INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL STUDIES OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

On December 14, 2006, the next Roerich Readings were held.

The meeting was opened by I. V. Zaitsev, Deputy Director of the Institute of Information Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He stressed that they are regularly held at the Institute, thanks to the constant composition of their participants and loyalty to the traditions of Yuri Roerich. This time, the opening of the readings was marked by a sad event - the sudden death of one of their organizers and constant participant A. A. Ledkov (IB RAS). This year, he also prepared a report and did a lot to ensure that they took place. Participants of the readings observed a minute of silence in his memory.

The report "Park and forest in the world of Sanskrit drama" was made by Yu. M. Alikhanov (ISAA at Moscow State University). She considered options for a natural space to be included in a Sanskrit drama as a setting and / or backdrop for the action. According to the speaker's observations, the ancient drama never depicts the wild nature. Even if the scene turns out to be a forest hermitage (ashrama), the natural background appears to be cultivated. The main natural space in the ancient drama is the park. Depending on the genre, it can be either a palace park or a city park. The introduction of the park as a place of action is accompanied by a kind of decorative splash screen-a description depicting its beauty and well-being. In addition, high drama (nataka) introduces seasonal features into the image of the park, correlating them according to the laws of the lyrical canon with the emotional state of the hero. In medieval drama, due to general changes in its structure and genre system, the importance of the natural background decreases. Along with this, the depicted space itself also changes. Appeal of the Medieval Churchthe approach to an epic plot leads to the replacement of the park with a forest and, as a result, to relying on epic traditions in depicting the world of uninhabited nature.

A. G. Guria's report "Lamentation in a Literary epic poem in Sanskrit: General characteristics" was devoted to the evolution of the description of lamentation as a genre in mahakavya (literary epic poem). She noted that the lamentations included in ancient poems are fundamentally different from the lamentations of epic works ("Ramayana" and "Mahabharata"), where their presence was determined by the plot. Using the example of the poems of Ashwaghosha and Kalidasa, the speaker showed that lamentations have become a special internal genre in the composition of mahakavya. Comparing the lamentations of the poems with each other, as well as with the lamentations of the epic, she drew a number of conclusions about the evolution of this genre. Compared to the epic, literary lamentations first turn into detailed, picturesque descriptions of the grief and behavior of the characters. Later, descriptions of the external manifestations of grief disappear from the crying scenes, and more interest begins to show in the psychology of the characters and their inner world. The motives and forms of crying also change. Literary works bring a certain composition, a well-thought-out logical structure to the lament.

A. M. Lubyansky (ISAA) in his report "Horse and Chariot in ancient Tamil lyrical poetry" drew the attention of the audience to the original motif of classical Tamil poetry. The hero of love lyrics is often described as a character moving on a chariot. This leads to a situation that is not found in Prakrit and Sanskrit poetry: the hero appeals to the charioteer to hurry on his way to meet his beloved. Chariots and horses are described with a number of details that indicate the high status of the hero, his belonging to the stratum of the military aristocracy and, probably, his royal status. In other words, a significant part of Tamil love poetry is reinterpreted as panegyric poetry, created in the environment of kings or military leaders.

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N. Y. Chehonadskaya's report "Chariot noise motif in Ancient Indian and Ancient Irish texts" analyzed the interpretation of the noise/sound theme in Indian and Irish epic works. The following parallels were particularly interesting: 1) the spread of noise in all directions of the world; 2) the frenzy that engulfs warriors with loud shouts and other noise made by heroes; 3) the screams of supernatural beings during battle (music, the screams of yakshas and rakshasas in the Mahabharata, "demons of the air" in the "Abduction of the bull from Kualnge", 4) the screams of birds and other animals tied to the chariot (vulture, monkeys in the Mahabharata, swans, deer in the Irish tradition).

In the report " The Boar and the kitten. Metaphors in Hazari Prasad Dwivedi's novel "The Autobiography of Banabhatta" by G. V. Strelkov (ISAA) I considered two main metaphors-a boar (Varaha, one of Vishnu's avatars) and a cat with kittens, which are used in the novel. Hazari Prasad Dwivedi (1907-1979), a prominent Hindi writer and the greatest scholar of classical Sanskrit and medieval literature in India, wrote a novel based on Bana's seventh-century Kadambari and Harshacharita. During the Second World War, it was perceived as a novel-a symbol that revives the national heritage, while at the same time imbued with concern for the fate and future of the whole world. The metaphors discussed in the report allow us to understand the compositional structure of the novel, the relationship and interrelation of its characters, identify vaguely expressed symbols, and characterize the author's style features.

V. V. Vertogradova's report "The riddle of Eduka in the culture of Ancient India" considered one of the most interesting and mysterious monuments of ancient Indian architecture. Based on the characteristics of eduka in the Mahabharata and Pratimalakshana, an attempt was made to reconstruct the monument. This made it possible to compare it with monuments of both Buddhist and Shaivite architecture and identify its role in the ritual. The report concluded that the influence of Shaivism on stupa construction became possible due to the evolution of the Buddhist teaching itself and the changing role of the monastery and the world in ritual.

