Mentoring as a Practice of Reproducing Ethnocultural Traditions (the Case of the Itelmen holiday “Alhalalalai”)

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2024-3/270-287

Abstract

The author examines the modern methods of transmitting ethnocultural traditions associated with the rituals of the annual economic cycle. She discusses this issue by analyzing the case of the Itelmen autumn holiday “Alkhalalalai” celebrated in Kamchatka in recent decades. The main emphasis is placed at the contemporary transformation of the holiday. The main ritual events of “Alkhalalalai” are considered as a process and result of interaction between communities in public space, leading to a specific cultural shift. The author defines this shift as the staging of culture, since it is focused on the spectator and the demonstration of the restored tradition to the audience. The author also analyzes the mechanism of the modern reconstruction of “Alkhalalalai” and shows that the main channel of continuity in the festive ethnic sphere was the institution of mentoring, which developed in our country during the Soviet period. Ethnic mentoring was established as one of results of the formation of the ensemble structures for reproducing the components of folk culture. In folklore ensembles, the artists mastered the basics of ballet choreography; they constantly trained and rehearsed under the guidance of an experienced choreographer, who acted as a mentor. This provided the maximum effect on the audience, and this provoked the process of staging of the ethnic culture. This Soviet folkloric and choreographic heritage is at the root of many contemporary transformations of the ethnic culture, including the reconstructed Kamchatka “Alkhalalalai”.