Sh. H. KADYROV. TURKMEN-NAMA. HISTORICAL AND ETHNOGRAPHIC ALBUM.

Uppsala, Moscow: IFECAS, 2012. 339 p.

Sh. H. KADYROV. TURKMEN-NAMA. WHO ARE THE TURKMENS? ED. CORRECTED AND EXPANDED.

Uppsala-Moscow: IFECAS, 2014. 453 p.

From descriptive ethnography, at least in Russia, there are horns and legs. And the point is not that all the peoples of the world have already been studied and described, and not even that interest in science, and especially in its humanitarian part, is narrowing in our country (this is happening everywhere). All over the world now, scientific research, if it does not bring the immediate and maximum benefit, does not have serious funding and is on the verge of extinction. Many authors write that science has already discovered everything and it is necessary to "bring the product" to the "end user". It seems that a paradigm shift is taking place now (T. Kuhn), but it is not related to the correlation of any theories, but to the change in the place of science in the modern world. Simply put, science ceases to be a fashionable occupation.

Fortunately, the author of the peer-reviewed book went against this trend. Firstly, because I decided to write and publish an "unpopular" work that cannot bring immediate dividends. Secondly, because I wanted to combine dry theoretical research and a lively (still lively!)world under one cover. ethnographic material.

Systematic study of the history, culture, and way of life of Turkmens has been conducted for more than a century. During this time, many ethnographic works were published, based on painstaking long-term field research. For decades, serious research has been carried out in the field of anthropology and ethnogenesis of the ancestors of modern Turkmens1. It remained only to wait for the generalization of this rich heritage of work. It was published in 2012. "Turkmen-nama "("The Book of Turkmens") is the first voluminous historical and ethnographic work, in which its author, relying on the vast scientific material accumulated by his predecessors, on his own long-term research experience, managed to give an extensive historical picture of the centuries-old formation of the Turkmen people, its transformation into an independent state. a united nation. According to experts, such a consolidated ethno-cultural community within the USSR was formed after the Great Patriotic War (p.287)^.2

This peer-reviewed book is not the first in the last decade to explore various aspects of the history, culture and political development of Turkmenistan and the Turkmen people. One of them was devoted to the ethnogenesis and ethnopolitical history of the Turkmens, the other to the historical demography of the Turkmen people, and the next to Galina Petrovna Vasilyeva, a major Soviet researcher of the ethnography of the Turkmens (we are talking about the publication of her travel diaries).³; several books were related to the ethno-political structure of the Turkmen people [Kadyrov, 2003; 2009(1); 2009(2); 2010(1); 2010(2); 2012].

The first section of this study, "What is an ethnic group", belongs to the "dry"category. This chapter is somewhat scandalous, because it criticizes the" officially " accepted theory of constructivism (its supporters are a number of leading researchers at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences). We ourselves do not fully share the views of Sh. Kadyrov, as, indeed, the "official" ones. However, it seems that he "writes off" the "theory of ethnos" from the situation typical of the Turkmen people, other peoples of Central Asia, as well as many peoples of Asia, Latin America, and Oceania who have not yet fully established themselves in an industrial society. We are talking about serious and sometimes politically dominant tribalism.

So, an extensive introductory chapter "What is an ethnic group" (pp. 16-67) is devoted to the concept of an ethnic group, the methodology of its definition, its development and functioning in national planning. The average reader has the right to skip this theoretical text. Admittedly, it is difficult for untrained perception and is designed for the scientific public. The book is already valuable and interesting to everyone else with its content. I would like to draw the attention of specialists to this innovative section, since the controversy surrounding the issues raised in it is likely to only increase over time. We can only be surprised that there is still no serious controversy with the author and his like-minded people.⁴

In brief, Kadyrov's hypothesis about the essence of an ethnic group is reduced to the following.

To determine the stable property of an ethnic group, he suggests turning the eyes of scientists to the elusive irrational concept from the field of human feelings and emotions to the belief in kinship. In kinship there is a sacrament, the sacramentality of birth and death, which is why it has the property of faith, the ethnographer explains (p. 49). However, at the same time, he pays attention to the rational grain, functionality, and social utility of such a system. Such faith, in his opinion, is akin to the one that a person feels in relation to his family, his relatives, and it extends to all ethnic communities. "Faith in kinship includes not only worship, reverence, and reverence, but also the idealization of the power of kinship by members of the collective, which is always colored by the strongest feelings and sharpest emotions. An essential property

¹ The names of outstanding scientists and their works are carefully listed in the Literature and Sources section of the atlas, and the book itself is dedicated to the memory of outstanding ethnographers Galina Petrovna Vasilyeva and her husband Boris Aleksandrovich Kaloev.

