The novel by the contemporary writer Guzel Yakhina “My Children” was published in 2018 and aroused great interest among experts: the unique style and pathos of this work, its characters, structure, intertextual connections and much more were discussed. In this article, we set ourselves the goal of defining the genre of this novel and pointing out its phenomenal nature from the point of view of the dialectic of the epic. Based on the theoretical developments of A. N. Veselovsky, M. M. Bakhtin and Yu. M. Lotman on the laws of development of verbal art, we put forward a hypothesis that the novel “My Children” has a transtextual connection with the cultural history of the Volga Germans, and its concept and composition demonstrates signs of a mytho-epic epic. In the course of the study, we used cultural-historical, structural-semantic, philological and comparative methods. In the course of scientific analysis, we achieved the following results: we found out that the events in the novel unfold against the background of tragic national and historical events; We analyzed the image of Schulmeister Bach from the point of view of the functions of a cultural hero; paid attention to the prose-poetic style of the novel and its quasi-historical pathos; described the mytho-epic chronotope and topoi, and also dwelt in detail on the analysis of the system of characters: the “wonderful” wife, the antagonist, the rebellious children. Based on the results obtained, we concluded that the structural and systemic organization of the text of Guzel Yakhina’s novel “My Children” corresponds to the functions, genre and stylistic conventions of the mytho-epic epic and gave a definition of this genre, the mytho-epic novel. In conclusion, we emphasized that we are dealing with a phenomenon of transmission and stylization of a legend. Even the book itself (AST Publishing House) is organized as a publication of an epic monument: there is an appendix in the form of the “Calendar of Y. I. Bach” and a cultural and historical commentary. This study seems timely to us, since a new direction has emerged in modern literature – ethno-epic and mytho-epic novels, which, in our opinion, fit into Veselovsky’s theory of the dialectic of the epic.

Despite the extensive study of the Mongolian epic, this study is relevant because the issues of plot structure and poetics of the Oirat epic tradition remain poorly understood. The novelty of the work lies in the analysis of the plot and poetic-stylistic constants of the Oirat heroic epic in a comparative aspect with the versions of the epic “Dzhangar” of the Oirats and Kalmyks. The purpose of the article is to study the plot structure and poetics of the Oirat epic “Egil-Mergen”, recorded by B. Ya. Vladimirtsov in Northwestern Mongolia in 1913–1915 from an unknown Derbet storyteller, a professional rhapsodist. The original text of the epic was published in 1926 by Vladimirtsov in the collection “Examples of Mongolian Folk Literature”. To achieve the goal, the following tasks are solved: to study the plot structure of “Egil-Mergen”, to identify poetic and stylistic constants, and to compare them with the Xinjiang-Oirat and Kalmyk versions of “Dzhangar”. The following folklore methods are used in this work: descriptive, comparative and textual. The original text of the Oirat legend “Egil-Mergen” and its prose translation into Russian by Vladimirtsov, as well as the texts of national versions of “Dzhangar” are used to conduct the study. The study of the Oirat epic “Egil-Mergen” showed that the legend has a two-step text organization. Unlike other Oirat epics, this narrative does not include marriage competitions, difficult tasks of the future father-in-law or passing the test by destroying the enemy mangas. The traditional theme of heroic matchmaking is complicated by the repeated development of the thematic core: the hero EgilMergen, after marrying his betrothed and returning to his native nomadic camps, sets out on a campaign again, meets the hero Bayhankhan-Arsalan, who is equal in strength, and, having entered into a duel with him, wins; however, having shown nobility to the defeated, he fraternizes with him and together they destroy the enemiesmangas. The results of a comparative analysis of the poetics of the Oirat epic “Egil-Mergen” and the traditional versions of “Dzhangar” indicate that the heroic epic inherited the features of archaic tales. This is manifested in the presence of ancient motifs (first creation, miraculous birth, heroic matchmaking, etc.) and typical places (description of the miraculous strength of the hero, saddling and praising the horse, dressing the hero, etc.). The epic tradition of the Oirats has preserved unique examples of this early stage of the development of the epic, in which one can trace the process of transformation of the archaic tale into the heroic epic.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the motifs of the legends about Manas (Alyp-Manash, Alpamys) based on the material of the Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Altai versions. The purpose of the article is to identify common motifs in three legends: “Manas”, “Alyp-Manash” and “Alpamys-batyr”. The work uses comparative-contrastive, historical-typological methods of studying epic texts using contextual and plot-motif analysis techniques. The novelty of this study lies in identifying common motifs characteristic of the analyzed texts. The epic story of Manas (Alyp-Manash, Alpamys), dating back to the events of the era of the migration of the Kyrgyz to Southern Siberia, evolved over many centuries and has survived to this day. The epic has acquired many variants or versions over time, sounding among many Turkic peoples. All three texts have common motifs that act as plot-forming ones, and at the same time, each of these national versions has its own characteristics associated with the history, culture, mentality and religious views of the peoples. The common motifs include: “childlessness of elderly parents”, “birth of a hero and his horse”, “marriage of a hero”, “fight with enemies”, “imprisonment of a hero in a deep pit”, “rescue of a hero by a faithful horse-assistant”, “betrayal of a friend who planned to seize property and marry a friend’s wife”, “rescue of a hero from a pit”, “return of a hero home”, “recognition of a husband at the wedding of his wife and rival”. The Altai and Kyrgyz legends talk about the growing up and life of Manas in Altai, which indicates the place of origin of the epic about the hero Manas (Alyp-Manash, Alpamys)”.

