Felt Kyrgyz national caps. The main types of Kyrgyz men's costume. They build cottages out of shipping containers
Kalpak is the Kyrgyz national headdress, which does not lose its popularity at the present time. It can be called a visiting card of Kyrgyzstan. The parade uniform of Kyrgyz athletes at international competitions necessarily includes a white cap. In 2011, Kalpak Day was established in the country, which is now celebrated annually on March 5th. Since ancient times, this headdress has had a special relationship: one cannot re-gift one's kalpak, it must always be clean, it must not be thrown, it should be removed only with two hands, put in a special place or next to oneself. And the one who lost the kalpak is sure to face trouble.
Kalpak is a Kyrgyz national hat, which is still quite popular. It might be called the hallmark of the Kyrgyzstan. Uniform of Kyrgyz athletes in international competitions includes white kalpak as an essential element. In 2011 Kalpak's Day was established in the country and celebrated annually on March 5. From ancient times there was a special attitude toward this headdress: kalpak cannot be regiven, it should always be clean, it cannot be thrown, it should be taken off only with two hands and put on a special place. There is a legend for everyone who lost kalpak is expected to get in trouble.
However, to find real kalpak made from felt in the Kyrgyzstan today is very difficult but kalpaks made from Chinese synthetics are sold at every step. As it turned out, it is unprofitable for people or they are too lazy to work for the production of quality headdress. To receive good felt people have to grow certain breeds of sheep, shear the wool, process into felt and sew kalpak. It is much faster and cheaper to buy Chinese synthetic felt and sew hundreds of cheap kalpaks. Moreover, the population tends to not only wear the forgery, but also gives it as a present to foreigners or during visits to other countries.
True, in order to find a real kalpak in Kyrgyzstan today - made from natural felt - you have to go around a lot of shops and stores, but kalpaks made from Chinese synthetics are sold at every step. As it turned out, people are unprofitable or too lazy to work for the production of high-quality headgear. It is much faster and much more profitable to buy Chinese synthetic felt and sew hundreds of cheap caps. Moreover, the population not only wears a fake, but also gives it to foreigners or during visits to other countries.
Once, together with an Italian journalist, we were walking through the colorful bazaar of the city of Osh.
— What souvenir should I buy in Kyrgyzstan? asked my companion unexpectedly.
- Buy yourself a kalpak - a Kyrgyz men's headdress, - I answered without hesitation. And we went to the souvenir rows.
Here a great disappointment awaited me: we went around shop after shop and could not find a real felt kalpak. (“kalpak” is the Turkic spelling of the name of the national headdress, shaped like a cap). Everywhere they sold his fake made of Chinese synthetics for 150 soms (slightly more than $2). Finally, in the last row we found two shops with real kalpaks - 1200-1600 soms (about $17-22).
- Why so expensive? I asked the salesperson.
“There is no felt in the country,” she heard in response.
- Why is there no felt? Are the sheep gone? — I did not let up. The seller just smiled. He sold us a real Kyrgyz kalpak without giving up even 50 soms. And I decided to learn not only about the history of this headdress, but also its modern production.
Features of the Kyrgyz national game kok-boru (goat-cutting) are available at this link
Kalpak - a symbol of mountains
Ak-kalpak is a headdress made of white felt with black velvet lapels. In folklore, its shape is associated with a snowy peak. The word "ak", which translates as "white", is used by the Kyrgyz in several senses, except for the designation of color: pure, honest, sacred. With regard to kalpak, most likely, two meanings are used - white and sacred.
Since ancient times, this headdress has had a special relationship: you cannot re-gift your kalpak - only pass it on from generation to generation, it must always be clean, you cannot throw it, turn it around, you need to remove it only with two hands, put it in a special place or next to you. And the one who lost the kalpak is sure to face trouble.
Perhaps the prefix “ak” is also used for self-identification of the Kyrgyz, because the people have many clans and tribes, and the name “white-cap Kirghiz” is, as it were, one for all (here we recall the Karakalpaks who have an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan, in translation this word means “black hats"). The largest national epic "Manas" says that "the Kirghiz are a people wearing a white kalpak, the top of which is white, like the peaks of the Tien Shan mountains, and the base is dark, like their foot."
Kalpak is sewn from four wedges, expanding downwards. Patterns are traditionally embroidered with silk threads, the margins are most often trimmed with black velvet, the top is decorated with a tassel that hangs down in front.
Kalpak has many varieties; earlier, one could learn a lot about a person by the height and design of the headdress. For example, representatives of the nobility or artists wore kalpaks higher than those worn by ordinary people. Kalpaks "to go out" were made of expensive thin felt and good velvet and decorated with special patterns. White patterns were embroidered on the groom's wedding kalpak.
This is a universal headdress, which is not hot in summer and warm in winter, is made with slits in front or on the sides. On rainy days, you can drop the back to keep the rain out of the collar, and on hot days, the front to make a visor to protect from the sun.
