DOCSLIB.ORG

Bringing Hope and Transformation to Eurasia Through God's Word

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Bringing Hope and Transformation to Eurasia Through God's Word “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17, ESV Bringing Hope and Transformation to Eurasia through God’s Word JUNE 2016 P.O. BOX 496, WHEATON, IL 60187 | PH: 630.462.1739 | MISSIONEURASIA.ORG 1 Thanks to the generous, faithful contributions of supporters like you, Mission Eurasia has consistently been able to fulfill our commitment to equip Next Generation Christian leaders in Eurasia to share the Word of God in their own nations and communities. Through culturally relevant Christian literature and Scripture pieces in national languages, the gospel message is being shared in compelling and unexpected ways with hurting men, women, and children who desperately need the hope of the good news. We know that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). As Next Generation Christians faithfully proclaim the “word of Christ” to their nations, hearts and minds are being opened to hear the Word and believe through faith. We hope that as you read this report, your faith will be strengthened by the testimonies of lives changed through the reading of God’s Word. Thank you for your support of Mission Eurasia—which is providing life- changing Scripture resources for millions of God’s children in Eurasia and beyond! Spiritual Crisis in Eurasia In the midst of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the spiritual Unreached people groups in Russia’s Far North, Mongolia, the vacuum in Eurasia, and escalating religious persecution in the Northern Caucasus, and other regions of Eurasia need access to region, God’s Word is needed now more than ever. In fact, many God’s truth through Scripture versions in languages and formats people living in Eurasia have never heard the gospel, and many that they can understand. Not only have many of these unreached others are desperately searching for the hope offered only in people never heard the gospel, but they are dominated by forces Christ. hostile to Christianity, including atheism, paganism, superstition, and radical Islam. The war in eastern Ukraine has now displaced more than 2 million people from their homes. About 800,000 of these Furthermore, many believers throughout Eurasia, particularly in refugees or internally displaced people (IDPs) remain in Ukraine, Central Asia, Russia’s Northern Caucasus, and eastern Ukraine, where they are struggling to find work. Since jobs are scarce, most are suffering for their faith and desperately need copies of God’s refugees are unable to obtain food, clothing, and other necessary Word for guidance and comfort. In eastern Ukraine, hundreds goods for their families. Many people also remain trapped in the of pastors are suffering abduction, torture, property confiscation, war zone. In all, 3.1 million people in Ukraine have been affected and even murder at the hands of pro-Russian separatists. Many by the war and are in need not only of humanitarian assistance, pastors are advocating for religious freedom and reconciliation in but of spiritual and emotional support through the Word of God these regions, and they need scriptural resources and training to in order to find hope and peace in the midst of despair. help them do this effectively. In addition to those suffering in Ukraine, many people living In the words of Dr. Michael Cherenkov, Executive throughout Eurasia need the hope that only the Word of God Director for Mission Eurasia Field Ministries: can provide. These include children in orphanages, at-risk youth “Today, Eurasia is gripped by hatred toward the West and struggling with addiction, homeless people, and those confined to western Christianity. Persecution against evangelical Christians is prisons and hospitals. It is in these dark places and circumstances intensifying. The most effective form of ministry is not preaching in that God’s Word shines the brightest. churches, but rather personally witnessing to others and distributing Scripture in appropriate and understandable forms.” P.O. BOX 496, WHEATON, IL 60187 | PH: 630.462.1739 | MISSIONEURASIA.ORG 2 Impact of Scripture Distribution The need is great— and growing. But in the midst of such great challenges, God is faithfully opening hearts and minds to hear His Word and come to saving faith. Through your support of Mission Eurasia, we are bringing God’s Word to those who need it most and equipping the Next Generation of Christian leaders to share the gospel in their own communities. In partnership with Mission Eurasia Field Ministries as well as our School Without Walls (SWW) students and local national churches, we have distributed more than 1.8 million Scripture pieces in 13 different countries in Eurasia and Israel since October 2015. Because we estimate that each Scripture piece is shared with 3–5 people, we believe that 5–9 million people have been impacted by God’s Word during this time. P.O. BOX 496, WHEATON, IL 60187 | PH: 630.462.1739 | MISSIONEURASIA.ORG 3 Scriptures Distributed in 2015–16 101 Favorite Bible Stories David—was designed to reflect the local culture. Our SWW In partnership with Christian Aid Ministries, we designed this students in Israel distributed these pieces through various ministry book especially for at-risk children in Belarus, Georgia, and initiatives to Russian-speaking immigrants in their nation. Kyrgyzstan. We distributed copies of this strategic Scripture piece during our Gift of Hope Christmas program in these nations, as Evangelistic Calendars well as through outreach efforts in local hospitals, orphanages, and In partnership with Pioneer Bible