On the History of the Migration of Mordvins to the Crimean Peninsula: the Results of an Ethnographic Expedition

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2022-1/161-173

Abstract

The research aims to study the culture and daily life of the Mordvins living on the Crimean peninsula. The article reveals the main stages of the settlement of the Mordvins in Crimea, based on the population censuses conducted by the Russian state (in 1897, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2014) and by Ukraine when Crimea was subject to its jurisdiction (in 2001). The authors describe socio-historical, political, economic, and other factors that influenced resettlement in specific historical periods. The article also provides data obtained during an ethnographic expedition to Crimea, held in 2018 under the leadership of Dr. of History Prof. L.I. Nikonova. The field material accompanies the description of the last stages of the Mordvins’ settlement on the peninsula and supplements the information obtained from official sources and scientific literature. An analysis of the statistical data and field material allows us to conclude that the Mordovian ethnic group partially lost its traditional cultural identity due to the influence of socio-economic realities and the unifying environment of the multiethnic region. Mordvins are scattered widely across the region, and the state language has been chosen as the main unit of communication.

For Citation: Nikonova, L.I., Tribushinina, S.D. 2022. On the History of the Migration of Mordvins to the Crimean Peninsula: the Results of an Ethnographic Expedition. Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik Antropologii) 1: 161–173.