Kalpak is very proud in Kyrgyzstan. Bus stops are made in the form of this headgear, kalpaks are put on by the Olympic team of the country, in 2008 a postage stamp with his image was even issued - a denomination of 6 soms, and in 2011 Kalpak Day was established.
Kyrgyz postage stamp depicting ak-kalpak
Kalpak is sewn, but not in kalpak style
The fact that the kalpak is still an integral attribute of men's clothing in Kyrgyzstan is evidenced by the huge number of people wearing it. But more and more often, preference is given to the "Chinese" kalpak, the quality of which differs markedly from the real one. I specifically looked at dozens of photos taken by the media during various events: participants in the celebrations in honor of Kalpak Day, the Olympic team, even some deputies - in Chinese synthetics.
The Olympic team of Kyrgyzstan also wears synthetic kalpaks (c) Sputnik.kg
What happened to this popular cultural attribute, why is it being replaced by a cheaper synthetic counterpart? It's simple: it is unprofitable or too lazy to produce high-quality headwear. To get good felt, you need to raise certain breeds of sheep, shear their wool, process it into felt and sew kalpaks. It is much faster and much more profitable to buy Chinese synthetic felt and sew hundreds of cheap kalpaks. Moreover, the population not only wears a fake, but also gives it to foreigners.
On these links you can read about various dishes of the countries of the region from the rubric Cuisine of Central Asia: Osh tandoor samsa, Karakol ashlyamfu, tandoor flatbread, beshbarmak, Tajik kurutob, kurut - Kyrgyz dry cheese, national drink koumiss.
The population of Kyrgyzstan wears "china"
…After returning to Bishkek, I called the national association of folk art crafts “Kyyal”, about which one of the resolutions of the Kyrgyz parliament says that “this is the only enterprise engaged in the production and promotion of Kyrgyz folk applied art.” “Real kalpaks should definitely be sewing there,” in this confidence I took up the phone. They transferred me from one number to another, “chased” me around the shops: “We haven’t sewed kalpaks for a long time”, “Call another shop, they definitely sew there”. And so over and over again, until I realized that kalpaks are not produced in "Kyyal". After asking my friends, I got the number of the woman who deals with these hats, the head of the Min Kyal Public Foundation Aidai Asangulova. She made an appointment for me just in "Kyyala", which, as it turned out, had long been divided into small rooms for rent.
Kalpaks, which were sewn at the Kyyal enterprise, 1976
I arrived early in order to have time to walk through the souvenir rows of the Osh market in Bishkek before the meeting began. The picture is the same as in the bazaar in Osh - kalpaks, rugs and other products made from Chinese synthetics. I also saw a few things made of natural felt. “Chinese” kalpak can be bought for 150 soms (a little more than $2), the price of felt ones starts from 700 soms ($10). Merchants answered that the population most often buys synthetic kalpaks. “Especially a lot of them are taken as a gift to foreigners, because they don’t know the difference,” one saleswoman frankly said.
By clicking on these links, you can read materials about the Soviet heritage of Kyrgyzstan. Part I - about Osh and Part II - about 10 signs of the New Year in the USSR, Part III - about the metropolitan telegraph, its bomb shelter and chimes, Part IV - about the Lenin Museum in Bishkek.
Synthetic kalpaks at the Osh market in Bishkek
New concept
It was time for the interview, we settled in a small workshop, where the client, manaschy (narrator of the Kyrgyz epic about the hero Manas) from Talas, ordered an individual kalpak for himself, and two girls sent off orders.
Real felt caps
“About ten years ago, there were problems with felt kalpaks in the market of Kyrgyzstan, and the bazaars were filled with synthetic products,” Aidai Asangulova began her story. - Previously, the Kyrgyz kalpak was made by hand, during the Soviet era they began to produce it in large quantities and according to a single standard at the Kyyal enterprise. Kalpak has always been carefully kept and passed down from generation to generation.
It seems that people know about the kalpak and respect it, but suddenly they switched to a synthetic fake, which they began to give to everyone in a row, and this national headdress began to lose its value.
I spent my childhood with my grandmother. Everything that was connected with the head, including hats, she considered very valuable. And in the Kyrgyz folklore it is said that you cannot give your headdress, throw it, twist it, leave it on the floor. The side of the bride never gives the bridegroom a kalpak for the wedding: they say, we give the whole bride away, but it’s not supposed to give the “head” either.
White kalpaks, 1980s
Kalpak is an important part of the national heritage, and I decided to study its history. We wrote a project, received a grant, and began to travel around the regions, meet with ethnographers and artists, collect photographs from the State Archives, and watch old films. Many interesting things about the Kyrgyz national dress were told to us by the bearers of traditional knowledge, the old-timers of the villages. Unfortunately, every day there are fewer of them, and our culture is leaving with them.