N. V. Alexandrova's report "The space of the" middle world "in Buddhist mythology" was devoted to the analysis of this topic, based on the episode of the symbolic construction of a stupa in one of the legends told by Xuanzang, where the patra (bowl of a Buddhist monk) is used as the designation of the stupa dome. This comparison revealed a consistent series of mythological associations corresponding to the middle part of the Buddhist stupa: 1) three-dimensional space as an "aboveground world", inseparable from the images that fill it; 2) "middle world" in its connecting role between the earthly and heavenly levels; 3) "middle world" in its role as a fructifying source of vital goods, identified with "dharma-food"; goods transferred in the rite of donation community; 4) " Buddha's body "as one of the examples of anthropomorphism of the image of a vessel and a stupa at the same time; 5)" teaching", Buddhist dharma in its temporary existence.

In the report "Number and enumeration in descriptions of creation and construction" E. V. Tyulina (Institute of Architecture of the Russian Academy of Sciences) noted that in the construction treatises "Agni Puranas" "Matsya Puranas" and "Garuda Puranas" (IV-IX centuries).) many dimensions are described. However, they are not so much related to practical calculations for construction, but rather to the peculiarity of the worldview. In both ancient and medieval texts, numbers and enumerations appear in two cases: in descriptions of sacrifices and in descriptions of creation, birth, and construction. This is due to the archaic idea of the creation of the world, the transformation of chaos into space. When describing the harmonization of space, the appearance of numbers is appropriate. They bring a moment of order to the chaos of substances, beings, and objects. In the medieval construction tradition, the attitude to measurement and counting is preserved as a sacred operation related to the creation of the world. It is interesting that no matter what we are talking about - numbers, measures and even geometric shapes-they are all grouped around the image of a person (using parts of the human body as measures, using their names to indicate the structural elements of a building, drawing a mandala with a person inscribed in it to consecrate a construction site). The ubiquitous anthropomorphic image serves as a guarantee of the integrity of the world model recreated during construction.

A. A. Mekhakyan's report (Yerevan) "Philosophical interpretation of grammatical categories of person and number in the ontology of Kashmiri Shaivism" was made on the basis of Abhinavagupta's (XI century) commentaries on the Paratrishaka, one of the most important Shaivite texts that reveals the fundamental doctrine of the system

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trika (triad). Within the framework of the Shiva-Shakti-Nara ontological triad, Abhinavagupta analyzed the grammatical categories of persons and numbers in Sanskrit. Using the example of various grammatical constructions, he showed that each component of a triad can pass through three states, and on the example of the formation of complex words - that multiplicity can turn into unity. In addition, he describes the manifestations of the manifestations of the Absolute and the homological doctrine of beings based on the analysis of cases. Thus, Sanskrit in his commentaries appears as a system of grammatical rules describing reality.

D. I. Zhutaev (IB RAS) in his report "Abhidharma and abhivinaya-the approach of different Buddhist schools" quoted an excerpt from the text "Abhisamacharika-dharm" of the XI-XII centuries, where two terms abhidharma and abhivinaya were mentioned. He explained what was meant by these terms in this and other works of the Mahasanghika-Lokottaravadin school: in them, abhidharma is a collection of nine types of pre-krial discourse called "sutras of the nine types", and abhivinaya is a synonym for the term vinaya, meaning a text that sets out the rules of pratimoksha. This pair of terms is a transformation of the archaic dharma-vinaya dyad. The study of the relationship between these two oppositions prompted the speaker to turn to the Pali Canon and commentary literature. He came to the conclusion that in the Pali canonical texts they were used in the same way as in the Lokottaravadin texts: to denote two equal text corpora that played a significant role in the everyday life of the monastic community. However, unlike the Locottaravada ones, they do not define these buildings. The commentary literature shows that at the time of its writing, the original understanding of the essence of the dichotomy of terms was completely lost.

K. P. Shrestha (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) in his report "On the degree of study of Nepalese legends" identified three groups of legends: those related to Hinduism, those related to Buddhism, and those related to local beliefs. If the sources of the first two groups are sacred religious treatises and the epic of ancient India, then the legends of the third group are the most original and reflect the diversity of beliefs of local ethnic groups that have inhabited the southern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains since time immemorial. The speaker spoke about various editions of local folklore, noting that Nepalese researchers do not see any differences between legends and fairy tales. In his opinion, there is still no solid collection of Nepalese legends, nor their fundamental research. The first and so far only attempt to study them is a collection of Nepalese legends entitled "Garland of Nepalese Legends" ("Nepali Kimbadanti-mala"), prepared by the speaker and published with his comments in Kathmandu in 2005.

D. N. Lelyukhin (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences) in his report "Ways of migration of the Lichchhavas from India to the Kathmandu Valley" raised the question in a new way about the ways of resettlement of representatives of this most famous clan in India and the initial stage of the formation of their state in Nepal. He noted that this issue was practically not raised by anyone and was decided arbitrarily: it was believed that they moved to Nepal along the Bagmati riverbed. The most important stage in the existence of the Licchava kingdom was the reign of Manadeva, whose name is associated with 25 inscriptions (459 - 505), more than any contemporary ruler of India. However, there are no finds of inscriptions of its predecessors. The speaker analyzed the information preserved in the inscriptions of Manadeva about the initial stage of his reign and his predecessors, as well as the materials of the chronicle "Gopalarajavamshavali" and other indirect data about the Licchavas of the IV-V centuries AD, and came to the conclusion that it is necessary to look for evidence not in the Kathmandu Valley, but in the Sun Kosi Valley, in his opinion, the Licchavas migrated from India to the Kathmandu Valley.

