KHANTY AND MANSI CULTURAL HERITAGE: A CONTEMPORARY HISTORIOGRAPHY; [ИСТОРИКО-КУЛЬТУРНОЕ НАСЛЕДИЕ ХАНТОВ И МАНСИ В ОБЪЕКТИВЕ СОВРЕМЕННЫХ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЕЙ]

Abstract

This article analyzes the contemporary historiography of the Ob Ugrian cultural heritage, especially its religious component. The ethno-religious revival among the Mansi and Khanty, which began at the end of the 20th century, initiated rapid development of field research in their territories. The research questions and methods were determined by the favorable political situation, freedom to choose research topics and the general course of indigenous studies in Russia. An important achievement was the creation of a cross-curricular academic field that united the efforts of specialists from various scientific disciplines, with representatives from foreign and Russian academia. These efforts were actively supported and funded by both the authorities and private business. The inclusion of representatives of the Khanty and Mansi peoples in the academic discourse contributed not only to a deeper study of their ethnic history and unique culture, but also added nuances to the interpretation of Russian history key topics, especially related to the development of the northern territories. The author analyzes the current state of the Ob Ugrians’ cultural heritage studies and identifies the factors that influenced the increasing importance of its religious component. Breakthrough turning points have been identified and possible options for overcoming problems in domestic Ugric studies have been proposed. © 2024 Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of RAS. All rights reserved.