A current direction in epic studies is the area that touches on the study of issues of mutual exchange and transition of the epic and its plot lines between different peoples. Recently, scientific interest has also been in determining the relationships between known epics and the genealogies of the corresponding epic characters.

The novelty of the research lies in the detailed study and comparison of data from the Turkic heroic and Nart epics and the genealogical traditions of the Kazakhs (Shezhire) in the context of the possible identity of the selected research objects. The anthroponym “Kartkozhak” (“Қартқожақ”) and the ethnonym “Kartkazak” (“Қартқазақ”) were identified as the objects of research. Variations of “Kartkozhak”, according to the hypothesis, are widely represented in the epic tales of a number of peoples. “Kartkazak” acts as an alternative name for the tribal association of seven Kazakh clans – “Zhetyru” (Жетіру). The ethnonym “Zhetyru” is considered in the sense of “old”, “primordial” or “early”, “first” Cossacks.

The purpose of this article is an attempt to determine the relationship between the epic names “Kartkozhak’ (“Kozhak”, “Kuzhak’) and “Gozhak”, as well as the identity of the terms “Kartkozhak” and “Kartkazak”. The objectives of the study were to present the plots of the epics of Turkic (Kazakh, Nogai, Kumyk and Bashkir), Vainakh (Chechen and Ingush) and Adyghe (Circassian) heroic tales from the perspective of convergent evolution of epics and to compare the data of shezhire and heroic legends of the Kazakhs containing information about “Kartkozhak” and “Kartkazak”. In turn, this approach determined the subject of the study – the probability of transformation and invariants related to the selected objects of research.

As a result of the work carried out, a high proportion of the probable identity of the epic anthroponym “Kartkozhak” and its derivatives (variations of the proper name) in the epics of various peoples has been established. This is confirmed both by the results of the analysis of scientific papers on the research topic, and by the established presence of similar content and characteristics of the plots of the legends of these peoples. It should be noted that these ethnic groups are either speakers of one language group (the Kipchak group of Turkic languages) or live in historically interconnected regions (Crimea – North Caucasus – Kazakhstan). The ethnonym “Kartkazazak” may have a connection with the anthroponym “Kartkozhak”, the origin of which, according to one version, is Shora batyr. He is considered the ancestor of the Kazakh Tama clan, which is part of the “Zhetyru”.

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.

This article is devoted to the analysis of the reflection of the events of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) in Bashkir musical folklore. The main attention is paid to the three most popular genres: baits (epic and lyric-epic genre of Bashkir poetry), songs (yirҙar) and ditties (takmaki). The relevance of the research is due to the need to deeply comprehend the spiritual and emotional world of a person during a critical period, insufficient knowledge of the role of this folklore in mobilizing and psychologically supporting society, as well as the need to preserve a unique cultural heritage. The purpose of the article is to identify the distinctive artistic, semantic and functional characteristics of Bashkir folklore of wartime, as well as to demonstrate its role as a keeper of historical memory. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive (thematic, genre, poetic, functional) analysis of military subjects, which for the first time reveals the specifics of reflecting universal motifs through the prism of the Bashkir worldview, reveals the humanistic meanings and the poetic and semantic depth of texts. To achieve this goal and objectives, a study was conducted that included an analysis of the reflection of the Great Patriotic War in these genres; identification of the dual function of folklore (artistic response and historical and cultural source), taking into account Bashkir specifics; disclosure of the transformation of universal themes (hopes, sorrows, pride) by Bashkir worldview; research of folklore image, poetics and semantic concepts of military folklore the definition of its role in maintaining morale, rallying Bashkir society and forming historical memory during the war years. The comprehensive analysis of the figurative system, poetic features and semantic concepts demonstrates the multifaceted nature of this cultural phenomenon, making the study significant for understanding cultural memory and the psychology of wartime. Based on the analysis of published, archival and field materials (using textual and comparative methods), the study showed that in the musical genres of this period, the motif of love and devotion to the Motherland, as well as a deep belief in victory over a common enemy, runs through the red thread. These works served as a powerful means of psychological support and social cohesion. The results of the work deepen the understanding of Bashkir military folklore, have practical significance for pedagogical activities, historical and cultural research, patriotic education and stimulate further scientific research.

