Over the centuries Izhma culture has been formed, which has absorbed elements of labor and everyday traditions, folk art, the spiritual and ideological heritage of the Komi, the Russians, and the Nenets. The memory of the past is preserved in Izhma families, where they remember their genealogies, cherish old clothes, dishware, and photographs. The memory of ancestors is an integral part of the Izhma culture. This can be seen even in such a basic thing as the name of a person: when calling a person by name, the Izvatas, like all Komi, first pronounce the names of their ancestors, and at the end the person’s own name. For example, Parsha Nina – Nina Parfenovna; Kosta Mitruk Sash – Alexander, son of Mitrofan Konstantinovich.
Folklore
The folklore of the Izvatas is represented by a variety of genres, among them wedding laments, wedding songs, funeral lamentations, lullabies, labor improvisations, comic choruses and songs, stories and fairy tales, hunting stories, superstitious prose.
One of the key components of Izhma folklore is the Izhma Kolva epos – a unique example of oral creativity of the northern Komi and the Kolva Nenets (Yaran) speaking the Izhma dialect of the Komi language. The Izhma Kolva epos is represented by the epic songs of the Izhma reindeer herders, often performed in both the Komi and Nenets manner. The performers themselves call the performed epic works yaran sylankyvyas (the Nenets songs), yaran moydyas (the Nenets tales), sylemen yaran moydyas (the Nenets sung tales), yaran moydyas izvatas kylen (the Nenets tales in the Izhma language). The first recordings of these songs were made by the Hungarian scientist Baratoshi Benedek in 1911 on the Kanin Peninsula. However, it was only in 1956-58 that folklorists Y. Rochev and E. Vasoi discovered in the Kolva River basin on the border of the Usinsky district of the Komi Republic and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug the existence of a Komi epic tradition in the culture of the so-called Kolva Yaran. The main collection of Izhma Kolva folklore was recorded in 1950-1970 in the Izhmo-Pechorsky district of the Komi Republic, on the Kola and Kaninsky Peninsulas, as well as in Yamal among the population speaking the Izhma dialect of the Komi language.
Among modern examples of folk art, oral stories about the healer Tandze Marya can be noted.
Holidays and ceremonies
Despite the fact that the majority of the Izvatas identify themselves as Orthodox (in some places the Old Believers are also widespread), the features of local traditional beliefs are still preserved. These features can be traced in many Izhma holidays.
Of particular importance are calendar holidays and ceremonies. Thus, each village has its own Temple feast (Khram lun) – a day that is especially significant in the history of this settlement. For example, the Temple feast of the village of Vertep is celebrated on August 14th. A long time ago, on this day, a large prayer service was served because of the death of cattle, and the rest of the cattle recovered. The Temple feast in the village of Galpi (Bolshoye Galovo) is the day of the Holy Trinity, the Temple feast in the village of Diyur is on August 2nd, on St. Ilya’s day, The Temple feast in the village of Shchelyayur is on July 28th, on the day of Kirik and Ulita, the Temple feast in the village of Ust-Izhma is August 9th, on the day of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the Temple feast of the village of Galfed (Maloye Galovo) is on July 6th, on Midsummer’s Day, etc.
One of the typical Izhma features is associated with Easter. Traditionally, large Easter swings were installed on Easter night. These swings can still be found both in the Izhma settlements in the Komi Republic and beyond the Urals.
St. Ilya’s Day (August 2) is considered one of the most important holidays. On this day, reindeer sled races were organized, and a festive dinner was prepared. After the end of the holiday, reindeer herders began to move little by little to winter pastures near their villages. St. Ilya’s day (Ilya lun) was also considered the border between summer and autumn. It was believed that one could swim on this day only until lunchtime; after that, the water died.
The settled Izvatas celebrate Midsummer’s Day (Ivan Kupala), which is associated with the beginning of haymaking. On this day (or better at night), one needs to collect medicinal herbs. It is believed that on Midsummer’s Day herbs are gaining full strength.
The most spectacular Izhma holiday is Lud. It is celebrated on the last Sunday in June or the first Sunday in July, on the eve of the start of the hay harvest. “Vidze pyran lun vodzyn” – “before the day when they enter the meadows.” The main place of the holiday is Di, an “island” between the Izhma and Kurya rivers. Despite the fact that festivities, fairs, performances of folklore groups go on all day, the culmination of the holiday comes in the evening with the beginning of horse races and lasts until sunrise. The transitional place and time of action indicate the sacredness of the holiday.
The most picturesque part of the festival is the Vorota procession, in which residents of all villages of Izhemsky district, as well as the Izvatas who have come from other regions, take part. The Izvatas, dressed in an elegant national costume, pass through Izhma and continue their procession on the island, on the other bank of the Izhma river. Dances continue there, as well as the Micha Izhemka folk costume competition, where young women present not only folk costume, but also certain knowledge of traditional culture. The festivities are continued with an impromptu presentation of acquaintances of potential brides and grooms from different villages in a round dance of brides and initiation into accordionists.
Another Lud‘s tradition is associated with the descendants of the Izhma settlers. During the festival, they take a seedling from their small homeland, the Izhma land, and then plant it at home on the Kola Peninsula or beyond the Urals. This seedling is the connection between all the Izvatas.