Mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East: the history of origin and current state

Babkina Ekaterina Sergeevna Doctor of Philology Professor, the department of Journalism, Pacific National University 680030, Russia, Khabarovskii krai, g. Khabarovsk, ul. Ul. Sheronova, 52, kv. 52 gussinda@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

The Russian state has historically been formed as a multinational. Currently, 190 peoples live on the territory of the Russian Federation, 140 of which inhabit the territory of the Far East ^{[4, p. 14]}. In addition to Russians, Ukrainians, Jews, Tatars and representatives of other nationalities, one of the largest subjects of our country – the Far Eastern Federal District – is inhabited by representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Far East: Yakuts, Buryats, Evenks, Evens, Koryaks, Nanais, Nivkhs, Aleuts, etc. If we recall the words of I. Fazil that "every nation, even the smallest, is a unique pattern on the carpet of humanity" ^{[15, pp. 64-74]}, it can be argued that the pattern of the "carpet" of the easternmost region of Russia is truly unique.

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the colonial foreign and domestic policies of a number of world powers in the XIX century, global geopolitical changes in the mid– late XX century (nationalist policies of some European states, geopolitical conflicts of the 1930s – 1940s and the Second World War that followed them) contributed to the emergence of mass conflicts on national and confessional grounds, and unification and the negative processes of globalization of the XXI century have led to a reduction in the number, loss of the national identity of entire peoples, the cessation of dialogue between different ethnic groups.

During the development of the Far East, the interaction of the Russian and aboriginal population led to changes in the life of indigenous ethnic groups. The specifics of the implementation of the domestic and foreign policy of the Russian state at each historical stage of its development determined the construction of various models of interethnic relations, which, unfortunately, were not always reduced to a dialogue of cultures and peaceful cooperation between the Russian population and the natives. In less than two centuries of the Russian colonization of the region, a lot has changed in the life of the indigenous peoples of the Far East: the old way of life, religious rituals, national language, and culture have become endangered.

At the present stage of development, one of the most important state tasks is the equal development of society: ensuring the rights of the indigenous peoples of the Far East to protect their national identity, study their native language and preserve it as a living means of social communication. The mass media are an effective means of communication in the language of ethnic groups, a productive way for people to self-know their ethnic existence, consolidate and integrate the nationality, preserve and develop its cultural identity. Newspapers and magazines, acting as intermediaries between representatives of different cultures, relying on centuries-old experience of intercultural interaction, set themselves the task of positive mobilization of ethno-cultural interaction aimed at forming a tolerant consciousness, ensuring social consolidation, interethnic and interfaith stability both at the domestic and global levels.

The purpose of the study is to study the history of the emergence and current state of the mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East.

The research material was the content of the media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East: publications of the newspapers "Sakha Sire", "Yakutia", "Yakutia Today", "Buryad Unen" and "Baikal"; media product of the TV programs of GTRK "Buryatia", "Amur", "Sakha"; content of the Internet portals "Kamchatka", "Yakutia-Daily.ru", radio stations "Radio of Russia", "Tetim", "Radio Sakha".

When writing the work, general scientific methods were used (descriptive-analytical, system description, classification construction method), as well as special methods (historical, comparative, content analysis method).

The novelty of the work consists in a comprehensive study of the mass media of the indigenous peoples of the Far East in the historical and typological aspect, clarifying the qualitative characteristics of the Far Eastern media in the context of the formation of an actual structure of regional journalism. The ethnic media of the Far East have accumulated vast experience over decades of active activity, created and preserved the richest traditions, and brought up more than one generation of talented, highly professional masters of the word. However, the history of the formation of ethnic media and the problem-thematic originality of the national media of the Far Eastern region have not yet become the object of a comprehensive study of domestic scientists.

The national seal of the Far East was the subject of scientific interest of E. V. Glebova ^[4], R. P. Ovsepyan ^[12], O. D. Yakimov ^[16], etc. In the history of ethnic journalism of the Far East, researchers distinguish several periods, each of which is considered in evolution: the year of origin (1895), the period of origin and formation (1895 – 1920), the period of heyday (1920 – 1930), the period of decay (1940 – 1990), the period of revival (1990 – present. time) ^{[7, pp. 13-17]}.

