Chelkans. Modern culture and crafts, folklore groups, professional art

Today’s folk performing arts of Northern Altaians bring to us elements of their traditional culture, including music culture. Their repertoire evidences the people’s close connection with nature. Ethnic performing groups and folk bands study and preserve their people’s traditional culture embodied in songs, dances, games, various folklore genres, traditional ethnic costume, customs, and rites.

Anna M. Kandarakova is an expert in Chelkan folklore. She has for many years been collecting materials in Chelkan. In 2014, the Association of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the Altai Republic presented a collection of Chelkan songs titled Shalganug kalyktyng saarynary compiled by Anna M. Kandarakova. These songs had mostly been authored by people well-versed in the traditional culture of their people .

The Turochak district has the “People’s” ethnic folk performing group Tyurmut led by Elina V. Klochkova. It was founded in 2006, and has since become of the district's calling cards. The group primarily works toward preserving and developing the folk culture of indigenous small-numbered peoples of Altai, fostering the young generation’s interest in ethnic traditions and folklore, and also studying and decoding the specifics of the local folklore. The Tyurmut band regularly takes part in regional and district celebrations, festivals, competitions, and federal festivals where they present Kumandin, Chelkan, and Tuba Kizhi songs. In 2014, the band was
awarded the honorary title of the People’s band. Together with community leaders, the performing group prepares rites and rituals for the folk celebrations such as Chaga Bayram, Tilgayak, and Tyuryuk Bayram, collects ritual songs and tunes of Altai’s indigenous peoples. Since it was founded, the group has won the hearts of audiences both in the district and in the Altai Republic; it contributes to reviving folk customs and brings us back to the traditions of their people.

The community center in the village of Kebezen is actively promoting performing groups that represent the culture of local indigenous peoples. For instance, the Chakayak duo established in 2014 and led by Svetlana P. Kuchukova took part in the Tyuryuk Bayram district ethnic celebration.

The community center also houses the Tyash Tyuryuk ethnic theater club founded in 2018 and also led by Svetlana P. Kuchukova. The club took part in the El Oyyn Republic-wide National Celebration in the Tastarakay nomination (2014 honorary mention); in the My Sacrosanct Altai Inter-district celebration dedicated to the Indigenous Peoples’ Day (awarded a diploma, or a special prize, in the Let’s Preserve Our Ancestors' Traditions folklore competition in 2019); in the TASTARAKAY republic-wide competition dedicated to the year of the theater in the Russian Federation and the International Year of Indigenous Languages (honorary mention 2019); the Tilgayak district celebration in the Tastarakay nomination (1 st prize); in the 17 th El Oyyn 2022 Inter-regional Altaian People’s celebration (honorary mention).