova “The mentality of the Mordovian ethnic group in the socio-philosophical and historical-cultural dimension (late 20th – beginning of XXI centuries)” also emphasizes that the basis of the axiological and activity aspects of the phenomenon of Mordovian mentality is the folklore of the Mordovian people and their history. Folklore depicts customs and forms of everyday behavior that are closely related to the culture of the ethnic group, the sphere folk poetry. Embodied in folklore current ideas and mentalities of different times associated with the history of the Mordovians.

Folklore, in addition to the everyday line, attracts attention with a special desire to turn to natural forces, to use their power, and therefore requires special emotional comprehension and reproduction. Mordovian folklore (as well as its mentality) was formed under the influence of the historical path of Russia, under the influence of its religious, economic and economic ideas, ideas about good and evil, beautiful and ugly.

Development of the culture of Mordovia during the period of transformations of the 20th century. is inextricably linked with the changes that took place in the socio-economic and cultural life of Russia at that time.

Socio-economic reforms have led to a complete confusion of ideas about the goals of the social system. The orientation towards success, actively instilled by supporters of pro-Western modernization, collided with the opposite value trend - the desire to consolidate the traditional values ​​of Orthodox sacrifice and spirituality (immateriality).

The process of familiarization and copying of an alien way of thinking and lifestyle was accompanied by insufficient attention to one’s own historical tradition. These trends did not lead to the solidarity of social groups; on the contrary, at the individual level, many people lived in a state of simultaneous orientation towards one and the other value orientation. Similar to economic and social reasons, cultural values ​​and, in particular, moral ideals, after the destruction of a single field of reference points, were for some time in a state of deepening crisis, in which the forces aimed at creation clearly ceded their leading position to destabilizing movements and groups.

“The study of basic values ​​showed that the leading norms of young people were: individualism, personal success, well-being. Categories such as patriotism, duty, service to the Fatherland and traditional concepts for the Mordovian ethnic group - “conscience”, “compassion”, “guilt”, “sin”, etc., have gone out of use. All this posed a strong threat to the future of the republic and country. The changes that took place did not affect (did not have time!) the deep inner essence; on the contrary, they reproduced the substantial features inherent in the mental make-up of the people.

Historically, qualities were associated with the national mentality - valor, tolerance, respect, etc. The special mental makeup of the Mordovian people was influenced by national archetypes: the Mother archetype and the archetype of the value perception of space. The qualities of the Mordovian mentality are associated with such specific properties as the reflection of reality in the form of a figurative narrative.”

In the spirituality of the Mordovian people, paganism was in the foreground, adherence to the principles of which became part of the worldview and customs of the Mordovians. The same trait manifested itself in art, where many subjects and images are inspired by the special worldview of Mordovian writers and artists. Hence the priority of ritual in Mordovian spiritual culture. But along with the restoration of values national culture The logic of the development of the Mordovian ethnic group is also based on primordially Russian values.

Mordovian region by the beginning of the 20th century. was no longer perceived as a purely national region.

The factors that significantly accelerated the process of Russification were the disunity of the Mordovians and their living in mixed villages. This was also facilitated by marriages between representatives different nationalities, common religion, incomplete consolidation process and weak economic and cultural ties between separate groups Mordovians

The question of the degree of Russification of the Mordovians is ambiguous, but in the process of living together for a long time on the same territory, groups of people form a common worldview, a common style and way of life. To talk about the influence of Russian culture on Mordovian culture, one should consider such systemic factors as family, education, economic, political and religious systems, socialization, health and recreation systems.

There is practically no difference in how Mordovians and Russians realize themselves in them (ibid.). The only difference here may be the mastery of the Mordovian language or its use in the socialization system by some citizens. The authors believe that in the process of sharing a common historical destiny, territory, traditions and characteristics of life, representatives of these ethnic groups developed a similarity in the perception of events, a picture of the world and a system of meanings of external culture.

The essential qualities of the Mordovian people are valor (honesty, love of truth), tolerance (goodwill, peacefulness), reverence, value attitude to symbols and perception of nature, anthropoethicocentric orientation and syncretism. These basic qualities in their entirety represent a unique “internal picture of the world” of the mentality of the Mordovian ethnic group and are in a deep dialectical relationship. The ethnic self-awareness of the Mordovian people concentrates the ideas of a common historical destiny with the Russian people; intergenerational connections and the stability of the ethnic component are clearly manifested in it (ibid.).