So, before the Kyrgyz never celebrated a birthday every year, they celebrated a 12-year cycle of life - much a l. In 2011, we proposed a modern concept of kalpak, based on the knowledge of the elderly, - headdresses that symbolize every 12 years of a person's life with a border of a certain color and a special pattern.
For the 12th birthday of a child, we offer a kalpak with a green border - the color of young grass - and a pattern in the form of ram's horns, which symbolizes the beginning of the boy's transformation into a man. For the 24th anniversary - a kalpak with a blue border and a tunduk pattern (upper base of the yurt), which means that a man begins to think about creating his hearth. At 36, brown: a patriotic man and thinks about his land. A golden eagle is embroidered on the kalpak, which means that a person looks at everything from above - from a height of years. The border of the kalpak for a 48-year-old man is beige, the leopard is embroidered: the man is already smart and can give advice to the younger generation. The color of the kalpak border for 60-year-olds is black and white. Such hats were worn by elders, who could already distinguish black from white, that is, bad from good. As a pattern, we decided to use the image of a deer with branched horns, which means branching of the genus, offspring.
The modern concept of Kalpaks
In 2011, we wrote a book about kalpak and, together with the Historical Museum, organized an exhibition at which we presented more than 100 headdresses - not only kalpaks of a new concept, but also kalpaks from the funds of the museum, Kyrgyzfilm, the Kyyal enterprise, and even made for the Olympics - 80". Some ancient kalpaks were lent to us by people, others we received in exchange for new headgear during our field research.”
Varieties of Kalpaks, 1080s
The main problem is the lack of felt
In the workshop of the Kyyal enterprise, where I interviewed, the director of the Kyrgyz Kalpagy muundan-muunga association (Kyrgyz kalpak from generation to generation) sews kalpaks together with two girls Clara Asangulova. She said that earlier, when these hats were made by hand, each stitch on them meant something: protection from the evil eye or illness. Now people are asking to make kalpaks with an individual pattern, some with the label of their company and a certain height. Often they ask not too high, so that in kalpak you can get into the car.
“So far I have four kalpak outlets in Bishkek and two more in Osh. The clientele is growing: people are beginning to understand what a good kalpak is. But there is a problem of shortage of good felt. After the collapse of the USSR, sheep with semi-fine wool, the very one from which good felt is obtained, disappeared. We tried to make felt ourselves, but its quantity was only enough for ten kalpaks, but for a hundred units it must be harvested on an industrial scale. Now we buy felt from private entrepreneurs who bought machines from industrial plants in the 1990s. There is not enough felt, and we have to stand in line for weeks,” complained Klara Asangulova. - Of course, kalpak needs to be revived, but this should be done at the state level, starting from breeding the desired breed of sheep and ending with the creation of a plant for the production of felt and sewing kalpak. Then the country will be able to massively replace synthetics with a traditional headdress.”
Kalpaki from the archive of the film studio "Kyrgyzfilm"
Elechek - women's headdress in the form of a turban. In its full form, it consists of three parts: a cap with a braid was put on the head, over it a small rectangular piece of fabric covering the neck and sewn under the chin; on top of everything - a turban made of white matter. Among different tribal groups of Kyrgyzstan, the female turban had various forms - from a simple winding to complex structures, slightly reminiscent of a Russian horned kiku. In Kyrgyzstan, the turban has become widespread.
She was called a cripple, but among the southern and northern Kirghiz - elechek. The same name was used by some groups of Kazakhs. For the first time, young women put on elechek, sending them to the husband’s house, thereby emphasizing her transition to another age group. The wedding wish for the young woman said: "Let your white elechek not fall off your head." It was a wish for a long family happiness.
Elechek was worn in winter and summer, without it it was not customary to leave the yurt even for water.
In northern Kyrgyzstan, a woman's headdress consisted of a small, tight-fitting cap with a strip down the back, and a turban tied over it. A thin white cloth or kisei was worn over the turban. Depending on the shape of the turban, as well as the ornaments of the cap, four types of women's headdress were distinguished.
The Issyk-Kul, Chui and Tien Shan Kyrgyz women wound the fabric for the turban in a spiral, forming even protrusions going up from the head; the turban itself had a cylindrical shape, its end was wrapped on the left side.
In the Talas valley and in the areas of the northern part of the modern Osh region, which were inhabited by the Saruu, Kytai, Kutchu, Dzhetigen and Bagysh tribal groups, they wore a round or oval turban; it was very wide at the top (without a lapel) and had a relatively small forehead protrusion.
In the eastern regions of the modern Osh region, as well as among the Kyrgyz women from the Munduz and Basyz tribes, the turban was large and had a protrusion strongly hanging over the forehead. The hat, which had a helmet-like shape, was skillfully embroidered with colored silk with a very thin seam; embroidered parts adjacent to the forehead and cheeks, and a strip descending to the back. Very long pendants made of corals, fastened with silver plates, were attached to the cap, descending to the chest.