The ethno-folklore traditions of the Tuvans and the peoples of Western Mongolia (the Oirat peoples, consisting of such nationalities as the Uriankhai, Dorved, Bayad, Olet, Darkhat, Mingat, Sartuul, Zakhchin) developed under similar historical, cultural and natural-geographical conditions of being part of single state entities and are therefore characterized by similarity of economic and cultural type, religious and ideological community, close linguistic ties, which contributed to the emergence of common motifs in the plots of not only various epic tales and fairy tales, but also legends and traditions as well. In this regard, it is extremely relevant to conduct research to identify common features of Tuvan historical folklore, identify commonalities in their main plot-thematic cycles and ethnic originality in comparison with the folklore of the peoples of Western Mongolia, which is one of the interesting and little-studied areas in Tuvan and Mongolian folklore studies. Thus, the main goal of the authors is to identify the main plot-thematic cycles and ethnic originality of samples of historical legends, traditions and oral stories of Tuvans and Western Mongolian peoples with the task of further comparative study of their typology, genre specificity, historicism, the main circle of characters, stylistic and artistic characteristics and features of existence. The introduction of historical legends and traditions into scientific circulation is extremely important for further theoretical generalization of their genre originality, circle of characters, problems of various contaminations, artistic characteristics as original phenomena of folklore. The novelty of the work is that for the first time in Tuvan and Mongolian folklore studies, comparative and contrastive studies of the historical folklore of neighboring peoples are conducted. The material for the study was folklore texts in Tuvan and Mongolian languages and their translations into Russian, published by Tuvan and Mongolian folklorists, as well as field expedition materials of the authors collected in Mongolia and Tuva. In conducting the study, the authors used historical-typological and complex methods, as well as field research methods in collecting and recording materials (included observation, interviews, surveys, textual description), applied the method of review, generalization, the leading one in the work is comparative and contrastive analysis. As a result of our research, the authors came to the conclusion that the historical folklore of Tuvans and the peoples of Western Mongolia developed within non-fairy-tale prose as an independent type with its own themes and genre features, artistic characteristics, system of characters and peculiarities of existence.

This article is devoted to the study of the communicative aspect of oral folklore. The problem of studying the interrelations of the epic works of the Yakuts and Evens at the level of sign systems in both Yakut and Tungus epic studies has not yet been a field of special study. The subject of this study is the units of text content – themes, epic concepts, motifs and formulas, as well as the means of their expression – linguistic metaphors, symbols and codes. The best samples of Even and Yakut epic monuments are chosen as the materials of the study. The aim of the work is to identify and demonstrate typological similarities in the semiotic systems of the Even nimkan and the Yakut olonkho. To reach the goal, the structural-semantic, lexical and comparative analyses, methods of hermeneutics, review, description and generalization were used. The information-semiotic approach served as the leading approach. The semiotic analysis of the units of epic texts allowed us to see a selection of binary oppositions, in which the specific features of the sign systems of epics, showing fragments of the natural landscape, types of economic activity, and realities of the material culture of Even and Yakut people, emerge. Comparable units of the epic texts ' content plan have differences in the size of representation, degrees of deployment, quantitative and species categories of coding, which, nevertheless, reflect the identity in the choice of objects of semiotic coding, invariant use of formulas in motifs, similarity of the metaphorization process, which is an indicator of stable links between Even and Yakut traditions. The obtained results require attention and further close study in the direction of searching for historical or historical-genetic justifications for these connections, capable of answering the question: are the similarities explained by the commonality of archaic mythological consciousness or the influence of one epic on another, common historical roots, which indicates the prospects for subsequent research.

