Rezha and rezhaki: from the idea to the completion of the project

The article summarizes the results of the project "Rezha and Rezhaki: an ethnolinguistic description of the Northern Russian idiom". The project was aimed at studying the linguistic, ethnic and mental characteristics of the residents of the Rezha rural settlement of the Syamzhensky district of the Vologda region and was carried out in 2015-2017 with the financial support from the Russian Foundation for the Humanities (No. 15-04-00). The studies were performed by professors of the Vologda State University. The project was led by the associate professor L. Yu. Zorina, an initiator of the project and a participant in its implementation. In the process of implementing the project, it was established that Rezha (the name of a small northern river, a tributary of the Vaga, as well as of the community located in its lower reaches) is actually a unique Russian settlement with a peculiar folk culture and a traditional dialect different from other Vologda dialects. The work on its description resulted in publication of a series of articles on the origin of the hydronym "Rezha", on microtoponymy of the settlement, peculiarities of the nicknames of its inhabitants, characteristics of their life. Moreover, the research results are presented in the currently prepared monograph on the description of the linguistic worldview of a Rezha peasant, in the published collection of the language spoken in the studied settlement and in the published monodialectal differential Dictionary of the Vologda Rezha Dialect in 35.2 printed sheets, which introduces into scientific use a large volume of lexical and phraseological data previously not described. In the course of its implementation, the project gained not only scientific but also social significance, contributed to the actualization of the regional identity, local self-awareness, attracted a wide circle of residents of the region interested in discussing the problems of philological study of local lore.