Recollections about Alexei Nikishenkov as a Field-ethnographer
Alexei Nikishenkov was born in Spassk Dalniy in the Far East. He spent his childhood in Western Ukraine, which was a part of the Soviet Union at the time. He studied at the Odessa Nautical School and took part in a round-the-world trip on board a sailing yacht, which was part of his graduation test. After several years of military service, he entered Lomonosov Moscow State University and began his academic career as an ethnographer. His geographical area of expertise was the Great Steppe between the Onon and the Ural Rivers. From the 1970s to the 1980s, Nikishenkov conducted several field research studies in this region, where he investigated the religious beliefs of the Buriats, their socio-normative culture, historical memory and material culture. He gave very detailed explanations to students about how to behave in the field, how to prevent offending local people, and how to gain their confidence. The author of this article, Nikolai Borisov, often served as his assistant in these journeys. The author focuses on the idea that Alexei Nikishenkov’s interest in ethnography in general and vernacular culture in particular could be a result of his infancy and youth, as he had spent time as a child in very different regions of the Soviet Union. He also stresses that Nikishenkov was at same time very familiar with Buriat culture and knew many local traditions but he never “went native” and was able to keep his position as a Russian ethnographer in the field.