Translators, we designed these schools. special calendars to help the nomadic Khanty and Nenets people of Russia’s Far North learn about the gospel in a way that is culturally Bibles for Ukraine appropriate and relevant. Each day on the calendar includes a In partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, we created two Bible different Scripture passage to encourage the incorporation of God’s versions, one in the Russian language and one in the Ukrainian Word into daily life. We distributed these unique pieces during our language. These Bibles were specially designed to be culturally various outreach efforts to the Khanty and Nenets people in Arctic appropriate and relevant to the people of Ukraine. We brought Siberia. these strategic pieces to IDPs, people trapped in the war zone in eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian soldiers serving on the front Finding the Light in the Darkness of Night lines of the conflict. We also distributed them during our religious This book—written by one of our national staff, Viktor freedom and reconciliation seminars for local pastors in Central Kuzmenko—includes stories of how children can find hope in Asia, Russia, and Ukraine. Christ, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. We included copies of this special book in many of our Gifts of Hope for children Bible Storybooks in need and young people affected by the ongoing conflict in These specially designed Bible storybooks help children learn Ukraine. about the gospel in a way that they can easily understand. They also include many attractive, colorful pictures and illustrations. We Gospel of Luke distributed these Bible storybooks to children in need throughout Because the Gospel of Luke is the most popular gospel among Eurasia through our Gift of Hope Christmas outreach so that they the Ukrainian people, we designed a special version in both the could experience the true joy of the season. Russian and Ukrainian languages in partnership with ShareWord Global (formerly The Gideons International in Canada). We also Discover Messiah New Testament designed a Ukrainian-themed cover so that they would be received This special New Testament version was designed specifically more openly. We brought copies of the Gospel of Luke to refugees, for Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel, many of whom are people in the war zone, soldiers, and many other suffering people struggling to adapt to their new environment. It includes several in Ukraine. We also distributed these pieces to refugees who fled to personal testimonies, and the cover—which includes a Star of Russia following the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Through all of these efforts, Mission Eurasia is committed to bringing holistic help and support to hurting people in Ukraine so that they can experience renewed hope and, ultimately, place their trust in Christ for eternal salvation. P.O. BOX 496, WHEATON, IL 60187 | PH: 630.462.1739 | MISSIONEURASIA.ORG 4 Scriptures Distributed in 2015–16 The Greatest Stories of Hope Noah’s Ark Magazine We designed this Scripture piece specifically for at-risk children by This strategic magazine is designed to provide children with including important stories from Jesus’ life that would introduce entertaining stories and activities, while also introducing them to them to the gospel in an age-appropriate way. We brought copies of Christ and the gospel. We distribute eight monthly issues of Noah’s The Greatest Stories of Hope to hurting children in many different Ark magazine every year. During the past year, we included them in countries through “I Care,” summer Bible camps, and Gift of Hope. our Gifts of Hope for children during the Christmas season, and we also distributed them during summer Bible camps. Hope Magazine In partnership with OneHope, we created this strategic Scripture The Path to Victory piece to provide encouragement for the hurting people of Ukraine, In partnership with OneHope, we developed this special sports as well as impoverished children and youth in the nations of magazine to appeal to young athletes. It includes Scripture passages Belarus and Moldova. The Psalms and personal testimonies and personal testimonies from professional athletes to help young included in this piece, as well as its overall design, were all selected people learn about the true victory offered only through Christ to share how God brings hope and healing to those who are in the gospel.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Participation of Indigenous Nenets People in the International Polar Year Research
    Participation of Indigenous Nenets People in the International Polar Year Research Nadezhda Laptander1, Tamara Semenova2 1Regional Movement of Nenets People (Yasavey), Naryan-Mar, Russia; 2Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage, Moscow, Russia 1. Introduction 2. Facts about Nenets AO 3. MODIL Project 4. CLUE Project 5. Present-Day Situation 6. Conclusion 1. Introduction Nenets Autonomous Region (Nenetskiy Avtonomny Okrug - NAO) in northwestern Russia is home to approximately 8000 Nenets and 3000 Izhma‐Komi indigenous people. Many of them depend directly or indirectly on reindeer husbandry, fishing and hunting for their livelihood. In the past, reindeer pastures covered almost all of the region territory. Now, however, large tracts of land have been degraded by oil prospecting and production or have become difficult to access across oil pipelines and infrastructure. In light of this it is noteworthy that not all the companies make agreements with reindeer herders. Most agreements with herders are only valid for 1‐2 years, whereas the company’s license