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I never took off my hat crossword. Didn't take off my hat

I never took off my hat crossword. Didn't take off my hat

05.11.2021

Caucasian hats

History and traditions

The highlanders of the Caucasus have been wearing fur hats for a long time, which have been improved over the centuries, eventually turning into the same hats that have become widely known since the Caucasian War of the 19th century. The Cossacks, and then the regular Russian troops, immediately appreciated the indispensability, practicality and universal qualities of the hat, which in the mountains served not only as a headdress, but also as a pillow. Papakha is an undoubted attribute of the costume of a highlander and a Cossack. A white hat among the Caucasian highlanders was considered part of the ceremonial costume worn on special occasions.

Before the start of the First World War, such a headdress as a hat was sewn from the fur of a bear, a ram and a wolf, since the durable and hard fur helped to withstand saber blows well. To increase this effect, metal plates were inserted into the wedge-shaped cap of the papakha. The military had not only ordinary, but also ceremonial hats. For example, the officers' ones were distinguished by the fact that they were sheathed with a centimeter silver galloon.

Don, Astrakhan, Semirechensk and other Cossack troops wore cone-shaped hats with short-cropped fur. Starting in 1915, it was possible to wear gray fur hats, but only black fur could be worn during hostilities. White fur hats were strictly prohibited. Wahmisters and junkers had the top of their hats decorated with a white braid in the shape of a cross.

Don hats differed from the rest in that they had a red top with a cross. The top of the dads of the Kuban Cossacks was also red.

Currently, you can buy a Caucasian hat of any color, shape and type in the shop of Caucasian craftsmen of souvenirs and gifts "Caucasian Craftsmen".

Types and varieties of papakh

Hats can be very diverse, they are made from different types of fur, they can have different pile lengths, sizes and embroidery. At first, in the mountainous regions, hats were sewn from fabric, felt, fur, and combinations of fabric and fur. But it was fur hats that deserved great popularity, so today it is almost impossible to find a hat made of any other material than fur.

Types of papah that exist today:

Astrakhan. It is the most expensive and most beautiful, covered with uniform smooth, tight and dense curls. In addition, such a hat is very practical and can last for many years.
Classic. The most common type of headdress in the mountainous part of the Caucasus, such a hat is characterized by long and thick wool, most often mutton. Often this species is called shepherd hats.
Cossack. It is also popular in the Caucasus, it is also common among the Terek and Kuban Cossacks, it has its own name - Kubanka. The hat can have a different shape, both short and long fur.

If you want to buy a hat in Moscow, you should get acquainted with the extensive assortment that is presented in the Caucasian Craftsmen store. There are a variety of types of papah, which are made exclusively from high quality materials.

Papakhas also differ in the material they are made from. For example, astrakhan hats are made from astrakhan varieties such as Valek, Pulat and Antika.

Thanks to innovative technologies, the color palette of astrakhan is very diverse, such unusual colors as platinum, steel, golden, amber, beige, chocolate and many others are available. Karakul perfectly keeps its shape, so hats from it can be both ordinary and very high.

Classic and Cossack hats can be made from:

goatskin,
sheepskin,
lamb skin.

They can be white, black and brown, with a wide variety of coat lengths. All modern models are equipped with a special cord that allows you to easily and conveniently adjust the size.

Hats made of sheep and sheep skin are good because they are very warm and durable. And if the skin was pre-treated, then the hat will also be moisture resistant. Long pile hats are most often made from goat skins, they can be in such natural colors as gray, brown and milky, or dyed.

You can always buy any hat at the Caucasian masters of souvenirs and gifts "Caucasian Craftsmen" by going to the site and placing an order, which couriers will deliver at a convenient time, or by visiting the store located in Moscow on Semenovskaya Square.

For both the highlander and the Cossack, a hat is not just a hat. This is a matter of pride and honor. The hat cannot be dropped or lost; the Cossack votes for it in the circle. You can lose a hat only with your head.

Not just a hat
A papakha is not just a hat. Neither in the Caucasus, where she comes from, nor among the Cossacks, a hat is considered an ordinary headdress, the task of which is only to keep warm. If you look at the sayings and proverbs about the hat, you can already understand a lot about its significance. In the Caucasus they say: "If the head is intact, it should have a hat on it", "The hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor", "If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat." The Cossacks have a saying that the two most important things for a Cossack are a saber and a hat.

Fun fact: The famous Lezgi composer Uzeyir Gadzhibekov, going to the theater, bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.

Types of papakh

Papakhas are different. They differ both in the type of fur and in the length of the pile. Also, in different regiments, types of embroidery on the top of papakhas differ. Before World War I, papakhas were most often sewn from the fur of a bear, ram and wolf, these types of fur best of all helped soften a saber blow ..
There were also ceremonial hats. For officers and cadets, they were sheathed with a silver galloon 1.2 centimeters wide.

Since 1915, it was allowed to use gray hats. Don, Astrakhan, Orenburg, Semirechensk, Siberian Cossack troops wore hats similar to a cone with short fur. It was possible to wear hats of any shades, except for white, and during the period of hostilities - black. Hats of bright colors were also banned. The sergeants, sergeants and cadets had a white cruciform braid sewn on the top of the hat, and the officers, in addition to the braid, also had a galloon sewn on the device.
Don hats - with a red top and a cross embroidered on it, symbolizing the Orthodox faith. The Kuban Cossacks also have a scarlet top. Terek has blue. In the Trans-Baikal, Ussuri, Ural, Amur, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk parts, they wore black hats made of sheep's wool, but exclusively with a long pile.

Kubanka, klobuk, trukhmenka
The word papakha itself is of Turkic origin, in the Fasmer dictionary it is specified that it is Azerbaijani. The literal translation is a hat. In Rus', the word papakha took root only in the 19th century, before that hats of a similar cut were called hoods. During the period of the Caucasian wars, the word papakha also migrated to the Russian language, but at the same time, other names formed from ethnonyms were also used in relation to a high fur hat. The Kabardinka (Kabardian hat) later became the Kubanka (its difference from the hat is, first of all, in height). In the Don troops, a papakha was called a trukhmenka for a long time.

Hat with a cuff
We all know the expression: "Punch the cuffs." A cuff was a wedge-shaped cap sewn to a hat, which was common among the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks in the 16th and 17th centuries. Before the battle, it was customary to put metal plates into the cuff, which protected the Cossack from checker strikes. In the heat of the fight, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, it was quite possible to fight back with a hat with a cuff, "cuff" the enemy.

Astrakhan
The most expensive and honorable hats are astrakhan hats, which are also called "Bukhara". The word Karakul comes from the name of one of the oases located on the Zerashvan River, which flows in Uzbekistan. It was customary to call karakul the skins of lambs of the karakul breed, taken a few days after the birth of the lamb.
Generals' hats were made exclusively from astrakhan fur.

The return of the hat
After the revolution, restrictions were imposed on the wearing of national clothes for the Cossacks. Hats replaced Budyonovka, but already in 1936 hats returned again as an element of clothing. Cossacks were allowed to wear low black hats. Two stripes were sewn on the cloth in the form of a cross, for officers of gold color, for ordinary Cossacks - black. In front of the dads, of course, a red star was sewn on.
Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks received the right to serve in the Red Army, and there were also Cossack troops at the parade in 1937.
Since 1940, the hat has become an attribute of the military uniform of the entire senior command staff of the Red Army, and after the death of Stalin, hats have become fashionable among members of the Politburo.

