Religious Beliefs of the Indigenous Peoples of the Pritelechye: Early Forms and Features

. The formation of the Altai Republic as a form of the statehood of Altai people contributed to the national- cultural revival of kumandins, chelkans and tubalars. The problems of preserving, transforming traditional beliefs and inter-religious dialogue in a multiconfessional and multinational society are always relevant. The novelty of this study lies in the emphasis on the characteristics of the religious beliefs of the peoples of Pritelechye, as a distinctive feature in com-parison with the religious systems of the peoples of the Mountain Altai. How hunting and blacksmithing cults became an integral part of the early forms of religious beliefs of the indigenous peoples of Pritelechye. Without understanding the origins of their origin and transformation, it is impossible to understand the current problems of the national and cultural development of indigenous peoples. The aim of this work is the features of the early forms of religious beliefs of the indigenous peoples of Pritelechye. The religious beliefs of the indigenous peoples of the Pritelechye were in a difficult process of transition from the early forms of religion to tribal ones. With the development of tribal relations, along with animism and shamanism, new religious forms arise that reflect the specifics of these relations. These included totemism, the hunting cult, and the cult of ancestors. A hunting cult arises during the period of the origin of hoe farming, when climatic factors most significantly affect production activity, and, therefore, all spheres of human life. In short, hunting led a person to consolidate in his life, in society, in general, the patriarchal way of life. Totemism in our case was closely related to the economic activities of indigenous peoples, which was based on gathering and hunting. During the tribal society, as you know, the average life expectancy of people increased. In this regard, the differentiation of society by age was clearly defined. In this regard, the older generation had a special social function: it became the guardian of work experience and clan traditions. Respect for elders during life entailed their posthumous veneration by living relatives, that is, their veneration of the “spirit” of dead relatives.