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About the Stages of a Person's Life in the Tradition of Age Counting Among the Altaians // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2023. Issue 3 (41). P. 154-164

The most important principle of the communication culture of the Altaians is respect for a person’s age, which is determined based on the 12-year "animal" calendar. Ages located in time function as successive stages of a person's life and are the subject of this article. In introducing the source base (field and published ethnographic and folklore material) into the scientific cycle, methodological research tools based on a combination of a comparative historical analysis method and methods of describing and systematizing the collected material were used. The study's relevance lies in the fact that against the devaluation of traditional family values in the context of globalization, the experience of intergenerational relations among Altaians is of interest. It was found that Altaians use two or three age-counting systems in parallel – the 12-decimal system, the 10-decimal system, and the 20-decimal system. It is noticeable that in the Altaic language, the word “jash” is used to refer to the concept of “year” as a unit of age counting, as opposed to the year “jyl” as an astronomical phenomenon (a series of seasons). The views of the Altaians about the return of "their" year after 11 lived years are determined, as well as the reasons for the passing century, including six calendar cycles (72 years). Ritual behaviors observed in the year one was born under a particular animal are described, revering the animal under whose mark one was born. Age definitions and idioms are given so that the number of years lived is not mentioned, while number symbolism (an even number in relation to the world of the living), a stereotype of thinking in traditional Altaic culture, is observed. A comparison of the age characteristics of old people with inanimate and insignificant objects of everyday life (a crutch, a block of wood, a stirring rod, a mortar), but not with characteristics of animals (a dog, a squirrel, a wolf, a camel), which are peculiar to young animals, is emphasized. It is concluded that the age calendar periods in the life of a person represent the polar halves: at the age of 12, 24, 36, and 48 years, characterized by an increasing and progressive tendency, at the age of 60 and 72 years, associated with aging and declining line. In connection with the three festivals of life – birth, marriage, and death – a person's physical entry and social descent are manifested.

Keywords: Altaians, traditional communicating culture, age, calendar, life stages, age counting, field material, direct observation method

On the Problem of Preserving the Traditional Wedding of the Southern Altai People as a Cultural Heritage of the Altai Republic in the City of Gorno-Altaisk // Tomsk Journal of Linguistics and Anthropology. 2025. Issue 3 (49). P. 120-130

The article aims to shed light on the problem of preserving the Altai wedding in the town of Gorno-Altaisk. The study’s material is field data collected by the author over three decades in the Altai Republic. The methods of description and systematization of the collected material were used in the analysis of the source base. It was found that in the urban Altai population, a traditional wedding is considered prestigious, which is why the ritual wedding ‘Altai toi’ is celebrated in the first half of the day, and a youth wedding is celebrated in the second half of the day. It is emphasized that the modern wedding ceremony is less extensive compared to the traditional one, which is important in urban conditions. The characteristics of the town’s wedding ceremony are described, essentially performed as a sign of respect for the bride’s relatives. Attention is drawn to the problems that arise when Altaians perform a wedding in a comfortable apartment when an open fire is required for the rituals in honor of the family hearth. The problem of ritual chanting, which accompanies the bride through the streets of the town to the house of the groom’s parents and is performed early in the morning, is described, and it is pointed out that the town of Gorno-Altaisk acts as a ‘hub’ of the ritual life of the ethno-territorial groups of the Altai people, whose representatives live in the capital of the republic. This can be illustrated by the example of the Southern Altai people, whose ethnic self-identification consists of ethnoconsolidating characteristics – traditions, customs, and language. Controversial wedding situations arise when the groom or bride are Telengits because the ritual meanings of the Altai Kizhi and Telengits do not match. Contradictions can be observed when the wedding is performed in the “Telengit way” with the combination of post-wedding offerings (‘belkenchek’), while the Altai Kizhi prohibition that the bride’s parents be present at the wedding in the groom’s home is observed. The described tradition of observing the main rituals and ceremonies allows us to attribute the preserved Altai wedding rites to the ethnocultural heritage of the Altai Republic. Over the last ten years, the Council of Zaisans, as the head of the clans-seoks, has proposed establishing a “yurt-ayil” as a center of traditional culture, where the most important rituals can be held in honor of the groom’s ancestral fire. Special efforts are needed to develop ethnic culture in modern conditions and make the town a spiritual center.

Keywords: Altai people, urban conditions, wedding rituals, ethnocultural heritage, republic, field material, direct observation method, analysis