To restore their former numbers and glory, modern Mordovians need to completely get rid of national nihilism, stop the decline of the Mokshaerzyan languages, and level out the isolation of young people from ethnic traditions and increase interest in effective use national resources of ancient and rich Mordovian culture.

Ethnomentality of the Mordovians

E. V. Nikitina

Published in abbreviation

The indigenous Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia include the Erzya and Moksha, which Russians traditionally unite with the concept of “Mordva”, despite the fact that Erzya and Moksha are independent languages. Initially, only the Erzyans were called Mordovians, who at the end of the 14th century came under the rule of the Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal Grand Duchy and began to accept Orthodoxy (which is now the main religion of the Erzyans and Mokshans).
During the 2010 Russian population census, more than 744 thousand people called themselves Mordovians (9th place among), of which 57 thousand classified themselves as Erzyans (Mordovian-Erzya), and 4 thousand 767 people classified themselves as Mokshans (Mordovian-Moksha). At the same time, about 20 million people have Mordovian roots (information from the official website of the Republic of Mordovia - e-mordovia.ru), for example, the famous model Natalya Vodianova had a paternal grandmother from Erzya.
A woman/girl from Mordovians is called a Mordovian or Mordvinka in Russian. The names “Erzyanka” and “Mokshanka” are also used.
The following are the most beautiful, in my opinion, Erzyan and Moksha women. The list included only well-known girls and women at the regional and all-Russian level: athletes, finalists of beauty contests, radio presenter, poetess and singer.

8th place. Daria Uchvatova- representative of Mordovia at international competition beauty among girls of Finno-Ugric peoples "Star of the North 2011". Daria, who is Moksha, won in the “Voice of the North” nomination. Daria Uchvatova’s page on the VKontakte social network - https://vk.com/id65524177

7th place. Nadezhda Kadysheva(born June 1, 1959, Gorki, Leninogorsk district, Tatarstan) - singer, soloist of the ensemble " Golden ring", People's Artist of Russia, People's Artist of Mordovia. Nadezhda Kadysheva is an Erzyan, her last name is spelled "Kadyshen" in Erzyan.

6th place. Lyudmila Batyaykina- winner of the Miss Mordovia 2010 contest. Erzyanka.

5th place. Tatyana Dudnikova- winner of the competitions “Miss Student of Finno-Ugria 2012” and “Tatyana Volga Region 2013” ​​(student competition among girls named Tatiana). Works as a ballet dancer at the State musical theater Opera and Ballet named after. THEM. Yausheva, danced in the ballets: “Giselle”, “Swan Lake”, “Ship of Fools”, “The Nutcracker”, “The Magic Tree or the Tale of the Enchanted Prince”. Soloist of the dance ensemble “Mordovochka” at the Institute of National Culture. Erzyanka. Tatyana's VKontakte page - https://vk.com/dtp.aferistka

4th place. Alina Podgornova- Erzya poetess. Born on October 19, 1991 in the village of Kabaevo, Dubyonsky district, Republic of Mordovia. Page on the website "Erzyan Weigel" (Voice of Erzi) - http://www.goloserzi.ru/ru/tvorchestvo/literatura/alina-podgornova.html VK page - https://vk.com/id70074719

3rd place. Svetlana Khorkina(born January 19, 1979, Belgorod) - Russian gymnast, two-time Olympic champion in parallel bars (1996, 2000), three-time absolute world champion and three-time absolute European champion. Mokshanka, but in an interview he calls himself a Mordovian: “My parents are Mordovians, and since their blood flows in me, I consider myself a purebred Mordovian.”

2nd place. Natalya Erzyaykina- presenter of programs in the Erzya language on the national radio "Weigel". Natalia's VKontakte page - https://vk.com/id10604257

1 place. Olga Kaniskina(born January 19, 1985, Saransk) - track and field athlete, Olympic champion in 2008, the first three-time world champion in the history of race walking (2007, 2009 and 2011), European champion in 2010, two-time Russian champion. Erzyanka.

