Kyrgyz headdress for men. Day of the Kyrgyz kalpak: how to wear a traditional headdress. Their table is the floor

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 of natural felt - you will have to go around a lot of shops and shops, but kalpaks made of 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 country's Olympic team, 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 the 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"

Today, March 5, Kyrgyzstan celebrates the Day of the Kyrgyz national headdress - ak kalpak. In recent years, it was worn only on rare solemn occasions. In order to popularize the traditional headdress, the authorities established Ak Kalpak Day in 2011. It should be noted that the efforts have yielded positive results. Young people hold flash mobs in white hoods, designers offer new concepts for traditional headwear, and foreigners massively buy an exotic accessory for them.

In Kyrgyz culture, kalpak was perhaps the most democratic headdress. It was worn by all men without exception - from the khan to the poor, from young men to the elderly. They differed only in shape and color, which spoke of the social status, financial situation and age of the owner.

Now the tradition of giving a kalpak has even become part of the state etiquette. When officials are appointed or elected, they are now honored with a white kalpak, and the dress uniform of Kyrgyz athletes at international competitions necessarily includes a white kalpak.

Real kalpak is sewn only from natural felt. For him, a special felt is made separately from brushed, combed, white fine-fleeced wool of fresh processing. Therefore, kalpak was considered not only a traditional headdress of the Kyrgyz, but also emphasized the material well-being of the owner. In ancient times, they even said: "An adult camel is the price of a kalpak from that cloth."

Now kalpak made of natural felt in Kyrgyzstan costs at least 1,500 soms, while its analogue with an admixture of synthetic materials costs about 200-300 soms. It costs almost twice as much in online stores, where it is mainly ordered by foreigners who have heard about the practicality of a headdress. In Moscow, kalpak can be bought for about 2 thousand rubles, in an online store it costs from $30 to 50.

Speaking about practicality, it should be noted that kalpak is the most "mobile" headgear. Thanks to the soft felt, it can be turned inside out, and the banded wedges allow it to be folded four times without losing its shape. Due to the dense felt made of natural wool, the kalpak warms in the cold, cools in the heat, and does not let moisture through in the rain.

Kalpaks are cut in different shapes, and all of them have a peculiar ornament, but each embroidery and color has its own meaning. The four edging lines are a symbol of life; tassels on the crown represent the offspring and memory of ancestors; the pattern speaks of the branching of the genus, but it is not customary to make patterns that are too complex, so as not to seem like a braggart. The color of the edging signifies the age and life experience of its wearer.

It is customary for boys at the age of 12 to give kalpaks with a green border, as a sign that they are at the beginning of their life and must learn everything.

24-year-old young people are given a kalpak with a blue border, 36-year-old men - with a brown one, personifying the earth. This means that at this age, men have already started families of their own and have gained enough experience to benefit their homeland.

At the age of 48, it is supposed to give a headdress with a beige border, which means that they can already set an example for the younger generation, and 60-year-old men can be given kalpaks with a black velvet border. A black line on a white background means wisdom, rich life experience of its owner and the ability to distinguish good from bad.

There are about 80 types of kalpak. They are divided by form, degree of complexity of manufacture, meaning and practicality.

Kalpak also spoke about the marital status of a man. If a young man went out in a white kalpak with a red border, then this indicated that he was in an active search for the second half. At this moment, the matchmakers had to hurry up and bring him to a potential bride.

When an elderly widower put on a white kalpak with a border of black felt, this meant that the grown-up children allowed him to marry a second time.

A kalpak made of snow-white felt trimmed with white fabrics is given only in recognition of a person's leadership.

Kalpak cannot be thrown, lost, placed on the ground, sold or donated to another kalpak. It was believed that with him a person loses his dignity, mind and piety. The headdress symbolized sacred protection, and attacking its wearer was considered sacrilege and blasphemy.

Kalpak must be removed with both hands and placed only in a place of honor, and before going to bed it must be left at the head of the bed.

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. In 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 rather 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 livestock, 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. At the same time, 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 does not have the 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 a little less than $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.