Motifs related to the images of giant-alyps are widely represented in both Russian and global folklore. Unfortunately, their national and local characteristics in the context of Tatar epic creativity, particularly in legends and tales, remain insufficiently studied. Clear criteria for the genre differentiation of stories about giants have not been fully developed, and the continuity of motifs associated with them in folk historical prose has not been analyzed. This determines the relevance of the proposed study. The scientific novelty of this work lies in its first attempt at a diachronic study of the evolution of the alyp image in Tatar folklore: from mythological heroes born from mountains and transforming into mountains or stones at the end of their lives, to demythologized images adapted to social realities.

The aim of the proposed work is to analyze the genre specificity of the alyp image in the oral folk prose of the Tatar people and its transformation in historical narratives. To achieve this, a review of specialized literature on the topic was conducted, a source base was established, key plot-forming motifs in legends and tales were identified, and their diachronic analysis was carried out. The author employs comparative-historical and historicaltypological research methods with elements of hermeneutics.

The study concludes that stories about alyps belong to the genre of legends, as they are based on fantastical notions and lack the historical accuracy of tales. However, in historical tales about the Peasant War of 1773–1775, qualities of alyps such as immense strength, connection to mountains, and epic feats are transferred to the images of folk heroes like Emelyan Pugachev and Salavat Yulaev. Thus, these works represent a synthesis of mythological beliefs with the real history of the people, which gives historical tales a legendary character. The work emphasizes the continuity of mythological traditions in the oral non-fairy-tale prose of the Tatar people and defines their role in the ethnocultural connections of the peoples of the Ural-Volga region.

The article is devoted to the story lines about reincarnation of a heroic maiden into a heroic man in Khakas heroic tales. The relevance of the study is caused by the insufficient study of the story-line fund of Khakas epics with female characters in the main role. Reincarnation of epic heroines in Khakas heroic tales is studied for the first time. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time, using the example of Khakas epics, we show samples of texts with an artistic solution of replacing heroic maidens in the main role with male characters through their reincarnation. The purpose of the article is to identify common characteristic features in the story-line and imaginative systems of epics about reincarnation of the main character into a male hero. In this regard, the following tasks were solved: to study the composition and general motifs of the epics, to conduct a comparative analysis of the central and secondary characters (assistants and enemies). Descriptive and comparative typological methods were used in the study of epic texts; and the composition and motifs of the epics were analyzed for the first time based on the biographical principle. In the article, the topic of reincarnation of the main female characters is considered for the first time using the example of the epics “Altyn-Aryg” and “Three Orphan Sisters”. In previous scientific publications, a heroic man, born from heroic maiden Altyn-Aryg’s calcaneus, was interpreted as her son. Biographies of heroic maidens reveal common motives: a miraculous birth; violation of the ban and death as payback; the birth of a heroic man and his horse from the bones of heroic maiden and their horses; the matchmaking of a bride for a heroic man by his helpers. It is established that the birth of the heroines and their reincarnation into a heroic man occurred by the will of the Chaiaan gods. The reincarnated heroic men received honors and high social statuses: the defender of the domain equal to the khan (in epic “AltynAryg”), the khan-ruler of the paternal domain (in epic “Three Orphan Sisters”). Common parallels were revealed in the images of minor characters: the helpers of the heroic maidens are the defenders of possessions such as PisTumzukh-Plyo-Kharyn-Khuu-Inei and Khara Inei, and their sons heroic men Khulatai and Khatkhan Chula are the main enemies of the heroines. The appearance of legends with the story line about reincarnation of a heroic maiden into a heroic man is associated with a period of reassessment of the role of women in a patriarchal society. This story line is based on archaic ideas about the immortality of a soul and is not related to religious teachings about reincarnation.