A papakha is not just a hat. Neither in the Caucasus, where she comes from, nor among the Cossacks, a hat is considered an ordinary headdress, the task of which is only to keep warm. If you look at the sayings and proverbs about the hat, you can already understand a lot about its significance. In the Caucasus they say: “If the head is intact, it should have a hat on it”, “The hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor”, “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat”. The Cossacks have a saying that the two most important things for a Cossack are a saber and a hat.

Removing a hat is allowed only in special cases. In the Caucasus - almost never. You can’t take off your hat when someone is asked for something, the only exception is when they ask for forgiveness of blood feud. The specificity of the hat is that it does not allow you to walk with your head down. It is as if she "educates" a person herself, forcing him "not to bend his back."
In Dagestan, there was also a tradition to make an offer with the help of a hat. When a young man wanted to marry, but was afraid to do it openly, he could throw a hat out the girl's window. If the hat did not fly back for a long time, then the young man could count on a favorable outcome.

It was considered a serious insult to knock a hat off your head. If, in the heat of a dispute, one of the opponents threw a hat on the ground, then this meant that he was ready to stand until his death. It was possible to lose a hat only with a head. That is why hats were often worn with valuables and even jewelry.

Fun fact: The famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Gadzhibekov, going to the theater, bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.

Makhmud Esambaev was the only deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR who was allowed to sit at meetings in a headdress. They say that Leonid Brezhnev, looking around the hall before the performance, saw Esambaev's hat and said: "Makhmud is in place, we can start."

Annotation: the genesis, evolution of the hat, its cut, ways and manner of wearing, the cult and ethical culture of the Chechens and Ingush are described.

Usually the Vainakhs have questions about when did the hat appear in the everyday life of the highlanders and how. My father Mokhmad-Khadzhi from the village. Elistanji told me a legend that he heard in his youth, connected with this headdress revered by the people and the reason for its cult.

Once, back in the 7th century, Chechens who wished to convert to Islam went on foot to the holy city of Mecca and met there with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) so that he would bless them for a new faith - Islam. The Prophet Muhammad, (peace and blessings be upon him), extremely surprised and saddened by the sight of the wanderers, and especially by his broken, bloody from a long journey legs, gave them astrakhan skins to wrap their legs with them for the way back. Having accepted the gift, the Chechens decided that it was unworthy to wrap their legs in such beautiful skins, and even accepted from such a great man as Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). Of these, they decided to sew high hats that need to be worn with pride and dignity. Since then, this type of honorary beautiful headdress has been worn by the Vainakhs with special reverence.

People say: “On a highlander, two elements of clothing should attract special attention - a headdress and shoes. The papakha should be of perfect cut, as a person who respects you looks into your face and accordingly sees a headdress. An insincere person usually looks at your feet, so shoes should be of high quality and polished to a shine.

The most important and prestigious part of the complex of men's clothing was a hat in all its forms that existed in the Caucasus. Many Chechen and Ingush jokes, folk games, wedding and funeral customs are associated with a hat. The headdress at all times was the most necessary and most stable element of the mountain costume. He was a symbol of masculinity and the dignity of a highlander was judged by his headdress. This is evidenced by various proverbs and sayings inherent in the Chechens and Ingush, recorded by us in the course of field work. “A man should take care of two things - a hat and a name. Papakha will be saved by the one who has a smart head on his shoulders, and the name will be saved by the one whose heart burns with fire in his chest. "If you have no one to consult with, consult with your father." But they also said this: "It is not always a magnificent hat that adorns a smart head." “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” the old people used to say. And therefore, the Vainakh had to have the best hat, they did not spare money for a hat, and a self-respecting man appeared in public in a hat. She wore it everywhere. It was not customary to take it off even at a party or indoors, whether it was cold or hot there, and also to transfer it to be worn by another person.

When a man died, his things were supposed to be distributed to close relatives, but the headdresses of the deceased were not presented to anyone - they were worn in the family if there were sons and brothers, if they were not, they were presented to the most respected man of their taip. Following that custom, I wear my late father's hat. They got used to the hat from childhood. I would like to especially note that for the Vainakhs there was no more valuable gift than a hat.

Chechens and Ingush traditionally shaved their heads, which also contributed to the custom of constantly wearing a headdress. And women, according to adat, do not have the right to wear (put on) a man's headdress, except for a felt hat worn during agricultural work in the field. There is also a sign among the people that a sister cannot put on her brother's hat, since in this case the brother may lose his happiness.

According to our field material, no item of clothing had as many varieties as a headdress. It had not only utilitarian, but often sacred meaning. A similar attitude to the cap arose in the Caucasus in antiquity and persists in our time.

According to field ethnographic materials, the Vainakhs have the following types of hats: khakhan, mesal kui - a fur hat, holkhazan, suram kui - astrakhan hat, zhaulnan kui - a shepherd's hat. The Chechens and Kists called the cap - Kui, the Ingush - cue, the Georgians - kudi. According to Iv. Javakhishvili, Georgian kudi (hat) and Persian hud are the same word, which means a helmet, i.e. an iron hat. This term also meant hats in ancient Persia, he notes.

There is another opinion that Chech. kui is borrowed from the Georgian language. We do not share this point of view.

We agree with A.D. Vagapov, who writes that forge a “hat”, obshchena. (*kau > *keu- // *kou-: Chech. dial. kuy, kudah kuy. Therefore, we use Indo-European material for comparison: *(s)keu- “to cover, cover”, Proto-German *kudhia, Iranian *xauda “hat, helmet”, Persian xoi, xod “helmet.” These facts indicate that the –d- we are interested in is most likely an expander of the root kuv- // kui-, as in Indo-E.* (s)neu- “twist”, *(s)noud- “twisted; knot”, Persian nei “reed”, the corresponding Chechen nui “broom”, nuyda “braided button.” So the question of borrowing Chech. kui from the Georgian language remains open.As for the name suram: suram-kui "astrakhan hat", its origin is unclear.

Possibly related to the Taj. sur "a variety of brown astrakhan with light golden ends of the hair." And further, this is how Vagapov explains the origin of the term kholkhaz “karakul” “Actually Chechen. In the first part - huol - "gray" (cham. hholu-), khal - "skin", oset. hal - "thin skin". In the second part - the basis - khaz, corresponding to lezg. khaz "fur", tab., tsakh. haz, udin. hez "fur", varnish. haz. "fitch". G. Klimov derives these forms from Azeri, in which haz also means fur (SKYA 149). However, the latter itself comes from the Iranian languages, cf., in particular, Persian. haz "ferret, ferret fur", Kurd. xez "fur, skin". Further, the geography of distribution of this basis is expanding at the expense of other Russian. hz "fur, leather" hoz "morocco", Rus. farm "tanned goat skin". But sur in the Chechen language means another army. So, we can assume that suram kui is a warrior's hat.

Like other peoples of the Caucasus, among the Chechens and Ingush, headdresses were typologically divided according to two characteristics - material and form. Hats of various shapes, made entirely of fur, belong to the first type, and to the second - hats with a fur band and a head made of cloth or velvet, both types of these hats are called hats.

On this occasion, E.N. Studenetskaya writes: “Sheep skins of different quality served as the material for the manufacture of papakh, and sometimes the skins of goats of a special breed. Warm winter hats, as well as shepherd's hats, were made from sheepskin with a long nap outward, often padded with sheepskin with trimmed wool. Such hats were warmer, better protected from rain and snow flowing from long fur. For a shepherd, a shaggy hat often served as a pillow.

Long-haired hats were also made from the skins of a special breed of rams with silky, long and curly hair or Angora goat skins. They were expensive and rare, they were considered ceremonial.

