Zurab D. Dzhapua

Doctor of Philology, Abkhaz State University, Center for Nart Studies and Field Folklore Abkhaz Institute for Humanitarian Research named after DI. Gulia Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia Professor, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia.

Research Interests

Abkhazian folklore, Abkhazian epos, epic storytelling, folklore textology, publication of folklore texts, literary criticism.

ORCID: 0000-0001-5944-8262

Brief scientific biography

Born April 16, 1960. Studied at the philological faculty of the Abkhaz State University (1979–1984). In 1989, he completed his postgraduate studies at the A. M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

Candidate's dissertation: "Nart epos of the Abkhazians: The system of plots. Poetics. Style" (1989, advisor V. M. Gatsak).

Doctoral dissertation: “Abkhazian archaic epics about Sasrykua and Abryskil (Systematics and interpretation of texts in comparison with Caucasian epic works)” (2004, advisor V. M. Gatsak).

In 1989, he started working at the Abkhaz Institute for Humanitarian Research of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia (AbIGI ANA). In 1991, on the initiative and under the scientific guidance of Z. Dzhapua, the Abkhaz Folklore Laboratory was established at the institute. In 2005 he was elected a corresponding member, in 2008 - an academician, in 2013 - the president of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia.

Scientific and organizational activity

Since 1987, Z. Dzhapua has been conducting field research almost annually to different regions of Abkhazia in order to collect folklore, ethnographic and linguistic materials. He conducted field research among the Abkhaz diaspora in the Republic of Turkey (2004, 2007, 2009, etc.). Since 2015, under the scientific guidance of Z. Dzhapua, the program “Abazins and Abkhazians: Preservation and Development of Languages, Historical and Cultural Heritage” has been created, within the frame of which extremely relevant scientific projects are being carried out. He is a member of the editorial boards of a number of periodicals. He is a member of the Commission for the D. I. Gulia State Prize of the Republic of Abkhazia in the field of literature, art and architecture, and of the Commission for the G. A. Dzidzaria State Prize of the Republic of Abkhazia in the field of science. He is a member of the Union of Writers of Abkhazia. Z. Dzhapua is a participant in about 200 conferences, forums and other scientific events held both in Abkhazia and in the countries of near and far abroad.

Teaching profession

Since 1990 Z. Dzhapua has been conducting scientific and teaching activities at the Abkhaz State University (since 2005 - professor). He gives lectures, special courses on various problems of folklore (theory, poetics, textology of folklore, heroic epic, modern folklore). He’s become the initiator of the creation of the Center for Nart Studies and Field Folklore Studies at the Abkhaz State University, since 2011 he is the head of the Center. He is scientific advisor of students and graduates.

Academic publications: about 280 works, including 16 books - monographs, collections of articles and materials.

Selected publications

Monographs

Dzhapua Z. Abhazskij nartskij epos: Tekstologiya. Semantika. Poetika [Abkhazian Nart Epos: Textology. Semantics. Poetics]. A. I. Alieva, V. V. Napolskih (Publ. eds.). Moscow, Nauka, Vostochnaya Literatura, 2016. 381 p. (Issledovaniya po folkloru i mifologii Vostoka). (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Nekotorye zametki o folklore i literature [Some notes on folklore and literature]. Sh. H. Salakaya (Ed.). Sukhum, Abgosizdat, 2012. 315 p. (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Abhazskie arhaicheskie skazaniya o Sasrykua i Abryskile: Sistematika i interpretaciya tekstov v sopostavlenii s kavkazskim epicheskim tvorchestvo. Teksty, perevody, kommentarii [Abkhazian archaic legends about Sasrykua and Abryskil: Systematics and interpretation of texts in comparison with Caucasian epic creativity. Texts, translations, comments]. V. M. Gatsak, Sh. H. Salakaya (Publ. eds.). Sukhum, Alashara, 2003. 375 p. (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Nartskij epos abhazov: Syuzhetno-tematicheskaya i poetiko-stilevaya Sistema [The Nart Epos of the Abkhazians: Subject-thematic and poetical-style system]. V. M. Gatsak (Publ. ed.). Sukhum, Alashara, 1995. 184 p. (In Russ.).

Collections of folklore materials

Abazinskie materialy A. N. Genko [Abaza materials by A. N. Genko]. Prepubl. by Z. D. Dzhapua, P. K. Chekalov. Sukhum, Academia, 2019. 464 p. (In Russ.).

Pages of Abkhazian Folklore (Texts in Abkhaz and English). Comp. by Z. Dzhapua, G. Hewitt; translation into English by G. Hewitt, Z. Khiba; foreword by Z. Dzhapua; Scientific editor V. Chirikba. SukhuMoscow. 2008. 321 p. (In Abkhaz and Engl.).

Articles in scientific journals

2021

Dzhapua Z. Voprosy zhanrovoj klassifikacii folklora v rabotah B. N. Putilova i K. V. Chistova v svete novogo osmysleniya predmetnogo polya folkloristiki [Issues of genre classification of folklore in the works by B. N. Putilov and K.V. Chistov in the light of a new understanding of the subject field of folklore]. Kunstkamera. 2021. No. 1. Pp. 7–14.

Dzhapua Z. Epitety v abhazskom nartskom epose [Epithets in the Abkhazian Nart Epos]. Izvestiya SOIGSI [SOIGSI Bulletin]. 2020. No. 38 (77). Pp. 117–138. (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Ob audiovizualnoj fiksacii abhazskogo nartskogo eposa [On the audiovisual fixation of the Abkhazian Nart Epos]. Novye rossijskie gumanitarnye issledovaniya [New Russian Humenities Researches]. 2019. Vol. 14. (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Grigorij Filippovich Chursin (1874–1930) [Grigory Filippovich Chursin (1874–1930)]. Kunstkamera. 2019. No. 2 (4). Pp. 204–215. (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Bestiarij abhazskogo nartskogo eposa: primety demonicheskih sushchestv [Bestiary of the Abkhazian Nart Epos: signs of demonic creatures]. Vestnik Severo-Vostochnogo Federalnogo Universiteta im. M. K. Ammosova. Seriya «Eposovedenie» [M. K. Ammosov North-Eastern federal university bulletin. Series: Epos Studies]. 2018. No. 1 (09). Pp. 21–30. (In Russ.).

Dzhapua Z. Vklad E. M. Meletinskogo v kavkazskoe eposovedenie (k 100-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya uchenogo) [Contribution of E. M. Meletinsky to Caucasian eposology (to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the scholar)]. Vestnik Akademii nauk Abhazii. Seriya «Gumanitarnye nauki» [Bullenit of the Abkhaz Academy of Sciences. Series: Humanities]. 2018. No. 8. Pp 128–136. (In Russ.).