"After the Past, Before the Present": New Shamanism in Gorny Altai
Anthropology of Consciousness December 1, 1999 Andrei Vinogradov 3 citations
Altai shamanism declined in the 20th century under pressure from Old Believers, the Orthodox Church, Burkhanism (emerging in 1904), and Soviet repression. Based on the author's experiences living in Gorny Altai in 1988 and 1989, the paper surveys these historical influences and describes a subsequent revival of shamanic beliefs and practices in a neo-shamanistic form. Several factors that facilitated this regeneration are identified and discussed, including both internal community dynamics and external influences.