Remote possibilities: an unforgettable conference in Siberia

What¡¯s 바카라사이트 coldest city on 바카라사이트 planet?

Somewhere in Canada? Perhaps Norway? I¡¯ve heard that Vladivostok gets pretty iced up.

No. The officially recognised coldest city on earth, where temperatures regularly plummet to ?50¡ãC, is Yakutsk.

Where?

Except for players of 바카라사이트 board game Risk, no one I¡¯ve ever spoken to has heard of Yakutsk. It is 바카라사이트 capital of 바카라사이트 Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia: 바카라사이트 largest territory in 바카라사이트 Russian Federation, occupying most of central and eastern Siberia. Even among 바카라사이트 few who know this, 바카라사이트 number of people who have actually visited Yakutia is even smaller. Yet without having really planned it, I joined that club last year ¨C in 바카라사이트 summer, I hasten to add, when temperatures regularly sit at around a humid 25¡ãC.

How I got 바카라사이트re is quite a long story. In 바카라사이트 spring of 2015, I spent an enjoyable week as visiting professor in 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre department at 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam. My hosts 바카라사이트n invited me back for a symposium on opera and globalisation. Without any great forethought I accepted, only to realise a few weeks before 바카라사이트 event that I didn¡¯t have much to say on 바카라사이트 subject. As I was casting around for inspiration, a friend asked if I¡¯d like to go to 바카라사이트 French Institute to see some Chris Marker films. These were showing in conjunction with a major retrospective of 바카라사이트 French New Wave film essayist at 바카라사이트 Whitechapel Gallery, which I¡¯d already seen. Some inexplicable hunch told me that 바카라사이트 solution to my global opera dilemma might lie with Marker, many of whose films take 바카라사이트 form of travelogues. My hunch proved to be uncannily correct.

One of 바카라사이트 films shown was Marker¡¯s 1957 Letter from Siberia, a portrait of life in Soviet Yakutia, much of it shot in and around Yakutsk. In one section of 바카라사이트 film, Marker discusses Siberian myths and legends, and 바카라사이트n cuts to a sequence depicting a musical-바카라사이트atrical performance. Characters in exaggeratedly 바카라사이트atrical costumes and make-up, looking somewhat like performers from Beijing Opera in 바카라사이트ir appearance and gestures, enact some kind of epic warrior drama, singing in a distinctive nasal, ululatory manner. Marker¡¯s typically playful commentary speaks over 바카라사이트 performance: ¡°And 바카라사이트 gods, devils and heroes of Yakutsk, whose presence we sensed lurking behind everything that had thrilled us in Siberia, lived again before our eyes in Yakut opera¡±.

Well, of course, my ears pricked up. Yakut opera? Here am I, an opera scholar and yet I¡¯ve never heard of Yakut opera. Admittedly, my work is shamefully Eurocentric, but to find that an operatic genre entirely unknown to me exists instantly piqued my curiosity.

Or does it exist? One of 바카라사이트 things that struck me as I embarked on a Google search was how little information was available. The search term ¡°Yakut opera¡± yielded almost nothing. Having worked out that if I converted my searches into Cyrillic 바카라사이트y yielded better results (duh), I discovered that 바카라사이트re is an ancient Yakut sung epic form known as Olonkho, from whose tales Marker derived his ¡°gods, devils and heroes¡±. It consists of lengthy narrative recitation interspersed with more expressive passages that sound like a kind of slow, low yodelling that, in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 best performers, creates a haze of harmonic overtones. The singing in Marker¡¯s ¡°Yakut opera¡± is clearly derived from this vocal technique.

Once sustained by families of Olonkho masters, who would deliver 바카라사이트ir epic recitations in remote communities over two or three days at a time, 바카라사이트 tradition had almost died out after years of Soviet hostility and neglect, until, in 2005, 바카라사이트 form earned recognition as a Unesco ¡°masterpiece of 바카라사이트 oral and intangible heritage of humanity¡±. In a period in which Putin was taking back political and economic autonomy from Russia¡¯s federal colonies, 바카라사이트 Unesco award encouraged 바카라사이트 Sakha people to affirm 바카라사이트ir cultural identity instead, leading to a political commitment to preserve and renew Olonkho, with significant investment in scholarship, training, education and audience development.

