Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim

This paper explores the material culture of ‘karakat’ (Russian karakatitsa) hybrid vehicles in the town of Kallaste, east Estonia. It focuses on the social factors that allow karakat culture to change. The region of study was part of the Soviet Union so the phenomenon of self-assembled vehicles impl...

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Main Authors: Patrick Laviolette, Alla Sirotina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2015-06-01
Series:Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/188
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author Patrick Laviolette
Alla Sirotina
author_facet Patrick Laviolette
Alla Sirotina
author_sort Patrick Laviolette
collection DOAJ
description This paper explores the material culture of ‘karakat’ (Russian karakatitsa) hybrid vehicles in the town of Kallaste, east Estonia. It focuses on the social factors that allow karakat culture to change. The region of study was part of the Soviet Union so the phenomenon of self-assembled vehicles implies socialist and communist considerations. Local people are still surrounded by the material legacy of that time. Technological assemblages from the past therefore continue to live in the present. It was popular in the USSR to maintain off-road vehicles, which were put together with the owner’s own hands. Such a bricolage technique has been preserved since the middle of the 20th century and is something that is used as a marker of local identity. The distribution of spare parts was problematic in former Soviet times and this has influenced the way men now make karakats. Current owners spend a lot of time servicing their vehicles. The issue of masculinity is highly relevant here because dealing with technology is seen as a masculine activity. Moreover, because it is increasingly open to tourists, karakat culture is becoming a tradable commodity.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-213b6a3ed2de4130b1bf4f905b9a4d1a2025-02-02T00:08:11ZengSciendoJournal of Ethnology and Folkloristics1736-65182228-09872015-06-01912140129Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and SwimPatrick Laviolette0Alla Sirotina1Tallinn UniversityPirita Leisure CentreThis paper explores the material culture of ‘karakat’ (Russian karakatitsa) hybrid vehicles in the town of Kallaste, east Estonia. It focuses on the social factors that allow karakat culture to change. The region of study was part of the Soviet Union so the phenomenon of self-assembled vehicles implies socialist and communist considerations. Local people are still surrounded by the material legacy of that time. Technological assemblages from the past therefore continue to live in the present. It was popular in the USSR to maintain off-road vehicles, which were put together with the owner’s own hands. Such a bricolage technique has been preserved since the middle of the 20th century and is something that is used as a marker of local identity. The distribution of spare parts was problematic in former Soviet times and this has influenced the way men now make karakats. Current owners spend a lot of time servicing their vehicles. The issue of masculinity is highly relevant here because dealing with technology is seen as a masculine activity. Moreover, because it is increasingly open to tourists, karakat culture is becoming a tradable commodity.https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/188hybrid technologycar cultureeast Estoniamasculinity
spellingShingle Patrick Laviolette
Alla Sirotina
Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim
Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
hybrid technology
car culture
east Estonia
masculinity
title Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim
title_full Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim
title_fullStr Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim
title_full_unstemmed Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim
title_short Karakats: the Bricolage of Hybrid Vehicles that Skate and Swim
title_sort karakats the bricolage of hybrid vehicles that skate and swim
topic hybrid technology
car culture
east Estonia
masculinity
url https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/188
work_keys_str_mv AT patricklaviolette karakatsthebricolageofhybridvehiclesthatskateandswim
AT allasirotina karakatsthebricolageofhybridvehiclesthatskateandswim