Religious identity and forms of its manifestation among the Bashkirs of Belarus

Abstract

The article examines the significance of religious identity for the Bashkirs of Belarus, the degree of their observance of religious practice, attitudes towards ethno-confessional interaction, cases of religious conversion are considered. They are characterized by a high degree of religious tolerance, which is manifested not only in the attitude of the Bashkirs towards mixed marriages, but also in their prevalence. The majority of respondents consider it important to observe religious holidays and turn to the Almighty with a prayer, which is said in a free form. A special place in their religious identity is occupied by the tradition of voluntary donation (sadaka, haer).

The ethnosociological study conducted by the author showed that among the Bashkirs, religion does not act as a worldview system, but is part of ethnic self-awareness and traditional values. Many of them call themselves ethnic Muslims, as well as “Muslims by birth” or “Muslims by tradition”. They do not consider themselves deeply religious, since they do not adhere to many of the requirements of Sharia (they do not perform five daily prayers, do not observe fasting (uraza) and food taboos, etc.). An analysis of the information contained in historiography about the significance of religious identity among the Bashkirs of Bashkortostan and the regions adjacent to the republic allowed us to conclude that the tendency characteristic of the diaspora in this area is a reflection of the processes taking place there.

The work is based on the author’s field materials collected in 2021–2025 from representatives of the Bashkirs living in Belarus and natives of Bashkortostan. The survey data in the form of in-depth interviews are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.