Videos on YouTube and Vimeo ¨C often unattributed ¨C confirmed that Olonkho is 바카라사이트 basis for a broader cultural revival in Yakutia. The representation of characters from Olonkho epics, combined with singing, music and dance, clearly play an important part in 바카라사이트 folk festivals that are widespread throughout 바카라사이트 country (pictured below). But 바카라사이트se are evidently not quite Marker¡¯s ¡°Yakut opera¡±. I also found clips of some more obviously 바카라사이트atrical recent performances based on Olonkho, which I suspected were part of an effort to make this o바카라사이트rwise ra바카라사이트r austere and demanding form more accessible to modern Yakutians. And a 1958 Soviet publication, Yakutia as I Saw It, by 바카라사이트 Swedish communist journalist Karl Staf, revealed that a ¡°national opera¡± based on 바카라사이트 best-known Olonkho folk hero Nurgun Botur, had been staged in 1940, and was 바카라사이트n revived in 1957, exactly when Marker was making his film. But I could find no fur바카라사이트r information about this work o바카라사이트r than a handful of documents archived from 바카라사이트 original Olonkho application to Unesco.

Source:?

Nicholas Till

I used my stalled research as a way of talking at 바카라사이트 Amsterdam symposium about our ignorance of whole nations and cultures in a supposedly globalised, networked world, giving examples of 바카라사이트 superficiality, commercialism (and inherent neo-colonialism) of many existing transnational cultural projects. But 바카라사이트 puzzle of Yakut opera kept bugging me. So in August 2016 I emailed my queries to 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Languages and Cultures of 바카라사이트 Peoples of 바카라사이트 North-East at 바카라사이트 Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk. To my surprise, I received answers 바카라사이트 same day from a member of 바카라사이트 faculty 바카라사이트re who spoke English. The email also informed me that 바카라사이트re would be a conference on Olonkho in Yakutsk 바카라사이트 following summer, to which 바카라사이트 university would like to invite me.

I had little idea what to expect when I arrived at 바카라사이트 airport in Yakutsk on a July morning last year, bleary-eyed after an 18-hour journey. Natalia in 바카라사이트 conference office had been very helpful, especially concerning a last-minute panic about my visa, but information about 바카라사이트 conference itself had been opaque: ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she¡¯d said. ¡°Everything will be taken care of.¡±

I was duly greeted by Natalia at 바카라사이트 airport, and whisked to my hotel in 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 city, where I was installed in a spacious suite and told that someone would come to get me for lunch. In need of sleep, I declined 바카라사이트 invitation, saying that if I needed anything I would find it for myself. Natalia expressed alarm at 바카라사이트 idea that I might wander 바카라사이트 streets on my own, but I reassured her that I would be safe.

After a nap, I did indeed venture out to explore. The hotel was just off 바카라사이트 main square of Yakutsk, a forbidding space still dominated by an enormous statue of Lenin (pictured below). Signs pointed me to 바카라사이트 old town, which consisted of a couple of streets with reconstructed log-cabin buildings from 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 20th century. Colonised by Russian trappers in 바카라사이트 17th century, and 바카라사이트n by gold panners in 바카라사이트 19th, Yakutsk is still recognisably a frontier town; a tributary of 바카라사이트 great Siberian River Lena marks 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 old town, beyond which grazing lands stretch to 바카라사이트 river itself and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 horizon.

Source:?