In general, for festive dads, they preferred small curly fur of young lambs (kurpei) or imported astrakhan fur. Astrakhan hats were called "Bukhara". Hats made from the fur of Kalmyk sheep were also valued. “He has five hats, all made of Kalmyk lamb, he wears them out, bowing to the guests.” This praise is not only hospitality, but also wealth.

In Chechnya, hats were made quite high, widened at the top, with a band protruding above a velvet or cloth bottom. In Ingushetia, the height of the hat is slightly lower than the Chechen one. This, apparently, is due to the influence of the cut of hats in neighboring Ossetia. According to the authors A.G. Bulatova, S. Sh. they are sewn from lambskin or astrakhan with a cloth top. All the peoples of Dagestan call this hat "Bukhara" (meaning that the astrakhan fur, from which it was mostly sewn, is brought from Central Asia). The head of such papakhas was made of brightly colored cloth or velvet. The papakha made of golden Bukhara astrakhan was especially appreciated.

Avars of Salatavia and Lezgins considered this hat to be Chechen, Kumyks and Dargins called it “Ossetian”, and Laks called it “Tsudahar” (probably because the masters - hatters were mainly Tsudakhari). Perhaps it entered Dagestan from the North Caucasus. Such a hat was a formal form of a headdress, it was worn more often by young people, who sometimes had several tires made of multi-colored fabric for the bottom and often changed them. Such a hat consisted, as it were, of two parts: a cloth cap quilted on cotton, sewn to the shape of the head, and attached to it from the outside (in the lower part) high (16-18 cm) and wide to the top (27 cm) fur band.

The Caucasian astrakhan hat with a band slightly widened upwards (over time, its height gradually increased) was and remains the most favorite headdress of the Chechen and Ingush old people. They also wore a sheepskin hat, which the Russians called papakha. Its shape changed in different periods and had its own differences from the caps of other peoples.

From ancient times in Chechnya there was a cult of a headdress for both women and men. For example, a Chechen guarding some object could leave his hat and go home for lunch - no one touched it, because he understood that he would deal with the owner. To remove a hat from someone meant a deadly quarrel; if a highlander took off his hat and hit it on the ground, this meant that he was ready to do anything. “Tearing or knocking a hat off someone's head was considered a great insult, just like cutting off the sleeve of a woman's dress,” said my father Magomed-Khadzhi Garsaev.

If a person took off his hat and asked for something, it was considered indecent to refuse his request, but on the other hand, the person who applied in this way enjoyed a bad reputation among the people. “Kera kui bittina hilla tseran isa” - “They got it in their hands by beating their hats,” they said about such people.

Even during the fiery, expressive, fast dance, the Chechen was not supposed to drop his headdress. Another amazing custom of the Chechens associated with a headdress: the hat of its owner could replace it during a date with a girl. How? If a Chechen guy for some reason could not get on a date with a girl, he sent his close friend there, handing him his headdress. In this case, the hat reminded the girl of her beloved, she felt his presence, the conversation of a friend was perceived by her as a very pleasant conversation with her fiancé.

The Chechens had a hat and, in truth, still remains a symbol of honor, dignity or "cult".

This is confirmed by some tragic incidents from the life of the Vainakhs during their stay in exile in Central Asia. Prepared by the absurd information of the NKVD officers that the Chechens and Ingush deported to the territory of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - horned cannibals, representatives of the local population, out of curiosity, tried to rip high hats from the special settlers and find the notorious horns under them. Such incidents ended with either a brutal fight or murder, because. The Vainakhs did not understand the actions of the Kazakhs and considered this an encroachment on their honor.

On this occasion, it is permissible to cite one tragic case for the Chechens. During the celebration of Eid al-Adha by Chechens in the city of Alga of Kazakhstan, the commandant of the city, an ethnic Kazakh, appeared at this event and began to make provocative speeches against Chechens: “Are you celebrating Bayram? Are you Muslims? Traitors, murderers. You have horns under your hats! Come on, show them to me! - and began to tear off the hats from the heads of respected elders. Dzhanaraliev Zhalavdi from Elistan tried to besiege him, warning that if he touched his headdress, he would be sacrificed in the name of Allah in honor of the holiday. Ignoring what was said, the commandant rushed to his hat, but was knocked down with a powerful blow of his fist. Then the unthinkable happened: driven to despair by the most humiliating action of the commandant for him, Zhalavdi stabbed him to death. For this he received 25 years in prison.

How many Chechens and Ingush were imprisoned then, trying to defend their dignity!

Today we all see how Chechen leaders of all ranks wear hats without taking them off, which symbolizes national honor and pride. Until the last day, the great dancer Makhmud Esambaev proudly wore a hat, and even now, passing the new third ring of the highway in Moscow, you can see a monument over his grave, where he is immortalized, of course, in his hat.

NOTES

1. Javakhishvili I.A. Materials for the history of the material culture of the Georgian people - Tbilisi, 1962. III - IV. S. 129.

2. Vagapov A.D. Etymological dictionary of the Chechen language // Lingua-universum - Nazran, 2009. P. 32.

3. Studenetskaya E.N. Clothes // Culture and life of the peoples of the North Caucasus - M., 1968. S. 113.

4. Bulatova, A.G.

5. Arsaliev Sh. M-Kh. Ethnopedagogics of the Chechens - M., 2007. P. 243.

... He had only six years of high school behind him, but was born a dancer by inclination and talent - and became an artist against the will of his father, who considered his son's choice unworthy of a real man. In 1939-1941, Esambaev studied at the Grozny Choreographic School, and then began to dance in the Chechen-Ingush State Song and Dance Ensemble. During the Great Patriotic War, he performed in front of soldiers on the front line and in hospitals with a front-line concert brigade. In 1944-1956, Mahmud danced at the opera house in the city of Frunze. The expression of his gesture and eagle appearance came in handy for the Evil Genius, Girey, Taras in Taras Bulba and the fairy Carabosse, the negative heroine of Sleeping Beauty. Later, he will create a unique mono-theater of dance miniatures and travel around the world with the program "Dances of the Peoples of the World." He composed many of the compositions himself, one hundred and fifty percent using his natural phenomenal pace, penchant for the grotesque and a rare scale of masculine grace. Speaking alone, Esambaev easily subjugated any stage platform, skillfully knew how to attract attention to himself and keep it. He created the author's dance theater, in which the artist had no competitors. Knowing the laws of the stage, Esambaev verified his effects with a stopwatch - and at the same time captured the incredible power of ecstasy. All his numbers became hits. In 1959, Esambaev performed with his program in Moscow, then, as part of the Stars of the Soviet Ballet troupe, he toured France and South America. Next to world-famous ballerinas, he had a triumphant success. And wherever the tour took place, Esambaev, like an enthusiastic collector, collected dances of different nations. He learned them with lightning speed and performed them in the same country that gave them to him. Esambaev was repeatedly elected a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the RSFSR, the USSR. With his active support, a new building for a drama theater and a circus was built in the Chechen capital Grozny. He is People's Artist of the USSR and eight republics. The great dancer has died Mahmud Alisultanovich Esambaev January 7, 2000 in Moscow.