In his report "The system of prescribed marriages in the picture of the world of China's nomadic neighbors", V. Golovachev (IB RAS) spoke about the role of the system of prescribed marriages in the life and society of such peoples as the Xiongnu (Huns), Xianbi, Turks, Khitan, Tanguts, Mongols, and Manjurs. One of the most common forms was dual kinship, which was noticeable primarily in the composition of ruling dynasties. Over time, on the basis of dual unions, more complex schemes of marital kinship emerged: from 4 groups, 8, 12, 16, 24, 36, 72, 96, and less often from 6, 10, 32, 64, 92 groups. When the nominal number of members of the union already exceeded the upper limit of stable marital kinship, real models of marriage unions took on the form of an abstract model of the world, including the entire society, with its ideas about genealogy and the cult of deceased ancestors. The study of legends, legends, legends and folk tales conducted by the speaker showed that the centuries-old ties of nomads with China did not always lead to complete blue-

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and disintegration of their original social institutions, customs and ideas. Traditional institutions, customs and views formed a special picture of the world, projecting from the local-generic level to the scale of the state and even the world structure. In general, the worldview of the creators of nomadic empires largely resembled the model of prescribed marital kinship projected on the entire society and was very different from the classical stereotypes of China.

Yu. I. Drobyshev (IB RAS) in his report "The Uyghur Khaganate - an atypical nomadic empire" described the history of this state formation of nomads (745-840), formed by the union of Turkic - speaking tribes, collectively called Uyghurs. To better demonstrate its uniqueness, he compared it with other steppe empires (the Xiongnu, Ruan-Ruan, ancient Turks, Khitans, Mongols) that existed in Central Asia in ancient and Middle Ages. According to the speaker, the unusual nature of the Uyghur Khaganate is as follows: : 1) in a relatively peaceful policy towards China; 2) developed urban planning; 3) developed agriculture; 4) in accepting Manichaeism as the state religion. He sees the reasons for this in the weakness of China at that time and in the significant cultural influence of the Sogdians.

E. V. TYULINA

NUSANTARA SOCIETY

On February 28, 2006, a regular meeting was held in the Moscow branch of the Russian Geographical Society, its long-standing partner, thus providing an opportunity to expand the audience. "Colonial and postcolonial urbanism in the countries of the East" - a topic proposed by the speaker Z. N. Galich (IB RAS), aroused the interest of not only nusantarists, but also other specialists in the East and researchers of urban development problems. Giving a retrospective of the city-colony in space and noting its universal and local features, she showed how the colonial city in the East was covered in urban-sociological historiography. The typology of the eastern colonial city from the point of view of time and spatial boundaries has found its expression in the definition of such types as a port city, specific functional cities and urban settlements (agricultural and mining settlements, "settlements in the mountains", cantonments). The final part of the report was devoted to the modern type of postcolonial city - the "third world" city in the process of transition to a new status - a national subject of world history. The cities in question are the major metropolitan areas of Nusantara, such as Jakarta, Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur.

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On April 15, 2006, Nusantara hosted guests from Indonesia : Director of the Driyakara Higher School of Philosophy (Jakarta) Muji Sutrisno, Director of the Academy of Asian and African Studies (Jakarta-Bandung) Tawfiq Rahzen, poet and journalist Benny Benke, a graduate student at the Faculty of Journalism of St. Petersburg. GU Henny S. Drajanti. An interesting conversation and exchange of views took place on the ways of development of modern Indonesia and Russia, on the similarities and differences in the socio-political processes of these countries. However, the purpose of the delegation's visit was broader - to get acquainted with the research work in the field of Indonesian studies in Russia and make a number of TV reports. Members of the delegation met with activists of the Nusantara Society, visited many Russian scientists, communicated with them in an informal setting, got acquainted with their personal collections of books and valuable photographs that conveyed the atmosphere of devotion to their chosen specialty - Indonesian studies. In Moscow, they were N. F. Alieva, V. N. Loshagin, Yu. A. Drugov, V. V. Sikorsky, V. V. Sigaev and others. Before arriving in Moscow, the delegation also visited St. Petersburg University for the same purpose. In addition to getting acquainted with the older generation of Indonesians, the delegation also showed interest in students currently studying Indonesian at the ISAA at Moscow State University and at the Eastern Faculty of St. Petersburg State University.

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April 28, 2006 The Nusantara Society held an event at the ISAA at Moscow State University, dedicated to

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sacred to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the USSR/Russia and the Republic of the Philippines. Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Russia Ernesto V. Llamas and Vice-Consul of the Embassy for Culture and Education Roderico K. McCarthy addressed the audience with greetings. Atienza, Director of ISAA M. S. Meyer noted that teaching Tagalog, the official language of the Philippines, already has a long tradition at ISAA and that its graduates successfully work both in Russia and the Philippines, strengthening friendly and business ties between the two countries. current graduate students (e. Baklanova and N. Zabolotnaya), who have repeatedly been to the Philippines for internships and at scientific conferences.

