Discovery of Tuva in Orientalist optics (Sergei Mintslov and Otto Maenchen-Helfen)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2024.1.8Keywords:
Tuva; travelogue; orientalism; Sergey Mintslov; Otto Menchen-HelfenAbstract
The article explores the literary travelogues by S. R. Mintsov and O. Menchen-Helfen, through whose writings Tuva came to be known to the world in the early 20th century, to Americans and Europeans alike, including Russians.
The authors set out to analyze Tuva's image as seen through the lens of Orientalist studies (a body of techniques and approaches), which constitutes the main focus of their work. In S. R. Mintsov's travelogue “Secret Assignment: A Journey to Uryanhai” (published in 1915), Tuva is presented as a mysterious land. The article notes the reference points that informed the traveler's perception of Tuva, which would later become hallmarks of the region's image: its natural beauty and its cultural artifacts, as well as its unique anthropological characteristics that distinguish it from other cultures.
The Austrian historian Otto Menchen-Helfen, in his travelogue “Journey to Asian Tuva”, published in 1931, follows in the footsteps of Sergey Mintslov by understanding the culture of Tuva, including its daily life, holidays, nature, economy, and infrastructure from the late 1920s. However, one significant difference is that, like the people of Tuva, Menchen-Helfen is under the careful watch of the Soviet government.
References
Bhabha, H., (2020) Of Mimicry and Man: The Ambivalence of Colonial Discourse : Transl. from the English by D. Timofeev. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, no. 1 (161), pp. 29–37. (In Russ.).
Bakhtikireeva, U. M. and Sinyachkin, V. P. (2023) Social-cultural features of the contemporary Tuvan society. RUDN Journal of Sociology, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 188–195. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-2272-2023-23-1-188-195
Bakhtikireeva, U. M., Shagimgereyeva, B. E. and Amalbekova M. B. (2023) Cognition of ourselves through cognition of the culture of our ethnic group. New Research of Tuva, no. 4, pp. 226–236. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2023.4.16
Shafranskaya, E. F., Garipova, G. T. (2023) The Tuvan Text in the Aspect of Transculturation. Polylinguality and Transcultural Practices, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 497–514. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2618-897x-2023-20-3-497-514
Shafranskaya, E. F., Garipova, G. T. and Tokareva, N. A. (2023) Roman Senchin: The poetics of Tuvan text. New Research of Tuva, no. 4, pp. 6–21. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2023.4.1
Gordeeva, E. Yu. (2003) Essay. In: Literary Encyclopedia of Terms and Concepts, ed. by A. N. Nikulyukin. Moscow, Intelvak. 1597 p. Pp. 707–709. (In Russ.).
Kudaibergenova, D. T. (2020) Ghosts, Manqurts, and More: The 'Postcolonial' Art of Central Asia: transl. by N. Mikhailina. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, no. 1 (161), pp. 175–198. (In Russ.).
Lamazhaa, Ch. K. (2018) The National Character of Tuvans. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nestor-History. 237 p. (In Russ.).
Lamazhaa, Ch. K. (2021a) Essays on Modern Tuvan Culture. St. Petersburg, Nestor-History. 192 p. (In Russ.).
Lamazhaa, Ch. K. (2021b) Tuva as a limitrophe zone: language, religion and people’s identity. New Research of Tuva, no. 3, pp. 178–194 (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2021.3.14
Monguh, M. V. (2010a) Foreign researchers of Tuva: A brief review. New Research of Tuva, no. 2, pp. 203–237. (In Russ.).
Monguh, M. V. (2010b) One nation, three destinies: Tuvans in Russia, Mongolia, and China in comparative context. Osaka, National Museum of Ethnology. 369 p. (In Russ.).
Monguh, M. V. (2010c) Tuva a century after Carruthers and Menkhen-Khel'fen. Osaka, National Museum of Ethnology. 212 p. (In Russ.).
Mongush, M. V. (2012) The history of Austrian sinology: On the topic of scientific tourism. Service in Russia and Abroad, no. 4, pp. 133–143. (In Russ.).
Mongush, M. V. (2014) Kyzyl through the eyes of Austrian scientist Otto Menchen-Helfen. New Research of Tuva, no. 3, pp. 166–171. (In Russ.).
Pilsky P. (2022) S. R. Mintslov: Life, Personality, Works: A Critical and Biographical Essay. In: Mintslov S. R.: What We Don't Know, ed. by I. L. Velikodnaya and L. N. Marakhovskaya, Moscow, Art. Sobranie. 180 p. P. 7–51. (In Russ.).
Pospelov, G. N. (1987) An essay. In: Literary encyclopaedic dictionary. Ed. by V. M. Kozhevnikov and P. A. Nikolaev. Moscow, Soviet Encyclopedia. 752 p. Pp. 263–264. (In Russ.).
Savitsky, E. (2020) As a merchant, Kalintsov showed in Vienna in 1882: submission and resistance are like animals. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, no. 1 (161), pp. 124–139. (In Russ.).
Said, E. (2021) Orientalism. Ed. by by A. R. Ihsanov. Moscow, Garage Museum of Modern Art. 560 p. (In Russ.).
Steele, E. J., Lindley, R. A., and Blandin, R. V. (2002) What if Lamarck is right? Immunogenetics and Evolution. Transl. from the English by O. V. Kuznetsova, ed. by L. A. Zhivotovsky. 2nd ed. Moscow, Mir. 237 p. (In Russ.).