Mordovians are a Finno-Ugric people living in the Republic of Mordovia and its adjacent regions. The republic, formed in 1930, is part of the Volga Federal District. The capital of Mordovia is the city of Saransk.

The Mordovian people are divided into two subcultural ethnic groups - Erzya and Moksha. Erzyans and Mokshans differ in their literary languages, traditional life and culture. The Mokshas live in the southern and western parts of Mordovia, the Erzis live in the eastern and northeastern parts. Russian is considered the generally accepted language in the republic.

Most of the Mordovian people adhere to Orthodoxy; Lutherans, Molokans, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and representatives of pagan religions also live in the republic.

Culture and life of the Mordovian people

Mordovian culture is closely intertwined with Russian culture, but is distinguished by its originality. Spiritual culture is based on folk rituals, consisting of oral poetry, dances and arts and crafts. Most rituals are associated with the seasons, family traditions and religious holidays.

In Mordovia, Christmas, Easter, Maslenitsa and Trinity are celebrated. Since ancient times, Erzi and Moksha have played the bagpipes, flute, clarinet, rattle and xylophone. Modern musical culture Presents several popular musicians, as well as ensembles performing works in national languages.

On the territory of Mordovia there are many ancient monasteries, where pilgrims come from all over Russia. Acting: Republican local history museum, Museum fine arts, Temnikovsky Museum of History and Local Lore, Museum of Military and Labor Feats, as well as about a hundred small museums. The pride of the republic is the Pushkin National Library and the Puppet Theater.

In 2006, the Volga region center of cultures of Finno-Ugric peoples opened in Mordovia. Saransk hosts major international fairs, festivals and congresses of Finno-Ugric peoples. In 2012, the republic widely celebrated the millennium of the unity of the Mordovian and Russian peoples.

In the old days, the Mordovian people lived as one family in small settlements on the banks of rivers and along the edges of forests. The houses were located in the middle of large courtyards, surrounded by a high fence. The house consisted of a hut and a vestibule and separate outbuildings. Families consisted of 30-40 people.

Since ancient times, the Mordovian people have been successfully engaged in farming, beekeeping, fishing, hunting, and collecting wild berries and herbs. Folk art is developed everywhere - embroidery, patterned weaving, beadwork, wood carving, jewelry making, weaving and spinning.

Traditions and customs of the Mordovian people

The modern traditions of the Mordovian people come from ancient times. They were formed on the unity of man and nature. Many Erzyan and Moksha traditions are associated with the creation of a family and the birth of a child. Since the times of paganism, beliefs and customs regarding funerals and veneration of deceased ancestors have been preserved.

The Mordovian people are distinguished by their cordiality and hospitality. For big ones church holidays Russians came to Mordovian settlements from nearby villages to taste delicious dishes and take part in folk festivities.

The traditional cuisine of the Mordovian people is similar to Russian. Popular dishes are various porridges, cabbage soup, boiled meat, fried liver, sauerkraut, kvass, yogurt, drinks made from honey, barley, hops and malt.

Since ancient times, Mordovian girls have been engaged in fortune telling. Folk games are popular fresh air. Much attention is devoted to instilling in children hard work, respect for elders, teaching them to work and instilling ancient family traditions.

Mordovians are the indigenous inhabitants of central Russia. Under this name, 2 Finno-Ugric peoples are united: Erzya and Moksha. Most Erzyans and Mokshans live on the territory of the Republic of Mordovia. A significant part is settled in the Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Penza, Moscow, Ulyanovsk and Orenburg regions, as well as the republics of Tatarstan, Chuvashia, and Bashkortostan. Despite their large numbers (about 800,000 people live in the Russian Federation) and rich cultural past, questions of origin and self-determination still cause controversy.

Story

Finno-Ugric tribes occupied the territory of the Russian plain from the middle of the 1st millennium BC. The first written mention of the people Mordens (from the ancient Iranian - man) is found in the records of Jordan, dating back to the 6th century AD. By the 10th century Several written sources mention the Arisu people and the Arsa country living on the continent. The ethnonym Moksha appears in the 13th century. in the records of Flemish travelers as Moxel, while another people Merdas (Merdunis) and the country of Mordia are also mentioned along with him. Further references in documents indicate that already in the 1st millennium AD. there was a division of peoples into Moksha and Erzya, and the name Mordovians was most often applied to the more northern tribes of the Erzya.

