Scientific activities of soviet institutions in exploring folklore of the Great Patriotic War (1941–1960)

Abstract

The author relies on substantial material to explore the work of Soviet academic and cultural institutions in the field of folklore studies of the Great Patriotic War. The work points out the contribution that individual scholars have made in forming folklore collections. The article identifies the periods of expeditional and other gathering activities in 1941-1960. The author’s attention is focused on the collections of Belarusian wartime folklore archived in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the materials of post-war expeditions of M. Grinblat, L. Barag, L. Mukharynskaya to some Belarus regions. The article traces the establishment of Marxist folklore conception in science and social practice. The work reflects on the influence of this conception on the specific nature of gathering activities and the content of folklore collections, and thus helps modern folk art explorers assess the materials and publications objectively and set the direction of further research as those that have not yet been included in scientific discourse.