² Here and further references to the book are made according to the 2012 edition.

³ We are particularly impressed by how carefully and lovingly Shohrat treats dear people, former employees of the Institute, who have already passed away. He dedicates his books to them, publishes their archival materials and photographs.

⁴ The introductory part of the book" Turkmen-nama " is a slightly modified text on the theory of ethnos and nation, presented in the brochure [Kadyrov et al., 2012].

It is not the fact of kinship or its direct (genetic - "call of the ancestors") influence on group cohesion, but a symbiosis of rational and irrational kinship. On the one hand, the mystery of the birth of one's own kind and the belief in the mysterious power of kinship, its cult, on the other - the conditioning of faith is largely an instinctive need to stick together with people like yourself" (p.34). Therefore, Sh. K. Kadyrov suggests agreeing that "the main thing in defining an ethnic group is not the material principle, but the belief in the magic of kinship" (p.49). Belief in real and imaginary kinship is the essential quality, the most important property that is characteristic of ethnic groups of all varieties and types. This is how the main conclusion of Sh. K. Kadyrov's theoretical reasoning can be formulated.

An essential part of this belief, in his opinion, is "the belief in reference kinship." By the standard, the author means a certain ethnic core, to which a variety of ethnic groups and communities gravitate.⁵ "The reference point is a sample, but historically and ethnographically variable. Thus, the Turkmen "reference" at different times were different Turkmen peoples: Salyrs, Chovdurs, Ersari, now Akhalteke. Each ethnic group has its own standard, its own hierarchy of relations, but each always has a reference group (ethnic core) with all the cultural patterns that follow from this. Changing the standard of kinship is the most important sign of the evolution and difficult, zigzag development of an ethnic group, the emergence of a new solitaire game in its consolidation, accompanied by the costs of fragmentation and assimilation along the periphery of the core " (p. 56).

As a result, the scientist offers his own definition of an ethnos: "An ethnos is a group of people united on the basis of kinship, its idealization and allocation of a reference group in it according to the criterion of primogeniture, structured according to the degree of kinship to the older (ancient), and later numerically or status - dominant (superstrate) subgroup of an ethnic group. This is a social structure in which relations and consolidation of members are based primarily on faith and ideas about the unity of their real and fictional kinship to each other, about the absolute and, at the same time, relative value of kinship" (p.53, 56).

Such a hypothesis of the author of the book "Turkmen-Nama" about the essence of an ethnic group can raise many questions among specialists, since, in our opinion, the evidence base of the extensive theoretical arguments accompanying it is clearly insufficient, and the original conceptual apparatus is unusual not only for everyday, but also for scientific perception.

In turn, the author's attempt to easily shift the patterns of development of an ethnic group and its basic properties to a modern multiethnic nation is very controversial. He asserts that a nation is "a kind of ethnic group", "an ethnic group", "an ethnic unit" (p. 18-19), "a political (state) association of ethnic groups", "a state - formed ethnic group" (p. 40). "Nations are the same ethnic groups, only they have a powerful tool for their consolidation - statehood " (p. 41)," ... these are political constructs made up of ethnic groups, developing according to the same laws as ethnic groups " (p.61). It is possible that such a methodological approach is partly justified for the ethnonation of Turkmenistan, but it is extremely doubtful that it can be projected, for example, on the United States, which cannot be called an ethnic nation.

Most likely, colleagues on the shop floor will find other points of contention and put forward counterarguments in their favor. Nevertheless, the research of Sh. K. Kadyrov and his supporters brought a fresh wave to the theory of the interaction of ethnos and nation. They force scientists to think in a non-trivial way, to look more closely into the past and present, and ultimately to develop the science of man and society, a very complex science that constantly raises more questions than answers.

But if the study of ethnicity focuses only on the European-Christian cultural and historical area, if we take into account only new-fangled Western concepts, then the science of ethnos evaporates, being replaced by imitation of science. Obviously, such a turn of events in Russian ethnology is undesirable for Sh.K. Kadyrov. Science seeks truth. And the author of the peer-reviewed publication-too. This is evidenced at least by the fact that for 2012-2013, except for

⁵ Usually, in Western and Russian literature, the concept of "ethnic core" is interpreted as the basis for the formation of a people or nation. This is a structural part of an ethnic group, which can consist of: 1) an ethnic core - the main part of the ethnic group living compactly on a certain territory; 2) an ethnic periphery - compact groups of representatives of this ethnic group, somehow separated from its main part; 3) an ethnic diaspora - individual members of the ethnic group scattered over territories occupied by others ethnic communities [Semenov, 2000].

