Specific features of genealogical culture of villagers in the Karelian Arctic (a case study of the village of Voknavolok)

The relevance of the study of the genealogical culture of contemporaries is due to the close attention of society to the problem of preserving traditional family values. Moreover, genealogical culture is one of the most important concepts associated with the processes of studying and preserving historical (collective) memory. The latter is a necessary condition for the important process of preserving human capital, particularly relevant in low-populated towns, villages, and hamlets of the Arctic zone, which have a unique history going back to ancient times. The article aim is to determine the state and specific features of genealogical culture of the residents of Voknavolok, one of the villages in the Arctic zone of Karelia, which will make it possible to identify topics of local history relevant to the study and to determine measures to preserve historical memory and culture. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that it is the first local study of the level of genealogical culture of the residents of a historical village, examining family activities related to the preservation of family history, the prevalence of such practices, characteristics of the participants, and the depth of family memory. In the context of the biographical method, the study utilized sociological tools, specifically questionnaires and interviews with the population. Processing of the collected data resulted in the first multi-faceted description of the level of genealogical culture of Voknavolok residents (including the depth of their knowledge, interest in research, and the extent of tangible and intangible heritage preservation) and subsequent conclusions about the sufficiency of this cultural level to support new genealogical research and its capacity to respond to the needs of current research. The questionnaire findings confirmed the results of the interviews regarding the priority of family ties and generational continuity in the structure of family values. The practical significance of the research is that it identified problems in the development of the genealogical culture of Voknavolok residents and determined their demand for educational initiatives focused on the issues of genealogical research methodology.