Negative:: S. A. An-sky with shtetl residents

European Jews

Southwestern Krai

1912-1914s

Glass

18 x 24

РЭМ 12588-66/1

Jewish ethnographic expedition of S. A. An-sky. Expedition member A. Rechtman describes meetings with shtetl Jews in his memoirs. The talks usually started after a prayer in the synagogue with questions to An-sky and with his narratives about life in the capital, and then continued on a visit to An-sky. Over a cup of tea or glass of vodka, old men shared their memories, answered the researcher’s questions, and told local stories. In Rechtman’s opinion, the success of the expedition is related to shtetl residents’ attitude toward An-sky: “The old and the young stayed in his room all days and evenings. And it was only due to this unusual love we succeeded in collecting everything we collected”/