«Folk-enlightenment»: popular science literature on folklore in the assessments of scientific authors

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33876/2782-3423/2026-1/46-71

Keywords:

folklore, folklore studies, mass culture, public anthropology, knowledge production, mythology, popularization

Abstract

The interview is focuses on modern Russian-­language popular science literature on folklore and ethnography. Its participants — academic researchers, authors of popular science books — share their experience in this area. Among the issues discussed: the reasons for the growing reader interest in folklore and the nature of contemporary reader demand, the specifics of presenting scientific knowledge for a wide audience and the difficulty of switching between academic and popular science writing styles, interaction with publishers and the problem of expertise. The answers of the survey participants reveal many details of modern «folklore education», its features and prospects.

Author Biographies

  • Cyril Korolev

    Candidate of Sciences (Philology), independent researche

  • Natalia Petrova, Centre for Typological and Semiotic Folklore Studies, Russian State University for the Humanities

    Head Department of Cultural Studies and Social Communication, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

  • Nadezhda Rychkova, Institute of Social Sciences, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA

    Candidate of Sciences (Philology), Senior Research Fellow, Laboratory for Theoretical Folklore Studies, School of Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Institute of Social Sciences, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA); resp. secretary of the journal «Folklore: Structure, Typology, Semiotics».

  • Daria Trynkina, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS

    Candidate of Sciences (History), Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (RAS), Associate Professor at the Institute of Anthropology and Ethnology (RSUH), English-­language editor of Urban Folklore & Anthropology (School for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, RANEPA)

  • German Ustyantsev, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS

    Candidate of Sciences (History), Senior lecturer from Department of Ethnology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Senior Researcher Fellow at the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (RAS).

  • Olga Khristoforova

    Doctor of Sciences (Philology), director of the Centre for Typological and Semiotic Folklore Studies, Russian State University for the Humanities; professor of the Institute of Anthropology and Ethnology, Russian State University for the Humanities; leading research fellow, Laboratory for Theoretical Folklore Studies, School of Advanced Studies in the Humanities, Institute of Social Sciences, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA).

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Published

09.07.2026

Issue

No. 1 (2026): Антропологии/Anthropologies

Section

The Theme of the Issue