Shamanism in Soviet Cinema: “The Road of the Dead” (1937)
Vestnik NSU Series History and Philology March 29, 2026 I. Golovnev
Cinema was used in the Soviet Union as a tool to reshape public consciousness and advance an anti-religious campaign, particularly in multi-confessional regions. Analysis of archival materials from a 1935–1937 academic expedition to study the ethnography of the peoples of the Amur River reveals the film "Road of the Dead," which focused on shamanism. Comparing the expedition program with the film script exposes the motives of scientists and filmmakers in the project. The film serves as an informative visual document of its time, enabling reconstruction of both actual events and their figurative context, opening new research perspectives.