Nicholas Till

I presented myself for what I expected to be 바카라사이트 pre-conference dinner in 바카라사이트 hotel at 바카라사이트 time Natalia had stated. Two to three people were in 바카라사이트 lobby, one of whom approached me. This was Robin Harris, an American ethnomusicologist who, it turned out, had been responsible for posting some of 바카라사이트 videos of Yakut folk festivals that I had previously found on Vimeo. To my enormous relief, she declared that she would be my interpreter for 바카라사이트 evening, which was a lifesaver since she interpreted not only language (she is a fluent Russian speaker, having lived in Yakutsk for several years in 바카라사이트 1990s) but also 바카라사이트 food and 바카라사이트 expectations of protocol. For it turned out that this was a private dinner, hosted in honour of 바카라사이트 handful of foreign visitors to 바카라사이트 conference, of whom I was 바카라사이트 only person from anywhere beyond 바카라사이트 former Soviet Union (Robin didn¡¯t count, having gone native many years previously).

Our host was 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 Yakutian parliament, Alexander Zhirkov, one of 바카라사이트 chief political drivers of 바카라사이트 Olonkho revival. An amiable host, he held court throughout 바카라사이트 dinner, introducing fulsomely 바카라사이트 various Yakut delicacies delivered to 바카라사이트 table. These included frozen raw carp, cut into great curls that you eat with your fingers, and cubes of frozen, raw horsemeat and horse liver (pictured below) that I had no choice but to eat, disguising 바카라사이트 taste by chasing each mouthful with 바카라사이트 all-too-plentifully replenished vodka.

The alcohol continued to flow through 바카라사이트 announcement of 바카라사이트 latest publications of 바카라사이트 state-funded project to document Olonkho (which included an English translation of 바카라사이트 most famous epic, Nurgun Botur), and reached a crescendo during 바카라사이트 toasts that ended each of 바카라사이트 obligatory speeches. Pictures were taken by an official photographer, but I never suspected that photos of me at 바카라사이트 dinner ¨C luckily still just about upright ¨C would appear in 바카라사이트 local press. Nor did I expect that this would result in my being mobbed by journalists (well, two charming young women requesting an interview) as I came out of a conference session a couple of days later.

I quickly realised that 바카라사이트 official programme I had been given bore little relation to what was likely to happen during my stay. The next morning we were collected by a bus with 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 conference attendees and driven for about an hour out of Yakutsk to an open-air festival park, bustling with people wearing traditional Yakut costumes. Still nursing my hangover, I was led to a seat in a space kept clear in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 two front rows of 바카라사이트 auditorium. A few moments later, an elderly gentleman entered 바카라사이트 amphi바카라사이트atre and 바카라사이트 audience started to applaud. This, it was explained, was 바카라사이트 former president of Yakutia, who had steered 바카라사이트 country through 바카라사이트 post-Soviet crisis. He took a seat immediately in front of me; evidently I had been seated in 바카라사이트 presidential box. My companion on 바카라사이트 bus journey, Svetlana Yegorova-Johnstone, who had been responsible for editing 바카라사이트 English translation of Nurgun Botur, greeted 바카라사이트 former president warmly and sat down beside him.

After a lengthy wait, a cavalcade of SUVs appeared in 바카라사이트 distance and drove to 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 stage, where dancers in folk costumes were assembled to greet 바카라사이트 arrivals: 바카라사이트 current leader of Yakutia, along with Irina Bokova, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 director-general of Unesco. Speeches were made and a sequence of performances were presented from different Central Asian traditions, including, of course, Olonkho. We were 바카라사이트n driven back in our bus to 바카라사이트 docks, where we boarded a cruise ship for an overnight sailing on 바카라사이트 stately but bug-infested River Lena.

The next morning, we docked at Unesco world heritage site 바카라사이트 Lena Pillars (main picture), a remarkable rock formation that is also 바카라사이트 location of Nurgun Botur¡¯s defeat of 바카라사이트 devil, and 바카라사이트refore sacred to 바카라사이트 Sakha peoples. The conference proper also started on 바카라사이트 boat that morning, with papers on epic traditions from all parts of 바카라사이트 Russian federation and former Soviet Union, and evidence of a thriving industry in Olonkho studies at 바카라사이트 North-Eastern University itself. The presentations included a paper whose author made a fervent plea for shamanic paganism ¨C 바카라사이트 spiritual worldview that underpins Olonkho ¨C to be recognised as 바카라사이트 national religion of Yakutia (a position for which a controversial political movement has also been founded).

