Article

Name: The interplay between Udmurt folk tradition and authorial creativity in the song autobiography of Maria Pavlovna Nikonova

Authors: Nikolai V. Anisimov, Irina V. Pchelovodova

Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia; Udmurt State University, Izhevsk, Russian Federation; Udmurt Federal Research Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Izhevsk, Russian Federation

In the section Study of folklore

Abstract: This paper examines the folklore heritage of the Udmurt songwriter Maria Pavlovna Nikonova, whose works represent a unique synthesis of traditional cultural canons and individual artistic expression. Employing biographical, contextual, philological, and ethnographic methods, the study explores the interplay between folk roots and personal voice within the performer’s “song autobiography.” The research demonstrates that the canons of Udmurt folklore are strongly reflected in songs connected with rites of passage (weddings, military inductions, funerals) or those addressing universal themes such as separation, youth, and aging. These works draw on characteristic imagery (the sun, birds, trees, rivers) and structural devices (repetition, parallelism) typical of Udmurt folk poetics. In contrast, songs composed during the most difficult periods of Nikonova’s life reveal a shift in which the personal perspective prevails over the traditional. These lyrics are marked by concrete documentary details names, geographical locations, and historical events that imbue the texts with individuality and evidentiary weight. By analyzing songs that span Nikonova’s childhood, adulthood, and old age, the study illustrates the profound connection between her personal fate and the broader socio-cultural context of the twentieth-century Udmurt village. In conclusion, the folkloric heritage of Maria Nikonova, who will celebrate her 99th birthday in 2025, serves as a significant element of commemoration. Ultimately, the creative heritage of Maria Nikonova, soon to be 99 in 2025, functions as a key aspect of memorialization. It ensures the preservation of ethnic memory and underscores the importance of the individual in maintaining ethnocultural identity within a globalized world.

Keywords: Udmurt culture, folklore, tradition, personality, autobiographical songs, Maria Pavlovna Nikonova, ethnocultural identity

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