Kadyrov also published a pamphlet and a short monograph, in which his views on the theory of ethnos were constantly updated (Kadyrov et al., 2012; 2013). Let us venture to say that science is a process of understanding the truth.

The book under review is quite consistent with the tradition of Russian ethnocultural descriptions laid down by D. N. Anuchin (in relation to the Japanese) and developed ably in V. G. Bogoraz-Tan's study of the Chukchi people. The author details these research methods and approaches, taking into account, of course, the current state of science. Maybe sometimes he goes into too much detail, but this is the specific genre in which he wrote his work.

It has already been said about the first chapter "What is an ethnic group". Then there is a not very clearly named chapter of the "Ecumene". Translated from Greek, this word means either "human-populated space" or"the space of a house". In the context of this review, the second version of the translation is preferable, since the author is trying to defend (though it is not clear from whom) his people. In fact, however, this chapter, as you might expect, is devoted to the geographical and climatological features of Turkmenistan. Well, nothing new... if not for the Turkmens. They managed to inhabit a territory with a harsh continental climate with a temperature difference of 50 degrees (p. 68). They probably aren't the first. But this is covered in the next two sections of the book.

Sh. Kadyrov points to the original (historically and archaeologically recorded) population of Turkmenistan, which had southern origins in its productive and spiritual culture, primarily agriculture with special methods and varieties of cultivated plants (pp. 78-79). Naturally, cattle breeding was also developed here. Special mention should be made of the customs of local residents, which, according to the author, in the 4th-2nd millennium BC could have had both northern and southern influence. We are talking about artificial deformation of the skull (elongation of the head), which at that time was carried out both in the Middle East and in the steppes of Eurasia. However, the change in the shape of the head in infancy was also characteristic of the inhabitants... Central America. Maybe they had an impact?

At that time, multi-kilometer migrations were as common as visiting neighbors today (Klein, 2010). It seems that the population of Turkmenistan has changed over the past 5-6 thousand years. But not dramatically: the photos published by ^the author6 show that the Indo-Afghan Europoid anthropological type dominates among Turkmens, i.e. the Turkic (Mongoloid) influence here affected the language and way of life, but not much in anthropology ⁷. The substrate proved to be strong: not only in the field of anthropology, but also in the field of culture (p.86 et seq.). For some reason, in the same chapter, the author publishes some data on the ecological "compatibility" of modern Turkmens with the territory of their residence. And behind all this, we see a tradition that goes back further in history than the arrival of the Turks in Central Asia.

Actually, now we have reached the section "Oguz", which are definitely the ancestors of the Turkmens in linguistic terms. But this is already, if you follow the author and his sources, the first centuries of our era. Beginning in the seventh century, we (together with the author) approached a very complex epoch, called the "great migration of peoples". Indeed, he observes "Oguz" everywhere: in the Caspian Sea, in Transcaucasia, and in Asia Minor. He traces Oghuz tribal ethnonyms among many modern Turkic peoples (p. 112). However, this is not surprising: after all, Torcs, guzes and black hoods (Karakalpaks?) roamed the Black Sea steppes, after all, the Hungarians took part of the Alans with them when they moved to Central Europe. The great migration of peoples is primarily a great mixing of peoples, as the author himself writes (p. 115 et seq.).

However, "it can be slippery to walk on other pebbles," and the ethnogenesis of any nation is precisely one of these "pebbles." Therefore, we will be satisfied with the conclusions of Sh. K. Kadyrov that the Iranian substratum, probably the Middle Eastern adstratum and the Turkic superstratum, played a role in the ethnogenesis of the Turkmens. Which influence is stronger is up to the reader to judge (it seems to us that the Iranian and Turkic influences were harmonized). However, from p. 123 there is a retelling of the anthropological literature related primarily to the shape of the skull, but these data are inferior in reliability to the data of genetic analysis.⁸ We assume that there are similar genetic factors

⁶ Let us especially mention that the book uses a lot of photographs taken by the classic of the genre A. G. Argiropulo.

⁷ However, Sh. K. Kadyrov also writes about other anthropological influences in the region, referring to the book by T. A. Trofimova. But this is for special study (Negroids / Australoids also lived at the Paleolithic site of Markina Gora near Voronezh).

