Yakut national clothes. Yakuts - my Russia National costume of the Yakuts

Around the turn of the 18th–19th centuries, just with the arrival of the Russians, chromatic colors began to appear on Yakut costumes: green, red, yellow, purple and their combinations. From this time on, the influence of Russian culture is clearly felt. The cut and decor of Yakut clothing are changing. Traditional women's clothing is the buuktaakh ilikytyylaakh son fur coat and the diabak hat. The chest and back decoration ilin - kelin kebiher is worn over the clothing.

The diabak's hat consists of a wide strip of beaver, sable, and wolverine fur. On the top of the hat is sewn a top called chopchuur or chechcheh, sewn from colored cloth (in most cases from red cloth) and embroidered with multi-colored beads and colored threads. The symbol, personifying a stylized female torso with pronounced gender characteristics, is associatively associated with the deity of childbirth and fertility Akhtar Aiyyhyt Khotun. Thus, the diabak hat is one of the main objects of the material world, personifying a woman.

The main colors of a women's holiday fur coat are red, yellow, green, black.

The main background is black, a symbol of Mother Earth. It forms the backbone, the support on which color-signs are superimposed. A wide strip of red fabric runs along the hem, sides, chest, shoulder, along the spinal column, covering the pelvis and hips, and the strip is inserted at the level of the forearm. Since red is the color of life and fertility, red stripes seem to surround the female figure on all sides with their aura, performing not only a productive, but also a protective function.

Although red, along with white and black, is the most archaic color, it became widely used in the design of color and decoration of traditional clothing only after the arrival of the Russians, as confirmed by archaeological excavations. In the mythological and ritual tradition of the Yakuts, red is the color of life, the color of fertility, the color of kinship, the color of fire.

Green color gives a wedding fur coat freshness, youth, and flourishing. This is the color of immortality, the color of spring growing grass, the color of awakening nature. On wedding clothes, green is adjacent to red on all sides. The combination of red and green has protective properties. Sometimes diamond-shaped figures consisting of green and red diamonds, in a checkerboard pattern, were sewn at chest level. They are a kind of protective signs.

Yellow, like white and red, is a solar symbolic color. Basically, the yellow color is located at the level of the forearm and in the side and back in the form of stripes or ornaments. This color makes a warm and pleasant impression on a person; it seems to release a sunny color.

Traditional clothing consists of four components: color, material, shape and design. These components are also divided into four main elements: red, yellow, green, black, which are the primary colors, the remaining shades are obtained by mixing them.

The number 4 plays a major role in cosmographic and philosophical concepts: the four cardinal directions, the four elements - water, fire, air, earth. Thus, the traditional costume acts as a structural figurative part of the process of understanding the world.

Considering the ancient Yakut and traditional holiday fur coats, we can distinguish two directions in the choice of the color of the Yakut costume, which characterize two ethnocultural factors of their development. The first direction is Turkic-Mongolian, the main color of which is a triad of colors - black-white-blue, and traditionally Yakut, expressed by ideological, religious and ethnic factors, these are red, green, black, yellow.

The modern Yakut national costume is rich in bright colors, various ornaments, and bizarre shapes, but at the same time has not lost its traditional specificity. A modern interpretation of folk costume ideas offers interesting examples when creating elegant clothing. A unique language of youth fashion is being formed that corresponds to the character and attitude of young people. And along with this, young people are introduced to the traditions of their people, to their material and spiritual culture.

LITERATURE

Babueva V.D. Material and spiritual culture of the Buryats. Ulan-Ude, 2004.
Gavrilyeva R.S. Clothing of the Sakha people of the late 17th – mid-18th centuries. Novosibirsk, 1998.
Zhukovskaya N.L. Categories and symbolism of traditional Mongol culture. M., 1988.
Zelenchuk V.S. Moldavian national costume. Chisinau, 1985.
Sanzheeva L.V. Traditional clothing as an element of Buryat culture. Ulan-Ude, 2002.
Strelov E.D. Clothing and decoration of the Yakut woman in the first half of the 18th century. // Soviet ethnography. 1937. No. 2–3.

