PETER PAZUKHIN: TEACHER, FOLKLORIST, OFFICER, PATRIOT

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in April 2024, 135 years passed since the birth of the teacher, collector of folklore, compiler of one of the first collections of Chuvash folk songs, officer of the Tsarist army P.V. Pazukhin. His life and work during the Soviet period are covered in many publications, but in some of them there are many obvious mistakes, myths (or legends) in favor of ideological leanings. There were no objective studies in the post-Soviet period. The purpose of the study is to trace some stages in life path made by P.V. Pazukhin based on reliable documents. Materials and methods. The research was based on materials published in various publications about P.V. Pazukhin, as well as newly identified documents stored in the Scientific Archive of the Chuvash State Institute of Humanities. The principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency were used, as well as research methods: factual, descriptive, analytical, problem-chronological ones. Study results. Among the works about P.V. Pazukhin articles by journalists and freelance correspondents of Chuvash periodicals dominate, they often freely interpret some facts, and among professionals, we can note only a small fragment from the review material by musicologist and composer F.P. Pavlov about P.V. Pazukhin’s collection (1926) and a newspaper article by a famous Chuvash folklorist G. Yumart for the next anniversary date, who highly appreciate the work of the musical folklorist. Our article does not consider the lyrics of the songs, as this is the lot of folklorists. We identified inaccuracies and obvious errors in covering P.V. Pazukhin’s biography. Thus, it is proved that Pyotr Vasilyevich was a staunch supporter of progressive transformations in the life of his native people, but never engaged in revolutionary activities. He was not a front-line soldier during the entire period of service in the army, as some authors write, but he trained recruits in the rear, in addition, he studied at the school of warrant officers, only at the end of spring 1917 he voluntarily left “for positions”, as the front was then called. In addition, during 1914–1917 he was on vacation more than once, in particular, he lived in Simbirsk and, accordingly, visited relatives in the village of Polevoye Chekurovo in Buinsky uyezd of Simbirsk governorate. Conclusions. Most of published materials about P.V. Pazukhin are subjective in nature with clearly expressed ideological stamps of the Soviet period. That is why, this article attempts to carry out an objective study of the life and work of a teacher, one of the first Chuvash musical folklorists, an officer of the Tsarist army. For the first time, materials from the Manuscript Collection of Professor N.V. Nikolsky and other funds of the Scientific Archive of the Chuvash State Institute of Humanities were introduced into scientific circulation.