1 Anna Czekanowska

To Transform or Just to Survive – Following the New Reality Samples from Siberia and Poland The aim of this paper is to describe essential aspects of contemporary people’s existential drama focusing on the problems of minorities and on the loss of their cultures. In this contribution I will focus on autochthonous groups living in multicultural and/or multinational states (Poland 1 and Russia). I will also outline some economic aspects, which quite often harden living conditions re-orientating people toward forced cultural patterns, which are under the control of the majority in a given country and of its administration.

This study is dedicated to quite distant cases from Siberia’s north-eastern periphery and from the eastern part of the European Union. By this choice I want to stress how one’s own identity differ nowadays.

In this contribution I concentrate on three different minorities presenting on the one hand the groups being culturally and even physically annihilated and on the other, those living quite comfortable, who are trying to redefine the status of their culture. The conditions and the ways of applied initiatives reveal the significance of history and politics operating in the given countries. This concerns especially the situation in those Eastern European states that have acceded to the EU.

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The situation of small groups dispersed in Eastern Siberia still remains very dramatic. Among Siberian minorities one has to differentiate between the groups from the islands (Ainu, Nivkhs, Orochons, Gilyaks (mainly from Sakhalin and Hokkaido) and from continental Siberia (especially Nganasans). The former were very well investigated a hundred years ago by Bronisław Piłsudski and quite recently revisited by Polish-Japanese scholars

1

in historical perspective Poland was also a multinational state

2 (1999-2004) 2.The latter were only fragmentary explored by Russian scholars, particularly by Igor Bogdanov (Brodsky).

Thanks to preserved documentation, we may compare the ongoing processes and to state that many advanced initiatives of Bronisław Piłsudski 3 formulated in his manifestoes and his appeal for legitimization of these groups, as well as his programme to teach people in local languages, have never been implemented. The same goes for Piłsudski’s concern for a better position of women in society 4.

The comparison of the aforementioned groups living today under Russian (Sakhalin) or Japanese (Hokkaido) domination, shows that despite evident differences in living standards, the conditions for preserving cultural tradition in both cases are very restricted. The culture of Hokkaido’s Ainu is limited today to its presentation in a ‘skansens’ 5, the culture of Nivkh in Sakhalin may be only presented at concerts, and exhibitions of the so-called local ‘folk’ culture organized by the central administration, and only very seldom supported by initiatives of scholars versed in this culture, among others by ethnomusicologists (see below). The purely local initiatives do not find adequate space for their presentation.

Most dramatic is the situation of the Nganasan people living in dispersed groups in continental Siberia, where the process of de-identification went so deep that they would probably be happy being recognized as Russians. The Russian central administration surprisingly does not want give them this status, qualifying them as the ‘local Russians’ (mestnye Russkie) only, which evidently makes their education and social advancement very difficult. Most drastic are the arguments used by some scholars (historians), according to which these people cannot have a national status because they do not look Russians: (“look at their faces, do they look Russian?”).

2 see Alfred F. Majewicz, T.Wicherkiewicz editors,Bronisław Piłsudski and Futabei Shimei – An Excellent Charter in the History of Polish-Japanese Relations, Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM, Poznań 2001. 3 Piłsudski was political prisoner deported to Siberia where he had opportunity to teach Siberian children, see Bronisław Piłsudski,” Nuzhdy i potrebnosti sakhalinskikh Giliakov”,( in) “Zapiski priamurskogo Otdeła Imperatorskogo Geograficheskogo Obshchestva”, vol.4,Chabarovsk 1898, see also the same, Projekt Zarządzania Ajnami z wyspy Sachalin z krótkimi komentarzami do poszczególnych punktów, “Lud”, vol.86, Wroclaw, 2002. 4 see above Bronisław Piłsudski, Nuzhdy i Potrebnosti.. 5 Karolina Kondracka, Instrumenty muzyczne w kulturze Aynu –tonkori i mukkori: Źródla, repertuar, współczesne funkcjonowanie, BA thesis, Warsaw University 2005.

3 Paradoxically, these “non-Russian looking people” are forced to accept Russian culture and the central administration organizes for them instructors teaching them Russian polyphonic singing and the Cossack dances. However, the most tragic, are the results of industrial pollution. In fact, not only the languages and cultures disappear but simply the people are dying as they are not sufficiently protectet at this time of changes and accelerated pace of current civilizational processes 6. On the other hand one should appreciate the actions of certain scholars and ethnomusicologists, those of Igor Brodsky-Bogdanov in particular, who organizes concerts and recordings of this unique music, documenting the passing away culture of threatened Siberian minorities. His activity has not only the value of its documentation, but is important socially supporting the people’s identity.