V. V. Remarchuk, Head of the Department of Philology of Southeast Asia, Korea and Mongolia, spoke about the first (presumably) mention of Russia in the Philippines. In the 17th century, one of the publications published in the Philippines might have mentioned Russia, although no contacts had yet been established with it. One of the pioneers of Russian Filipino studies, V. A. Makarenko (ISAA), made a report on the history of early - to XX - century relations between Russia and the Philippines and the opening of the first Russian consulate in the Philippines. This topic was continued by I. V. Podberezsky (MGIMO (U) of the Russian Foreign Ministry), who spoke about Soviet-Filipino contacts in the 1960s and 1970s. I. V. Podberezsky, a specialist in Tagalog philology, teacher and author of the first and only Tagalog language textbook in our country, shared his impressions of getting to know the Philippines, where he visited the Philippines. he got into the 1960s after graduating from the institute, and about meeting with prominent political and state figures of the Philippines during his time as a translator. The role of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the development of Soviet-Philippine relations was highlighted by V. V. Sumsky, a specialist in Philippine history (IMEMO). The gala evening ended with a comic performance performed by students studying Tagalog Yayk at ISAA.

T. V. DOROFEEVA

ULAN-UDE

On September 21-24, 2006, the international conference "History and Culture of Central Asia: Heritage and Modernity" was held, dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding orientalist, Doctor of Philology Tsyben Zhamtsaranovich Zhamtsarano (1881-1942). The conference was organized by the Institute of Mongolian Studies, Buddhology and Tibetology SB RAS and RGNF. Reports of scientists from Moscow, Elista, Irkutsk, Chita, Mongolia, China (Hohhot), Japan, France, the Czech Republic, and Germany were presented for discussion. In total, more than 150 people took part in the conference. Folklore materials of Tsyben Zhamtsarano in the Buryat language "Tsyben Zhamtsarano. Travel diary: 1908-1909" (Ed. by Ts. P. Vanchikov. Comp. by V. Ts. Lyksokov. Ulan-Ude: BSC SB RAS Publ., 2006, 119 p.).

Reports of cor members were heard at the plenary session. RAS B. V. Bazarov " Ts. Zhamtsarano in the History and Culture of Central Asia", Choizhi, leading historian of the Academy of Social Sciences of the People's Republic of China (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), Dashdavaa, Director of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar), and L. S. Dampilova, Head of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar). Department of Literary Studies and Folklore Studies of IMBiT SB RAS.

Further, the conference was divided into three sections: "History, source studies and socio-political processes in Central Asia", "Culture, Religion and ethnography", "Languages, folklore and literature of the Mongolian peoples".

Reports on the section "History, source studies and socio-political processes in Central Asia" can be divided into the following groups::

1. Reports related to the activities of Ts. Zh. Zhamtsarano - M. N. Baldano, S. V. Baldano, B. Z. Bazarov, L. B. Zhabaev (all-Ulan-Ude), N. Khshiigt, J. Tsetsegmaa, E. Purevzhav, B. Punsaldulam (all-MNR).

2. Reports on the ethnic history of individual peoples of Central Asia-S. V. Danilov, B. R. Zoriktuev, N. V. Tsydenova, B. G. Bolotov (All-Ulan-Ude), S. B. Namsaraeva (Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences).

3. Reports on the history of the Mongolian statehood and the state in Russia.

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different historical periods - Ts. Enkhchimeg, X. Shagdar (both-MPR), Z. D. Dambiev, A.D. Gombozhapov (both-Ulan-Ude).

4. Reports on source studies - L. V. Kuras, I. S. Tsyrempilova, Ts. P. Vannikov, Kh. Zh. Garmaeva, A. A. Bazarov, M. V. Ayusheyeva (all-Ulan-Ude), K. V. Orlov (IB RAS), J. Feng (PRC).

5. Reports devoted to modern problems-L. V. Kalmina, V. V. Bazarova, D. K. Chimitova, V. Yu. Bashkuev, V. I. Krasikov, T. V. Badlaeva, V. S. Bolokhoeva, V. A. Butukheev, Z. L. Dagbaeva (all-Ulan-Ude), Yu. V. Kuzmin (Irkutsk).

The section discussed new conceptual approaches to the study of different stages of both the history of the peoples of Central Asia and the history of Russia. Dashdava's report, which criticized Russian historians, especially the compilers of modern textbooks, who negatively assess the period of the Mongol conquest and its impact on Russia, aroused great interest and lively discussion. According to the speaker, the authors of textbooks allow "denigrating" the influence of the Mongol conquest, missing out on the positive aspects (the revival of trade relations, the involvement of Russia in trade with the peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus, the growth of Volga cities, crafts, etc.). The speaker called for compliance with the principle of historicism and objectivity in the Mongolian studies of Russian scientists, especially in educational literature, which was supported by the participants of the meeting.

Considerable attention was paid to the discussion of such issues as the place and role of representatives of National democrats in the socio-political and cultural life of Mongolia and Buryatia in the first half of the XX century, and the ethnogenesis of the Mongolian peoples. Thus, Choizhi, in his report "On the history of relations between the turned tribe of Inner Mongolia and the khori-tumad tribe living near Lake Baikal", tried to identify a genetic link between the well-known Khori-tumats from the "Hidden Legend of the Mongols" and modern Tumats from Inner Mongolia. The relevance and importance of the topic raised in the report is obvious, especially if we take into account that the mentioned problem has a rather long and complex historiography regarding the content and meaning of the very concept of hori-tumata.

