{"title":"Introduction","authors":"Ekaterina Anastasova, Nina A. Vlaskina","doi":"10.7592/ybbs5.00","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs5.00","url":null,"abstract":"The articles of the volume discuss various issues: what is happening with the traditional, religious and secular landscape in the Balkan and Baltic countries, Europe, and the world? What are the new aspects of the development of modern spirituality? What happens to memory, historical interpretations, and visions of the future in modern contexts? Are traditional beliefs, folklore, and rituals still relevant in the modern world? How is cultural heritage being preserved during migration and in new surroundings?","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45796675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“Bulgarian” Sites in Germany: People, Commemorations, and National Memory","authors":"Tanya Matanova","doi":"10.7592/ybbs5.01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs5.01","url":null,"abstract":"Many monuments and places related to historical events and people connected with Bulgarian history can be found throughout Western Europe (and beyond). They are often the result of the wish of Bulgarians to commemorate prominent figures in Bulgarian history. Such sites, depending on the visitors and the commemorative practices performed there, are perceived as national memorials or as religious sites. At the same time, they contribute to the preservation of Bulgarian national memory and cultural heritage beyond Bulgaria’s borders. The text will explore “Bulgarian” sites (memorial plaques, chapels, and other places) in various locations in Germany, including Heidelberg, Ellwangen, Regensburg, Reichenau, and others, with a focus on the visits Bulgarians organise and the commemorative and religious practices they perform on-site.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48938099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Old Rituals in New Cultural Environment. “Drowning of a Midwife” and “Hanging of a Matchmaker” in Lithuania and Western Belarus","authors":"Rasa Paukštytė-Šaknienė","doi":"10.7592/ybbs5.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs5.08","url":null,"abstract":"In the analysis of baptism rituals in eastern Lithuania and western Belarus, I have repeatedly drawn attention to the similarity in the structure of individual traditional wedding and baptism rites and even the transition of some ritual acts from one ritual to another. The similarities noticed in the ritual acts performed at baptisms and weddings in the first half of the twentieth century have led to a more detailed analysis of these life-cycle celebrations in the twenty-first century. In this article, I examined the peculiarities of the ceremonial/symbolic killing (or attempted killing) of a midwife and a matchmaker. Analysing both rituals I revealed the differences between the traditional ceremonial killing of a midwife and the ‘hanging’ of a matchmaker; uncover and compare modifications of these rites in modern society. I showed that, with the loss of their former ritual value and the absence of matchmakers and midwives in real life, the ritual practice of symbolic drowning or hanging has remained. This indicates a desire to preserve the old customs and, with modifications, practice them in today’s baptism and wedding ceremonies as the final part of the ritual. On the other hand, a thorough analysis of the ceremonial acts has shown that both the symbolic hanging of a matchmaker and, in particular, the drowning of a midwife (bobutė) are late cultural phenomena, dating back only one or several hundred years in the areas studied.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41670008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Postsecular Conflicts and Reconstruction of Nationalisms in the States of the Balto-Black Sea-Adriatic Triangle","authors":"Yuliia Uzun, Svitlana Koch","doi":"10.7592/ybbs5.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs5.04","url":null,"abstract":"The article focuses on the main trends in the development of state-religion relations in the era of post-postmodernism as represented at the International Conference “Balkan and Baltic States in United Europe – History, Religion, and Culture IV: Religiosity and Spirituality in the Baltic and Balkan Cultural Space: History and Nowadays” (November 11–13, 2020). The article aims to define and analyse postsecular conflicts that are manifested in the construction of new nationalisms in the countries of the Baltic – Black Sea – Adriatic Triangle. The main problem is the ascertainment of the primary trend in transforming religion-state relations in the transitionto post-postmodernity. The research methodology is the differentiation and systematisation of conflicts as markers that characterise the sociocultural crisis that erupted in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The concept of conflict is understood as a discrepancy, contradiction, and clash of positions that not only form new foundations of sociocultural and political discourse about the norm of religion-state relations but also influence the establishment of new trends in the formation of the legal basis for the statuses of religious organisations. As an empirical basis for the research, some countries’ regulatory legal acts in the region under study are used, along with data and maps of well-known research centres.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43278608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seasonality of Births and Marriages among Bessarabian Bulgarians in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries","authors":"Oleksandr Ganchev, Oleksandr Prigarin","doi":"10.7592/ybbs5.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs5.07","url":null,"abstract":"The article looks at the seasonality of birth and marriage rates among the Bulgarian population in Bessarabia in the nineteenth – early twentieth centuries. The authors argue that the transition from traditional to modern models of reproduction is accompanied by a transformation in the religious identity of Bulgarians. The work demonstrates that starting a family with children becomes more secular and not as dependent on the practices of the church calendar taboos. The main determinants of marriage and birth seasonality are the mechanisms of migration and further adaptation to new conditions. The calculations reveal the levelling and relative uniformity in the distribution of births through the months of the year. These trends highlight the transition from the traditional to the modern model. The dependence on religious factors is gradually weakening while the agricultural work cycle becomes dominant. It evidences the pronounced secularization of the worldview and social practices.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45071844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"National and Confessional Features of Festivals and Holidays: Structure of the Ritual Year in Modern Lithuania and Bulgaria","authors":"Ž. Šaknys","doi":"10.7592/ybbs4.