Natalia Ksenofontovna Vasilyeva,
junior researcher
Department of Ethnological Research
Institute for Humane Studies
Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),
Yakutsk

Magazine "Taltsy" No. 1 (30), 2007

In the vastness Republic of Sakha Indigenous peoples live among more than a hundred nationalities - Yakuts, Evenks, Evens, Yukaghirs And Chukchi. The culture of each of them has evolved over centuries. A reflection of the worldview, aesthetics and character of the people can be found in their costume. That is why, to create modern clothing, we turn to folk experience - the traditions of the national costume of the pre-revolutionary period.

Yakut costume XVIII - early. XIX century - multi-item clothing of northern Turkic-speaking cattle breeders with pagan beliefs.

The main material for clothing was the skin of livestock and forest animals. As a rule, clothes were richly decorated, and knowledge of the decor was very important: it had a cult meaning and “protected” the wearer. The Yakuts had an idea of the vertical structure of the three worlds, which was also reflected in their clothing.

Upper world- the world of the celestials - personified through round beaded rosettes or a metal circle, the “sun”: they can be found on headdresses and breast decorations. Middle world- the world of people - through the lyre-shaped ornament (the feminine principle) was indicated in the silhouette and decor of shoulder products, metal jewelry and mittens. And finally lower world- the world of evil spirits - was conveyed through the embroidery of shoes on the theme of the “tree of life”, which has its roots in the earth, perhaps reflecting the dependence of life on earth on the lower world.

The noble beige-ocher color, characteristic of the Yakut costume, was created with natural dyes or natural colors of fur, leather and suede, from which clothes were sewn, and was enlivened by copper decorations and perforated trim from materials of various textures, and multi-colored embroidery of plant patterns.

In the patterns, designs and decorations of the Yakut costume we find many similarities with those of the Turkic and Mongol-speaking peoples of Siberia and Central Asia. The origins of these parallels originate in the Pazyryk mounds in Altai (ca. 5-3 thousand years BC), as well as in the monuments of the Middle East (5-3 centuries BC).

The adoption of the Orthodox faith and the development of trade in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. led to the influence of Russian culture on Yakut culture. Thus, fabrics were widely used. New types of clothing have appeared: coats with puffs, dresses " cool down" With " firefighter"(wide frill at the bottom of the dress), sashes, factory shoes, jewelry.

The art of jewelry has received a new lease of life. Silver jewelry began to dominate. But, despite all the changes, the costume of the Yakuts, in its artistic image, still remained consonant with the costume of their ancestors - the Turkic and Mongolian-speaking cattle breeders of Asia.

As for the costume of the Evenks, Evens and Yukaghirs, their ethnogenetic connections, the same natural living conditions, identity of occupations and culture led to the creation of the same type of clothing. This parka, Kukhlyanka, kamleya made of reindeer skin - in a word, a costume well adapted to the nomadic life of hunters and reindeer herders. The practical use of clothing did not interfere with decorating it with balls and circles made of mammoth bone, beads, and beads.

If embroidery was used, it was usually placed along the seams and edges of clothing in order to “prevent” the penetration of evil spirits into clothing.

The ornament in clothing had a certain sacred power, instilling in the owner of this item a feeling of confidence and invulnerability, strength and courage. For example, the image of the sun or the “spider” ornament meant good wishes and had a protective function.

Evenks And Yukaghirs We used rich warm tones of red, yellow and green beads. Evens they preferred a contrasting combination of colors: deep golden-red rainbow and white-blue beaded.

Traditional clothing Chukchi has survived to this day and is a deaf kukhlyanka and a kamleya made of reindeer skin, characteristic of all Arctic peoples of the world.