After the 10th century, mentions of the Mordovian peoples appear in ancient Russian chronicles. In the 11th century Vast Mordovian lands paid tribute to the Russian princes with honey. The spread of the Slavs into the territories occupied by the Mordovians caused many conflicts and by the 12th century. their relationship reached the peak of tension. Disagreements ceased only during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Mordovians were forcibly included in the horde. Heavy oppression forced the Finno-Ugric tribes to unite with the Russians and the further struggle against the invaders was joint.

The final entry of the Mordovians into Rus' occurred as a result of the Kazan campaign of Ivan the Terrible. The rapprochement of peoples influenced the mixing of cultures and caused the assimilation of that part of the Mordovian population that had most contact with the Russians and Tatars. Began in the 17th – 18th centuries. The movement to Christianize the Moksha and Erzyans, as well as the settlement of the territory that previously belonged to them, forced many representatives of this nationality to leave their native lands and move to the northeast.

During the territorial division at the beginning of the 20th century. part of the Mordovian lands began to be called the district of the same name, then a region, and only in 1934 a republic. At the same time, a significant part of the territory that originally belonged to the ethnic group, as well as the Mokshans and Erzyans themselves, remained outside the new territorial unit. According to ethnographers, only 1/3 of the total Mordovian population lives in the republic.

Religion and customs

Before the adoption of Christianity, the Mordovians professed paganism and worshiped the forces of nature. There was no material image of the idols. There was a main god, a number of minor deities and spirits. The dead were especially revered. In the pantheon of gods and magical creatures, the feminine principle was important. Thus, the patrons of the earth (Mastor-ava), forest (Vir-ava), water (Ved-ava), wind (Varm-ava), home (Kud-ava), fire (Tolm-ava) were respectfully called mother. Despite much evidence of the existence of polygyny in the early stages, women had equal rights with men.

Due to the late baptism, many pagan customs were preserved and mixed with the rituals of the new faith. This can be seen in the celebration of Christmas, Easter and the welcoming of spring. Some elements of tradition are highlighted during the celebration of weddings and the ritual of funerals and wakes.

Ancient religion assumed the close existence of the world of the living and the dead. When choosing a new cemetery, the first deceased was buried vertically, often with a staff in his hand. From the moment of the funeral he was considered the elder of the cemetery. According to custom, unfinished work was placed into the hands of the deceased - unfinished wool, unfinished bast shoes, etc.

National clothing and appearance

Despite some similarities, the national clothes of Moksha and Erzi have significant differences. Thus, the Erzyan woman wore a headdress with a horn-like protrusion and an elongated strip of embroidered fabric. The clothing consisted of a white shirt and an embroidered caftan; adult women wore a special belt (pulai), decorated with woolen fringe, embroidery and beads. A round chest clasp (sulgamo) was mandatory. Moksha clothing had some similarities with Turkic costume. Along with the two-horned headdress, a scarf in the form of a turban was often tied to the head. Pulai was absent. Instead of a caftan there was a colored dress. Sulgamo had a different shape. The outfit also included wool knee pads. Shoes were boots and bast shoes.

External differences are also significant. Erzya has a narrower face. With wavy light brown hair and gray-blue eyes. Among Moksha, dark-eyed brunettes with wider faces are more common.

Language and writing

Each nationality has its own language, among which there are dialects. It is believed that the Moksha language has large quantity Turkic, and Erzya - Slavic roots.

There is no information about its own written language. The modern Mordovian alphabet follows the Cyrillic alphabet. Folk art was mainly oral in nature and consisted of songs and fairy tales.

Notes

1. In religion, the Mordvins had no intermediaries between the world of people and the gods. Since there were no priests or temples, communication took place directly. Prayers were of a mass nature and took place in special clearings.
2. Previously, in addition to Moksha and Erzi, there were other Finno-Ugric peoples who assimilated with the Russian population: Murom, Meshchera and Merya. According to one theory epic hero Ilya Muromets was a Murom nationality.
3. Some ethnographers and linguists are inclined to believe that the words Moscow and Muscovites originated from the Moksha language, since before the spread of the Slavs to the east, the Mokshans living in this area were called “Moksals”.
4. Until the 20th century Erzya and Moksha did not marry each other.

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