The cultural dynamics of the sacrifice tradition of the peoples of Russia

The paper studies the phenomenon of sacrifice by the case study of traditional culture of some peoples in the modern Volga Federal District. The historical and cultural description of sacrifice types is given. The dependence of the sacrifice ritual on the practical purposes and the time of the sacrifice made is analyzed. The authors advance and prove a thesis about positive influence of the sacrifice tradition on the stability of the society and the personal catharsis in crisis situations.