The Birth and Death of the Russian House in the Priargun’ie Three Rivers Region, People’s Republic of China (1)

Abstract

This article considers the remnants of Russian ritual practices surrounding houses in the Priangun’ie region of China. This region was populated by Russians from the late 19th century on. A large group of immigrants (Russian, Tungus and Buriat) immigrated there from the Transbaikal region of Russia after the establishment of Soviet rule in the early 20th century. The paper examines what remains of Russian traditional practices, how they have been blended with native Chinese traditions, and adapted over time to reflect intermarriage between people of Chinese or Tungus and Russian descent.