The progress of the development of national periodicals in the Far East was hindered by the remoteness of the region from the central part of Russia, a small number of cities, economic and cultural backwardness, as well as a small population and a low percentage of intellectuals. For the first time, printed materials in the language of indigenous peoples appeared thanks to the efforts of Russian missionaries (the tsarist government was little interested in eliminating the illiteracy of the peoples living on the outskirts). By the beginning of the twentieth century, printed periodicals in the language of ethnic groups were available only to the Buryats and Yakuts, the rest of the indigenous peoples of the Far East were deprived of such a possibility of self-expression for a long time.

Yakimov O. D. in his study "The Press of the national regions of Siberia and the Far East: from its origin to the present day" indicates that in the pre-revolutionary period in the Far East there were only five publications of national minorities. "Life on the Eastern Outskirts" (1895) became the first newspaper published in two languages at once: Buryat and Russian. It did not last long – only two years, like many other national publications of that time. The newspapers "Yakut Krai" and "Yakut Life" or "Sakha Doyduta" and "Sakha Oloho", published in Russian and Yakut, were published from 1907-1908 and 1908-1909, respectively, and the newspaper in the Buryat language "Cooperative Word" existed from 1916 to 1918. In the period from 1912 to 1913, the Yakuts published their magazine "Sakha-Sanata" ^{[16, pp. 90-99]}.

The dynamic development of the periodicals of national minorities began in the 1920s - early 1930s. At first, these were applications in the language of the indigenous people, which then transformed into quite large publications. Among the most famous are "Buryaad unen" ("Buryat Truth", since 1921) in the Buryat language; "Khabar" ("Izvestia", "News", since 1927) in the Khakass language; "Kyym" ("Spark", since 1921) in the Yakut language ^{[7, pp. 13-17]}.

One of the first in order to strengthen the national writing was established a newspaper in the Nanai language "The Educational Way" ("Tachiochiori pokto", 1932, S. Naikhin; since 1935 – "Stalin's Way"). Evidence of the growing interest in the newspaper is the fact that in 1935 27 issues were published with a circulation of 300 copies, and five years later the circulation grew to 1000 copies. Residents of other regions of the Far East also showed interest in learning the Nanai language. In Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, they began to study the Nanai language at a pedagogical educational institution, the magazine "New Life" or "Sikun Baldin" was also published there, as well as the newspaper "New Way" ^{[8, pp. 61-66]}.

The district, regional and district print media of the Far East in the second half of the 1930s regularly published materials in the languages of indigenous peoples. For example, Sakhalin regional newspapers, in particular the publication "Soviet Sakhalin", printed materials in the Nivkh language, in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, the Nivkhskaya Pravda was published, but the newspaper did not find its reader and after 11 issues it was closed. Whereas in Magadan, the regional newspaper Sovetskaya Kolyma (1935), which also published materials in the Nivkh language, enjoyed continued success.

Articles in the Aleut language periodically appeared in the Aleut Pravda, in Evenk – in the Okhotsk-Evenk Pravda. In Anadyr, the district newspaper Sovetskaya Chukotka published materials in both Eskimo and Chukchi (Sovetken Chukotka, 1933; Far North, 1993).

The peoples of the Far East with recognized autonomy within the framework of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic had several newspapers in their native language at once: socio-political, youth, children's, district, as well as literary, artistic and professional magazines. New national publications had to integrate into the Soviet propaganda system, adapting to the imperious needs. However, few of them lasted long. Newspapers appeared on the wave of the rise of national consciousness, and the founders simply did not have time to prepare for all the difficulties of the process started: there were not enough material and technical means, often there was no printing base, qualified translators and trained editorial and journalistic personnel. In the 1940s, several more literary and artistic magazines appeared: "Baigal" (1947) in the Buryat language; "Khakassia Ottary" (1952) and "Ah Taskhyl" (1959) in the Khakass language.

At this, the active growth of the number of newspapers and magazines in the native languages of national minorities of the Far East, which started in the 1920s, stopped. In many ways, this was due to the imposed ideological attitude towards the rapprochement of nations. In Soviet society, tendencies to displace the languages of indigenous peoples with Russian have manifested themselves. Russian Russian ideologists of that time motivated this by the higher potential and sphere of influence of the Russian language, the development of scientific and technical terminology, and the high degree of maturity of the Russian literary language ^{[7, p. 13-15]}.

The policy of national leveling was reflected in a decrease in the number of issues of newspapers in the languages of indigenous and small peoples of the Far East. The readership of such publications was rapidly declining due to the powerful assimilation of peoples and the reduction in the number of people who know the language of their people and want to learn it.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a second wave of interest in ethnic groups rose in the country. This was facilitated by the revolutionary transformations that revealed the decline of national consciousness and language problems, as a result of which the emphasis was placed on increasing the level of interest in publishing newspapers and magazines in national languages. Democratization became spontaneous and resulted in the idea of preserving the linguistic heritage.