The section "Culture, Religion and Ethnography" was attended by more than 40 participants from Russia, Mongolia, China (ARVM), France, and the Czech Republic. L. Belka from Masaryk University (Czech Republic) and B. P. Szyszlo (France) performed outside the program. L. Belka in his report "Maitreya in Tibetan Buddhism: image and myth" traced the genesis of the artistic tradition of the Maitreya cult and its transformation in the culture of Mongolian-speaking peoples. B. P. Shishlo's report "Eros in the folk culture of the Turks and Mongols" was devoted to the methodology of identifying symbols associated with this phenomenon (in particular, the symbol of "eros" in wedding rituals) in the traditional culture of the Turks and Mongols and their cultural and semantic analysis.

During the session, ethnic features of the Mongolian peoples ' culture, traditions and innovations, migration problems and forms of existence of Buryat diasporas outside Buryatia were discussed.

Reports on the ethnogenesis and ethnic history of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples and individual groups of Buryats caused a lively discussion. In the report of P. B. Konovalov (Ulan-Ude) "Tribal nomenclature and ethnic genealogy of the Buryats", the main attention was paid to the consideration of existing points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Buryats. In the discussion on the report, the question of the validity of using genealogical legends, legends and myths as a scientific factual basis for considering and resolving issues of ethnic history and ethnogenesis of Buryats in particular was discussed.

The results of genetic studies presented in the report of I. K. Dambueva (Ulan-Ude) "Distribution of Genghisid genes in populations of Siberia and Central Asia "were heard with great interest. The study of the percentage distribution of the Genghisid gene among the Turkic-Mongolian peoples made it possible to identify facts that contradict those accepted in Russian historical science. I. K. Dambueva refutes the established opinion about the genetic dominance of the Mongol-Tatar conglomerate over the East Slavic peoples in the XII-XIXth centuries. The highest clusters of "Genghisids" were found in Mongols and Cossacks, and in the border areas of the Mongols their lowest content was found.

D. D. Nimaev's report "Buryat Diasporas" examined the ethnic processes taking place among the Buryat people. In particular, it was noted that recently there has been a significant increase in the population in Transbaikalia due to the re-emigration of Buryats from the ARVM. As evidenced by the IP results-

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according to the author, the group of Shenehen Buryats is quite homogeneous in its composition - these are the Khorinsky genera. While among the Buryats living in Mongolia, almost all the tribal groups that made up the Buryat ethnic group are represented. Along with this, there is an outflow of buryats to the central regions of Russia: Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, as well as outside the country.

A lively discussion was caused by the reports of Tserenkhand (MNR) "On the question of the evolution of the portable type of housing among the Mongols (ger tereg)", L. L. Abayeva (Ulan-Ude) "Written traditions of the Mongolian peoples as a cultural text" and especially the report of the rector of the Buddhist Academy V. L. Chimitdorzhiev on innovative trends in the educational system of the Agin Buddhist Academy (Aginskoe village, ABAO, Chita region).

In the section "Languages, folklore and literature of the Mongolian peoples", 25 reports were presented in the following areas:: 1) Linguistics - G. A. Dyrheeva, S. D.Babuev, B. D. Tsyrenov, Ts. Ts. Balzhinimaeva, S. D. Dorzhieva, E. K. Skribnik, L. B. Badmaeva, A.V. Gatypova, D. P. Ochirova, V. D. Zhalsanova, Yu. D. Badmaeva (all-Ulan-Ude), A. Yukiyasu (Japan) 2) literary studies-K. Tanaka (Japan), P. Horloo, B. Palam, B. Byambaa (all-MNR), L. G. Skorodumova (Moscow), E. Yu. Damdinova, B. K. Shirapov (both-Ulan-Ude); 3) folklore studies - D. Purevzhav (MNR), E. O. Khundaeva, D. B. Dorzhieva, D. G. Damdinov, D. V. Dashibalova, R. P. Matveeva, E. L. Tikhonova, D. A. Burchina, L. K. Bairov, N. N. Nikolaeva, S. D. Gympilova, B. N. Tsydendambayeva, G. B. Rinchinov, M. K. Mitkinov, M. V. Purbueva (all Ulan-Uan).Ude).

The reports of G. A. Dyrheeva "Written culture of Buryats: history, problems, prospects", A. Yukiyasu" Language and state administrative (border) policy in Buryatia in the 1930s", S. D. Babuev" On the further development of the Buryat language " analyzed various aspects of the sociolinguistic situation in the Republic of Buryatia. The reports were prepared on the basis of archival materials and literary texts of the XIX-XX centuries. They study the nature and specifics of the relations between the languages (Russian and Buryat) co-existing in Buryatia during this period in various spheres of communication-from official business to everyday communication. Special attention was paid to the phenomenon of linguistic and literary bilingualism and the problems of linguistic consciousness and ethnic identity that arise in this regard. The participation of not only philologists, but also historians and anthropologists in the discussions made the discussions of the reports multi-faceted and allowed us to outline further research prospects.