Representatives of different peoples live in the Caucasus. Here the mosques are adjacent to the church and the synagogue. Local residents, regardless of nationality, are tolerant, hospitable, beautiful, strong physically and spiritually. Here gentle gracefulness is combined with elegance, and rigor with masculinity, openness and kindness.
If you want to look into the history of the people, ask them to show you the national costume, in which, like in a mirror, the uniqueness of the people is displayed: customs, traditions, rituals and mores. Despite the variety of modern fabrics, the cut of national clothes remains the same, except that some little things change. If the national ornament gives us the opportunity to determine the artistic level of the people, then the cut and combination of colors, the quality of fabrics - to understand the national character, traditions and moral values of the people. Clothes depend not only on geographical location and climate, but also on mentality and faith. In the modern world, by clothes, we can safely judge the social status of a person, his tastes and material wealth. In our rapidly changing world, fashion continues to be a cultural phenomenon. So, in Chechen society, a married woman does not allow herself to go out into society without covering her head with a scarf, shawl or scarf. A man is required to wear a headdress during the days of mourning. You will not see Chechen women in a too short skirt or in a sleeveless dress with a deep neckline.
Even at the beginning of the twentieth century, Chechens wore traditional national clothes, which were sewn from local material. A rare woman did not know how to sew. If they ordered tailoring, then the craftswomen were not paid in money.
The headdress, both male and female, is a symbol. Male - a symbol of courage, and female - a symbol of chastity, the preservation of sacred purity. Touching the hat - inflict a deadly insult. The man did not take off his hat in front of the enemy, but died so as not to lose honor and dignity. If a woman threw a handkerchief between those who entered into a bloody fight, then the fight stopped.
Sheepskin was used to make fur coats, leather was used to make shoes. Cloth (ishar) and felt (istang) were made from the wool of domestic animals. Both men's and women's clothes were decorated with silver, which was sometimes covered with gold.
The pride and peculiar symbol of the Chechens are the cloak and hat. To this day, a cloak is covered with a dead man who is carried to the cemetery. Burka (verta) and bashlyk (bashlakh) served as protection against bad weather, cold.
A fitted Circassian coat (choa) is put on over a beshmet made of light fabric (g1ovtal), which tightly fits the torso and reaches the knees from the waist. She is girded with a leather belt (dokhka), decorated with silver lining. And, of course, a dagger (shalta), which was worn from the age of 14-15. The dzhigit took off his dagger only at night and put it on the right side, so that in case of an unexpected awakening he would be able to grab the weapon.
The Circassian floors are just below the knee. It emphasizes the wide shoulders and narrow waist of a man. Seven or nine gazyrnits (bustam) are sewn on both sides of the male chest, into which hermetically sealed cylindrical containers (they were made from mutton bone) are inserted, in which gunpowder was previously stored. The Circassian should not converge in front. Thanks to this, the beshmet is visible. Beshmet buttons are made of dense braid. The stand-up collar has, as a rule, two buttons and almost completely covers the neck. The Circassian coat is just below the knee length in young people and longer in adults, fastens at the waist. Without a belt, a man had no right to appear in society. By the way, only a woman in an interesting position did not wear it.
High morocco boots without a heel (ichigi) rise to the very knee. They are tucked into pants made of light fabric: wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.
Women's attire consists of a tunic dress with narrow long sleeves to the wrist. It is sewn from light, light-coloured, ankle-length fabrics. Silver breastplates (tuydargash) are sewn from the neck to the waist. These surviving elements of the Amazon adornment once served as a connecting link in the protective complex of the shield (t1arch), which was used to cover the chest (t1ar) to protect against the impact of the enemy’s weapons. A swing dress-robe (g1abli) is put on top, opened to the waist so that bibs can be seen. It fastens at the waist for a flattering fit. The belt gives a special beauty. It was also made of silver. It is wide on the stomach, tapering smoothly. This is the most valuable detail of the dress. G1abali was sewn from brocade, velvet, satin or cloth. Long sleeves-wings g1abli reach almost to the hem. Women in years wore gabli on solemn occasions. They usually wore dresses of darker colors than the younger ones. Long scarves and shawls (kortals) made of lightweight materials complete the outfit. Elderly women put their hair in a bag (chuhta) like an elongated hat, and put a fringed scarf over it. Shoes (poshmakhash) were also decorated with silver thread.
Undoubtedly, in the age of rapid civilization, such dresses are uncomfortable to wear. G1abali is rarely worn as a wedding dress these days. Often professional dancers, artists allow themselves to appear on stage in some strange costumes, vaguely reminiscent of the Chechen national costume. Instead of bibs, you can see ornamental embroidery, which has nothing to do with our culture. The sleeves of the dress are decorated with some kind of ruffles from the elbow. On the main street of Grozny hangs a portrait of a rider with a cloak draped over his shoulders, decorated with gazyrs.
Among a large number of papakhas, one can rarely see a real Chechen papakha (it expands slightly from above). Knowing that careless handling of the hat is not allowed, why does the dancer, having minted the lezginka, allow himself to press the hat to the floor with a flourish?
Why modern Circassian short sleeves? If the length interferes, then you can roll up.
In his story "Native Village" M. Yasaev explains that a woman wore black clothes if the family was pursued by blood feud. And nowadays, black has become, almost predominant, in the clothes of girls.
Clothing is not only a means of protection from the adverse effects of nature, but a symbol of the individual existence of a nation. If the modern costume reflects the peculiarities of our philosophy and psychology, then it is inextricably linked with our national costume, self-identification. Chechens are one of the most attractive peoples not only in the Caucasus, but also in the world. Despite all the hardships of recent decades, we have remained charming. We know how and love to dress beautifully and elegantly without pretentiousness and flashy colors. And to a beautiful walk we add a captivating soft smile so that the world around us is filled with goodness.

Papakha (from Turkic papakh), the name of a male fur headdress common among the peoples of the Caucasus. The shape is varied: hemispherical, with a flat bottom, etc. The Russian papakha is a high (rarely low) cylindrical hat made of fur with a cloth bottom. In the Russian army from the middle of the 19th century. The papakha was the headdress of the troops of the Caucasian Corps and all Cossack troops, since 1875 - also of the units stationed in Siberia, and since 1913 - the winter headdress of the entire army. In the Soviet Army, colonels, generals and marshals wear a papakha in winter.

Highlanders never take off their hats. The Qur'an prescribes to cover the head. But not only and not so much believers, but also "secular" Muslims and atheists treated the papakha with special respect. This is an older, non-religious tradition. From an early age in the Caucasus, it was not allowed to touch the boy's head, even paternal strokes were not allowed. Even hats were not allowed to be touched by anyone except the owner or with his permission. The very wearing of the attire from childhood developed a special stature and demeanor, did not allow bowing the head, let alone bowing. The dignity of a man, they believe in the Caucasus, is still not in trousers, but in a hat.

The papakha was worn all day long, the old people did not part with it even in hot weather. Arriving home, they filmed it theatrically, certainly carefully clasping it with their hands on the sides, and carefully laying it on a flat surface. Putting it on, the owner brushes off the speck with his fingertips, cheerfully ruffles it, placing clenched fists inside, “fluffs” and only then pushes it from his forehead to his head, holding the back of the headgear with his index and thumb. All this emphasized the mythologized status of the hat, and in the mundane sense of the action, it simply increased the service life of the hat. He wore out less. After all, fur is hatched first of all where it comes into contact. Therefore, they touched the upper back with their hands - the bald patches are not in sight. In the Middle Ages, travelers in Dagestan and Chechnya observed a picture that was strange for them. There is a poor highlander in a worn-out and more than once repaired Circassian coat, trampled charyks on his bare feet with straw inside instead of socks, but on his proudly planted head he flaunts, like a stranger, a big shaggy hat.

