Regilaul in the Political Whirlpool: On Collecting Regilaul in Northeast Estonia in the Second Half of the 1950s
Regilaul in the Political Whirlpool: On Collecting Regilaul in Northeast Estonia in the Second Half of the 1950s

Summary/Abstract: The article is dedicated to the history of the monumental regilaul publication Vana Kannel and examines the changing position of regilaul in the research politics of Soviet Estonia in the 1950s. The changing form of fieldwork expeditions is dealt with, as the collection of regilaul was seen as a part of the preparation process of the publication. Concentrating on the series of fieldtrips to Alutaguse region in the second half of the 1950s, objectives and details of fieldwork are scrutinized to pinpoint the reasons for the failure of the endeavour. The fundamental question the article examines is the interaction between the dominating ideologies of research politics and the individual interests of folklore collectors.

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