Sociolinguistic issues aroused the greatest interest, given the fact that traditionally historical, cultural and political science issues predominate in the linguistic studies of IMBiT. This was evidenced by the speeches of: G. L. Dyrheeva, A. Yukiyasu, K. Tanaka, V. D. Zhalsanova, S. D. Babuev. Based on statistical data and linguistic analysis, the main features of the state language policy in Buryatia were noted, the degree of its effectiveness in various areas of communication was assessed, the problems of bilingualism and language culture in general were touched upon. The problems of folklore, language and literature of the Mongolian peoples were also widely discussed.

During the work of the section, the invaluable contribution of Ts. Zh. Zhamtsarano to the development of Russian, in particular Buryat, folklore studies was confirmed. The scientific heritage of Ts. Zh. Zhamtsarano, his contribution to the collection and analysis of folklore materials were the subject of speeches by L. S. Dampilova, D. Purevzhav, B. D. Tsyrenov, D. G. Damdinov, V. Ts Lyksokova, K. Tanaka, D. V. Dashibalova. They noted that Ts. Zh. Zhamtsarano recorded about 70 epic poems, including such major works of oral folk art as the uligers "Alamzhi Mergen"," Aidurai Mergen"," Yerensey"," Ha-Osh-Khubuun", as well as the most archaic and original version of"Geser". No less voluminous is the collection of songs of various genres recorded by Ts. Zhamtsarano with all the dialect features, with detailed comments on the content of the song, the nature of the performance. The archives of the Village of Zhamtsarano contain invaluable materials on shamanism of the Khorin, Alar, and Ekhiritbulagat Buryats. The greatest value is not only his folklore texts, but also expedition diaries, official documents and an ethnographic collection of objects that reveal and clarify the conditions of life and everyday life of Buryats during the period of writing texts. After rehabilitation of Ts. Zhamtsarano in 1956 (he was unreasonably repressed), his archival materials began to be actively studied and published. But most of his scientific legacy has not yet been published and is therefore inaccessible to a wide range of researchers.

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In addition to IMBiT researchers, teachers and postgraduates of Buryatia universities also took an active part in the conference. Young researchers were given the opportunity not only to present their reports, but also to hear comments and advice from experts.

Summing up the results of the conference, Director of IMBiT, cor. B. V. Bazarov noted the high scientific level of the reports and expressed confidence that the ideas and legacy of Ts. Zh. Zhamtsarano will inspire researchers for a long time to come.

In conclusion, it was decided that such forums should be held regularly for the purpose of more in-depth scientific development of the problems of the history and culture of the peoples of Central Asia, which will also help to unite the efforts of scientists of various humanitarian specialties and scientific directions.

They emphasized the importance of translating folklore texts into European and Eastern languages for popularizing samples of epic heritage and folklore, the need to create multimedia databases on folklore heritage, digital copies of archival materials, phonorecords of musical folklore monuments, as well as studying Buryat folklore and language in the context of common Mongolian traditions, taking into account the achievements of world folklore studies.

The exhibition "Portrait of Ts. Zhamtsarano in documents and photos".

C. P. VANNIKOVA

DUSHANBE

The international conference "Afghanistan and Regional Security: Five Years after the Taliban "was held on December 11-12, 2006. The conference is organized by the Institute of Oriental Studies and Written Heritage of the Republic of Tajikistan( RT), the Alexander Knyazev Public Foundation (Bishkek) and the Center for Conflict Studies and Regional Studies (Dushanbe) with the information support of the Institute of Central Asia and the Caucasus (Moscow), the National and International Security Foundation (Moscow) and the Central Asian Humanitarian Information Center (Ferganaru).

The conference participants represented 11 countries: Tajikistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Great Britain, USA, Iran, Afghanistan and India. It was attended by the Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, Academician M. D. Dinorshoev, the Ambassadors of Iran, Afghanistan and the United States to the Republic of Tatarstan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies and Written Heritage of the Republic of Tatarstan, D. A. Abramovich. Nazriev, Adviser to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Sh. Imomov, representative of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Tatarstan M. Makhshulov, scientists and teachers of the Russian-Tajik Slavic University, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan X. Vakhriz, Professor of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy D. Asimov (Tashkent), Deputy Director of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Republic of Tatarstan V. V. Dubovitsky, representative of the group of border troops of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tatarstan V. Yu. Letov, Chief of Staff of the Drug Control Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan F. A. John Magmadov, orientalist researchers, journalists.

Russia was represented at the conference by leading Afghan scientists-Head of the Afghanistan Sector of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences V. G. Korgun, Professor of the Department of Oriental Studies at Novosibirsk University V. N. Plastun, Director of the Center "Russia and the East" V. S. Boyko (Barnaul), and Director of the Institute of Central Asia and the Caucasus A. I. Medvedev (Moscow).

The reports raised a wide range of issues related to the processes of military-political and socio-economic development of Afghanistan and its impact on the security of Central Asia. The main focus of the presentations was on the analysis of the policy of the Government of H. Karzai and the process of reconstruction of Afghanistan - V. T. Korgun, B. S. Boyko, S. Shokhumorov, X. Kurbonov (all-RT), A. Vakili (Afghanistan); national and ethnic processes in Afghanistan (V. V. Dubovitsky, M. Olim, R. Makhmadshoev, M. Guljonov, R. Abdulloev, X. Saidov-all RT); the origins and prospects of the Taliban movement (A. Giustozzi-Great Britain), K. Iskandarov, D. Nazirov, K. Abdullayev - all RT); the drug situation in Afghanistan (F. John Magmadov-RT).