The article is devoted to the study of the symbolic semantics of insects (mosquito, louse, beetle, caterpillar) in the context of various genres of Even folklore. The relevance of this study is justified by the lack of a comprehensive analysis of this topic in the context of Even folklore. This study is of fundamental importance for understanding the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Evens, as well as for an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of mythologization and symbolization in traditional societies. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time a comprehensive analysis of insect images in Even folklore is carried out, which allows us to expand existing knowledge about the mythopoetic picture of the world of the ethnic group and identify unique aspects of its cultural code. The aim of the study is to identify and analyze the mythological, symbolic and cultural functions of the mosquito, louse, beetle, caterpillar in Even folklore, as well as to determine their place in the system of traditional Even ideas about the world and nature. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were formulated: to identify the mythological and symbolic connotations associated with each of the insects studied; to determine the functional aspects of insects in the Even tradition. The study used a comprehensive methodological approach, including contextual analysis and semiotic research, which allowed not only to identify the superficial meaning of insect images in folklore, but also to reveal their deep symbolic and mythological essence. The analysis of Even folklore showed that insect images play an important role in shaping the mythological picture of the Even world. Myths about mosquitoes, in particular, symbolize the struggle between good and evil and inevitable troubles. Prohibitions on complaining about mosquitoes reflect mythological and educational aspects aimed at maintaining harmony with the environment. Lice among the Evens are multifunctional symbols that foretell trouble or death. Their appearance in a mythological context can be interpreted as a sign of intervention by supernatural forces. In the epic, lice symbolize the life cycle, which emphasizes their importance in understanding human destiny. Even signs associated with beetles indicate their connection with weather phenomena. The activity of beetles is considered an indicator of upcoming changes in nature, which indicates the Evens’ deep understanding of natural cycles. The hairy caterpillar in mythology acts as the spirit-master of the deer. The caterpillar symbolizes the cyclical nature of natural processes and the harmony between man and nature. The research prospects involve an in-depth study of the symbolic images of insects in Even folklore, as well as an expansion of the geographical and temporal context of the study to identify universal and specific characteristics of the perception of these images by different ethnic groups.

The purpose of this work is to study the functional and semantic features of the numbers of the first ten, which are used in the Tuvan epic “Boktug-Kirish, Bora-Shээлей” in comparison with the epic of the TurkicMongolian peoples of Siberia. To achieve this goal, the work aims to identify the numbers in the epic texts of the Altai, Khakas, Shor, and Buryat peoples and to establish the common and specific elements in the numerical symbolism, which is one of the components of the description of national worldviews. The study was conducted on the material of epic works from the academic series “Monuments of Folklore of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East”. The following methods are used in the work: the method of continuous sampling of numerals from the texts under consideration; the method of structural and semantic analysis of examples, the quantitative method, and the method of distributional analysis of the examples under consideration. To date, numbers as linguistic components that carry certain information have not been sufficiently studied in Tuvan studies, which explains the relevance of this research. The work employs an interdisciplinary approach that reveals the ambiguity of linguistic elements, in this case, numbers as lexical units. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that in Tuvan studies, the study of numbers as a cognitive category and as a symbol involved in the people’s perception of the world, based on the material of the epic text, has not yet been the subject of independent research. The necessity of conducting this research is due to the fact that a comparative analysis will reveal the features of the functioning and symbolic nature of the epic numerals of each nation, which acts as a form of information transmission that determines the internal structure of the distinctive culture of the peoples under consideration.

As a result of the conducted research, it was revealed that the epic works use numbers of the first ten, which have the values of sacredness, mysticism, sanctity, infinity (happiness). The use of the method of continuous sampling of the material and its quantitative analysis showed that the largest number of numbers of the first ten is found in the Altai and Buryat texts. The main conclusions made during the study have a promising continuation in the study of the entire corpus of folklore texts of the Tuvan people in order to establish the features of the linguistic and folklore worldviews of the Tuvan people.

The perception of color is formed through the prism of cultural, historical and social characteristics of a particular people. Cultural traditions, religion, lifestyle, and historical experience influence how people perceive and interpret colors, giving them certain symbolic meanings and emotional associations. The article discusses words and phrases with a color designation component, containing national and cultural specifics, and strategies to translate them. The purpose of this study is to identify the features of the color designation of epic texts and strategies of their translation from Yakut into French. The subject of the research is the colorative vocabulary in epic texts and their translation strategies from Yakut into French. The research material was olonkho “Nyurgun Bootur the Swift” by K. G. Orosin and its translation into French by Y. Karro through an intermediary language – Russian, translated by G.U. Ergis, and “Eles Bootur” by P. V. Ogotoev and its translation into French by V. I. Shaposhnikova. The research methods were comparative original and translation, linguistic and cultural analyses. Comparative analysis with elements of cultural analysis was aimed at identifying color-designation lexemes and a comparative analysis of their connotations in the original and translated texts, which revealed cultural differences in the Yakut, Russian and French linguistic cultures. The linguistic method itself allowed us to evaluate the semantic accuracy of the translation and the use of translation strategies. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the color definitions of epic texts and their translation strategies from Yakut into French did not become the object of special research. The novelty of the research lies in identifying areas of semantic gaps and emphasizing the peculiarities of linguistic worldviews of different cultures. The study revealed that the studied chromatic color definitions in the epic mainly go back to the animal world, in particular, the horse breeding and cattle breeding culture of the Yakuts, which are superimposed on the surrounding space, perception of the image of the world. The color designations of epic texts are culturally determined, which makes it difficult to maintain accuracy and nuances in translation. When translating specific colorative vocabulary, translators resort to substitution and generalization, which leads to a loss of uniqueness and expressiveness of the original. Translating equivalent vocabulary requires the translator to creatively search, use explanatory notes or comments in order to preserve the national flavor. The prospects of the work are determined by the fact that the results obtained can be used in comparative studies devoted to the problems of comparative linguistics, lexicology, anthropology, ethnology, folklore studies, translation studies and the theory of intercultural communication.

