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Some features of the ideas of the Gagauz about their religious affiliation (based on press materials, in scientific publications and writings of history buffs)
Authors: Diana E. Nikoglo, Natalia G. Golant
Number of views: 61
The article deals with the ideas of the Gagauz about their religious affiliation.
The sources in this case were press materials, scientific publications
and writings of amateur history buffs. The materials of the regional
presstestify that in the period from 1988 to 1994, the coverage of religious
topics, in comparison with the topic of the native language, was rather weak.
This is due to the inertia of atheistic propaganda, as well as the fact that
the language occupies a leading position among the identification
characteristics of the Gagauz community. Journalists gave more preference
to materials about language for the reason that it was more vulnerable
to modern challenges than religion, and could disappear. Ethnic myths
about religious affiliation, created by both professional historians
and history buffs, are united by the desire of their authors to make the history of the people ancient and at the same time show that the adoption
of Christianity by the Gagauz took place in time immemorial — at least one
millennium ago. In addition, among the representatives of the creative elite
(mainly writers) there is a desire to “register” the Gagauz in the Turkic world.
At the same time, one of the authors believes that the Ottomans saved
the Gagauz from being absorbed by the Bulgarians and Greeks. Another
author, being, in fact, an adherent of neo-paganism, claims that Christianity
destroyed the "national holidays of the Gagauz", including Wolf holidays,
Pipiruda, Raspus and others.