02036nas a2200229   4500000000100000000000100001000000100002008004100003653003300044653001700077653001700094653001900111653002400130100002000154700002600174245012100200856015100321300001200472490000900484520129300493022002001786       2021                            d10aIntangible cultural heritage10astorytelling10aAltai people10aEpic tradition10aHeritage production1 aMaria Mochalova1 aGalaktionov V, Sergey00aWhom does the singer of the tales sing for? Epic traditions and intangible heritage production in the Altai Republic  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85114103920&doi=10.17223%2f2312461X%2f32%2f9&partnerID=40&md5=1a955fed968164c1cedc9786c27f1c99  a184-2080 v20213 aUntil recently, the study of cultural heritage assumed that the researcher s attention was focused directly on the objects themselves - things, structures or traditional folklore practices. However, the very existence of the concept of heritage is directly connected with those who practice it, determine its value, choose the ways of its safeguarding or reconstruction, are involved in various forms of work with cultural objects. Using the example of storytelling (kai chӧrchӧk) as an object of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of the Altai Republic, the authors examine all these processes, actors, as well as factors influencing the formation of discourse and come to the conclusion that heritage, defined by L. Smith as a process, forms a social institution. This institution creates new systems of classifications and ways of interaction used by different groups of actors. Through these interactions there is a (re)production of storytelling as a traditional practice in a new social context. This approach to the study of heritage through the lens of socio-cultural anthropology can also be applied to other regions of inhabitance of indigenous peoples. The article is based on the authors  field materials collected in 2018-2020 in the Ongudai region of RA and Gorno-Altaisk.  a2312461X (ISSN)