is for a longer period. Many agreements are confidential and cannot be evaluated by public opinion. There is no mechanism for the investigation of reindeer herders’ opinions on land allocation issues and oil companies’ operations. One of the challenges in efficient management and use of traditional pastures is the lack of up‐to‐date land use plans for future activities. Other challenges are the lack of proper management of Traditional Land use Areas (TLA) and ambiguity regarding which government authority is responsible for this, the lack of compulsory and independent assessment of industrial projects’ impact on the traditional lands and lifestyle of the indigenous people and the absence of a common forum in the region where representatives of government authorities, industrial companies and indigenous peoples could negotiate and make common decisions to achieve a balance of interests of all stakeholders.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents
    Oil Industry and Reindeer Herding: The Problems of Implementing Indigenous Rights in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia Anna Degteva Thesis submitted for the degree: Master of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies Faculty of Social Science, University of Tromsø Spring 2006 Co-funded by “The Challenge of Indigenousness: Politics of Rights, Resources and Knowledge”. Oil Industry and Reindeer Herding: The Problems of Implementing Indigenous Rights In the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia Anna Degteva Master Thesis Spring 2006 Master of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies Faculty of Social Sciences University of Tromsø Co-funded by: ““The Challenge of Indigenousness: Politics of Rights, Resources and Knowledge.” Centre for Sami Studies, University of Tromsø i ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank many people and institutions without whom this thesis would never have come true. First, I am grateful to the University of Tromsø (UiTø) for the opportunity to do the Master Programe in Indigenous Studies and for the resources available. I am thankful to Indra Øverland for his initial help in launching this project. For considerable financial support a special thanks goes to the research project “The Challenge of Indigenousness: Politics of Rights, Resources and Knowledge” at the Centre for Sami Studies, UiTø. I am most thankful to Professor Ivar Bjørklund at Tromsø Museum for supervising this paper with consistency, patience and good humour. I am grateful to Winfried Dallmann at the Norwegian Polar Institute, who has spent many hours helping me to make the maps for this thesis. Thank you also for the front-page picture. My deep gratitude goes to the people I met during my fieldwork in Khorey-Ver and Naryan-Mar.
    [Show full text]
  • Arctic and North
    Arctic and North. 2012. № 6 1 ISSN 2221-2698 Arctic and North Arkhangelsk: Northern (Arctic) Federal University Named after М. V. Lomonosov 2011. № 4 (November) Arctic and North. 2012. № 6 2 ISSN 2221-2698 Arctic and North. 2011. № 4 (November) Electronic periodical edition © Northern (Arctic ) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov, 2011 © Editorial Board of the journal «Arctic and North», 2011 Published 4 times a year The journal is registered like electronic periodical edition on Russian and English languages. The testimony of the Federal service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technologies and communications (№ FC77-42809 from the 26 of November 2010.) The journal is registered in the system of the Russian Index of the scientific quotations (RINZ), where should be placed all the regular issues of the journal. A license agreement is № 96- 04/2011R on April 12, 2011.12. The journal is registered in the Depository in the electronic editions FSUE STC «Informreg- istr» (registration certificate № 543 от 13 October 2011) and it was also given a number of state registrations 0421200166. Founder: The federal state autonomous institution of higher education «The Northern (Arc- tic) Federal University» named after M.V. Lomonosov. The chef editor − Lukin Urii Fedorovich, Doctor of History, Professor. Editorial council Editorial board Vostryakov Lev Evgenievich Vertishin Aleksey Nikolaevich Glazichev Vyacheslav Leonidovich Dregalo Aleksandr Alekseevich Dergachev Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zalivskii Nikolai Pavlovich Kefeli
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change and Human Mobility in Indigenous Communities of the Russian North
    Climate Change and Human Mobility in Indigenous Communities of the Russian North January 30, 2013 Susan A. Crate George Mason University Cover image: Winifried K. Dallmann, Norwegian Polar Institute. http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/about/maps. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ ii 1. Introduction and Purpose ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Focus of paper and author’s approach................................................................................... 2 1.2 Human mobility in the Russian North: Physical and Cultural Forces .................................. 3 1.2.1 Mobility as the Historical Rule in the Circumpolar North ............................................. 3 1.2.2. Changing the Rules: Mobility and Migration in the Russian and Soviet North ............ 4 1.2.3 Peoples of the Russian North .......................................................................................... 7 1.2.4 The contemporary state: changes affecting livelihoods ................................................. 8 2. Overview of the physical science: actual and potential effects of climate change in the Russian North ..............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • How Interest-Convergence Shapes Benefit-Sharing And