In 1989, in Kamchatka, in order to maintain the Even culture and the Even language in the Even-Bytantai district of the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, the district newspaper "Bytantai wattara togalni" ("Lights of Bytantai") began to be published. In the Khabarovsk Territory, district and city newspapers with large circulation are published, on the pages of which literary blocks are formed in the languages of indigenous peoples: Ulchi, Evenks, Nanais (the authors of these materials were of different nationalities) – headings about the cultural and historical past of the small motherland ^{[14, p. 200]}.

Sakhalin was famous for its unique newspaper "Nivkh-div" ("Nivkh word"). It was the only newspaper published since 1990. It was published in two dialects of the Nivkh language at once. Despite a number of significant transformations (change of founder, transformation of publishing policy, change of authorship), the newspaper continues to exist to this day and has the status of "influential" in its region ^{[13, pp. 114-132]}.

In the mid-1990s, the national press, together with the whole country, was experiencing a profound crisis. Circulation decreased by more than 10 times due to the high cost of subscriptions and postal services, the disappearance of the system of government orders and distribution networks. The number of titles of newspapers of small peoples has fallen ^{[8, pp. 62-66]}.

By the beginning of the second decade of the XXI century, the national press of the Far East is in a state of crisis. Assessing the current trends in the development of the national press, the researchers note: "The curtailment of the national press really threatens the preservation of the languages of small nations and nationalities <...> and, ultimately, the life of the nation itself" ^{[9, pp. 471-472]}. The narrowing of the area and information capabilities of national mass media can have irreversible consequences for interaction with the culture of ethnic minorities. At the present stage of development, there is a risk of the disappearance of many cultural traditions and languages of the indigenous peoples of the Far East.

According to O. D. Yakimov, "the national newspaper is doomed to be embedded in the structure of power and, consequently, to serve its interests as long as it needs it" ^{[16, pp. 90-99]}. Whereas I. N. Blokhin is sure that "the importance of gaining greater independence by the national press, turning it into an institution expressing the opinions of national and confessional groups of the population" ^{[1, p. 160]}. At the same time, he pays tribute to the need for subsidized measures, calling them "guaranteeing the preservation and expansion of the network of publications published in national languages" ^{[1, p. 148]}.

At the present stage, the main problem of the national mass media is the lack of funding. This is confirmed by the situation in the Khabarovsk Territory. In 2017, the Nanai-language TV program "Nanai Boani", which was broadcast on the channel "Russia 24 Khabarovsk" since January 2015, was closed, and in 2018, the only Nanai newspaper of the Khabarovsk Territory "Post Khabarovsk" ceased to exist. The "Khabarovka Post" had an application "Nanai Newspaper", covering the history and culture of the Far Eastern peoples. Since 2011 it began to be published in a separate edition – in the form of the magazine "Aborigen", but by 2018 it was closed due to economic problems.

Today, ethnic journalism is experiencing difficulties in the conditions of commercialization, fierce competition, where state funding is the decisive factor. But at the same time, it should be noted that such a measure cannot be the only way to solve the problem, since the subsidy introduced will contribute either to the conservation or partial improvement of the existing situation, since "in a country with a market economy <...> national mass media will sooner or later be forced to learn how to survive in the media market" ^{[10, pp. 471-472]}.

Despite the above trends, in the Far Eastern Federal District, a number of regions can be identified in which there is an increase in the number of ethnic mass media – these are the Republics of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Republic of Buryatia.

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) publishes the largest number of ethnic mass media in the Far Eastern Federal District. Newspapers are published in the republic in the Yakut language, television programs are produced; several radio channels are functioning, broadcasting in Russian and Yakut languages. There are more than seven printed national mass media in Yakutia alone: "Sakha Sire", "Yakut-Sakha News Agency (YSIA)", "Republican Newspaper on Social Protection issues "Care-Archy", "Kaskil", "Ilken", they all belong to the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), which explains the stability of their release.

The Constitution of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) establishes two state languages – Russian and Yakut. The radio channel "Radio of Russia" includes a branch that broadcasts in Yakut, Russian and the languages of the small peoples of the North of Russia 3.5 hours a day or 800 hours a year. On weekdays, various radio programs are broadcast, including live broadcasts: "Tetim-chaas" ("Hour of Radio") ^[6].

