Šorci - Historie, kultura a folklor turkického národa Sibiře (2026)

Zdeněk Cvrkal’s book presents the literary, cultural and historical heritage of the Shors, one of the least-known ethnic groups of southern Siberia. The result of many years of research, it combines extensive translations of traditional and modern Shor literature with an accessible popular-science account. Readers will find translations of poetry, fairy tales, proverbs, riddles, shamanic folklore and the principal national epic, as well as Fjodor Čisťjakov’s important novella V dolinách Mrassu, which depicts changes in Shor life during the period of Soviet modernisation. The literary section is accompanied by an ethnographic and historical portrait of Mountain Shoria, a region with traditions of settled life, subsistence farming and developed blacksmithing. The book also explores traditional livelihoods, spiritual culture, architecture and the area’s early settlement history within a broader geographical, linguistic and cultural context. The contents are in Czech, and the book is intended both for specialists and for readers interested in history, ethnography and the cultural diversity of Siberia.