A number of reports focused on the international community's efforts to rebuild Afghanistan. At the same time, many critical comments were made about the country's-

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strategies and tactics of the troops of the international anti-terrorist coalition led by the United States (V. G. Korgun, V. N. Plastun, M. Guldzhonov, A. A. Knyazev).

A wide range of issues related to political, economic and cultural cooperation between the countries of Central and South Asia - Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan and India, as well as Russia and Afghanistan, as well as regional security issues were discussed. Discussion of the problems of energy cooperation between Tajikistan and Afghanistan and South Asian countries aroused great interest (speaker: A. Khabirov, Head of the Electricity Department of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Tatarstan) and the formation of transport corridors between Central and South Asia (X. Umarov - RT).

Interest was also aroused by the issue of the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was considered in the report of Professor G. Maitdinova of the Russian-Tajik Slavic University. She stressed the growing political and economic role of the SCO in the region as an essential factor for economic development and stability in Central Asian countries.

As a result of the conference, after lengthy discussions, the participants adopted a final document that evaluated the main reports, presented a number of recommendations related to regional security, and noted the fruitful work of the conference and the friendly atmosphere in which it was held.

During the conference, its leading participants gave numerous interviews to national and regional media both about the issues discussed at it, and their vision of the situation in Afghanistan and in the region as a whole.

At the end of the conference, a round table discussion was held on Channel 4 of the National Television and the TV channel of the Russian Military Base on the results of the conference and analysis of the situation in Afghanistan, which was attended by V. G. Korgun, V. N. Plastun, X. Vakhriz, senior analyst of the Academy of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain G. Platter-Sieberk, B. C. Boyko and A. A. Knyazev.

At the end of the conference, the initiative group (V. G. Korgun, V. N. Plastun, R. Abdulloev, G. Maitdinova, B. S. Boyko, S. Safarov, X. Vakhriz, G. Mendikulova, and A. A. Knyazev) proposed that Russian and Central Asian orientalists jointly develop a project "The SCO and Regional Security in Central and South Asia".

In general, the conference highlighted a number of topical issues in the region and outlined possible ways to solve them. It served as a good discussion platform for the exchange of views between scientists, researchers and practitioners in Russia and Central and South Asian countries. It can be considered as a fruitful contribution not only to the system of academic research, but also to the creation of a comprehensive mechanism for solving these problems. The pluralism of speakers ' opinions and heated discussions only emphasized the urgency of the tasks set at the conference and the need to hold similar forums in the future, taking into account the rapidly changing situation in the region and in the world. According to the participants of the conference, Russia can play an important role in the development of these tasks and their practical implementation as a guarantor of stability and security of the Central Asian countries.

V. G. KORGUN

Paris

A conference on cultural and inter-civilizational dialogue between Europe and the Arab-Muslim world was held from October 31 to November 2, 2006. Russian arabist E. S. Melkumyan took part in it. This meeting of Arab and European scholars and public figures was held within the framework of the 10th session organized by the Abdel Aziz Saud Al-Babtein Foundation for Poetry Awards. The Foundation was established in 1989. Its headquarters are located in Cairo, a city that, according to its creator, is the capital of Arab art, literature and poetry. Regional offices of the Foundation were opened in Kuwait, Tunisia and Jordan.

Abdel Aziz Saud Al-Babtein is a Kuwaiti citizen, poet and at the same time a very successful entrepreneur. Its industrial and commercial enterprises are known not only in the Arab countries, but also in the USA, Europe, and China. He is an active charity worker.-

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activity. At its own expense, it opens libraries, schools, faculties of higher educational institutions, and provides scholarships to students in many Arab countries. In addition, he established a special prize, which aims to restore cultural ties between different areas of the Muslim world - the Arab countries and the newly independent states of Central Asia.

Saud Al-Babtein considers the main focus of his activity to be supporting the work of Arab poets and writers, as well as expanding ties between Arab countries and the world community. He established annual awards for poets and literary critics from Arab countries. Held in Paris with the assistance of UNESCO, the conference was called "Shawky and Lamartine. Dialogue of Cultures and Civilizations".

The conference was dedicated to two poets - Alphonse Lamartine (1790-1869), a French Romantic who traveled through the Arab East ("French Arab" as the conference organizers called him), and the Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki (1868 - 1932), who studied and lived in Paris and was known throughout the Arab world ("Arab Frenchman"). These two representatives of different cultures have done a lot to introduce their fellow tribesmen to the peculiarities and achievements of a foreign culture and civilization and instill in them respect for them. The symbolism of the images of the two poets was intended to emphasize the historical ties that existed between representatives of Europe and the Muslim East.

The conference was held under the patronage of French President Jacques Chirac. He is an active advocate of using culture as a means to strengthen political ties with Arab countries. In his welcoming speech to the participants of the meeting of Arab and European scientists and public figures, the French President stressed that " intercultural dialogue is our responsibility today, when we face the need to repel various threats, especially the threat of terrorism."