In the southwestern regions of the Osh region, where the groups called Ichkilik lived, the turban had a more rounded shape and was quite high, while the cap was similar to the previous one. Sometimes an elegant scarf was thrown over the turban, the corner of which, falling down the back, was decorated with embroidery and fringe.
The turban was decorated in different ways: with embroidered stripes crossing in front, silk braid, silver jewelry, corals, coins, pearls.
In the Issyk-Kul region, in the Chui valley, elechek is already very rare to be found on an old woman or an elderly woman, in the Tien Shan it is somewhat more common. In the Talas Valley, the ancient headdress - ileki is much more widespread, it can also be seen on middle-aged women. To the south, this headdress is less common, and in the southern part of the Osh region it has completely fallen into disuse. The Kyrgyz, living in the Jirgatal region of Tajikistan, have preserved the old headdress only as a wedding dress.
Each people of the world has its own characteristics, which are absolutely normal and ordinary for them, but if a person of a different nationality gets into their midst, he may be very surprised at the habits and traditions of the inhabitants of this country, because they will not coincide with his own ideas about life. We invite you to find out 10 national habits and features of the Kyrgyz, which may seem surprising and a little strange to the inhabitants of Russia.
They measure status by the height of the cap
People in felt hats can be seen on the streets of Bishkek or Osh both in suffocating heat in summer and in severe cold in winter. And all because there is still a tradition to determine the status of a man by his cap. Ordinary people traditionally wore low caps, while representatives of the upper strata wore more elongated ones. Older people and those with a special status traditionally wear "bakai kalpak": a headdress made of white felt with black intersecting edging and hand embroidery.
They play goat carcass polo
The most popular national game, kok-boru, is somewhat reminiscent of polo, where a goat carcass or its dummy is used instead of a ball. The main goal is to throw the goat onto a special structure on the territory of the opposing team or ride with it to a previously agreed place somewhere on the top of a mountain. At the beginning of September 2016, the second World Nomad Games were held in Kyrgyzstan, designed to preserve the martial arts and games of nomadic peoples and revive interest in them. In addition to kok-boru, the program of the games included various types of wrestling, including belt wrestling, horse racing, archery and complex hunting games.
They fumigate the markets with smoke from the evil eye
In the markets in the Kyrgyz Republic, you can often see women walking along the rows with smoking mortars and fanning every second stall with this sour piercing smoke. Archa (juniper) smokes in the stupas, and its smoke is considered an excellent remedy for the evil eye and evil spirits. In this way, these women earn modestly, but still, they earn money: they blow on the shop without asking, and its owner is already forced to pay a small amount, often 10–20 soms (1 ruble = 1.06 soms).
Their yurts can cost more than foreign cars
The art of making Kyrgyz boz-ui yurts has recently been included in the UNESCO heritage list. The yurt continues to occupy an important place in the life of the Kyrgyz: families live in them during the seasonal transhumance of cattle, kindergartens are organized for children of nomads in yurts, throughout the country yurts are used as temporary points of sale or places of social meetings. The cost of a yurt varies depending on its size, capacity and materials: the cheapest one will cost about 80,000 rubles, and as for the most expensive one, there is no limit to perfection. On the forums, you can see ads for the sale of yurts for both $3,000 and $15,000. At the same time, the service life of a yurt is much longer than that of an average foreign car - about 25 years in nomadic conditions.
They build yurts for the dead
The yurt occupied and continues to occupy an important place in funeral rites. Even in Bishkek, in the courtyards between five-story buildings, one can sometimes see funeral yurts. The family of the deceased erects a yurt, leaves the deceased in it for two nights and three days, and thus allows all relatives, acquaintances and neighbors to say goodbye to him. Close relatives of the deceased remain in the yurt around the clock.
They steal brides
Ala-kachuu, the rite of bride kidnapping, is still preserved in Kyrgyzstan, although human rights organizations are strenuously fighting it. According to them, more than 15,000 girls become victims of the ceremony every year, despite the fact that it is a criminal offense. However, only a small number of thefts are staged, most girls steal by force. If the bride is stolen, then she will be obliged to marry her kidnapper. The final gesture of the ala-kachuu is a white scarf: if the eldest woman in the family puts it on the head of a girl, she becomes a bride. If the bride tries to run away, the groom's mother or grandmother usually lies across the threshold. According to local customs, a girl has no right to insult an elder - to step over him. Public organizations in Kyrgyzstan are doing a lot of educational work: they release posters that tell in detail what to do in case of theft, urge the older generation to move away from the old rites, publish social videos that talk about the importance of choosing a girl on her own.
They build cottages out of shipping containers
Traveling around Kyrgyzstan, you pay attention to the amazing attachment of local residents to decommissioned cargo containers. A whole market is made up of them in Bishkek according to the LEGO principle, excellent garages and office premises are made from them, and two or three containers in a row with cut out windows turn into a dacha. One container costs just under $1,000, is several times cheaper than a good yurt, and is built almost as quickly. In general, the Kyrgyz do not lag behind modern trends in architecture and follow the principles of recycling with might and main.