⁸ Genetic analysis is based on the fact of genetic mutations that occurred in a particular region, on the comparison of haplotypes.

data on Turkmens simply does not exist. Consequently, the study of the ethnogenesis of Turkmens is still ahead of us.

Kadyrov's book contains interesting sections related to the ethnopolitical history of the Turkmens and their interaction with the surrounding peoples in the Middle Ages. According to the author, it was in this interaction that the consolidation of Turkmen tribes took place, but this process has not ended until now, which is manifested in pronounced tribalism (p.164 et seq.). In certain periods of history, the lexeme "Turkmen" itself lost its former role as a symbolic consolidator, giving way to lineage self-names (p. 145). In general, the author comes to the conclusion that as a people, although consisting of separate tribes, the Turkmens were formed after the XVI century (pp. 154-155).

Significant sections of the book are devoted to individual tribal groups of Turkmens and their interaction with each other (including military). Interesting, for example, are the historical circumstances that led to the predominance of the Teke among the Turkmen tribes from the beginning of the 18th century (pp. 157-158). A map of the current distribution of Turkmen tribes on the territory of the republic is given on page 248 in the section "Ethnodemography".

A significant volume of the book is devoted to the annexation of the regions of Turkmenistan to the Russian Empire and the position of the Turkmens in its composition, and then in the USSR. A manifestation of tribalism can be considered the fact that some Turkmen tribes joined Russia voluntarily, while the other part showed fierce resistance.

Sections of the book reflect traditional ethnological subjects: descriptions of housing, food, forms of family organization, etc. They give an idea of the modern self-consciousness of Turkmens and the demographic processes going on in the country (related to the decline in the birth rate). The author, however, hardly considers the spiritual culture of the people in its folklore and religious forms, although the list of literature, which is very extensive and useful for the reader, contains references to the corresponding special publications.

The final but small section of the book deals with the current difficult situation in Turkmenistan. The author makes a conclusion about the ongoing processes of traditionalization in the country, which is typical for many parts of the"post-Soviet space". Unfortunately, for reasons of ideological pressure, "modern ethnology in Turkmenistan has long been in a period of prolonged stagnation" (p.294). Probably not to end this work on such a sad note, Sh. K. Kadyrov gives the application "Resilient" - a large selection of photos of smiling Turkmen faces.

Let us repeat once again that the book is a complex and painstaking type of scientific work - a historical and ethnographic album. By the way, this title is given on the title page, but in the output data on the next page, the publication is called an atlas, besides "introduction to the ethnology of Turkmens", which implies an expansion of the subject beyond the album. In fact, the publication goes even beyond the usual framework of compiling atlases, since at the very beginning the author enters into a theoretical polemic with different ethnological and ethnographic schools (primordialist and constructivist), puts forward his own ideas about ethnos and attempts to make them the key to the rest of the book. In our opinion, Sh. K. Kadyrov managed to implement his idea very gracefully. As a result, one can imagine "what an ethnic group is". At least, the ethnic group is Turkmen.

list of literature

Kadyrov Sh. Kh." Nation " of tribes. Etnicheskie istoki, transformatsii, perspektivy gosudarstvennosti v Turkmenistanii [Ethnic origins, transformations, prospects of statehood in Turkmenistan].

Kadyrov Sh. K. Secrets of Turkmen Demography, Moscow, 2009 (1).

Kadyrov Sh. Kh. Russian illustrated dictionary of the life of Turkmen peoples, Moscow, 2009(2).

Kadyrov Sh. K. Elite clans. Shtrikhi k portretetam [Strokes to Portraits], Moscow, 2010( 1).

Kadyrov Sh. Kh. Mnogolikiy turkmenchilik, Moscow, 2010(2).

Kadyrov Sh. Kh. (comp.) The Goddess of Turkmen ethnography, Moscow, 2012.

Kadyrov Sh. Kh. and others. Ethnos and ethnoses. Ocherki teorii i metodologii [Essays on Theory and Methodology], Moscow, 2012.

Kadyrov Sh. Kh. and others. Matrix of ethnology. Essays on Theory and methodology, Moscow, 2013.

Klein L. S. Vremya centavrov [Time of the Centaurs]. Steppe Ancestral Homeland of the Greeks and Aryans, St. Petersburg, 2010.

Semenov Yu. I. Ethnos, nation, diaspora// Ethnographic review. 2000. N 2. http://scepsis.net/library/id_160.html.

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