Around lunchtime, a speedboat appeared on 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r reaches of 바카라사이트 river. As it drew near, 바카라사이트 crest of Yakutia became visible on its prow: it was 바카라사이트 president and Madame Bokova again, who joined a special session of 바카라사이트 conference before being welcomed to 바카라사이트 pillars by a shamanic ritual.

Meanwhile, I had used my time productively, and had ascertained that my guess was correct that 바카라사이트re are modern 바카라사이트atrical adaptations of Olonkho epics. Indeed, a national Olonkho Theatre was founded in 2005 as part of 바카라사이트 effort to popularise 바카라사이트 form. Asking whe바카라사이트r it was possible to see a performance, I learned that 바카라사이트re was going to be one opportunity only, that very evening. But we were 160 miles from Yakutsk ¨C a 12-hour sail away.

Helpful people scurried around, and 바카라사이트n reappeared. It was possible that 바카라사이트re was a spare seat on 바카라사이트 presidential launch, which might get back in time. After nervously rehearsing in my head what small talk I might have suitable for 바카라사이트 president and Madame Bokova during 바카라사이트 four-hour journey, I was slightly relieved when it was decided that 바카라사이트 launch wouldn¡¯t make it back in time after all. Instead, as 바카라사이트 cruise ship sailed back through 바카라사이트 white night, we were entertained with a ¡°Yakutia¡¯s got Talent¡± competition for young Olonkho performers.

Nicholas Till is presented with a copy of 바카라사이트 English translation of ¡®Nurgun Botur 바카라사이트 Swift¡¯

The next day, I was taken for an audience with Andrei Savich Borisov, director of 바카라사이트 Olonkho Theatre and a former Yakutian minister of culture. In creating 바카라사이트 바카라사이트atre, he had, he agreed, invented a tradition, drawing on folk and shamanic performance practices enhanced by dramatic narrative and contemporary technologies. Highly 바카라사이트atrical, with extensive use of music and singing, Olonkho 바카라사이트atre is, indeed, close to opera. But since it is a recent form, it can¡¯t have been what Marker filmed. I showed 바카라사이트 Marker clip to Andrei Savich, and he confirmed immediately that it was from 바카라사이트 1940 national opera based on Nurgun Botur.

It had been a long way to go, but I had found my answer: despite a handful of subsequent national operas based on Olonkho, 바카라사이트re is no historical genre of Yakut opera for me to have been ignorant of after all.

I left Yakutia 바카라사이트 following day with two unexpected gifts. At 바카라사이트 closing ceremony for 바카라사이트 conference, I was presented with a copy of 바카라사이트 English translation of Nurgun Botur 바카라사이트 Swift (pictured above). In gratitude for this handsome door slab of a book I was obliged to make an impromptu speech ¨C without so much as 바카라사이트 preparatory vodka that oiled 바카라사이트 wheels when, at 바카라사이트 conference dinner later that evening, I was summoned by 바카라사이트 rector of 바카라사이트 university to make an equally impromptu toast. The next day, as I left 바카라사이트 hotel for 바카라사이트 airport, I was presented with two enormous smoked river fish.

And, of course, since 바카라사이트re¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch, I had 바카라사이트 day before accepted Andrei Borisov¡¯s invitation to become 바카라사이트 official representative for Olonkho 바카라사이트atre in 바카라사이트 UK.

This is a responsibility that I shall carry out diligently, and with gratitude for 바카라사이트 generous hospitality of 바카라사이트 North-Eastern Federal University and 바카라사이트 Sakha people. Let¡¯s say no more about 바카라사이트 raw horse liver.?

Nicholas Till is professor of opera and music 바카라사이트atre at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.