Material culture

In ethnology, material culture refers to all objects created by human hands that have a tangible, physical expression, such as settlements, housing, clothing, food, household items, tools, transportation methods, and more. According to most researchers, the traditional housing of the Mariupol Greeks is classified as the Southern European type based on several characteristics. However, the origin of the key elements of Greek housing and how it transformed in the Nadzov Sea region is still being discussed. To date, nearly all aspects of Greek rural homes and estates have been described and analyzed to varying extents, with a classification system based on building materials. Unfortunately, there is little research on the ancient architecture and interiors of Greek urban homes and how urban spaces were organized in Mariupol. Questions regarding the development of Greek village spaces and estates, the transformation of architecture and interiors, as well as the production and use of household tools and equipment, remain understudied.

The traditional costume of the Mariupol Greeks was developed in Crimea. Visual sources show that this attire is the result of prolonged cultural interaction over at least 300 years within the former Ottoman Empire. The Mariupol Greek costume is distinctive in the cut and ornamentation of the shirts, the shapes and ways of tying women’s head coverings, the jewelry, and other elements, with certain regional variations. These costumes can now mostly be seen in museum collections. The rapid industrial development of the Nadzov region, along with urbanization, Russification, famine, and Soviet repression, led to the swift abandonment of traditional Greek clothing in favor of a more uniform, “urban” style. The costumes developed for Mariupol Greek folklore groups over the last 40 years mostly do not reflect the specifics of their ancient attire.

Special studies on the cuisine and dietary system of the Mariupol Greeks have been sparse, despite the availability of a substantial source base for such research. Scholars generally describe the traditional cuisine of the Greeks in the Nadazov region as predominantly meat- and dairy-based, which aligns with the pastoral nature of their economic activities. This focus on livestock farming likely reflects the shift in their economic activities after settling in the Azov Sea region. However, many flour, vegetable, and fruit-based dishes have also been documented in their culture, suggesting a strong agricultural tradition in the past.
The Soviet influence had a considerable impact on the contemporary diet of the Mariupol Greeks, while close ties with Greece over the past 30 years introduced dishes that were not traditionally part of their cuisine. Today, the cuisine of the Mariupol Greeks, aside from a few original dishes (mostly ritualistic), shares direct similarities with the traditional cuisines of other peoples of Crimea, such as Crimean Tatars, Armenians, Karaites, and Krymchaks, as well as with their neighbors in the Nadazov region, including Bulgarians, Jews, Russians, and Ukrainians.