Papakha was interestingly used by lovers. In some Dagestan villages there is a romantic custom. A timid young man in the conditions of harsh mountain morality, seizing the moment so that no one sees him, throws a hat into the window of his chosen one. With hope for reciprocity. If the hat does not fly back, you can send matchmakers: the girl agrees.

Of course, the careful attitude concerned, first of all, dear astrakhan dads. A hundred years ago, only wealthy people could afford them. Karakul was brought from Central Asia, as they would say today, from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He was and still is dear. Only a special breed of sheep, or rather, three-month-old lambs, will do. Then the astrakhan fur on the babies, alas, straightens up.

It is not known who owns the palm in the manufacture of cloaks - the story is silent about this, but the same story testifies that the best "Caucasian fur coats" were made and are still being made in Andi, a high-mountainous village in the Botlikh region of Dagestan. Two centuries ago, cloaks were taken to Tiflis, the capital of the Caucasian province. The simplicity and practicality of cloaks, unpretentious and easy to wear, have long made them the favorite clothing of both the shepherd and the prince. Rich and poor, regardless of faith and nationality, horsemen and Cossacks ordered cloaks and bought them in Derbent, Baku, Tiflis, Stavropol, Essentuki.

There are many legends and legends associated with burkas. And even more ordinary everyday stories. How to kidnap a bride without a burqa, how to protect yourself from a stabbing blow from a dagger or a chopping swing of a saber? On a cloak, as on a shield, they carried the fallen or wounded from the battlefield. A wide "hem" covered both themselves and the horse from the sultry mountain sun and dank rain on long hikes. Wrapped up in a cloak and pulling a shaggy sheepskin coat over your head, you can sleep right in the rain on a mountainside or in an open field: water will not get inside. During the years of the Civil War, the Cossacks and Red Army soldiers were "treated with a cloak": they covered themselves and the horse with a warm "fur coat", or even two, and let their fighting friend gallop. After several kilometers of such a race, the rider was steamed, as in a bathhouse. And the leader of the peoples, Comrade Stalin, who was suspicious of medicines and did not trust doctors, more than once boasted to his comrades of the “Caucasian” method he had invented to drive out a cold: “You drink a few cups of hot tea, dress warmly, cover yourself with a cloak and hat and go to bed. In the morning - like glass."

Today, cloaks have become almost decorative, leaving everyday life. But until now, in some villages of Dagestan, the elderly, unlike the "windy" youth, do not allow themselves to deviate from customs and come to any celebration or, conversely, a funeral without a cloak. And shepherds prefer traditional clothes, despite the fact that today mountaineers are better warmed in winter by down jackets, "Alaskas" and "Canadians".

Three years ago, in the village of Rakhata, Botlikh region, an artel for the production of buroks was working, where the famous "Andiyka" were made. The state decided to unite the craftswomen into one household, despite the fact that all the production of cloaks is exclusively handmade. During the war, in August 1999, the Rakhat artel was bombed. It is a pity that the unique museum opened at the artel is the only one of its kind: the exhibits are mostly destroyed. For more than three years, the director of the artel, Sakinat Razhandibirova, has been trying to find funds to restore the workshop.

Local residents are skeptical about the possibility of restoring the enterprise for the production of buroks. Even in the best years, when the state acted as the customer and buyer, women made cloaks at home. And today, cloaks are made only by order - mainly for dance ensembles and for souvenirs for distinguished guests. Burki, like Mikrakh carpets, Kubachi daggers, Kharbuk pistols, Balkhar jugs, Kizlyar cognacs, are the hallmarks of the Land of Mountains. Caucasian fur coats were presented to Fidel Castro and Secretary General of the Communist Party of Canada William Kashtan, cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolaev and Sergei Stepashin, Viktor Chernomyrdin and Viktor Kazantsev... It's probably easier to say who among those who visited Dagestan did not try it on.

Having finished her housework, Zukhra Dzhavatkhanova from the village of Rakhata takes up her usual simple craft in a remote room: the work is dusty - it requires a separate room. For her and her family of three, this is a small, but still income. On the spot, the product costs from 700 to 1000 rubles, depending on the quality, in Makhachkala it is already twice as expensive, in Vladikavkaz - three times more. There are few buyers, so there is no need to talk about stable earnings. Well, if you can sell a couple a month. When a wholesale buyer "for ten or twenty pieces" comes to the village, usually a representative of one of the choreographic groups, he has to look into a dozen houses: every second household in the village rolls cloaks for sale.
"Three days and three women"

Known since ancient times, the technology for making buroks has not changed, except that it has become a little worse. Through simplification. Previously, a broom made of flax stalks was used to comb the wool, now they use iron combs, and they tear the wool. The rules for making a burqa are reminiscent of a gourmet recipe with their strictness. Particular attention is paid to the quality of raw materials. The wool of the so-called mountain-Lezgin coarse-haired breed of sheep of autumn shearing is preferable - it is the longest. Lambs are also thin and tender. Black is a classic, basic color, but buyers, as a rule, order white, "gift-dance".

To make a burqa, as the Andians say, "it takes three days and three women." After the wool has been washed and combed on a hand loom, it is divided into long and short: for the manufacture of the upper and lower parts of the cloak, respectively. Wool is loosened with the most ordinary bow with a bowstring, put on a carpet, moistened with water, twisted and knocked down. The more times this procedure is done, the better - thinner, lighter and stronger - the canvas is obtained, i.e. knocked down, compacted wool. A good cloak, usually weighing about two or three kilograms, should stand upright without sagging when placed on the floor.

The canvas is simultaneously twisted, periodically combing. And so hundreds and hundreds of times over the course of several days. Hard work. The canvas is run in and beaten with hands, the skin on which turns red, covered with many small wounds, which eventually turn into one continuous callus.

So that the cloak does not let water through, it is boiled for half a day over low heat in special boilers, adding iron vitriol to the water. Then they are treated with casein glue so that “icicles” form on the wool: water will flow down them in the rain. To do this, several people hold a cloak soaked in glue above the water upside down "head" - just like a woman washes her long hair. And the final touches - the upper edges of the cloak are sewn together, forming shoulders, and the lining is hemmed, "so as not to wear out quickly."

The craft will never die, - Abdulla Ramazanov, head of the administration of the Botlikh region, is convinced. - But the cloaks will come out of everyday life - this is too hard. Recently, the Andians have had competitors in other Dagestan villages. Therefore, we have to look for new markets. We take into account the whims of customers: burkas have changed in size - they are made not only for men, but also for children. The production of tiny products that are put on bottles of champagne or cognac has become original - an exotic gift.

Burki can be made anywhere, the technology is simple, if only the raw materials were appropriate. And this can be problematic. The absence of the former mass demand and the termination of the state order for cloaks led to a decrease in the number of mountain-Lezgin coarse-wool sheep breeds. It becomes a rarity in the mountains. A few years ago, the republic was seriously talking about the threat of extinction of the breed. She is being replaced by a fat-tailed breed of sheep. From a three-year-old lamb of this breed, grown in alpine meadows, the best kebabs are obtained, the demand for which, unlike buroks, is increasing.

Cherke?ska(abh. ak?imzh?s; lezg. Chukha; cargo. ????; Ingush chokhi; kabard.-cherk. tsey; Karach.-Balk. chepken; Osset. tsukhha; arm. ?????; Chech. chokhib) - the Russian name for outerwear for men - a caftan, which was common in everyday life among many peoples of the Caucasus. The Circassian was worn by the Circassians (Circassians), Abazins, Abkhazians, Balkars, Armenians, Georgians, Ingush, Karachays, Ossetians, Chechens, peoples of Dagestan and others. Historically, the Terek and Kuban Cossacks borrowed the Circassian coat. At present, it has practically fallen out of use as everyday wear, but has retained its status as ceremonial, festive or folk.

