The Role of the Bachelorette Party in the Structure of the Northern Russian Wedding as a Dynamic System

This article examines the culture of the wedding ceremony, its most important qualities, the structure of one of its stages – the bachelorette party, the features of its holding in the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions. It describes a special song genre used during the bachelorette party and characteristic of the Russian North – the ritual lamentations. The main research attention in the article is focused on the semantics and musical code of this part of the wedding rite. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the identification of unique aspects of the bachelorette party as part of the tradition and a comprehensive analysis of its meaning and folklore accompaniment. Unlike the existing works on these issues, the focus will be on the relationship between musical elements and cultural connotations, as well as on the role of the bachelorette party in the formation of collective identity. The article considers the transformations of the ritual phenomenon in the context of globalization, which contributes to understanding the dynamics of traditional practices and their adaptation in a modern context. The undertaken research fills an existing gap in folklore and cultural science, opening up new perspectives for the study of rituals and their significance in modern society.