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Despite some problems and the danger of disappearance of local culture the situation of minorities in Poland on the EU’s eastern border is very different. The needs and hopes of particular minorities have grown especially after joining the EU. This historical fact revealed the extended spectrum of local demands and the dependence on history. The most evident contrast reveals the comparison of groups from the eastern area of Poland (believers of Russian Orthodox religion) and the groups of western area, i.e. the Kashubian people from Pomerania.

The culture and music of the Russian Orthodox in Poland and especially those living in the borderlands between Poland and Belarus, as well as between Poland and Ukraine, is one of the most conservative in Poland, characterized by a great religious dedication 7. Nevertheless, studies in the recent decades reveal changes in this culture as well. This process is clearly exhibited in the concepts of the young generation. The basic loyalty to traditional patterns however remains, still preserved. As a result these people and the young generation in

6 Bogdanov (Brodsky) Igor, “O narodnykh instrumentakh i instrumentalnoy muzyke narodov Dalnego Vostoka RSFSR”, (in) Teoreticheskiye problemy narodnoy instrumentalnoy muzyki, I.Macijevskij editor, Sojuz Kompozitorov RSFSR, Moskva 1974. 7 see Anna Czekanowska,”Looking for Identity Marks:Localiy-Identiy -Religion-Music”,(in) Music and Minorities, S.Pettan Editor, Założba, Lublana 2001, see also the same, “Closer to the East than to the West: On the Musical Culture of East Borderland”, (in) Byzantium and East Europe.Liturgical and Musical Links, In honour of Miloŝ Velimirović, N.Gerasimova-Persidskaya, I.Łozowaya edtors, Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Hymnology,vol.4, Moskwa 2003.

4 particular try to reconstruct the traditional patterns in a modern way, though frequent regressions to the attitudes of the past reveal the strength of their historical roots.

Speaking of historical specifics one should stress, that this area was under pressure of intense political competition between Poland and Russia. That means between two different concepts of tradition and social advancement, with a different church policy and a different state authority affiliation. Finally, with a different kind of social structure, as well as different character of culture which, in the Orthodox believers’ case, was and still is, definitely East Slavonic. Most typical for this culture is also the lack of a definite background of literary transmission, actually limited to the legacy of a given church. In consequence, language and particularly a script never played a dominant role for identity, while religion evidently different than that of the of the Roman Catholic majority was most decisive.

Indeed, it was religion, folk culture, customs and music and specifically the way of multipart singing which unified people living on the both side of the frontier river Bug. According to local people “so long as you can sing together with us, in “our” way you are “ours”. It was evidently a culture of oral tradition. In local cemeteries one find often the inscriptions in both – Latin and Cyryllic scripts even on the same grave. This fact remains in definite opposition to the statement of Samuel Huntingon, who claims that the borders between Western and Eastern civilizations are spectacularly documented by the difference in script (Latin or Cyryllic 8). In this area people were using the kind of script which they had opportunity to learn. If somebody was closer to the Orthodox church he wrote Cyryllic, if he attended a Polish school - in Latin. But music and the manner of singing unified people which has not changed until the present.

Joining the EU stimulated the imagination of people and re-oriented them in another direction. The people started to evaluate this historical fact not only in simple pragmatic dimensions as the possibility of getting passport for traveling or financial subsides for farming. The political and cultural aspects became with a time more and more important. The people and the very ambitious young generation want to rebuilt the concept of their identity and culture. They want to emphasize the Greek legacy, evidently documented by their religion and its sources. The reference to the Greek tradition well documented by terminology of 8

see Samuel P.Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and Remaking of World Order, Simon and Shuster, New York 1996.

5 particular genres (Tropar, Kontak) and the role of calendar (Julian not Gregorian) became with time more and more advanced.

The difference between generations is very clear. The very ambitious and musically well educated young generation wants to elaborate a ‘new style’ of singing which stresses its distance to the musical styles proposed by Moscow Church. But, in the final result people and evidently the older generation remain loyal to that which was handed down by tradition.

Nevertheless, the local religious centre in Grabarka, though highly respected, seems not fulfill sufficiently the expectations of the internationally oriented people. One may suspect that finally language will also undergo some changes and the local dialects will not be considered as satisfactory. The traditional folk culture as well as the dialects, very well preserved even fifteenth years ago, are today in decline passing away with the people of the older generation.