    sustainability Article Who Benefits? How Interest-Convergence Shapes Benefit-Sharing and Indigenous Rights to Sustainable Livelihoods in Russia Maria S. Tysiachniouk 1,2,3,*, Laura A. Henry 4 , Svetlana A. Tulaeva 5 and Leah S. Horowitz 1,6 1 Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; [email protected] 2 The Centre for Independent Social Research, 190041 Saint Petersburg, Russia 3 Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University, 6706KN Wageningen, The Netherlands 4 Department of Government and Legal Studies, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA; [email protected] 5 North-West Institute of Management, Faculty of International Relations and Politics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, 197101 Saint Petersburg, Russia; [email protected] 6 School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 8 October 2020; Accepted: 23 October 2020; Published: 30 October 2020 Abstract: The paper examines interactions of oil companies and reindeer herders in the tundra of the Russian Arctic. We focus on governance arrangements that have an impact on the sustainability of oil production and reindeer herding. We analyze a shift in benefit-sharing arrangements between oil companies and Indigenous Nenets reindeer herders in Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO), Russia, as an evolution of the herders’ rights, defined as the intertwined co-production of legal processes, ideologies, and power relations. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis demonstrate that in NAO, benefit-sharing shifted from paternalism (dependent on herders’ negotiation skills) to company-centered social responsibility (formalized compensation rules). This shift was enabled by the adoption of a formal methodology for calculating income lost due to extractive projects and facilitated by the regional government’s efforts to develop reindeer-herding.
    [Show full text]
  • Interrogative Words and Content Questions in Tundra Nenets
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by SZTE Doktori Értekezések Repozitórium (SZTE Repository of Dissertations) Interrogative words and content questions in Tundra Nenets Nikolett Mus A PhD dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Szeged University of Szeged Doctoral School in Linguistics Uralic Studies PhD Programme Supervisor: Beáta Wagner-Nagy, Prof. Dr. Szeged, 2015 This page intentionally left blank ii Acknowledgements The story of this dissertation began at the University of Szeged in 2001, when I missed a Finnish course, which was obligatory at the first year of Hungarian studies. Instead of Finnish I had to choose any other “related” language such as Udmurt, Mordvin or Nenets. At that time, I was reading a series of books written by Margit Sandemo. A really exciting part of this series is set in Siberia among Enets characters. I did not think the difference could be great between Nenets and Enets, therefore I decided to attend the Nenets language course held by Erika Körtvély. The course aroused my interest towards Samoyed linguistics and turned my attention to Samoyed syntax which was a less described field of study at that time. I owe special thanks to Erika who became my advisor later. I feel very fortunate to have had such a great teacher. I definitely have to thank to my supervisor, Beáta Wagner-Nagy, for taking on my research. She accompanied the developement of this dissertation and her comments were useful in writing. I hope that our work will continue in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • 4Th NRF Template.Indd
    94 Second Theme Borders and Land: Ideal Perceptions and Real Practices of Evenk Hunters and Herders Olga Povoroznyuk Researcher Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Evenks represent one of the nomadic reindeer herding ity and the master of the land/place called Barelakha by and hunting indigenous peoples widely sca ered across Chita Evenks (Vasilevich 1969; author’s fi e ld records Siberia and the Far East. Their communities, presently 1999-2000), and could be temporary used by any person 1 living in the north of Chitinskaya Province have also or group of people. New territories, thus, were gained been known for their reindeer hunting and herding tra- by people according to the “pioneer” or “exploration” dition, which determined their lifestyle, adaptation and principle. strategy of exploitation of natural resources. It was the combination of hunting elks, deer and fur animals, on Several categories of land existed, or, rather, the terri- the one hand, with small-scale transportation type of tory itself could have a particular, yet fl exible and shiV - reindeer herding and subsidiary fi shing, on the other, ing, status. For instance, it could have been perceived as that was underlying the unique economic model, no- temporarily occupied in the case of nomadic routes cross- madic pa erns and land use practices of Chita Evenks ing it or a se lement being based there at the moment. (Vasilevich 1969). Thus, diversifi ed subsistence econo- Personal things, household utensils, tools and hunting my and nature management based on ecologically rea- traps, leV in the vicinities of abandoned se lements, as sonable exploitation standards of hunting ground and well as special signs, including cuts and notches, inten- pasture, along with the constant migrations constrained tionally made on the trees along migration routes, could rather by natural than other kinds of borders, ensured help defi ne the status of a certain territory.