The Circassian is probably of Turkic (Khazarian) origin. It was a common type of clothing among the Khazars, from which it was borrowed by other peoples inhabiting the Caucasus, including the Alans. The first image of the Circassian (or its prototype) is displayed on the Khazar silver dishes.

The Circassian coat is a single-breasted caftan without a collar. It is made from cloth of non-disguising dark colors: black, brown or gray. Usually slightly below the knees (to warm the rider's knees), the length may vary. It is cut at the waist, with gatherings and folds, girdled with a narrow belt, the belt buckle served as a flint for striking fire. Since everyone was a warrior, it was clothing for battle, it should not have hampered movements, so the sleeves were wide and short, and only the old men had long sleeves - warming the hands. A distinctive feature and a well-recognized element are gazyri (from the Turkic "khazyr" - "ready"), special pockets intercepted with braid for pencil cases, more often bone ones. In the pencil case was a measure of gunpowder and a bullet wrapped in a rag, cast for a particular gun. These pencil cases made it possible to load a flintlock or matchlock gun at full gallop. In the extreme pencil cases, located almost under the armpits, they kept dry chips for kindling. After the appearance of guns that ignite a charge of gunpowder with a primer, primers were stored. For the holidays they wore a longer and thinner Circassian coat.

The friendship between the legend of Soviet cinema Vladimir Zeldin and the famous dancer, the "magician of dance" Makhmud Esambaev lasted more than half a century. Their acquaintance began on the set of Ivan Pyryev’s film “The Pig and the Shepherd”, which became a film debut for both Zeldin and Esambaev.

Esambaev, who arrived in Moscow at the age of 17, worked part-time at Mosfilm. In Pyryev's picture, he got the role of a friend of the Dagestan shepherd Musaib, played by Zeldin. In the scene when Zeldin is walking along the alley of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy and collides with Glasha, they are surrounded by highlanders, friends of Musaib. One of them was Mahmud Esambaev.

In one of his interviews, Vladimir Zeldin told how the director of the film, Ivan Pyryev, commanded all the time: “Keep your head down! Don't look at the movie camera!" It was he who turned to Mahmud, who now and then looked over his shoulder, trying to get into the frame. Everyone wanted to be noticed - a naive, funny, cheerful guy in a black Circassian coat, ”says Zeldin.

Once, during a break between filming, Zeldin sent young Esambaev for lemonade - the actor was tormented by thirst, and he himself had no time to run. Gave Mahmud 15 kopecks. He gladly ran to fulfill the order, but brought two bottles instead of one - as a true Caucasian showed respect. Thus began the friendship of two legendary people. Subsequently, when Esambaev became a great dancer, for the sake of a joke, he always recalled Zeldin the times when he “chased him for a bottle”, said that Zeldin owed him 15 kopecks ...

Zeldin has repeatedly emphasized that he always treated Caucasians with respect, he never hid that he had many Caucasian friends - Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Dagestanis, Chechens, etc. “Since my student years, I loved the Circassian coat, the hat, these boots, soft and sliding, and in general I sympathized with the peoples of the Caucasus,” Zeldin said. - I really like to play them, they are amazingly beautiful, unusually musical, plastic people. When I play, I feel this Caucasian spirit. I know their traditions quite well and I feel good, organically in their national clothes. Even the fans somehow gave me all this “Caucasian uniform”.

And once Mahmud Esambaev presented Zeldin with his famous silver cap, which he wore in public without taking off, and which became an inseparable part of the everyday image of its owner. If you know what this hat meant for Esambaev, you can say that he gave Zeldin a truly royal gift, tore it from his heart.

Why Esambaev never takes off his hat was the subject of endless jokes and conversations. And the answer is simple - such a tradition, mountain etiquette: a Caucasian man never bares his head. Zeldin noted in this regard that Mahmud was "an amazing guardian of the national culture."

Esambaev himself jokingly used to say that even a Caucasian man goes to bed in a hat. Mahmud Esambaev was the only person in the USSR who was allowed to take a passport photo in a traditional headdress. So strong was the respect for him. Esambaev never took off his hat in front of anyone - neither in front of presidents, nor in front of kings. And on his 70th birthday, Zeldina said that he was taking off his hat in front of his talent and presented it with the words that he was giving the most precious thing he had.

In response, Zeldin danced Esambaev's lezginka. And since then, the actor kept a gift from a dear friend, sometimes he wore it to concerts.

For a bright life, Zeldin received many gifts from famous people. He had a unique double-barreled shotgun with a dedicatory engraving from Marshal Zhukov, the painting “Don Quixote”, which Nikas Safronov painted especially for Zeldin, an icon from the Spanish La Mancha, all kinds of orders - three orders of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of Friendship, the Order of the Spanish King Juan II - for the one hundred and fiftieth performance of "The Man from La Mancha" in the year of the 400th anniversary of Cervantes. But the Esambaev hat has always remained the most expensive and sincere gift ...

Zeldin always considered Esambaev a great man. “Mahmud is a man sent to us by heaven. This is a man of legend. But this legend is real, the legend of the brightest deeds he showed. It's not just about generosity. It is a need to help do good. Pull a person out of the most incredible situations. The huge role of an example of existence and feeling of life. Mahmud is a great person because, despite his greatness, he saw a person, he could listen to him, help him, caress him with a word. This is a good man.

When he called me, without any preamble, he began to sing “Song of Moscow”: “And in which direction I will not be, on whatever grass I will pass ...” He did not just come to the house - he burst in. He arranged a whole performance from his parish ... A handsome man (ideal figure, wasp waist, posture), he lived beautifully, turning his life into a picturesque show. He treated beautifully, courted beautifully, spoke, dressed beautifully. He sewed only at his tailor, he did not wear anything ready, not even shoes. And he always wore a hat.

Mahmud was pure nugget. I didn't study anywhere, I didn't even finish high school. But nature was the richest. Incredible ability to work and incredible ambition, the desire to become a master ... The halls at his performances were crowded, he was a huge success, both throughout the Union and abroad ... And he was an open person, of extraordinary kindness and breadth. He lived in two cities - in Moscow and in Grozny. He had a house in Chechnya, where his wife Nina and daughter lived ... When Mahmud came to Moscow, his two-room apartment on Presnensky Val, where we often came, was immediately filled with friends. And God knows how many people were placed there, there was nowhere to sit. And the owner met the newly arrived guests in some unthinkably luxurious dressing gown. And everyone immediately felt at home with him: politicians, pop and theater people, his fans. In any company, he became its center ... He could stir up everything around him and please everyone ... "

The last time Vladimir Zeldin appeared in a hat was at the celebration of the 869th anniversary of Moscow in September this year on City Day, the main theme of which was the Year of Cinema. This release was the final chord in the long-term friendship of the two legendary artists.

More recently, the hat was considered to be an integral accessory of the proud highlanders. On this occasion, they even said that this headdress should be on the head while it is on the shoulders. Caucasians put much more content into this concept than the usual hat, they even compare it with a wise adviser. The Caucasian papakha has its own history.

Who wears a hat?

Now rarely any of the representatives of the modern youth of the Caucasus appears in society in a hat. But even some decades before that, the Caucasian hat was associated with courage, dignity and honor. To come with an uncovered head to a Caucasian wedding as an invitee was regarded as an insulting attitude towards the guests of the celebration.

