The creative phenomenon of Sergey Zverev – Kyyl Uola and its significance for the preservation of Yakut folklore heritage

The relevance of this study is due to the need for a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of Sergey Zverev – Kyyl Uola (the Animal’s Son). His work, being at the junction of authentic folklore performance and Soviet cultural modernization, is a unique model of artistic syncretism. The study of his heritage allows us to identify the mechanisms of adaptation of ethnic traditions in the context of ideological challenges of modern times, which is an important task of modern folklore studies and cultural studies. The problem of the study lies in the existing dissonance between the scale of the personality of Sergey Zverev – Kyyl Uola and the lack of its holistic scientific understanding. Despite the extensive factual material, his work is often analyzed fragmentarily: either as a folklore heritage, or as choreographic innovation, or in the context of biographical data. The purpose of the study is to identify and characterize the unique syncretic nature of the work of Sergey Zverev – Kyyl Uola, manifested in the organic unity of storytelling, song, choreography and acting talent, and to determine his role in the development of the traditional culture of the Sakha (Yakut) people in the 20th century. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set: to identify the origins of the formation of the syncretic talent of Zverev through the prism of the continuity of family tradition and the vast geography of his creative wanderings; to determine the place and role of Zverev in the storytelling tradition of the Sakha people through a comparison of his performing style with the work of other olonkho-tellers of his generation; to conduct a genre and typological analysis of the singer’s folklore heritage with an emphasis on the specifics of his improvisational style and innovative rethinking of traditional forms in the context of the Soviet era; to generalize the organizational practices of Zverev in managing amateur performances, which led to the unprecedented recognition of his ensemble at the all-Union level. The main research methods were: the historical and methodological method allowed us to systematize the stages of Zverev’s creative path and identify stable, typological features of his art in the context of the development of the Yakut culture of the 20th century; the comparative typological method was used to compare the performing style of Zverev with the work of other olonkho-tellers of his generation, as well as to analyze the variability of his improvisations; the biographical method is key to reconstructing the storyteller’s life path, analyzing the influence of the family environment, teachers and “wandering life” on the formation of his unique talent; the source study method is the basis for working with a corpus of texts: publications in periodicals, memoirs of contemporaries and field diaries of researchers.

The conducted study of the work of Sergey Zverev – Kyyl Uola allows us to draw a conclusion confirming his unique role as a cultural translator who synthesized the archaic tradition of the Sakha people with the challenges and demands of the Soviet era. It has been established that the formation of his syncretic talent was the result of the continuity of a family of hereditary toyuk-tellers, from Yrjan Yakov and the unique experience of a “wandering life”, which became a living school for honing improvisational skills and expanding the repertoire. Genre and typological analysis of his folklore heritage. Genre and typological analysis of his folklore heritage revealed not only a profound mastery of traditional poetics, but also an innovative approach to improvisation, which allowed him to create relevant texts glorifying both the nature of Yakutia and the achievements of the Soviet people. His contribution to olonkho, although not realized in the form of full text recordings, turned out to be significant in the stage embodiment of epic images, which became a practical fulfillment of his teacher’s behest and influenced subsequent generations of performers. The activities of Zverev as an organizer of amateur performances had an unprecedented resonance. Under his leadership, the folk ensemble from Suntarsky District raised Yakut dance to a professional level, making productions (“Patterns”, “Eagle Dance”) the hallmark of Yakut culture at all-Union festivals. His advisory role in the creation of the first Yakut opera and ballet shows his deep understanding of the mechanisms of translating folklore aesthetics into the language of professional art. Prospects for further research are seen in the textual analysis of folklore texts, as well as understanding him as an organizer of amateur art. Studying the legacy of Sergey Zverev, who stood at the origins of professional art, is a priority for future researchers.

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