Their table is the floor
Travelers planning a trip to the Kyrgyz Republic should be prepared for the daily gymnastic overtures that they will have to perform while sitting down at the table. The fact is that it is customary to eat here sitting on a mat on the floor, and if not on the floor, then on raised platforms imitating the floor. If at the beginning of a feast it is usually not difficult to sit on the floor, then after a plentiful feast lasting more than one hour, it will be possible to get up from the table only by holding on to a neighbor.
They present a ram's tail as a token of respect.
On especially important events and holidays in Kyrgyzstan, it is customary to slaughter a sheep. At the same time, different parts of it will be intended for different guests around the table - depending on their position. The ram's head is most often served to the most honored guest, the tail to the honored guest, and the ilium (pelvic) bone to the elder. The lucky one who receives the head must cut out the ram's eyes and cut them in half, sharing the delicacy with another guest whom he would like to see more often. The palate is usually given to a young woman, while the left ear is kept by the owner and the right ear is given to the children.
They can't get up without an omen from the table
Omen before meals and after meals is no longer perceived in Kyrgyzstan as a religious rite, although it takes its roots in Islam. Raising both palms to the face and saying “omen”, the Kyrgyz thus thank the table. Usually omen is performed jointly, including guests. At the end of any holiday, successful negotiations or simply eating food, the elder of those present or the guest of honor pronounces words of thanks and gives a short parting word, and then all those gathered at the same time perform omen. After the omen, it is not customary to take food from the table.
Kalpak is an ancient Kyrgyz felt headdress. Many historical sources tell about the "kalpak" as the main distinguishing feature of the appearance of the Kirghiz. “The dynastic chronicle “Tang Shu” in the story of the ancient Kirghiz reports that their leader “wears a sable hat in winter, and a hat with a gold rim, with a conical top and a curved bottom in summer. Others wear white felted hats.” The cap is made of felt, which makes it possible to wear it both in warm and very cool weather, protecting the head from temperature changes, the caps are diverse: a cap with decor, a cap with a slit, a cap without a slit, a cap with a high crown. All caps are characterized by a high top, the edges of which turn upwards, and are embroidered with black and red velvet fabric. Types of Kyrgyz "kalpak": "Ayry kalpak", "Tilik kalpak", "Tuyuk kalpak", etc. Kalpaks were sewn from four wedges, expanding downwards. On the sides, the wedges were not sewn, which allows you to raise or lower the brim, protecting your eyes from the bright sun. The top was decorated with a tassel. Kyrgyz caps were varied in cut. The caps of the nobility were with a high crown, the margins of the cap were hemmed with black velvet. The poor Kirghiz used to trim their headdresses with satin, and their children's hats were decorated with red velvet or red cloth. Felt caps are also worn by other peoples of Central Asia. Its appearance in Central Asia dates back to the 13th century.
Malachai is a special type of headdress, a distinctive feature is a long nape that goes down to the back, connected to elongated headphones. Malachai fur hat without cuffs. It was made from fox fur, less often from the fur of a young ram or deer, and the top was covered with cloth.
Tebetey is a common winter headdress, an indispensable part of the male Kyrgyz national costume. The edges of the cap are completely covered with the fur of the animal, only the crown remains. It has a flat four-wedge crown and is sewn, as a rule, from velvet or cloth, most often trimmed with fox fur or marten, otter.
Chapan - men's and women's long clothes such as a bathrobe. It was considered indecent to leave the house without a chapan. They sew a chapan on wadding or camel wool with a cotton lining. In the old days, the lining was made of mat - a cheap white or printed cotton fabric. From above, the chapan was covered with velvet, cloth, velveteen. Currently, chapans are worn only by older people. There are several variants of this clothing, caused by ethnic differences: naigut chapan - a wide tunic-shaped robe, sleeves with a gusset, sewn at a right angle; kaptama chapan - loose cut, sewn-in sleeves with a rounded armhole and a straight narrow chapan with side slits. The hem and sleeves are usually trimmed with cord.
"Chepken" Kyrgyz from felted cloth were worn over the rest of the clothes. In cold and bad weather, such a “Chepken” was indispensable - it did not get wet, it was not blown by the wind, it protected equally well from cold and sunlight. It is very durable and served as everyday work clothes for 5-6 years. The camel-hair robe was not a work dress, but rather a smart weekend outfit; it was very expensive and was available only to rich Kyrgyz. Very wealthy Kyrgyz also wore trousers made of this fabric.