The French President sent to participate in the conference the Minister of Culture and Communications, Mr. Renaud Donnedieu de Vabra, who in his speech noted that it is poetry that helps people establish a dialogue with each other. In addition, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States (LAS), Amrou Moussa, welcomed the participants of the conference and stressed that this event is very timely, because relations between different civilizations are not easy. They depend on a number of factors - geographical, historical, political, psychological, and many others. Relations between representatives of different civilizations are characterized not only by interaction and cooperation, but also by wars, violence, and terrorist acts. Today, Amru Musa noted, "the lack of mutual understanding between civilizations, especially between the West and Islam, has become a threat to peace and international security." He stressed that " the problems of inter-civilizational relations have become more acute in the era of globalization that our world has entered, and therefore our task is to find a cure for overcoming the crisis in relations between the West and Islam." Amru Musa made a proposal:"We propose to hold a special session of the UN Security Council to discuss the problem of relations between civilizations and their impact on international stability and security in the UNESCO building and in the presence of its Director - General Dr. Matsura."

The conference was attended by many officials from Kuwait, Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries. Mohammad Khatami, former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and current President of the International Organization for the Development of Dialogue among Civilizations, delivered a substantive speech. He came up with the idea of dialogue when he was the head of state, and it was supported by political and public figures in many countries. In his speech at the conference, Khatami stressed the need to develop relations between the Arab-Muslim world and the West. He said that Arab-Muslim states need to develop close ties with the West, which has reached a high level of development of science and technology. In addition, M. Khatami said that the East should borrow from the West the experience of public administration and democracy. The former Iranian president stressed that the only alternative to democracy is dictatorship and tyranny, which are unacceptable in the modern world.

In the speeches of all participants of the meeting, whether they represented state structures or scientific circles of Arab or European countries, including in the speech of the special envoy of the Pope, the idea was voiced about the need to conduct a dialogue between Europe and the Arab-Muslim world, not just between the two countries.-

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looking at the existing cultural and civilizational differences between them. All the speakers agreed that only through dialogue can we achieve a better understanding of each other, understand the problems they face and jointly overcome the challenges posed by the modern era.

It is noteworthy that the speeches of scientists from Arab countries emphasized a critical attitude to the level of awareness of the Arab community and its knowledge of the history and current state of Western countries. Thus, the report of the Egyptian scholar Al-Said stated that there is not a single book on the history of the United States in Arabic, there are no serious works on the European Union, and the Arab world does not study enough modern problems of individual European countries. The representative of the Arab diaspora of the United States who spoke in the debate agreed with him and stressed that American scientists and public figures pay incomparably more attention to the study of religion, socio-political systems and foreign policy activities of Arab countries than their Arab counterparts to the study of relevant topics related to the West. In addition, scientists there seek to popularize their knowledge through the mass media in order to change the negative image of Islam and the Muslim.

The conference participants also agreed that only broad cultural interaction can change the stereotypes that have developed in the minds of representatives of different civilizations. In this regard, much attention was paid to the problems of terrorism. In the overwhelming majority of reports, representatives of Arab countries emphasized their rejection of terrorism, its incompatibility with the principles of the Muslim religion, and their willingness to fight it.

In separate speeches, scholars from Arab countries criticized the West, especially the United States, for using force in their relations with the Arab-Muslim world. The report of Hassan Hanafi strongly condemned the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, which did not give positive results in the fight against terrorism, but on the contrary contributed to the increase of terrorist activity and destabilized the situation in the region.

Reports at the conference also touched upon the topic of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The conference participants expressed different opinions on this issue. For example, Muhammad Al-Sharfi said that the Palestinian problem is being exploited by some authoritarian rulers of Muslim countries for their own selfish purposes. They do not seek a fair solution to this problem. At the same time, most of the speakers in the discussion on this issue condemned the policy of Israel, which does not comply with the decisions of the UN Security Council and the agreements reached with the Palestinians. According to these speakers, the international community, and above all European countries, should exert more active influence on Israel in order to promote a final settlement of the Middle East conflict.

The question of Jerusalem as the center of the three religions was raised in a speech by a representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. He stressed the need to take into account the interests of believers who profess these religions when solving the problem of the "holy city". The future of Palestine was also touched upon in a speech delivered by a representative of Orthodox non-Zionist Jews. They stand for a united Palestine, where representatives of different faiths will peacefully coexist.

The problem of Arab immigrants in France was highlighted in the report of Chalabi bin Sheikh, an Algerian native who received French citizenship. He spoke about discrimination against Arab immigrants, and that even if they become French citizens, they do not enjoy the same rights as indigenous people. In particular, he pointed out the need to increase their representation in the Parliament and local authorities. In his speech on the future of Islam in Europe by his French colleague F. Koning, the problem of adaptation of Muslims in Europe was considered and the idea of achieving mutual understanding between Muslims and representatives of other faiths was emphasized.

The special role of the Mediterranean region in the development of civilizational ties between East and West was noted in the speech of the representative of the University of Tunis A. Korayem.

The event also included a literary critics ' symposium, which was attended by experts from both Arab countries and France. There were reports on the works of two poets - A. Lamartine and A. Shawka, to whom this conference was dedicated.

E. S. MELKUMYAN

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