Tatim-chaas produces Radio Tatim, the founder of which is the national broadcasting company Sakha, one of the largest regional television and radio broadcasting companies in Russia ^[11].

The mission of the NVC "Sakha" is to promote the comprehensive and harmonious development of the individual by providing reliable and complete information about the political, economic, cultural and social life of the republic, the country and the world; assistance in preserving national identity, languages, traditions and customs, the traditional way of life of the peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as their spiritual development and the spread of culture.

Radio Sakha is an information and music radio station. The broadcast contains up-to-date information about events in the region, programs that contribute to the preservation of national identity, language and traditions of the peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The broadcast is conducted in Russian and Yakut languages.

Currently, Republican radio is one of the most operational mass media in Yakutia and the only radio channel broadcasting to the whole republic. Together with the TV channel NVK Sakha is part of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company "Sakha". The TV channel broadcasts programs that are divided into informational ("Sakha sire" informationai bieri" ("News") and "Saham Sirin Sarsyardata" ("Yakut morning")) and entertainment (these are mainly broadcasts of concerts, such as "Kylaan Kyndyl kensiere" ("Christmas Concert"), performances and sports matches)), as well as Yakut TV series produced by NVC Sakha. The most famous are "Oloh dien oloh" ("Life is life"), "Diol taaa" ("Stone of happiness")) ^[11].

The second position in terms of the number of media broadcasting in the language of indigenous peoples is occupied by the Republic of Buryatia, which publishes newspapers and Buryat-Mongolian Internet radio. The publishing house "Buryad Unen" operates in the information space of the Republic of Buryatia. He publishes a magazine – "Baigal" and a newspaper – "Buryaad unen" (in Buryat). The newspaper has a circulation of 5,000 copies, and the volume of the A3 edition is 24 pages. "Buryaad Unen" aims to increase the prestige of the Buryat-Mongolian language, therefore, the newspaper covers socially significant topics relevant to the target audience. The journalists of this publication, analyzing various problems, emphasize the role of the state and its various structures in preserving national identity, highlight the peculiarities of the work of national organizations. Finally formed genres are an essay, chronicle information, an article, a note ^{[3, p. 254]}.

Currently, the newspaper is rightfully considered the oldest printed publication in Siberia and the Far East. "Buryaad unen" is known and prescribed even abroad – in Mongolia and China. The newspaper can be called multimedia, as it has expanded its area of media space – the editorial team is working not only on the print version distributed by subscription, but is also developing on the Internet. The publication has its own official website. Unlike the printed version, the electronic version of the newspaper is updated every day. The site gets not only large elaborated materials, but also brief news, thematic videos.

Another Buryat publication is Baigal– a literary and artistic magazine. The publication is issued in a circulation of 1000 copies, the frequency has 6 issues per year. "Baigal" has the following goals: firstly, to show the spiritual wealth of Buryatia, to fully restore the creativity of Buryat writers that was previously not in demand, forgotten and rejected for ideological or other reasons, and secondly, to present the current state of Buryat fiction.

The main function of the publication is propaganda. The idea of the importance of Buryat culture in the context of friendship of peoples is actively promoted. The audience of the publication is all Russian-speaking Buryats who are fluent in their national language and are interested in the artistic heritage of their people.

The magazine is full of various publications telling about the traditions and customs of the Buryats. The authors and guests of the publication are writers, poets and artists, historians, philosophers, experts in the folklore of Buryatia, art and folk crafts. Archival documents, materials about historical and cultural monuments are published here. Colorful illustrative materials occupy a special place. There are many well-known representatives of the Buryat diaspora among the authors. These are poets Tsydyp Tsyrendorzhiev and Dondog Ulzytuev, and journalist Galina Bazarzhapova, and writers Tuyana Sambialova and Sangyn Erdene and many others ^[2].

This publication is working towards improving the qualitative component of ethnic mass media. To settle interethnic relations, Baigal addresses both the particular manifestations of the cultural characteristics of the Buryats and the common values and goals of the host country.

On the basis of the state Internet channel "Russia", the State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company "Buryatia" operates, which broadcasts Buryatia news in both Russian and Buryat. The founder is the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company" ^[5].

This project produces unique programs in the national language. For example, "Gulamta" ("Hearth"), where we are talking about the traditions of the Buryat people. For the record, correspondents travel to districts and Buryat districts, places of compact residence of Buryats. There are also literary programs that include a review of new works by Buryat writers, poets, theatrical premieres, literary associations. One of them is "Altargana". An analytical radio program "Sagai Amiskhal" is also being produced in the Buryat language, in which the results of the week are summed up ^[5].