The semantics of its decor was determined by the cult of nature. Circles with a dot in the center and without it in the form of rosettes on clothes are astral signs, symbols of the cosmos: the sun, stars, the structure of the world. The triangular ornament is a symbol of the female gender, associated with the idea and cult of fertility, concern for the continuation of the human race, and strengthening the power of the community.

It should be noted that the beliefs of the northern peoples did not allow depicting people, animals and birds with anatomical accuracy. That is why there is a long series of symbols and allegories that today can be “read”, receiving certain information as a result of decoding.

It combines the cultural traditions of different peoples, it is adapted for the polar climate, which is reflected both in the cut of the clothes and in their design.

Description

Yakut clothing, which developed in the 19th century, combines many heterogeneous elements. This is especially evident in outerwear, where the use of materials of various textures and colors is noted: mixed fur, cloth, jacquard silk, rovduga, leather. The costume is decorated with ornamental inserts, beads, metal jewelry and pendants. Undergoing various transformations and modifications, under the influence of ongoing historical events in the social and cultural life of the ethnic group, folk costume preserves the most ancient artistic traditions.

Materials and design

Yakut pre-Christian clothing of the 17th-18th centuries. It was made mainly from natural materials - leather, suede, domestic animal fur, since the main type of economic activity of the Yakuts, as a Turkic people, was herd horse breeding and cattle breeding. Skins of fur-bearing animals were used for additional insulation in winter products, mainly as finishing. Fur stripes in two rows were sewn along the edge of the side, the bottom of the product and the sleeves - a design technique determined primarily by the cold climate and adopted from the northern peoples. Imported silk and wool fabrics of imported origin, obtained through natural exchange, were used as finishing, as they were expensive. Chinese cotton fabric “daba” was used for underwear, but only rich people could afford it. Poor people made underwear and summer items (shirts, robe-like clothing) mainly from thin suede leather.

For many peoples, the cutting of products is based on a straight cut, as the most rational and often determined by the shape and size of the material. The traditional Yakut cut is no exception in this sense. Thus, everyday products mainly have a straight cut waist and sleeves. Women's clothing of this cut, unlike men's, is decorated either with welted leather stripes along the yoke or with beaded and fur stripes along the edges of the side and hem.

The elegant, festive clothing of the Yakuts, as a rule, has a more complex cut - usually the waist is widened towards the bottom, the sleeves are gathered along the edge. Such a sleeve is called “buuktaakh”, that is, the “buff” shape; the Yakuts borrowed it from Russian urban clothing, as well as turn-down collars. Lightweight caftans with asymmetrical clasps, characteristic of the Baikal peoples, were worn by wealthy Yakuts. The coat was richly decorated along the side with beaded embroidery, metal elements and a narrow strip of expensive fur (See image of a men's caftan)

Of particular interest from the point of view of borrowing the cultural traditions of costumes of other peoples is a robe-like product made of daba fabric with one-piece sleeves, which was worn by women in the summer. These products are very different from the products listed above in their design form. Obviously, the cut adopted from the East Asian peoples did not have much distribution and development due to the irrational consumption of fabric.

Cut "onooloooh, buuktaah"

The most common and characteristic of Yakut clothing is the “onoolookh, buuktaakh” cut - once adopted from Russian military personnel and travelers, but modified in accordance with Yakut cultural and artistic traditions. Such products necessarily have folds along the side and middle back seams (“onoo”) and a sleeve with a gathered edge (“buuk”). Coats of this cut were worn by both men and women. The difference was evident in the decorative design. Men's coats were made of leather or fabric. The fabric coat had a velvet collar and cuffs. Women's coats of this cut were made of fur or suede, depending on the seasonal purpose. Variants of the coat made of suede were sewn with decorative inserts made of cloth or silk. If the size of the skin did not allow the production of voluminous, elongated clothing, for example a winter coat “sagynnyakh”, different materials were combined - suede, fur of fur-bearing animals, fabrics. Another type of this cut is called “kytyylaakh”. It spread as a type of outerwear much later, with the spread of manufactured fabrics. These products differed from “onoolookh” in that a wide double strip of cloth was sewn along the edge of the side, bottom of the product and sleeves. Women wore such clothes on cool days.

