Wedding rituals, political power and the third space in Soviet Azerbaijan

Abstract

This paper aims at understanding transformations of cultural identity in Azerbaijan by exploring raptures, continuations, and re-formulations of marriage rituals during Soviet times (1920–1990). Seven women born in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s and, raised in different regions of Soviet Azerbaijan were interviewed, sharing their memories of their own and their parents' marriage rituals. Their narratives provide a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between political, social, and economic factors that influenced Azerbaijani cultural identity, which historically has interacted with many different cultures. To examine the interaction of local cultural identity with the Soviet colonial power in time and space, we use Mikhail Bakhtin's ‘chronotope’, Stuart Hall's elaboration of ‘cultural identity,’ and Homi Bhabha's concepts of ‘hybridity’ and ‘third space.' We argue that despite Soviet influence, local cultural practices endured, keeping the Azerbaijani individual self-identity distinct.