Representations of the religious leader “Burs’ylys’yas”
English
journal number:
Journal’s Subject Headings:
History, ethnography, archeology
About author:
Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russian Federation, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the significance of the role of a leader in various social groups and processes has determined the interest of humanities in the phenomenon of leadership. In folklore and ethnographic studies of recent decades, special attention is paid to the role and significance of the personality of leaders of religious groups and the mechanisms of formation of religious authority. In the article, the issue of representation of a religious leader is considered by the example of Stefan Artemyevich Ermolin, the founder of the Komi Orthodox movement “Burs’ylys’yas”, which appeared in the Upper Vychegda River area at the beginning of the XX century.
Objective: the representation of the religious leader image in public space.
Research materials: archive and published materials from the first half of the XX century which contain stories about S. Ermolin and its activity.
Results and novelty of the research: for the first time the article considers the stories about the founder and leader of the “Burs’ylys’yas”. The representations of the religious leader by priests and local peasants are studied. Strive to maintain control over the religious life of the Upper Vychegda River parishes the priests formed a negative attitude towards S. Ermolin with the help of sermons and informal talks. Upper Vychegda peasants’ stories about the miracles that took place in S. Ermolin’s life (including his own stories) strengthened the confidence of his followers in the chosen path, confirmed the divine nature of the source of knowledge of the religious leader. Personal narratives of Stefan Ermolin are the representation of subjective religious experience, they demonstrate his ideas about own singularity, and substantiate his authority in matters of faith.
Key words: Komi, Orthodoxy, “Burs’ylys’yas”, religious leader, representation
Acknowledgments: the publication was prepared within the framework of the planned research theme “Ethnocultural Processes and Ethnocultural Traditions in the European North of Russia: Dynamics of Social and Cultural Changes” (№ 121042600252-7).
For citation: Vlasova V. V. Representations of the religious leader “Burs’ylys’yas” // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2023; 13 (3/54): 530–537.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: the significance of the role of a leader in various social groups and processes has determined the interest of humanities in the phenomenon of leadership. In folklore and ethnographic studies of recent decades, special attention is paid to the role and significance of the personality of leaders of religious groups and the mechanisms of formation of religious authority. In the article, the issue of representation of a religious leader is considered by the example of Stefan Artemyevich Ermolin, the founder of the Komi Orthodox movement “Burs’ylys’yas”, which appeared in the Upper Vychegda River area at the beginning of the XX century.
Objective: the representation of the religious leader image in public space.
Research materials: archive and published materials from the first half of the XX century which contain stories about S. Ermolin and its activity.
Results and novelty of the research: for the first time the article considers the stories about the founder and leader of the “Burs’ylys’yas”. The representations of the religious leader by priests and local peasants are studied. Strive to maintain control over the religious life of the Upper Vychegda River parishes the priests formed a negative attitude towards S. Ermolin with the help of sermons and informal talks. Upper Vychegda peasants’ stories about the miracles that took place in S. Ermolin’s life (including his own stories) strengthened the confidence of his followers in the chosen path, confirmed the divine nature of the source of knowledge of the religious leader. Personal narratives of Stefan Ermolin are the representation of subjective religious experience, they demonstrate his ideas about own singularity, and substantiate his authority in matters of faith.
Key words: Komi, Orthodoxy, “Burs’ylys’yas”, religious leader, representation
Acknowledgments: the publication was prepared within the framework of the planned research theme “Ethnocultural Processes and Ethnocultural Traditions in the European North of Russia: Dynamics of Social and Cultural Changes” (№ 121042600252-7).
For citation: Vlasova V. V. Representations of the religious leader “Burs’ylys’yas” // Vestnik ugrovedenia = Bulletin of Ugric Studies. 2023; 13 (3/54): 530–537.
