Ritual as a Means of Intercultural Communication

Rituals of different peoples of the contemporary world are presented in the article, perceived as a universal means of intercultural communication. The authors review some secular rituals of North America and religious ones of the Russian Caspian region. The coming-of-age ceremony of the North American Indian Apache community is submitted as a particular fulfillment of the contemporaneity's interethnic communications. The Apache's rite of passage attracts not only members of the Native American tribe but also the plethora of travelers worldwide. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the rituals in their function of integrating people of a particular ethnic culture and representatives of the others, participating in a ritual as spectators. The authors underline the humanistic and communicative traits of the rituals.