Musical traditions of the Turkic ethnic groups of the Volga-Caspian Sea in the aspect of E. V. Gippius’ scientific criteria

The aim of the study is to reveal, based on the scientific criteria and methods developed by the outstanding Russian scholar E. V. Gippius, the local specificity of the musical tradition of the Turkic ethnic groups in the Volga-Caspian region, and to identify both local and regional characteristics, as well as supra-ethnic genre and stylistic features of the most distinctive genres of vocal and instrumental folklore. Using systemic-typological and areal methods, the study also aims to analyze interethnic interactions in the song and instrumental traditions of the Astrakhan Yurts, Karagash, Kazakhs and Turkmens. The primary focus is on identifying common and specific elements of the musical language of the Turkic ethnic groups in the Volga-Caspian region. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the examination of the areal musical traditions of Turkic-speaking groups in the Volga-Caspian region. The study also highlights the issue of cultural interaction with neighboring groups that share linguistic and religious similarities while still carrying within themselves their own ethnomusical traditions, which have developed over centuries. As a result, it has been determined that the general methodological aspects of E. V. Gippius not only address many issues related to Russian folklore but are also applicable to the study of national musical cultures. Furthermore, regional ethnic specificity is shaped by the interaction of traditions among neighboring peoples.