Keyword: «yakut heroic epic olonkho»

The article is devoted to the history of the study of the Yakut heroic epic Olonkho, summing up the results achieved and identifying its prospects. Olonkho as a heroic epic is the largest genre, the culmination of Yakut folklore. Its study began in pre-revolutionary times, and from the founding of the Institute of Language and Culture at the Council of People's Commissars of the YASSR in 1935, the study of Yakut folklore, including olonkho, was defined as one of its fundamental directions. Yakut folkloristics, as an in-tegral part of Russian science, has accumulated a solid scientific heritage, however, our knowledge about it is insufficient. The article discusses scientific directions in the study of the Yakut epic, the history of its collection and publication. Using the method of studying personal biographies, our experience in creating a biobibliographic dictionary of Yakut folk-lorists, an interpretation and assessment of their scientific heritage was made. The merit of Yakut folklorists and social activists is revealed in the proclamation of the Yakut heroic epic in UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral Intangible and Cultural Heritage of Humanity and in the revival of the national culture of the Yakut people in the 21st century. Ideas for further research on olonkho are proposed.