Kementai - Kementai "- a swinging felt robe, which was belted with a leather belt or sash, this clothing is an indispensable attribute of cattle breeders, which perfectly protected from rain and wind. In the past, richly trimmed white kementai was worn by wealthy Kyrgyz. "Kementai" - a swinging felt robe, which was girded with a leather belt or sash, this clothing is an indispensable attribute of cattle breeders, which perfectly protected from rain and wind. White - especially valuable, felt robes, could only be afforded by very wealthy peasants.
"Jargakshym" - wide leather or suede pants, the main decoration of which was silk embroidery.
"Ichik" - a winter type of clothing, a fur coat covered with a dark cloth and a shawl with fur collars. The length is below the knees, the sleeves are also long, a dense fabric is used. Fur coats made from the fur of wild animals - wolves, foxes, lynxes, etc. were especially valued. Ichik was mainly worn on special solemn occasions.
Tone is also winter outerwear for men and women. It is made from the skins of domestic animals using dense fabrics, the collars are made lush.
Taar shym - men's underwear, casual trousers. They are specially made wide in order to freely saddle a horse and move. They are sewn above the knees, knee-deep and below the knees.
Otuk - boots made of leather, felt. Men's shoes consisted of leather boots - "otuk", leather galoshes with heels - "kepich" and soft reversible boots - "maas". The old shoes were boots made of rawhide - "charyk", with soles, short tops and slightly curved toes. ".
The ensemble of men's outerwear certainly completed the belt - "kemer kur". It is made of leather and metal, most often of silver, richly decorated with a pattern, various images.
The traditional women's national costume of the Kyrgyz people consists of the following main components: a “koinok” dress, a hip swing skirt - beldemchi, a headdress (several types).
Koynok-Kyrgyz dress in the form of a shirt. The cut of a women's shirt-dress in the second half of the 19th century was basically the same throughout the territory of Kyrgyzstan. It was tunic-shaped, with sleeves straight or slightly tapering to the wrist. Sidewalls expanding to the bottom were sewn to the main panel. Triangular gussets were sewn under the sleeves. The dress was made long - to the ankles, the sleeves covered the hands. The main cloth was up to the ankles so that the seam connecting the camp with the sleeves fell 6-10 cm below the shoulder line. In the event that outerwear (robe, camisole, etc.) was not worn on the shirt-dress, it was girdled with a wide belt. In the south (Alai Valley), a long piece of cloth or a scarf, wrapped several times below the waist, served as a belt. In the northern part of the country, the belt was a wide (more than 10 cm) strip of fabric with a thick lining and tied at the back at the waist.
Differences in the women's shirt of certain regions of Kyrgyzstan consisted mainly in the shape of the collar and the way it was finished. Three variants of the Kyrgyz women's shirt of the second half of the 19th century were identified (all of them belonged to the type of tunic-shaped shirts): 1) a shirt with a horizontal-vertical slit of the collar, without a collar with embroidery along the vertical slit of the collar or with a special wide shirt-front onur; 2) a shirt with a triangular slit collar and trimming it with a narrow band of jacks; 3) a shirt with a standing collar. Embroidery was done either directly on the dress, or on a bib worn separately on the dress. The embroidery on the chest of the shirt and on the bib-shirt was called onur. The embroidery was done with a “ters kayyk” (reverse seam) seam, which was intended in these areas only for “onur”. The seam was very thin, dense, the embroidery was continuous: each new stitch lay one thread (in the fabric) higher than the previous one. Onur was also embroidered with other seams - shevege (tambur), koiterme, basma (smooth surface). The embroidery pattern was geometric. Onur was embroidered with silk threads of different colors: red, black, yellow, blue, green. For the first time, onur was worn on the bride on the wedding day. It was worn by young and middle-aged women.
The second version of the Kyrgyz women's shirt-dress - with a triangular neckline, was worn by young and old women. According to the name of the gate, the dress was called “uzun jaak”. The fabric folded in half was cut along the fold and 20-25 cm vertically. Often the upper edges of the vertical cut were bent, which made the cutout triangular in shape. A narrow braid bordered the triangular slit of the collar and descended far below the waist. The fabric for the dresses of this variant was of different colors: for the young - red, for the elderly - dark or light colors.
At the end of the 19th - the first quarter of the 20th century. there is a new type of dress - a pattern. Pattern shirts are presented in two options: 1 - a dress cut off from the waist; 2 - dress on a yoke. The dress, cut off from the waist, at first retained many of the features of tunic-like clothing: skirts gathered in assemblies were sewn to the tunic-shaped bodice. The collar was a stand-up collar with a vertical slit in front. Then there were completely cut dresses - with a rounded armhole, a split beveled shoulder line, a sleeve cut to the shape of a hand; there were also turn-down collars.
Kep takiya - a women's headdress, on top of which they put on elechek or women's tebetey. Decorated with embroidery and hanging jewelry. It performs the function of stability of the tebteya and keeps from the cold. It is an additional decoration for other clothes.
