Russian Molokans in Azerbaijan as representatives of an ethno-linguistic and religious minority

Abstract

This article considers a brief history of the appearance of Russian Molokans in Azerbaijan and the main specific characteristics of their dialect.

In the first half of the 19th century, representatives of this Christian religious group, which arose in the Russian Empire in the 17th-18th centuries, were already deported from the central provinces to Transcaucasia.

From a linguistic point of view, the dialects of the different deported sectarian groups have not been studied little so far in the Russian Empire.

The article is based on field materials collected in the spring of 2022 through fieldwork methods: telephone interviews, interviews, and direct observations in the village of Ivanovka (Azerbaijan).

Keywords

• Azerbaijan
• Ivanovka
• language island
• Molokans
• religious minority
• Russian Empire
• Russian language
• Russian sectarianism
• Southern Russian dialects