Русский фольклор в Клайпеде (на примере художественной деятельности ассоциации русского фольклора "Вечёра" и фольклорной студии "Веретёнце")

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Tautinės mažumos; Klaipėda; Rusų folkloras; "Veretioncė"; "Večiora"; Marija Serebriakova; National minorities; Klaipeda; Russian folklore; "Veretionce"; "Vechior"; Marija Serebriakova.

ENBy the end of the Second World War social changes took place in the city of Klaipėda which resulted in the decrease of the population of local bilingual (Lithuanian and German) residents - almost all of the survivors had moved to Germany. At the present time approximately 165.000 citizens of Klaipėda consist of Lithuanians (about 75-80%) living side-by-side with representatives of other ethnic and national groups (about 20-25%) invited and employed by the Soviet administration in the period from 1950 till 1970 for rebuilding the seaport of Klaipėda along with the shipbuilding and other urban industries. The main part of them (over 20.000 persons) consists of Russian-speaking Klaipėda citizens. Another segment of the population is constituted by the ethnic groups that have settled in Klaipėda in the last 20 years, after the state borders of independent Lithuania were opened to the rest of Western Europe. The Russian, Belorussian, German, Jewish, Ukrainian, Polish, Latvian, Tartar, Armenian, Azerbaijani, and other national minorities have become an integral part of the social and cultural life in contemporary Klaipėda. The Centre for National Minorities opened at Municipality of Klaipėda in 2012. In the light of these historical facts, the goal of the article is to discuss the possibilities of the Russian national society to maintain and promote their ethnic roots and traditions in the city at the present time. The example of Russian folklore groups "Veretionce” and "Vechiora" (head Marija Serebriakova) was taken to illustrate and to reflect this process. [From the publication]