A separate block can be allocated programs for a young audience, for example, for the youngest. This is "Shagshuuday" – a cycle of children's radio programs, which includes games, performances, readings, poems and songs performed by children. The program is being broadcast with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Buryatia. A special program "Edirshuul" is being created for young people. It tells about schoolchildren. The problems of youth are covered monthly in another program – "Naidalai Oshon" ^[5].

The mass media and sports topics are not bypassed: a special program "Oriel" has been created for this. It talks about sports events taking place in the republic and abroad. At the same time, the achievements of exclusively Buryat athletes are highlighted. In the radio program "Eluur Enkhe Yabaya" attention is paid to a healthy lifestyle, disease prevention ^[5].

In Buryatia, there is also a Buryat-Mongolian public Internet radio "Buryad FM", which broadcasts around the clock in five dialects. The launch of such a project was carried out thanks to the financial support of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia, the Administration of the Head and Government of the Republic of Buryatia.

The radio channel began broadcasting in the city of Ulan-Ude on September 1, 2016 in five main dialects: selenge, hongoodor, erhuu, bargazhan, hori. Therefore, the time on the air is divided so that at least one program from each district sounds every day. For this purpose, the speakers of Buryat dialects, dialects and dialects were directly involved. Journalists work each from their own area: this is necessary for the rapid collection of material. Their main task is to glorify their native republic. To do this, listeners are introduced to interesting people: singers, poets, workers – who have made a great contribution to the development of Buryatia.

Thematic blocks are very diverse. The content consists mainly of regional news of the republic and materials related to the Buryat people and their cultural heritage. Prayers of the Unzad Lama Khamba Etigelova, Donshuur Maani, Altan Geral, Gombo Sahyusan and others in the Buryat language are read on the air. Recorded concerts, plays from the radio theater, excerpts of novels, poems and short stories in the Buryat language, as well as materials on the history of datsans and Hambo Lamas are played.

Radio Buryad FM sets itself the goal of preserving the Buryat language, and one of the subtasks is to work on the return of compulsory study of the Buryat language in secondary schools. Therefore, the radio also performs a cultural and educational function. Audio lessons of the Buryat language are broadcast on the air. In addition, residents of Ulan-Ude have the opportunity to join a huge cultural layer, because the archive of radio Buryad FM has 4378 songs, most of which were unavailable for listening earlier. Moreover, most of the performers were not even known to the general population. The music on the radio is not only Buryat, but also Mongolian. The performers of jingles – radio call signs – were Seseg Ayusheeva, Timur Bolotov, Sayan Dashinimaev.

The emergence of Internet radio can be called one of the steps to create a full-fledged public broadcast radio station in the Republic of Buryatia. Despite the similarity of the subject matter, "Buryad FM" and radio GTRK "Buryatia" are different in their content. Buryad FM attracts its audience by broadcasting in different dialects and appealing to Buddhism, the traditional national religion of the Buryats. "Buryad FM" connects the districts and the capital of the republic, reminds ethnic representatives of the roots of the Buryat language. In turn, radio GTRK "Buryatia" focuses on the various thematic content of its programs, special projects, as well as the targeting of its headings. Unique television content is also being created on the basis of GTRK "Buryatia".

Other regions of the Far East are significantly inferior to Yakutia and Buryatia in terms of the number of ethnic mass media produced. So, in the Sakhalin region there is a print media – the newspaper "Nivkh Dif" (in the Nivkh language). In the Trans–Baikal Territory, there are television programs of the GTRK Chita (in Buryat); in the Kamchatka Territory – print media - an appendix to the newspaper "Narodovlastye" (in Koryak and Even), TV programs of the GTRK Kamchatka (in Koryak). In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the appendix "Murgin Nutenut" to the newspaper "Far North" (in Chukchi) and television programs of the GTRK Chukotka are published.  

As the experience of the Far Eastern media shows, ethnicity, transmitted through the media into the mass consciousness, is able to integrate a multi-ethnic population. And the mass media in the language of ethnic groups successfully copes with this task. Ethnic publications reduce the number of misconceptions arising from ignorance or distortion of information about the people by publishing positive materials that introduce readers to another culture, traditions, and way of life. This allows the national mass media to work every day to preserve the national diversity of the region: document the cultural baggage of entire peoples, educate patriots of their native land and Russia, revive spirituality, develop national literature and form pride among representatives of ethnic groups for their belonging to a particular ethnic group.