In the article, the subject of the study is the consideration of the role of the Altai musical instrument, the topshuur, in the performing practice of storytellers, since in the unified connection between the playing of a musical instrument and the presentation of the content of the legends, there is a reflection of worldviews and archaic rituals. The relevance of the article lies in the study of the manifestation of one of the oldest aspects of the performing practice of Altai legends – the magical characteristics of topshuur in the context of the performance of the tales of “ellu kaichi” (“the narrator initiated by the spirits”). The purpose of the research in the article is to systematize the characteristic features of the instrument in the performance of heroic tales in order to clarify the archaic phenomena associated with it. To achieve this goal, the following task is being solved: to identify the narrator’s connections with spirits and with a musical instrument. The research material included publications of Altaic myths, good wishes, epics, legends, and other materials, including from the collections of the Anokhin National Museum of the Altai Republic, as well as transcripts of video recordings from interviews with the narrator N. K. Yalatova from the funds of the branch of the All-Russian State Television in the Altai Republic. The research methods were descriptive, the systematization of factual material for scientific understanding. A comprehensive analysis of the materials involved contributes to a broader approach to the perception of the ritual content of the legends. Scientific novelty of the research. The article examines the issue of complementing the magical practice of storytelling from the point of view of revealing a musical attribute in it – topshuur. The result of the article is that, firstly, information about the mythological facts of the performance of heroic tales accompanied by a topshuur supplemented the knowledge about the syncretic relationship between text and music. Secondly, the description of the manufacture of the topshuur contributed to the deciphering of the concept of “living topshuur” involved in accompanying the course of the legend. In the future the study will make it possible to complement similar aspects of the performing practices of the epic traditions of other Turkic-Mongolian peoples.

The article examines figurative vocabulary of sound-mimic origin characterizing facial expressions of olonkho characters. The basis of the study was the position by L. N. Kharitonov that in the figurative vocabulary of the Yakut language there is a small group of words characterizing human facial expressions, which is called “figurative verbs with roots of sound-mimic origin”. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of figurative words of sound-mimic origin within the framework of the epic text. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the sound-pictorial system of the Yakut language as an artistic means in the epic text has not yet been fully studied. In the course of the study, the methods of analysis of dictionary definitions, the descriptive method of linguistic material, component analysis of semantics and phonosemantic analysis of words were used. The novelty of the study is that for the first time, a special study of the Yakut figurative verbs of sound-mimetic origin is carried out on the material of the Yakut heroic epic olonkho. The following olonkho texts were used as material: “Obstinate Kulun Kullustuur” by I. G. Timofeev-Teploukhov, “Kyys Debiliye” by N. P. Burnasheva, “Khaan Dzhargystai” by an unknown storyteller from the Verkhoyansk ulus, “Bogatyr Girl Dzhyrybyna Dzhyrylyatta” by P. P. Yadrikhinsky – Bedjele, “Yuryung Yuedyuyan” by A. S. Poryadin. As a result of the analysis, it was established that in the olonkho texts, the onomatopoeic origin of figurative verbs is reflected in the vocabulary with the semantics of “smile” (michiy, ymay, yrdjay), “open mouth” (appay, amay, angay). It was also revealed that the vowel sounds in the stems of figurative verbs (syl-, seter-, sel-) perform the main onomatopoeic function, i. e. when pronouncing vowels, the mouth and lips literally take the same position as the facial expression being described. It has been established that the facial expression of the olonkho characters (restrained smile, grin, open mouth) described by means of figurative vocabulary of sound-mimic origin is an attribute, a sign of belonging to a certain world.

We see prospects for further research into the features of the figurative vocabulary of the Yakut language within the framework of the epic text in turning to a larger volume of material of this vocabulary.