Elechek - women's headdress, for older women. It is made only from white fabric. It comes in a rounded or square shape. A special feature is that the elechek includes a scarf that covers the neck. Elechek has several components: “bash kep”, “sala koimo”, “eek almai”, “astynki, ustunku tartma”, “tumarcha”, “badal”. “Elechek”, like “shokulo”, is decorated with a traditional decorative element “kyrgyk”, a strip of various widths encircling the headdress, on which patterns are applied with embroidery and decorated with gold, silver and other stones. Depending on the decor, “kyrgak” is called differently - “kumush kyrgak”, “altyn kyrgak”, “Saima kyrgak”, “oymo kyrgak”, “zhibek kyrgak”, etc. Silver or gold pendants are attached along its edges, which gives the elechek a solemn look. Elechek is only white, with the exception of mourning (mourning time covers it with a black scarf). There are regional differences in dressing the elechek.
Shokulo - women's headdress. Considered wedding. This cone-shaped hat is pointed upwards and a light light fabric is gathered at the top. During the wedding procession, the bride's face was covered with this cloth. Height is 22-30cm. In ancient times, it was made of white felt, and was bordered with the fur of otters, foxes, and other animals. Richly decorated with ornaments and embroidery. "Kyrgak" is the main decorative element of shokulo.
Beldemchi - loincloth in the form of an open skirt. These are the clothes of a married woman, usually put on after the appearance of the first child. In the conditions of nomadic life, it was extremely necessary. Without constraining movements, she protected from the cold while riding a horse. It was embroidered with colored silk using the “ilme” stitch. The patterns are very diverse, more often they consist of curls resembling ram's horns. Beldemchi was sewn from black and colored velvet - red, green, blue or bright striped or patterned fabrics. Elegant beldemchis were made of black shiny fabric (lampuk) from Central Asian motley silks or cloth, (sometimes homespun) decorated with embroidery. The embroidery on them sometimes went in a wide strip in the form of a border, but more often they were sewn in completely, including the belt. Festive beldemchis were sewn from black velvet, usually embroidered with chain stitch, multi-colored silk threads. A row of red and white small scallops was sewn between the belt and the skirt for decoration. Elegant bildemchis were sheathed with otter fur along the hem and floors. Winter beldemchi for the wives of shepherds, who wandered most of the year on pastures, were made from sheepskin wool. By its nature, general style, often black background on which the embroidery was embroidered, its general color (the predominance of red with the addition of white, green, yellow, blue), by the features of the ornament and composition, the embroidery on beldemchi is close to the embroidery of Tushkiyiz wall carpets.
Tebetey is a winter headdress for women and men. The edges of the "tebetey" are completely covered with animal fur, only the crown remains. It has a flat four-wedge crown and is sewn, as a rule, from velvet or cloth, most often trimmed with fox fur or marten, otter.
Chyptama is a traditional women's sleeveless vest, worn on top of "koinok" (dresses). In different regions it has different names - “chirmei”, “opko tone”, “opko cap”, “karmooch”. Most often sewn from velvet and decorated with embroidery.
All these basic elements of the Kyrgyz national costume set have not changed since ancient times. Only in the second half of the XIX century. wealthy cattle owners began to buy ready-made clothes and, thus, new elements borrowed from neighboring peoples began to enter the traditional Kyrgyz costume.
Today, the Kyrgyz folk costume does not lose its relevance, and modern fashion designers interpret it in a new way in their creative works, which contributed to the emergence of the “ethno style” so popular recently.
kyrgyz culture costume traditional
Elechek (kimishek, bass orau) - the headdress of married women among some Turkic peoples (Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Nogai - peoples very close to each other in language and genealogy - Sanzhyre peoples). Today, when there is a revival of one's own cultural values, it is very important not to close oneself in one's own national apartments and look for differences between closely related peoples. It is much more important to find common ground and restore the rich heritage of one's own common ancestors without any disputes about what is, for example, Kyrgyz or Kazakh, and who had it first. How can something be divided into one's own and another's if we come from the same ancestors? Therefore, all types of elecheks are presented here, which the Kyrgyz could have or will have, since they were and are among other fraternal peoples. In parallel, I will try to give explanations to certain details of the elechek, of course, in my interpretation, and the correctness of the conclusions at the choice of the reader - I just express my opinion.
Strictly speaking, elechek is a turban, which is very common among many nations, orientalized (the image of the East in the eyes of the West), the image of which is associated with the image of luxury and palace-harem sexuality. However, among the Turkic peoples, the elechek turban, on the contrary, is associated with the image of the purity of female and maternal decency. Already in ancient times in Central Asia, the turban was symbolically associated more with the feminine principle and the feminine cycle, often conditionally tied to the lunar cycle, which reflected the ability to bear children.
Reconstruction of a female headdress, made on the basis of a wall painting in Penjikent (7th century), depicting the goddess of the moon
What exactly is considered an elechek and how does it differ from a turban? An elechek must consist of at least two (three) parts, (1) a turban (elechek proper), (2) a tail from a turban covering the braids and (3) a fabric covering the cheeks and neck). Sometimes, to preserve the shape of the elechek, it is wrapped around a skullcap.