    [Show full text]
  • Specific Character of Modern Interethnic Relations in Krasnoyarsk Territory As Per Associative Experiment
    Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 11 (2011 4) 1553-1576 ~ ~ ~ УДК 316.622 Specific Character of Modern Interethnic Relations in Krasnoyarsk Territory as Per Associative Experiment Galina V. Kivkutsan* Siberian Federal University 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk, 660041 Russia 1 Received 15.03.2011, received in revised form 17.06.2011, accepted 10.10.2011 Ethnocultural space of Krasnoyarsk territory is an urgent subject for research nowadays. According to the criteria of conflict, ethnology and sociology theory Krasnoyarsk territory has been both a centre of strained interethnic relations and a specific interethnic conglomerate. Thus, the study of ethnicity phenomenon in Krasnoyarsk territory is one of the most important tasks of applied cultural research. The research objectives are to detect an interethnic relations dominant type on the basis of specificity of ethnocultural space of Krasnoyarsk territory (while applying associative experiment method) and to model possible ways of conflict settlement. The research has resulted in the relevant conclusion that interethnic relations in the territory have a set of features peculiar to this territory. That has led to a hypothesis about a possible interethnic conflicts settlement in case of their threat. The research uniqueness is stated through both a particular practical orientation of the research and experimental application of new forms of the developed methods into the sphere of cultural research. A considerable attention has been paid to a complex approach to a definite problem. Associative experiment is considered to be the most effective method of detection and research of such a cultural phenomenon as ethnic stereotype. It is proved by the specificity of the method initially applied in psychology.
    [Show full text]
  • Glimpses of the Glassy Sea.Pdf
    IBT RussiaTanya — 25th Prokhorova Anniversary Edition Tanya Prokhorova Glimpses of theGlimpses Glassy of the Glassy Sea Sea Bible Translation into a Multitude of Tongues Biblein the Post-Soviet Translation World into a Multitude of Tongues in the Post-Soviet World InstituteInstitute for for Bible Bible TranslationTranslation MoscowMoscow 20202020 Tanya Prokhorova Glimpses of the Glassy Sea Bible Translation into a Multitude of Tongues in the Post-Soviet World ISBN 978-5-93943-285-6 © Institute for Bible Translation, 2020 Table of Contents Preface ......................................................................................................... 5 ABKHAZ. “The Abkhaz Bible translation should not resemble lumpy dough” .............................................................................................. 7 ADYGHE + KABARDIAN. They all call themselves “Adyg” ............................... 10 ADYGHE. “These words can’t really be from the Bible, can they?” ................ 13 ALTAI. Daughter of God and of her own people ............................................ 16 ALTAI. “We’ve found the lost book!” ............................................................. 19 BALKAR. Two lives that changed radically ..................................................... 22 BASHKIR. “The Injil is the book of life” ........................................................ 26 CHECHEN + CRIMEAN TATAR. The Bible and its translators ........................... 29 CHUKCHI. “When the buds burst forth…”.....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Indigenous People”
    Evolution of the Concept “Indigenous People” in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation: the Case Study of Vepses. by Anna Varfolomeeva Submitted to Central European University Nationalism Studies Program In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Advisor: Professor Andras Pap CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2012 Abstract This thesis discusses the changes in the politics towards indigenous peoples in the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, and the implementation of indigenous rights in contemporary Russia. All the major changes in Soviet and Russian national politics influenced indigenous peoples, and although today the Russian Federation claims to follow international norms on indigenous rights protection, neither ILO Convention 169, nor the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are ratified by the Russian state. The thesis shows that despite the attempts of international organizations to create unified standards of indigenous rights protection, the position of native population still to a large extend depends on