The definite joining with the EU gave the additional impulse, leading towards the re-thinking of many concepts. This has been connected with the reflection on people’s loyalty to the Polish administration, actually never beloved, but accepted. It has also been connected with the re-interpretation of the old stereotypes (Polish-Catholic; Russian- Orthodox) with a hope to be better prepared for the new way of life. Economy plays mostly a moderating role, orientating people in this or other direction with a hope of finding a better place within the frame of the EU. But music in all mentioned processes still remains very important. The Orthodox believers have very strong musical instincts. They intuitively feel that music is really the best instrument which may not only support their identity but also bring new values to European culture of the future. The Polish and Russian cultures competing for years in this territory are today, at least in the imagination of young people, replaced by the concept of EU and its culture.

*************************************************************************** The Kashubian minority of Pomerania 9 (north-western Poland) presents a very different case. In a consequence of a wrong stereotype, the Kashubians were not regarded as music

see, Kaszuby. Polska pieśń i muzyka ludowa. Źródła i Materiały, L. Bielawski editor ISPAN, Warszawa1997, vol.1, Introduction; see also the same,”Muzyka Ludowa Pomorza”(in) Tradycje ludowe w kulturze muzycznej, ISPAN, L.Bielawski editor, Warszawa 1999. 9

6 oriented 10. In fact the specifics of their culture are more easily visible in dance than in music. Still, these dances and very popular game-dances (the shoemaker, the smith) document rather a general tradition of Central Europe and Scandinavia, pointing to some specific elements only (the topics of the fisherman and the sailor).The historical sources confirm also that music of Pomerania was probably different from Polish music in the 16/17th centuries already and that the typical ‘Polish” mazurka rhythm never took root in this region 11. This phenomenon, probably connected with the language and with its initial accent 12, contributed also to these specifics, which received finally the rank of separated language and not of dialect 13. The Kashubians are very proud to have this historical document and to receive recently the status of separate language, since language has been forming for centuries the basis of their identity. Non less important is for them a long tradition of written documentation.

The Kashubian musical culture can also not be disregarded. Their skills and knowledge are quite advanced. Unlike many Polish regions they cultivate many choirs representing quite professional standards. Their cultural policy is very well organized revealing evidently their pragmatism. One should qualify this tradition as tending towards general European cultural patterns and institutions.

The historically documented differences of Kashubian culture formed a good basis for autonomy, confirmed also by the hope to have the own regional anthem. At the same time, the Kashubian were always loyal to Polish state, especially at the time of intensive German politics oriented toward their Germanization. In consequence of this politics they have never manifested and do not manifest today great sympathy to the Western neighbor. This is very different from the case of the described above Russian/ Orthodox believers being evidently sympathetic to the neighbors to the east (Belarussians, Russians).

The Kashubians are fully aware that the local dialects are disappearing rapidly, and, this awareness was decisive in their efforts of recognizing their language as a literally legacy, 10

Unfriendly policy of German policy was especially evident in the activity of Wilhelm Haken. He has distributed a stereotype that “Pomerania non cantat”, actually copying the much older one formulated in the case of Phrysians – “Phrysia non cantat”. 11 see Anna Czekanowska, Polish Folk Music. Slavonic Heritage-Polish Tradition-Contemporary Trends, Cambridge University Press, 1990. 12 the initial accent is clearly opposed to the syncopated rhythm typical for Polish dances, see Ludwik Bielawski, Rytmika polskich pieśni ludowych, PWM, Kraków, 1970. 13 the oldest source of Kashubian language is confirmed by document of Gregory IX “ dux Slavorum of Cassubia” (1238).

7 though of regional status. Appealing to the Polish law of 6 January 2005 14, they have a good chance of fulfill these expectations. At the same time they do not lose touch with the young generation, supporting their initiatives and their concepts of popular music including even the Kashubian ‘rock’ and ‘pop’ proposals. The accession to the EU and the disappearance of western frontiers strengthens the links with the western countries, which always were quite strong despite the opposition to German policy. This attitude is strongly supported by the young generation.

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The cited samples reveal new aspects of minority problem, resulting from the huge scale and accelerated tempo of current civilizational processes. Can this concept be extended? Or perhaps can be better adapted to particular cases?

Comparison of different minorities should be done carefully and requires more precise criteria. One should really differentiate between people needing simple protection and humanitarian help and those fighting consciously for their political and cultural rights. The same relates to the groups of emigrants and refugees mostly unified by the common fate and common desire for survival, frequently forgetting their culture and languages in the process.

The integrity of a group seems be the best criterion of a minority. At the time of global changes it requires a seriously refined approach. The delimitation of national states status changed the balance which has been stable for many years. Many groups are in danger witnessing in despair the loss of their culture, mores and standards of life to which they have been accustomed for years. The competition between majority and minority groups provokes evident conflicts. Adjustment to the new reality seems to be the main recommendation for contemporary people. The situation of minorities and their cultures, how broadly they can be approached, is crucial in this context.

