Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on the practices of incorporating decorative stone extraction as an element of cultural heritage among Indigenous Veps in Karelia, Northwest Russia. It discusses how Indigenous and local visions of industry and sustainability contest dominant state narratives.

Paper long abstract:

This paper focuses on the practices of incorporating decorative stone extraction as a traditional economic activity and an element of cultural heritage. It discusses the case study of Veps Indigenous minority in the Republic of Karelia, Northwest Russia. Since the 18th – 19th centuries, Karelian Veps have been extracting rare ornamental stones – gabbro-diabase and raspberry quartzite. In the Soviet period, large state-operated stone quarries opened in the Veps region, and local stone was widely use for decorative and industrial purposes. Currently, most residents of Veps villages are still employed in privatized stone quarries, but the industry is in decline. Stone mining is promoted as an element of Veps cultural heritage through state institutions, such as Veps ethnographic museum, as well as local state-funded initiatives, such as Veps ethnic theme parks. Many residents of Veps villages refer to stoneworking as a tradition with a rich history and the possibility of a long future. At the same time, current practices of stone extraction and the environmental impact of mining are a common source of worries and disappointment as Veps feel alienated from the declining mining industry. Through the analysis of the Veps example, the paper discusses the importance of Indigenous and local visions of industry and sustainability that often question dominant state narratives. The research is based on participant observation and interviews conducted in Veps villages of Karelia in 2015 – 2021.