Tlostanova, M. (2020) Postcolonial Destiny and the Decolonial Choice: Post-Socialist Mediation. Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, no. 1 (161), pp. 66–84. (In Russ.).
Tuvans: Native People (2022) / Ed. by Ch. K. Lamazhaa and N. D. Suwandii. St. Petersburg, Nestor-History. 360 p. (In Russ.).
Urian Hai. Tuvan notebooks (2007–2008). An anthology of scientific and educational thoughts about the ancient Tuvan land and its people, Uriankhai, Tannu-Tuva and the antiquities in Tuva from the second millennium BC to the second half of the 20th century : in 7 volumes / ed. by K. D. Arakchaa and K. S. Shoigu. Moscow, Slovo. (In Russ.).
Hirsch, F. (2022) Empire of Nations: Ethnographic. Knowledge and the Making of the Soviet Union. Transl. from English by R. Ibatullina. Moscow, Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie. 473 p. (In Russ.).
Chetyrova, L. B. and Sakharov, A. S. (2023) Travelogues in the perspective of gender Orientalism (A case study of texts by K. D. Mintslova, E. K. Vereshchagina, S. R. Mintslov and Yu. N. Roerich). New Research of Tuva, no. 2, pp. 141–152. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2023.2.10
Shafranskaya, E. F. (2016) The Turkestan Text in Russian Culture: The Colonial Prose of Nikolai Karazin. St. Petersburg, Svoe izdatel'stvo. 370 p. (In Russ.).
Shafranskaya, E. F. (2017) Liars and Dreamers as a Pattern of Local Texts of the Twentieth Century. Bulletin of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, Philology. Theory of Language. Language Education, no. 1, pp. 22–29. (In Russ.).
Shafranskaya, E. F. (2019) Karazin! Asia! In: Karazin N. N. On the Far Outskirts. The Pursuit of Profit: Novels. Prep. by E. F. Shafranskaya, ed. by B. F. Egorov. Moscow, Nauka. 629 p. Pp. 525–596. (In Russ.).
Shafranskaya, E. F. (2020) On Russian Orientalism, the Russian World in Colonial Literature and their Reinterpretation in Post-Colonial Literature. Novoe Literaturnoe Obozrenie, no.1 (161), pp. 291–306. (In Russ.).
Shafranskaya, E. F. and Dolzhikova, A. V. (2024) Karl Schmückle is unknown companion on the Tuvan journey of Otto Menchen-Helfen. New Research of Tuva, no. 1, pp. 135–147. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2024.1.9
Said, E.W. (1978) Orientalism. New York, Vintage Books. 368 p.
Published
How to Cite
For citation:
Shafranskaya E. F., Garipova G. T. and Shaimerdenova N. Zh. Discovery of Tuva in Orientalist optics (Sergei Mintslov and Otto Maenchen-Helfen). New Research of Tuva, 2024, no. 1, pp. 121-134 (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2024.1.8
Issue
Section
Author Biographies
Eleonora F. Shafranskaya, Moscow City Pedagogical University; Russian State University for the Humanities
Doctor of Philology, Professor; Professor, Institute of Humanities, Moscow City University;
Professor, Department of History of Russian Literature of Contemporary Times, Russian State University for the Humanities.
Postal addresses: Office 1, 4 2nd Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi proezd, 1129226 Moscow, Russian Federation; 6 Miusskaya av., 125047, Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: shafranskayaef@mail.ru
Gulchira T. Garipova, Moscow City Pedagogical University; A. N. Kosygin Russian State University
Doctor of Philology, Associate Professor; Professor, Institute of Humanities, Moscow City University;
Professor, Department of Philology and Linguoculturology, A. N. Kosygin Russian State University.
Postal addresses: Office 1, 4 2nd Sel'skokhozyaistvennyi proezd, 1129226 Moscow, Russian Federation; 1 Malaya Kaluzhskaya St., 119071, Moscow, Russian Federation.
E-mail: ggaripova2017@yandex.ru
Nursulu Zh. Shaimerdenova, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Doctor of Philology, Professor, Professor, Department of Russian Philology and World Literature, Director, Research Institute of Turkic and Altaic Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Postal address: 71/27 Al-Farabi Av., 050000, Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty.
Email: turkology.ri@gmail.com
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Author(s) license holder(s) grant rights for their work to the journal (grantee of a license) under the simple non-exclusive open license in accordance with Art. 1286.1 «Open license for a research work, work of literature or fine arts», Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
New Research of Tuva publishes articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license (CC BY-NC).
Since it is an open license, author(s) reserve the right to upload the article to their institutional repository, submit it to another journal (if it allows republications), or republish it on their own website (in full, or in part).
However, several conditions apply here:
a) The republished version must always contain the name(s) and affiliation(s) of the author(s), the original title and the hyperlink to the original version on the New Research of Tuva website;
b) It must be in open access, free of charge, and no category of readers must be in any way whatsoever advantaged over general readership.
c) should the contribution be submitted elsewhere by its author(s) without substantial modification (30% or more of original text unchanged), the body of the article should contain a disclaimer that the original version was published in New Research of Tuva (with a link to the respective page)
The CC-BY-NC is a non-revocable license which applies worldwide and lasts for the duration of the work’s copyright.