The most ancient cut of clothing is considered to be “tanalai”. This is a small volume product made of rovduga with fur trim. Distinctive features of this product: fur extension in the upper part of the sleeve; slits along the side seams; decorative element with metal pendants at the waist level on the sides. In different variations, this design is present in many products for various seasonal and functional purposes. The most striking example of the “tanalai” style is considered to be a product with a short fur sleeve, a yoke, a flap at the front, richly decorated with beads and metal trim. According to some researchers, the purpose of clothing is wedding / Yakut branch of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. ─ Yakutsk: Yakut book publishing house, 1971. 212 p.

Nosov M. M. Evolutionary development of Yakut clothing from the late 18th century to the 1920s// Sat. scientific Art. YKM. - Yakutsk: Book. publishing house, 1957. Issue 2. pp. 116─152.

Petrova S.I. Wedding attire of the Yakuts: traditions and reconstruction- Novosibirsk: Science, 2006. - 104 p.

Smolyak A.V. Traditional economy and material culture of the peoples of the Lower Amur and Sakhalin. - M.: Nauka, 1984. 248 p.

What do Yakut patterns say, what is the main element of the traditional Yakut ornament, what colors in a Yakut costume symbolize the seasons, how clothing can influence a person.

What do the patterns say?

All patterns in Yakut clothing are strictly symmetrical. This seems to repeat the symmetry of the human body. The left side, where the heart is located, is considered female, the right, corresponding to the working hand, is considered male. Accessories are also selected based on these considerations.

The main element of the traditional Yakut ornament is the sardana lily flower. It simultaneously resembles the Yakut musical instrument khomus and the lyre, a symbol known in many cultures around the world. Augustina Filippova calls it a code of communication for all humanity and believes that it symbolizes creativity.

The Yakut pattern always consists of a continuous branched line. Thus, the ancestors wanted to remind their descendants that their lineage should not be interrupted. The more branches, the more children the person who wears this pattern has. The ancient Yakuts traveled a long way from distant lands before settling where they now live. The whole story of long wanderings is also conveyed in long, winding curls.

The hat was always made to look like a fireplace. Her face looks out like fire from a stove. A hole was usually left at the top so that the sun and moon could peer into it, like into an urasu dwelling, and leave the seed of a boy or girl.

The ears on the hat signify man's connection with the cosmos. These are some kind of antennas. Recently, it has become common to decorate them with beads. There is also a more prosaic explanation for this unusual element. When the ancestors of the Yakuts explored the north, instead of hats they wore the skin of a fox’s head.

The Yakuts tried to combine all the colors of the year in their costume. Black symbolizes earth and spring, green symbolizes summer, red and brown symbolize autumn, and silver jewelry symbolizes stars, snow and winter.

And here is the interview Augustina Filippova gave to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

RG | You make each costume in a single copy, and all its elements necessarily add up to some kind of fairy-tale plot. This is the costume of Snezhana - the Snow Maiden, and the outfit of the mistress of the Arctic Ocean, and others. Do you think the girls who dream of seeing themselves in these rich, royal dresses understand the meaning that you put into them?

Augustina Filippova | I think they just feel it. Several times even foreign women who are not familiar with our fairy tales and legends, after trying on the costumes, admitted that they felt like real princesses. I strive for these garments to be a blessing to the one who wears them. Antique patterns richly embroidered with beads and rhinestones on dresses, hats and bags are the material embodiment of good parting words and wishes. For me, the work of a fashion designer is also an opportunity to talk about my worldview. I look at the birch tree and see a timid, slender girl, and the river seems like a majestic woman. In the process of creative searches, these images develop, come to life, and turn into things that can be worn. And then they can even influence the mood and feelings of the person wearing them.

