Mukomel V.I. (2026) Leokadia Drobizheva: personality, scholar, public figure. Istoricheskaya etnologiya [Historical Ethnology]. Vol. 11. No. 1: 44–53. https: ...

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: https://historicalethnology.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/%D0%98%D0%AD_1_2026_44-53.pdf (дата обращения 06.03.2026)

Abstract

The article is devoted to Leokadia M. Drobizheva, one of the key founders ofethnosociology in Russia. It reveals three aspects of her life and professional path: personal qualities that had a huge impact on the formation of research teams in Moscow and in the regions of Russia, her academic work, and public activities. The article shows that Leokadia Drobizheva’s work reflects the development of ethnosociology as a scientific field. Central attention is paid to theanalysis of the evolution of L.M. Drobizheva’s research field. Several stages of the transformation of her scientific interests are considered. First of all, it is the Soviet stage (1961–1990) – the period of ethnosocial research formation, the formulation of subjects of analysis, their methodology, goals and objectives. Secondly, the 1990s is the period of intensive familiarization with scholarly deve-lopments in the West, while at the same time it was necessary to analyze tectonic shifts in inter-ethnic relations and national policies in the newly independent states. Finally, in the 2000s, when the goals and objectives of Russia’s national policy were being reconsidered in connection with the changing situation; indicators and tools for implementing the nationality policy (ethnonational poli-cy) were being developed. Particular attention is drawn to the last stage. It is shown that already at the end of the first decade of the 2000s, L.M. Drobizheva’s focus shifted from traditional ethnosociological topics to the problems of consolidating Russian society, the key element of which she considered to be the all-Russian civic identity. The issues of the formation of national identity,its measurement, and correlation with other identification characteristics, primarily ethnic and territorial identities, became the main topics of her research and publications in subsequent years, when L.M. Drobizheva not only promoted her ideas in academic papers, but also was actively present in the public space. The paper is based both on the study of the creative legacy of LeokadiaDrobizheva and on the author’s personal impressions from interacting with her during many years of work under her leadership.