Elechek protected married women not only from the evil eye, but also from the sun's rays. No wonder the poetic epithets of young daughters-in-law and wives (kelin-zheye) became “white cheeks” and / or “white neck”, since, unlike a girl’s hat, an elechek protected a woman’s skin from sunburn. Optionally, elechek could be made of white material, for example, among the Karakalpaks, young wives wore kimishki made of red material, and older ones wore white ones.
Red and white Kimisheks of the Karakalpak
The word Kimishek (among the Kazakhs and Karakalpaks), perhaps, is an abbreviation for “kiyim elechek” - at least, this is how the Kyrgyz called elechek Kazakh women. Another female headdress of the Karakalpaks provides a possible explanation for one of the details of the elechek. Among the Karakalpaks, women wear “popek” on their skullcaps - an additional decoration in the form of a carpal ball or brush - moreover, unmarried girls and girls wear popek on the left side, and married women wear popek on the right side of the skullcap.
Popek on the skullcaps of Karakalpak women
This suggests that the popek showed that the woman belonged to one side or another - remember that the yurt is divided into female and male halves and the Turkic el in ancient times was also divided into the Kagan (conditionally male) and Katun (conditionally female) wings. Popek on one side or another of the skullcap also symbolized the woman's belonging to herself (to the left side, to which one can still walk) or belonging to some man. In the same way, part of the material of the elechek was bent in one direction or another, which additionally (besides the elechek itself) symbolized that the woman already belongs to this or that man, however, like him to her.
Elechek, turned to the right (Kazakhs and Karakalpaks)
And here a little explanation is needed why some elecheks are turned to the left, and others to the right. Perhaps this is due to the fact that in ancient times, among the Turks, the (conditionally) male dominant wing was considered the left wing, but later (perhaps in the post-Mongolian period) the right wing became the main (conditionally), therefore, in the symbolic designation, belonging to the male was a little confused. Or perhaps it was just the women of one kind-tribe that turned the elechek in one direction only because the women of another kind-tribe turned it in the opposite direction (here it is appropriate to add the phrase used by Muslim historians: “Allah knows best”, especially when it comes to women's clothing).
Elechek, wrapped to the left (Kyrgyz, Kazakhs)
The variety of Elecheks varies not only from belonging to one or another clan-tribe, but also from the status of a woman in the family. So, for example, widows wore black elechek, and women of higher status wore elechek of large sizes or higher, or both higher, and more. For example, in this photo of the bow of the newly-made Kazakh groom to the mother and relatives of the bride, it is immediately clear to whom exactly the bow is addressed in the first place, which, by the way, today Kazakh horsemen refuse to do, unlike, for example, Kyrgyz grooms.
Meanwhile, the number of varieties of Kazakh Kimishek is worthy of worship.
Some varieties of Kazakh Kimishek
However, like any other Turkic people, whose married women wear elechek. Some elecheks were with a ledge forward, which is very similar to copying the Saka kalpak.
Kazakhs (Syrdarya)
Among other things, it is possible that two ponytails may be present in elecheks, since a married woman braided two braids (we use one wide one), as we see on these Polovtsian sculptures.
However, the question arises, how did women work in such large headdresses? Again, most likely, the amount of elechek material and, accordingly, its weight and comfort for work depended on the status and age of the woman in the family. In addition, women could work not only in small elecheks, but also in headscarves, like, for example, these two Kazakh young men who had to work for five.
The dependence of the size of a turban on the position of a woman in general can be traced in the turbans of other ethnic groups, whose status was unequal to that of the ruling Turkic-Muslim elite. For example, the turbans and kimisheks of the Gypsies, Chala-Kazakhs and Jews were much smaller in size and weight, as was the weight of these groups in the then society.
Gypsy, chala Kazakh, Jewish
Therefore, perhaps, one should take into account the dependence of the size of the elechek on the status of a woman in the family and her age. A light version of the elechek is very possible, which, apparently, existed. This miniature from Shah-nameh, painted in the 16th century for the Turkish sultan and kept in Topkapi in Istanbul, shows women with small turbans (judging by the circles on the headdress, the fabric is wrapped several times around the head, like elechek) and braids.
Afghan Kyrgyz women use a light version of the elechek, which is very convenient for everyday life.
Most likely, we are used to large elecheks due to the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century, when photographs of Kyrgyz women in elecheks or their own memories were taken, they were worn mainly by older women, who were supposed to wear more material on their heads due to their status . Today, when the convenience of casual wear is the defining choice of women, it is quite possible to recommend wearing elecheki and smaller sizes on the occasion. The revival of national cultural values can go not only on the basis of the preserved ethnographic history of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, you can go much further and diversify the wardrobe of our women, which they themselves will be happy about.
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