“You Can’t Stop a Walking Man”

In July 2024, an expedition of the Arctic Research Center of the MAE RAS conducted ethnographic field research in the Izhma District of the Komi Republic. The focus is on the ethnic identity of the Izhma-Komi, the mechanisms of its support and modern manifestations, the dynamics of cultural development in the process of interethnic interaction. The first results of the trip are analyzed and the main observations on the worldview of the Izhma-Komi are offered, in which the motive of movement and space is clearly traced. Throughout the ethnic history of the group under study, we have observed two opposite processes: on the one hand, settlement and development of new lands, on the other — consolidation, unification and support within the community. The motive of movement is manifested in the desire to form new connections, in entrepreneurship. The Izhma-Komi maintain a deep connection with their native land and identification with the historical territory, even if they live outside of it. Various projects and initiatives contribute to the formation of a sense of belonging to their people and an awareness of the richness of their cultural heritage. One of the issues of research interest is the stability of the Izhma-Komi people’s self-awareness and the search for resonant phenomena at the intersection of different cultures

Ethnic group · Ethnography · Field research · Arctic and Russian Policy Studies · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Regional Socio-Economic Development Trends