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this law recognizes the national and ethnic minorities and regional languages

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References Cited Bielawski Ludwik, Rytmika polskich pieśni ludowych, PWM, Kraków,1970, Bielawski Ludwik „Introduction” ,(in) Kaszuby. Polska pieśń i muzyka ludowa .Źródła i Materiały, L.Bielawski editor, ISPAN, Warszawa ,1997, vol.1-2. Bielawski Ludwik, Muzyka ludowa Pomorza,(in) Tradycjeludowe w kulturze muzycznej Pomorza, L.Bielawski editor, ISPAN, Warszawa 1999. Bogdanov (Brodsky) Igor, O narodnykh instrumentakh i instrumentalnoy muzyke narodov Dalnego Vostoka RSFSR, (in) Teoreticheskije problemy narodnoy instrumentalnoy muzyki, Sojuz Kompozitorov RSFSR, I.Macijevskij editor, Moskva 1974. Czekanowska Anna, Polish Folk Music. Slavonic Legacy – Polish Tradition – Contemporary Trends, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Czekanowska Anna, “Looking for Identity Marks: Identity-Religion-Music”, (in) Music and Minorities, S.Pettan editor, Założba, Lublana, 2001. Czekanowska Anna, “Closer to the East than to the West: On the Musical Culture of East Border Land”, (in) Byzantium and East Europe. Liturgical and Musical Links, In honor of Miloŝ Velimirović, N.Gerasimova-Persidskaya, I.Łozowaya editors, Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Hymnology, vol.4.Moskva 2003. Huntington P.Samuel, The Clash of Civilizations. The Remaking of World Order, Simon & Schuster, New York 1996. Kondracka Karolina, Instrumenty muzyczne w kulturze Aynu –tonkori i mukkori: Źródła, repertuar, współczesne funkcjonowanie, BA thesis, Uniwersytet Warszawski 2005. Inoue K., ”B.Piłsudski’s Proposals of Autonomy and Education for the Sakhalin Ainu”(w) Quest for an Entire of B.Piłsudski’s Far Eastern Indigenous Studies, K.Onoue editor, Slavic Center, Hokkaiido University, Sapporo, 2003. Piłsudski Bronisław, ”Nuzhdy y potrebnosti sakhalinskikh Gilyakov”, (in) Zapiski priamurskogo Otdeła Imperatorskogo Georaficheskogo Obshchestva, vol.4,Chabarovsk,1898. Piłsudski Bronisław – The Collected Works, A.F.Majewicz editor,vol.1,Walthet de Gruyter, New York-Berlin,1998. Piłsudski Bronisław and Futabei Shimei, - An excellent Charter of Polish Japanese Relations, A.F.Majewicz, T.Wicherkiewicz editors, Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM, Poznań 2001. Piłsudski Bronisław, „Projekt zasad zarządzania Ajnami z wyspy Sachalin z krótkimi komentarzami do poszczególnych punktów”, elaborated by A.Kuczyński, Lud, vol.86, 2002.

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Discography Siberian Music 1.Tchukotskaya i Eskimosskaya Muzyka, LP 33, Melodya nr.D 035505-6 ,(ed. Igor Brodsky), 60/70 .of 20th century, 2. Muzyka Narodnostej Tchukotki, LP 33, Melodya nr.M30 – 43075-6, (ed. Igor Bogdanov), 1981, 3. Samojadetelnoe iskusstvo narodnostey severa, LP 33, Melodya S90 197559 007, (ed. L.Akhmetova, 1983, 4. Music of Northern Lights, LP 33, Melodya S90 31129 001 (two records), ed. Igor Bogdanov, 1990. Music of the Russian Orthodox Believers in Poland 5. National and Ethnic Minorities in Poland, vol. 1, CD, in “Sources of Polish Folk Music – Muzyka Źródeł”, vol.13, PRCD 162, (eds. Anna Borucka-Szotkowska, Anna Szewczuk),1999, Music of the Kashubians 6. Music of the Kashubians, Kaszuby, (in) “Muzyka Źródeł” vol.17,PRCD nr.166, (eds.) Ludwik Bielawski, Małgorzata Jędruch-Włodarczyk, 1999., 7. Wladysława Wiśniewska i Zespół Śpiewaczeki Ludowych –Wdzydzanki, (in) Archive of the Institute of Art PAN and Radio Gdansk, ISBN 97883 906684-4-4, (ed. Jacek Jackowski), 2007.