Shamanism in Soviet Cinema: “The Road of the Dead” (1937)

Purpose. The aim of this research is to examine the experience of using cinematic resources to reshape the worldview among the population of a multi-confessional country using scientific and artistic approaches. One of the key aspects of Sovietization was the anti-religious campaign, designed to get rid of heterogeneous confessional “prejudices” and construct in the consciousness of the masses a common, “near-religious” attitude to the socialist world order. Cinema, which was rapidly gaining popularity, was seen as an effective tool for operational intervention in the delicate area of public consciousness. Results. Based on the analysis of archival materials, the article introduces into scientific circulation information about the film “Road of the Dead”, dedicated to shamanism, and filmed as part of a comprehensive academic expedition in 1935–1937 to study the ethnography of the peoples of the Amur River. As a result of the study, the motives of scientists and filmmakers in implementing the film project in question are revealed by comparing the expedition program and the film script. Conclusion. A conclusion is made about the scientific significance of the film source as an informative visual document of its time, allowing us to reconstruct not only the actual events, but also their figurative context, and opening up new research prospects.