RG | How much of your work is fiction and how much is historically accurate?

Filippova | I have never liked the way the Yakut national costume is presented on the catwalk. Everything seemed so gray and tasteless. Well, who wants to wear a dress that was taken off a mannequin in a museum? Even women of the century before last wanted to look fashionable and, seeing the outfits of visiting Russian young ladies, asked the craftsmen to make birch bark crinolines for themselves. Rather, I try to preserve the silhouette of this or that style, maybe the cut, and not blindly copy drawings from archaeological finds.

RG | Which element, for example in a bride's dress, would you call the most important? Surely the ancestors understood that this or that clothing could determine the future of the newlyweds.

Filippova | In general, the bride’s national costume was so multi-layered that it weighed about 30 kilograms. By how the girl finished her wedding day, they determined what kind of wife she would be. She will endure it and not faint, which means she will be able to give birth to a bunch of children. Of course, it is difficult to imagine a modern bride in such attire. For the wedding dress, I leave one element of the historical costume - fur on the shoulders. This is a kind of symbol of cut off wings. The girl descends to earth so that the human race continues, and with her feathers cut off, she will not be able to return back.

RG | Is it possible to use a similar magical meaning in everyday clothing?

Filippova | Certainly. Envious people, and unfortunately they are often found, usually slander behind your back: they smile in your face, but as soon as you turn away, they immediately spit in your back and even send curses. To protect themselves from the evil eye, our great-grandfathers always dressed very modestly in front, and colored their clothes with all kinds of decorations at the back. Like, even if a person wants to say something bad after seeing such beauty, he won’t be able to speak. You can follow their example.

RG | Do you have any rules about how to choose clothes to suit your face?

Filippova | No one has the right to impose something that a person is uncomfortable with.

Meanwhile, I believe that people even with the most modest incomes need to dress as best as possible. By doing so, they demonstrate love and respect for others and for life in general. That is, with the help of clothes they show their spiritual wealth. It doesn't have to be very expensive clothes. It’s good when it reflects the individuality of its owner. But you should always remember: one of the rules of good taste is that the suit should be appropriate.

National clothing is evidence of the origin of a people, its characteristics, it is a stable element of an original culture and an opportunity to identify contacts with other peoples. As noted by the researcher of the Moldovan national costume V.S. Zelenchuk, individual elements of costume cut, borrowed from other peoples, which arose in different eras, united over time and formed a unique type of clothing, characteristic only of a given ethnic community. The same can be said about the color and ornamental design of the entire costume ensemble.

Almost all nations have a distinctive, iconic character in women's costumes. Basically, women's traditional costume is full of various signs and symbols, because a woman is the Forefather of all humanity, the ancestor of a clan and tribe. She herself is the embodiment of the World Model, connecting all three worlds together.

All colors, patterns, ornaments, decorations, and pendants of women's clothing have a certain meaning associated with the traditional worldview.

With the help of traditional clothing, a person organically (harmoniously) fit into the environment, since the color of materials is greatly influenced by natural climatic factors, which are then consolidated through traditions or prohibitions and endowed with iconic status.

At various stages of human development, there were universal human foundations for color preferences. In archaic cultures, the symbolic use of flowers was a kind of language, a traditional means of transmitting ideas and states of mind. Man understood that in nature everything is interconnected, everything has meaning, and is united into a harmonious whole.

Fur coat “buuktaah dream”. Front and back view

The mythological, religious and artistic-aesthetic worldview of the Yakuts, like other peoples, is clearly expressed primarily in the semantics of color, in the ornamental composition, decorative trim and decorations of costume complexes.

Yakut traditional clothing is distinguished by its harmonious composition, harmonious colors, and natural connection between decor and symbolism. The Yakuts are the northernmost Turkic-speaking people. Many tribes left their mark in their ethno- and cultural genesis. And this was reflected (as in the way of farming, language, etc.) in the color symbolism of folk clothing.