Once upon a time, the Caucasian hat was loved and respected by everyone - both old and young. Often one could find a whole arsenal of papahs, as they say, for all occasions: for example, some for everyday wear, others for a wedding option, and still others for mourning. As a result, the wardrobe consisted of at least ten different hats. The pattern of the Caucasian hat was the wife of every real highlander.

military headdress

In addition to horsemen, Cossacks also wore a hat. Among the military personnel of the Russian army, the papakha was one of the attributes of the military uniform of some branches of the military. It differed from the one worn by the Caucasians - a low fur hat, inside of which there was a fabric lining. In 1913, a low Caucasian hat became a headdress in the entire tsarist army.

In the Soviet army, according to the charter, only colonels, generals and marshals were supposed to wear a hat.

Customs of the Caucasian people

It would be naive to think that the Caucasian hat in the form in which everyone is used to seeing it has not changed over the centuries. In fact, the peak of its development and the greatest distribution falls on the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Before this period, the heads of Caucasians were covered with fabric caps. In general, there were several types of hats, which were made from the following materials:

felt;
the cloth;
combination of fur and fabric.

Little known is the fact that in the 18th century, for some time, both sexes wore almost identical headdresses. Cossack hat, Caucasian hat - these hats were valued and took pride of place in the wardrobe of men.

Fur hats gradually begin to dominate, replacing other types of this garment. Adygs, they are also Circassians, until the beginning of the 19th century wore felt hats. In addition, pointed hoods made of cloth were common. Turkish turbans also changed over time - now fur hats were wrapped with white narrow pieces of fabric.

The aksakals were kind to their hats, kept in almost sterile conditions, each of them was specially wrapped with a clean cloth.

Traditions associated with this headdress

The customs of the peoples of the Caucasian region obligated every man to know how to properly wear a hat, in what cases to wear one or another of them. There are many examples of the relationship between the Caucasian hat and folk traditions:

Checking if a girl really loves a guy: you should have tried to throw your hat out of her window. Caucasian dances also served as a way of expressing sincere feelings towards the fair sex.
The romance ended when someone knocked down a hat to someone. Such an act is considered offensive, it could provoke a serious incident with very unpleasant consequences for someone. The Caucasian papakha was respected, and it was impossible to just pick it off your head.
A person could leave his hat somewhere due to forgetfulness, but God forbid someone touches it!
During the argument, the temperamental Caucasian took off his hat from his head, and heatedly threw it beside him on the ground. This could only mean that the man is convinced that he is right and is ready to answer for his words!
Almost the only and very effective act that can stop the bloody battle of hot horsemen is a handkerchief of some beauty thrown at their feet.
Whatever a man asks for, nothing should force him to take off his hat. An exceptional case is to forgive blood feud.

Caucasian hat today

The tradition of wearing a Caucasian hat fades into oblivion over the years. Now you have to go to some mountain village to make sure that it is still completely not forgotten. Maybe you'll be lucky to see it on the head of a local young man who decided to show off.

And among the Soviet intelligentsia there were representatives of the Caucasian peoples who honored the traditions and customs of their fathers and grandfathers. A striking example is the Chechen Makhmud Esambaev, People's Artist of the USSR, famous choreographer, choreographer and actor. Wherever he was, even at receptions with the leaders of the country, a proud Caucasian was seen in his hat-crown. There is either a true story or a legend that allegedly General Secretary L. I. Brezhnev began a meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR only after he found Mahmud's hat among the delegates.

You can have different attitudes towards wearing a Caucasian hat. But, without a doubt, the following truth must remain unshakable. This headdress of the peoples is closely connected with the history of the proud Caucasians, the traditions and customs of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, which every contemporary must sacredly honor and respect! The Caucasian hat in the Caucasus is more than a headdress!

Annotation: the genesis, evolution of the hat, its cut, ways and manner of wearing, the cult and ethical culture of the Chechens and Ingush are described.

There is another opinion that Chech. kui is borrowed from the Georgian language. We do not share this point of view.

Long-haired hats were also made from the skins of a special breed of rams with silky, long and curly hair or Angora goat skins. They were expensive and rare, they were considered ceremonial.

The Chechens had a hat and, in truth, still remains a symbol of honor, dignity or "cult".

How many Chechens and Ingush were imprisoned then, trying to defend their dignity!

NOTES

1. Javakhishvili I.A. Materials for the history of the material culture of the Georgian people - Tbilisi, 1962. III - IV. S. 129.

2. Vagapov A.D. Etymological dictionary of the Chechen language // Lingua-universum - Nazran, 2009. P. 32.

3. Studenetskaya E.N. Clothes // Culture and life of the peoples of the North Caucasus - M., 1968. S. 113.

4. Bulatova, A.G.

5. Arsaliev Sh. M-Kh. Ethnopedagogics of the Chechens - M., 2007. P. 243.

Since ancient times, the Chechens had a cult of a headdress - both female and male. A Chechen's hat - a symbol of honor and dignity - is part of the costume. " If the head is intact, it should have a hat»; « If you have no one to consult with, consult with dad"- these and similar proverbs and sayings emphasize the importance and obligation of a hat for a man. With the exception of the hood, hats were not removed indoors either.

When traveling to the city and to important, responsible events, as a rule, they put on a new, festive hat. Since the hat has always been one of the main items of men's clothing, young people sought to acquire beautiful, festive hats. They were very cherished, kept, wrapped in pure matter.

Knocking someone's hat off was considered an unprecedented insult. A person could take off his hat, leave it somewhere and leave for a while. And even in such cases, no one had the right to touch her, realizing that he would deal with her master. If a Chechen took off his hat in a dispute or quarrel and hit it on the ground, this meant that he was ready to do anything, to the end.

It is known that among the Chechens, a woman who took off and threw her scarf at the feet of those fighting to the death could stop the fight. Men, on the contrary, cannot take off their hats even in such a situation. When a man asks someone for something and takes off his hat at the same time, then this is considered baseness, worthy of a slave. In Chechen traditions, there is only one exception to this: a hat can be removed only when they ask for forgiveness of blood feuds.

Makhmud Esambaev, the great son of the Chechen people, a brilliant dancer, knew the price of a hat well and in the most unusual situations forced him to reckon with Chechen traditions and customs. He, traveling all over the world and being accepted in the highest circles of many states, did not take off his hat to anyone. Mahmoud never, under any circumstances, took off the world-famous hat, which he himself called the crown. Esambaev was the only deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR who sat in a hat at all sessions of the highest authority of the Union. Eyewitnesses say that the head of the Supreme Council, L. Brezhnev, before the start of the work of this body, carefully looked into the hall, and, seeing a familiar hat, said: “ Mahmoud is in place, you can start". M. A. Esambaev, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, throughout his life, creativity carried a high name - the Chechen konakh (knight).

Sharing with the readers of his book “My Dagestan” about the features of Avar etiquette and how important it is for everything and everyone to have their own individuality, originality and originality, the national poet of Dagestan Rasul Gamzatov emphasized: “There is a world-famous artist Makhmud Esambaev in the North Caucasus. He dances the dances of different nations. But he wears and never takes off his Chechen cap. Let the motives of my poems be varied, but let them walk in a mountain hat.

The word papakha itself is of Turkic origin, in the Fasmer dictionary it is specified that it is Azerbaijani. The literal translation is a hat. In Rus', the word papakha took root only in the 19th century, before that hats of a similar cut were called hoods. During the period of the Caucasian wars, the word papakha also migrated to the Russian language, but at the same time, other names formed from ethnonyms were also used in relation to a high fur hat. The Kabardinka (Kabardian hat) later became the Kubanka (its difference from the hat is, first of all, in height). In the Don troops, a papakha was called a trukhmenka for a long time.