the politics and priorities of a concrete state. The work includes the analysis of the indigenous rights of Vepses, a small Finno-Ugrian people residing in the North-West of Russia. The process of indigenous status recognition in the case of Vepses and the implementation of their indigenous rights are discussed. As the case study shows, the lack of coherence between federal and regional legislation in Russia, as well as vague formulations of legislative acts lead to the situation when federal provisions on indigenous people’s rights are not implemented by regional authorities. CEU eTD Collection i Acknowledgements I would like to thank my thesis supervisor, Professor Andras Pap, for his guidance throughout the thesis writing process, and Professor Mária Kovács for the support at the early stages of this project.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnic, Confessional and Cultural Patterns of Regionalism in the Post-Soviet Russia
    DOI: 10.15201/hungeobull.66.3.3Streletsky, V.N. HungarianHungarian Geographical Geographical Bulletin Bulletin 66 (2017) 66 2017 (3) 219–233. (3) 219–233.219 Ethnic, confessional and cultural patterns of regionalism in the post-Soviet Russia Vladimir N. STRELETSKY1 Abstract This paper is focusing on the ethnic, confessional and cultural background of regionalism in Russia. On the one hand, the historically evolved spatial structures are considered; on the other hand, the emphasis is made on transformation processes of the post-Soviet period. The analysis covers: 1) the historical framework of ethnic settlement and ethnic identity patterns in Russia and their dynamics at the end of the 20th and begin- ning of the 21st centuries; 2) the linguistic diversity of the country and the linguistic division of the Russian Federation; 3) the spatial pattern of confessional groups in Russia; and 4) the phenomenon of regional/local identity as one of the key driving forces of regional development. The cultural space of Russia is character- ized by mosaics of various regional and local communities; its transformation is still going on and entails the permanent genesis of new regional structures and clusters as well as some risks, tensions and threats. The “horizontal” socio-cultural differentiation of Russian space is based on huge discrepancies between various historical and cultural regions, their ethnic and regional diversity. The “vertical”, hierarchical differentiation of cultural space is predominantly characterized by the increasing stratification of various population groups within the Russian regions. The inherited spatial patterns predominate both in ethnic settlement structures and in configurations of regional identity and cultural distinctions.
    [Show full text]
  • Taymyr Reindeer Herding As a Branch of the Economy and a Fundamental Social Identification Practice for Indigenous Peoples of the Siberian Arctic
    ISSN 2039-2117 (online) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences Vol 6 No 3 S5 ISSN 2039-9340 (print) MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy June 2015 Taymyr Reindeer Herding as a Branch of the Economy and a Fundamental Social Identification Practice for Indigenous Peoples of the Siberian Arctic Yulia S. Zamarayeva Anastasiya V. Kistova Natalia N. Pimenova Kseniya V. Reznikova Natalia N. Seredkina Siberian Federal University, Russian Federation Email: [email protected] Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s5p225 Abstract There are two factors affecting the way that Nenets and Dolgan people of Taymyr define their regional identity: 1) their traditional trade (reindeer herding); 2) ethnic art-making where the reindeer acts as an image and a symbol of ethnic traditions, touchstones, and values found among the indigenous peoples of Taymyr. Field research was conducted in Taymyr settlements (such as Nosok, Karaul, and Khatanga) from 2010 to 2014. The researchers interviewed Nenets and Dolgan people who belong to non-governmental organizations representing Taymyr indigenous peoples, run businesses or work in government agencies, schools, and other organizations implementing cultural policies. Indigenous peoples have very low economic and social activity. The Dolgans also have a very poor standard of living due to lack of reindeer. The Post-Soviet era has seen an income gap growing between the Dolgans and the Nenets and unequal economic groups being formed. Reviving reindeer herding is essential. Nenets and Dolgan reindeer herding is an economically inefficient subsidized branch of agriculture, but its role is symbolic rather than economic. Nenets and Dolgan reindeer herding is an ethnicity-forming and ethnicity-sustaining factor.
    [Show full text]