P. I. Melnikov (Andrey Pechersky) as researcher of ethnography of Mordva

The article examines the scientific heritage of P. I. Melnikov (Andrey Pechersky) on the study of the ethnography of the Mordovian people. The scientific contribution of P. I. Melnikov consists in the study of original folklore and ethnographic materials, the interpretation of the similarities and parallels found by him among different peoples.