Sokolova  A.D.

STUDIES IN FUNERAL CULTURE. HISTORIOGRAPHIC REVIEW

Authors

Sokolova A.D.

Keywords:

funeral, death, historiography, ritual, commemoration.

Abstract

The article provides a historiographic review of studies in funeral culture - death, dying, and body disposal practices. The review contains studies written in the field of cultural history, studies of traditional culture, studies of the Soviet period and funeral practices in modern Russia. Author notes significant differences in Russian and Western historiography. Western historiography places great emphasis on the cultural history of death, dying, and body disposal practices. The researchers focus on the evolution of funeral practices and beliefs over long periods of time, fitting these changes into the broader context of social, cultural and economic processes. At the same time, among domestic researchers, interest in such an analysis is just beginning to form. In the same time studies on Russian materials are mainly focused on traditional culture, as well as the political aspects of death and dying in the Soviet period, while everyday practices and the process of alienation from traditional culture, which is extremely important on the modern stage, are outside research interest of most authors.

STUDIES IN FUNERAL CULTURE. HISTORIOGRAPHIC REVIEW