As can be seen from the ancient burials of the Khorin Yakuts, discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century by E.D. Strelov, in clothing preference was given to blue, white, and black colors. Women's and men's clothing was sewn from blue-blue fabric of the daba type, decorated with black, white, blue beads and beads, which were dated back to the 18th century, but a number of researchers believe that already from the middle of the 17th century, various manufactured products began to penetrate into the sewing of Yakut clothing . In his monograph on the clothing of the Sakha people of the late 17th - mid-18th centuries, R.S. Gavrilyeva suggests that “the Yakuts received silk fabrics, beads and beads as a result of complex cross-barter trade with the Tungus, and the Tungus with the Manchus - who traded with China. Therefore, three-color porcelain beads and beads reached the Yakuts through an exchange with Tungus-speaking tribes long before the arrival of the Russians” (2, p. 42). At this time, the Yakuts themselves could also contact Mongol-speaking tribes, which later affected some elements of material and spiritual culture. Thus, if the cut of ancient Yakut clothing was influenced by the indigenous peoples (Tungus) due to climatic conditions, then the color combination may have been influenced by the Buryat-Mongol tribes.

Ancient Yakut dresses were made of blue-blue material. And blue, as you know, was the leading sacred color in Turkic-Chinese mythology. Blue was also the main color in the costume complexes of the Buryats. Blue fabric was widespread among them and was actively used for sewing clothes. Beads and beads on embroidery and decorations are of only three colors: white, black and blue; silk fabric of yellow-ocher color is found as a decorative finish.

White and black colors occupied a large place in the Buryat-Mongol material and spiritual culture. Among the Buryats and Mongols, the color composition is based on a combination of light and dark. This principle is typical both for the color design of clothing and for the finishing of woolen carpets - taar and fur carpets - khubsar.

Fur coat “kytyylaakh dream”. Front view

White color (Yuryung kun, Yuryung aiyy, Yuryung ilge, etc.) is a symbol of the sun, daylight, the equivalent of semen and milk - life-affirming principles. In connection with these qualities, white is the color of goodness, holiness, the origin of day and life, the eternal beginning, and the positive forces of nature.

Blue color is the color of the sky and water, symbolizing eternity, constancy, fidelity. In mythology, Sky (Kuekh hallaan) is a symbol of the masculine principle, Mother Earth (Iye sir) is a symbol of the feminine principle. Thus, black is not only the color of darkness and evil, but also the color of one of the life-affirming principles, a symbol of the Earth. In the mythology of many peoples, Heaven and Earth were the ancestors of all living beings in the Universe.

Thus, the triad white-black-blue constitutes the main points of the living space of ancient man. It is known that in the Turkic-Mongolian (and many other peoples) mythological and ritual traditions, the number 3 has a special sacredness (three worlds, three souls, three times, etc.). This is an ideal model of any dynamic process that develops according to the principle: emergence, development and decline. Everything in the world appears, develops and disappears.

In archaeological excavations, the triad white-black-blue in the color composition of Yakut clothing, as noted by E.D. Strelov, found only on ancient graves until the first half of the 18th century.

“Dabak” hat

The main colors of a women's holiday fur coat are red, yellow, green, black.

Although red, along with white and black, is the most archaic color, it only became widely used in the design of color and decoration of traditional clothing only after the arrival of the Russians, as confirmed by archaeological excavations. In the mythological and ritual tradition of the Yakuts, red is the color of life, the color of fertility, the color of kinship, the color of fire.

Wedding hat “Uraa bergehe”

LITERATURE

Babueva V.D. Material and spiritual culture of the Buryats. Ulan-Ude, 2004.
Gavrilyeva R.S. Clothing of the Sakha people of the late 17th – mid-18th centuries. Novosibirsk, 1998.
Zhukovskaya N.L. Categories and symbolism of traditional Mongol culture. M., 1988.
Zelenchuk V.S. Moldavian national costume. Chisinau, 1985.
Sanzheeva L.V. Traditional clothing as an element of Buryat culture. Ulan-Ude, 2002.
Strelov E.D. Clothing and decoration of the Yakut woman in the first half of the 18th century. // Soviet ethnography. 1937. No. 2–3.

