Abstract: Publications on musical folklore of the Turkic ethnic groups in the contact zone of the Astrakhan region (Tatars, Nogay Karagashs, Turkmen, Kazakhs) available at the moment are inconsiderable in number. The musical folklore of the Turkic groups of the Lower Volga region is stratified on the basis of expedition materials, historical, bibliographic sources by means of identification of dialectal, supradialectal and region-wide layers of traditions, as well as of active common Turkic regional layer of music of oral tradition. Preserving the identity of culture of the Turkic ethnic groups, the article considers musical genre parallels and exchanges that lead to the enrichment of cultural heritage of these traditions and identification of the polyethnic cultural space of the Lower Volga region. Live processes in the oral music tradition are continuing at this time, which proves the relevance and prospects of the subject matter of the article. Exploration of these folklore traditions in a comparative aspect gives grounds for more accurate interpretations of modern issues related to identification and self-identification of the Turkic ethnic groups of the Astrakhan region. 

Abstract: Publications on musical folklore of the Turkic ethnic groups in the contact zone of the Astrakhan region (Tatars, Nogay Karagashs, Turkmen, Kazakhs) available at the moment are inconsiderable in number. The musical folklore of the Turkic groups of the Lower Volga region is stratified on the basis of expedition materials, historical, bibliographic sources by means of identification of dialectal, supradialectal and region-wide layers of traditions, as well as of active common Turkic regional layer of music of oral tradition. Preserving the identity of culture of the Turkic ethnic groups, the article considers musical genre parallels and exchanges that lead to the enrichment of cultural heritage of these traditions and identification of the polyethnic cultural space of the Lower Volga region. Live processes in the oral music tradition are continuing at this time, which proves the relevance and prospects of the subject matter of the article. Exploration of these folklore traditions in a comparative aspect gives grounds for more accurate interpretations of modern issues related to identification and self-identification of the Turkic ethnic groups of the Astrakhan region.