Superstitions, customs, and everyday life of the Karelians in the early 20th century (based on archival sources)

The article is devoted to the study of the issues of superstitions, rituals, and witchcraft among the Karelians. The aim of the research is to describe and evaluate the practices of superstitions among the Karelians. It considers certain life cycle rituals (pregnancy, childbirth, folk medicine), calendar rituals (driving animals out, blessing livestock), as well as festive and ritual culture. Special attention is given to the specifics of conducting particular rituals. The study proposes a comprehensive analysis of archival materials from the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KSC RAS). The object of the research is the beliefs and traditions of the Karelians. The subject of the study is life cycle rituals, calendar rituals, and festive and ritual culture. The material for this research consists of superstitions and customs that were widespread among the Karelians in the early 20th century. The methodological basis of the study encompasses the principles of historicism, scientific rigor, analysis, and objectivity, allowing for an examination of the phenomenon of superstitions and prejudices among the Karelians in the early 20th century within the Karelian context. The results of the research reveal the areas of intersection of ritualistic, healing, and witchcraft practices in the daily life of Karelian peasantry in the first decades of the 20th century, as well as demonstrate the intensified targeted efforts of Soviet state bodies, official medicine, and the education system against remnants of folk superstitions and prejudices, represented in the form of comments in archival materials. This study arises from the necessity to introduce archival materials into scholarly circulation and to thoroughly investigate certain life cycle rituals, calendar, and festive cultural practices. The relevance of the research is seen in the preservation of both material and immaterial forms of the Karelian people's heritage. The author's contribution lies in the introduction of new archival data into scholarly circulation, collected in the scientific archive of the Karelian Scientific Center.