Description of archive. Post-war history

The first post-war recordings are dated 1947. These are Karelian folklore compositions performed by M. Mikheeva, A.E. Kibrojeva. In 1948 the composer Natalia Levi and the Moscow team of the USSR radio committee recorded Russian songs from well-known performers A.T. Konashkova (Pudozh) and F.I. Bykova (Karelian White Sea coast).

Early in the 1950's A.P. Razumova and Yu.M. Zaritsky record the repertoire of the Segozersky public choir (vil. Padany) and Petrovsky public choir (vil. Spasskaya Guba). Yu.M. Zaritsky goes to vil. Ukhta (Kalevala) to record the runes and songs from Joki Hamalainen, V. Prokhorova, O. Lafeeva, Pallinen, Kalevala public choir, and from I.A. and I.F. Kondratievs' in the vil. Voknavolok. He is also the first to record the Sheltozersky public choir (Vepsian) and the Karelian epic and songs in Vedlozero. Audio recording is carried out also by K.V. Chistov, A.A. Belyakov and other researchers of the Institute. They record Karelian folklore compositions performed by T.A. Perttunen, M. Mikheeva, P.P. Ivanova, A.F. Nikiforova, J. Hamalainen. Particularly active in his collecting activities is V.Ya. Evseev. There are also recordings of Finnish folklore from northern Karelia done mostly by V.Ya. Evseev, P.Ya. Kuikka and V.I. Kijranen. In 1955 A.P. Razumova records Zaonezhje (a peninsula on the northern shore of Lake Onega) songs performed by D.G. Krivosheeva from the vil. Kosmozero. It is mostly Karelian and Russian epics and song lyrics that are collected in this period. Tape-recordings preserve the voices of the most gifted and well-known performers.

In 1956, following the resolution of the Presidium of the Karelian Branch of the USSR Academy of Science, a sound recording studio with a staff of two is established (Minutes № 10 of September 5, 1956). Since 1957 the work with the audio records, their systematization has been done in the sound recording studio (before then the work was done in the Scientific Archives of the Karelian Branch of the USSR Academy of Science, and the records were kept there). The year 1956 can be considered the year of foundation of the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History Audio Archive.

Folklore collecting expeditions in Karelia and adjacent areas have been a regular activity since the late 1950's. Sound recording becomes the main scientific recording tool while it offers incontestable advantages as compared with written recording: the possibility to reproduce the live voice, tune, articulation, intonation, as well as quickly and more completely collect the material. Decoding of the field tape-recording becomes a document the researcher relies upon in the study of the oral culture forms.