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs4.08","url":null,"abstract":"The article aims to answer the question of whether different confessions and nationalities are an important factor in structuring a nation’s ritual year. People’s attitude towards state holidays (non-work days) is analysed based on research carried out by the author in 2012-2019 in Sofia (Bulgaria), Vilnius (Lithuania) and the towns and villages of Vilnius County. The study revealed that citizens of both states hold similar of state holidays. More popular are traditional holidays spent mostly with the family than modern holidays, which are often related to the nation’s history and are celebrated with friends. The study also showed that there was little correlation between a holiday being a day off and its popularity. The ethnic and confessional structures of the two states do not constitute significant discrepancies differences with regard to the popularity of traditional and modern holidays.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46803908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Balkan Concept of the Phenomenon of Odessa Culture","authors":"Halyna Stoyanova","doi":"10.7592/ybbs4.06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs4.06","url":null,"abstract":"This article explores manifestations of the Balkan concept as a component of the phenomenon of ‘Odessa culture’. The research aims to reveal the concept’s specific components, how they were formed in Odessa’s sociocultural environment and how they are manifested today. These tasks are solved by means of retrospective analysis, one of the key methods of Historical Urban Studies. This form of analysis enables investigation of the issues of city development and functioning in a comprehensive fashion and implies an interdisciplinary approach. The process of populating Odessa and its ethnic composition shaped the ‘Odessa culture’ phenomenon. Its unique nature involves a harmonious blend of various social, ethnic and religious layers. Since Odessa was established as a city, the Balkan peoples have become an integral part of this process. The Balkan component is now cemented in the city’s culture and is strongly reflected in its toponymy and social and cultural practices. The public activities of individuals and cultural communities contribute to the positive image of Balkan ethnicities. For example, the Balkan culinary tradition is an integral component of Odessans’ everyday culture. All the investigated aspects (demographic, toponymic, personal, sociocultural, culinary) enable the process whereby the Balkan concept synthesizes with the ‘Odessa culture’ phenomenon to be revealed. Odessa culture today is unimaginable without its Balkan component.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49300384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Estonian Prophets of the Twentieth Century","authors":"M. Kõiva","doi":"10.7592/ybbs4.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs4.11","url":null,"abstract":"Compared to famous Estonian prophets of the eighteenth and ninteteenth centuries who have left a deep mark on culture, prophets of the twentieth century have received less attention. This paper accordingly examines four prophets of the twentieth century: Aleksander Toom (Habakkuk II), Aleksei Aav (Seiu, Orthodox), Karl Reits (market place prophet, Protestant) and Priscilla Mändmets (1939-2003, global prophet, Protestant). Three of them belonged to the Brethrens congregation, while the fourth, Aleksei Aav, was Orthdox. The paper explores how upheavals in political and social life, including secularization, influenced these prophets, as well as the events in their lives that led them to become prophets. Among the main features of their activities, such as healing diseases through prayer, in our cases disseminating visions and the word of God, making doomsday predictions and predicting national or international disasters were the most important. The prophets were all literary prophets who prophesise in writing, they used to alternate between oral and written prophecy. An interesting aspect is the visions and their explanation by means of biblical passages, or the use of these passages in daily dialogues with other people.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43960926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Contemporary Udmurt Culture. I, II","authors":"Pavel Kutergin","doi":"10.7592/ybbs4.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs4.15","url":null,"abstract":"Many interesting books are born out of international cooperation. Often cooperation agreements between academic institutions are purely formal, their function primarily declarative: we have many good partners abroad, we are connected with so many international institutions. But sometimes this cooperation indeed exists and gives good results. This is the case with the two-volume work being reviewed here: Contemporary Udmurt Culture, published by the University of Tallinn, but relying on work conducted by both the Udmurt Research Institute and the Estonian Literary Museum. Behind the institutional reality, however, there is human agency: the initiators of this book, the editors, are a group of scholars who have long been acquainted through different international events and have had the opportunity to discuss several issues which led to the desire to achieve this work.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45043286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Who are Our National Heroes beyond National Borders?","authors":"Lina Gergova, Yana Gergova","doi":"10.7592/ybbs4.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7592/ybbs4.05","url":null,"abstract":"The focus of this article is on monuments to national heroes built at the initiative of the Bulgarian nation state, political party or migrant community beyond the national borders. Three analytical perspectives are presented: geographical, cultural and social, given that monuments are both physical objects and represent non-physical relations. The place of a monument is essential in the interpretation of its function, reflecting intercommunity negotiations and the views of community elites regarding the place of the in the host society. Another basic issue is who Bulgarian national heroes are abroad, who has selected them, and what means and procedures brought them there. Our hypothesis connects the core of the national celebrations (both pantheon and calendar) within the national territory with its periphery in what is a dynamic system. These reflections are illustrated with three case studies: Botev’s monument in Beijing, Vazov’s bust in Moscow and Levski’s memorial plate in Yeniköy (Romania). An inventory and a map of all the monuments dedicated to these three figures are attached.","PeriodicalId":36227,"journal":{"name":"Yearbook of Balkan and Baltic Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41899897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}