Introduction

The history of higher artistic education in the Republic of Mordovia begins with the opening of the Faculty of National and Folk Culture in 1991. In 2006, the Faculty was reorganised into the Institute of National and Folk Culture. Today it is a dynamically developing institution, one of the leading science and education centres in the Volga region releasing accomplished, sought-after staff in the field of culture, art, advertising and mass media for the Republic of Mordovia and the Russia’s regions.

The mission of the Institute is to revive, safeguard and extend the Russian spiritual traditions and unique phenomena of the multiethnic culture of the Republic of Mordovia and the peoples of the Finno-Ugric world.

The Institute has extensive ties with research centres, universities, creative unions, cultural and educational organisations in Russia and friendly countries abroad. Cooperation is carried out through joint ethnographic expeditions, scientific conferences, publication of research papers, organisation of festivals, exchange of guest-lecturers and master classes.

Resources and facilities

Apart from academic departments there is a division of secondary vocational education. 90% of the Faculty’s teaching and research staff are holders of various scientific degrees.

The Institute eagerly engages key employers of the Republic – specialists of the State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company «Mordovia», Yaushev State Music Theater, the State Russian Drama Theater of the Republic of Moldova, Erzya Republican Museum of Fine Arts, Pushkin National Library of the Republic of Moldova, etc. to the development of curricula, organisation of practical trainings and development of professional competencies of students.

A well-developed and cohesive infrastructure enables learners to excel at learning, research, artistic and creative activities. There are art and sewing workshops, a design workshop, ballet halls, music rooms, acting rooms, costume rooms, a computer laboratory, including 6 classrooms with Internet access, a laboratory of multimedia resources and art technologies, with modern photo, audio and video equipment. Information technologies, multimedia tools, modern software, in particular Adobe Creative Cloud, etc. are widely used in learning, teaching and research.

The Institute incorporates a research laboratory of Finno-Ugric culture, student scientific associations, practice rooms (studios), vocal groups and choreographic troupes, the camp counsellors division «Next», the «Volunteer» group, the youth drama theater, the fashion theater, the Logos film club, the «Whoop group» media centre.

Curricular practical training

Students reinforce their theoretical knowledge during practical trainings which take place at the leading local culture and arts institutions, educational establishments, advertising agencies and the mass media outlets.

Research

The Institute research teams attempt to delve into information culture and novel media, strands of traditional culture of the Finno-Ugric peoples, methods of its safeguarding and realisation in educational, artistic and performing practice.

The scholars and students take part in scientific conferences, win proposals funded by various domestic and international foundations (the Russian Cultural Foundation, the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives, Russian Foundation for Humanities, Russian Foundation for Basic Research etc.); go on musical, ethnographic and folklore expeditions in order to reveal the authentic samples of the traditional culture of the Finno-Ugric peoples.

Scholar school «Intellectual and aesthetic values of the Russian province». The school is headed by Natalia I.Voronina (Higher Doctorate degree holder., Full Professor, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Mordovia in the field of culture).