Dagestan Cavalry Regiment

In Dagestan, there was also a tradition to make an offer with the help of a hat. When a young man wanted to marry, but was afraid to do it openly, he could throw a hat out the girl's window. If the hat did not fly back for a long time, then the young man could count on a favorable outcome. It was considered a serious insult to knock a hat off your head. If, in the heat of a dispute, one of the opponents threw a hat on the ground, then this meant that he was ready to stand until his death. It was possible to lose a hat only with a head. That is why hats were often worn with valuables and even jewelry.

Fun fact: The famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Gadzhibekov, going to the theater, bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat. Makhmud Esambaev was the only deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR who was allowed to sit at meetings in a headdress. They say that Leonid Brezhnev, looking around the hall before the performance, saw Esambaev's hat and said: "Makhmud is in place, we can start."

Alexandre Dumas in a hat

Writer Alexandre Dumas (the one who wrote The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Iron Mask and other famous works) while traveling around the Caucasus somehow decided to take a picture in a hat. The photograph has survived to this day.

Papakhas are different. They differ both in the type of fur and in the length of the pile. Also in different regiments there are different types of embroidery on the top of dads. Before the First World War, hats were most often sewn from the fur of a bear, a ram and a wolf, these types of fur best of all helped soften a saber blow. There were also ceremonial hats. For officers and cadets, they were sheathed with a silver galloon 1.2 centimeters wide.

Don hats - with a red top and a cross embroidered on it, symbolizing the Orthodox faith. The Kuban Cossacks also have a scarlet top. Terek has blue. In the Trans-Baikal, Ussuri, Ural, Amur, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk parts, they wore black hats made of sheep's wool, but exclusively with a long pile.

We all know the expression: "Punch the cuffs." A cuff was a wedge-shaped cap sewn to a hat, which was common among the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks in the 16th and 17th centuries. Before the battle, it was customary to put metal plates into the cuff, which protected the Cossack from checker strikes. In the heat of the fight, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, it was quite possible to fight back with a hat with a cuff, "cuff" the enemy.

Papakha from astrakhan fur

The most expensive and honorable hats are astrakhan hats, which are also called "Bukhara". The word Karakul comes from the name of one of the oases located on the Zerashvan River, which flows in Uzbekistan. Karakul was usually called the skins of lambs of the Karakul breed, taken a few days after the birth of the lamb. Generals' hats were made exclusively from astrakhan fur.

After the revolution, restrictions were imposed on the wearing of national clothes for the Cossacks. Hats replaced budyonovkas, but already in 1936 hats returned again as an element of clothing. Cossacks were allowed to wear low black hats. Two stripes were sewn on the cloth in the form of a cross, for officers of gold color, for ordinary Cossacks - black. In front of the dads, of course, a red star was sewn on. Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks received the right to serve in the Red Army, and there were also Cossack troops at the parade in 1937. Since 1940, the hat has become an attribute of the military uniform of the entire senior command staff of the Red Army, and after the death of Stalin, hats have become fashionable among members of the Politburo.

Each nation has its own national headdresses. In most Turkic-speaking peoples, they are called "papah". Including in Azerbaijan.

At one time, even Soviet generals wore hats. But today, the hat has remained only a part of the men's toilet in the countries of the East. And yet, according to tradition, it was preserved as part of the traditional form of the Cossacks.

So what is a papa?

Papakha is a cylindrical headdress sewn from animal skins with a fabric lining. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a hat. And how this is done, we spied in the workshop of the Baku master Sabir kishi.

As Sabir kishi said, it takes a very long time to choose the skin for the papakha, since not only its appearance, but also the price will depend on this.

The skin must be well treated. In addition, you need to see what kind of skin it is, what kind of animal. Lamb skin is preferred. Well, and further, the master smiles, the flair is already necessary. For example, 50 skins can be laid out in front of you, your job is to choose the most beautiful of them, the one that will be a pleasure to sew and wear ...

Well, and further, the master smiles, the flair is already necessary. For example, 50 skins can be laid out in front of you, it’s up to you to choose the most beautiful of them

In the Caucasus they say - if the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat. Today, of course, in Baku you rarely see a man in a traditional hat, especially among young people. Young people prefer caps, panamas, berets, knitted hats, etc. And papakhas are worn more in rural areas, and then by older people or on holidays.

The traditional Azerbaijani papakha can be seen more often in historical films, on folk dance performers. Papakha is an indispensable attribute of mugham performers and folk musicians.

Hats of different nations look different. They differ in height, color, style, etc. Various types of this headdress were also used in Azerbaijan.

“All hats are originally white,” says Sabir kishi, “and those that are black are in most cases colored. It all depends on what animal skin it was made from. Hats are divided into long-haired and short-haired. Long-haired are sewn from the skins of adult animals, and for short-haired, basically, there was a skin of a lamb.

They are also divided into fine-haired and coarse-haired. Papakhas in Azerbaijan had and have many types and names - these are papakha choban, papakha bukhara, bey papakha, gumush papakh, gara papakh, etc. Each of these types belonged either to some village, or was worn according to some tradition, or belonged to certain class of the population. For example, bey hats could only be worn by people from the bek estate, the poor strata of the population had neither the right nor the means to do so.

For example, only people from the bek estate could wear bey hats, the poor strata of the population had neither the right nor the means to do so.

If someone accidentally touched another so that his hat fell to the ground, this could lead to bloodshed, as it meant an insult to the honor of the bearer of the hat. In the case when the owner himself, having taken off his hat, threw it to the ground, this indicated that he was ready to stand his ground to the end and would never change his decision.

Usually, with the older generation, the young ones took off their hats as a sign of respect, but this was not accepted by all peoples.

Sewing a hat is a rather difficult task, the slightest wrong seam and that's it - the goods are lost. After the skin is processed, it is shaped, then turned inside out and covered with cotton wool for softness. In order for the hat to retain the shape that was given to it, it is put on a blank - a sugar loaf, which is cut off in advance in the shape of a hat. A fabric lining is sewn on top. Then the finished hat is sprinkled with water and put on the blank again in anticipation of its owner.

Hats need special care, Sabir kishi emphasized. “I understand that in our time it does not have the same value as before. But before, people knew not only how to wear a hat, but also how to care for it. A hat should be put on with both hands and not pulled too hard on the head. If the hat is your size, then it will sit in its place without much effort," he said.

The papakha should be put on with both hands and at the same time not pulled too hard on the head.

But to save the hat, you need to strain a little. According to the master, hats were previously kept wrapped in a clean linen in a dark place. The temperature had to be low, as the fur could dry out. Nowadays, many neglect these rules and carelessly treat all points of these rules. This is why the current hats do not last long, Sabir kishi sighs.

The master also shared with us some tricks that those who wear hats should know. If something spills on the hat, you should immediately take flour and gasoline. Dilute flour in gasoline, as if kneading batter, and spread this mass on the stain. Gasoline absorbs fat well, so the hat can be saved.

Interestingly, the master is also not against dry cleaning papakh, because, according to him, most local dry cleaners know how to properly care for this hat...

And finally - about the cost of the traditional Azerbaijani hat. Prices for hats in Baku today start from 50 manats and can reach up to 300 manats...

No matter how fashion changes, hats belonging to the older generation of the family are still kept in many Azerbaijani houses. Even if young people do not wear them today, they still remain a symbol of honor and respect for traditions.