National costume is largely determined by factors such as climate, history, and culture. For example, in cold countries natural furs are used as parts. Often there are national ornaments or religious symbols embroidered on the fabric. Currently, the national costume is worn during folk holidays and festivities and for the performance of national dances and songs.

Yakutia: territorial location, climate, history, culture

At the moment it is part of the Russian Federation, in the Far Eastern Federal District. The climate there is harsh, northern, with short summers and long winters, during which the air temperature can drop to 50 degrees below zero. This factor explains the use of fur and leather in the costume. As a people, the Yakuts (aka Sakha or Sakhalar) descended from the Tungus, Paleo-Asians, Mongol- and Turkic-speaking nomadic tribes. For this reason, the details of the national costume contain traditional elements of clothing of other nationalities. In ancient times, the Yakuts professed a religion called Aiyy. Even now, their tradition is to celebrate the Ysyakh holiday, where the Aiy Gods are glorified, shamans are present and throat singing is used.

Samples of the first national costumes

It is believed that the history of traditional Sakha clothing begins in the 13th century. Back then, animal furs and skins and coarse cloth were used for warmth. The robe was decorated with national ornaments, which were applied to the fabric by embroidery. When the Yakuts mastered cattle breeding, the fur of domestic animals became the main material. The costume was also decorated with it, for example, cuffs or collars were sewn on. In addition, the clothes were also decorated with velvet. The tangalay costume is considered one of the most ancient. It was a product made of rawhide with fur inserts in the upper part of the sleeve. The waist was decorated with metal decorations, and there were slits on the sides. At the moment, such a costume is no longer worn.

Modern types of cut

The Yakut national costume has several traditional tailoring elements. The most popular cut is called “onooloooh, buuktaah”, and includes the following elements:

Buuk sleeve. Lush, free, sometimes with gathers.
"Onoo." These are the folds on the back of the suit.

Another cut of “kytyylaakh”. Its peculiarity is the presence of wide stripes of cloth material on the sides of the suit. Red color is often used for decoration.

National costume for adults

When sewing clothes for women, practical and natural fabrics are used, such as satin and chintz. Silk and satin are used to create festive attire. Women's national costume involves decoration with embroidery, beads and fur ornaments.

Traditionally, the fair sex wore a large amount of jewelry. Metal or beaded hoops with links falling along the face were put on the head. The hair was also decorated - the braid was called sukhuokh or kiiste and was fastened with straps made of rawhide. The famous chest decoration is the kebihar ilisurekh pendant, shaped like a cross. Techniques such as blackening and gilding were used in production. A large number of decorations expressed respect for a woman as a continuator of the family; in addition, some of them played the role of amulets and talismans.

A woman's fur coat is called sanyakh. It is made from fox, sable and wolf fur. The wedding version is decorated with a fur pattern in the form of bird wings.

The full wedding costume included the following elements: a face veil - annah, a rawhide shirt, natazniks - pantaloons, leggings - leggings from the knee to the ankle, dokha - a fur coat with a pattern of wings, diabaka - a headdress with a protrusion on the top, slightly reminiscent of a military helmet. Of course, a large number of decorations were attached to the wedding attire: on the head, neck, hands.

The Yakut men's national costume looked much more modest than the women's. There was always a fur trim on the collar and cuffs. It differed in the volume and height of the pile. Traditional patterns, most often blue, beige or brown, were embroidered along the edges of the hem, sleeves, as well as along the sides of fur coats and capes. The man's headdress was shaped like a military helmet. It was made from natural fur. Thanks to the ties, the neck and ears were reliably protected from wind and frost. Some headdresses were decorated with ears, which symbolized the connection with space and the Universe. Another decorative element is the full moon or sun, which meant procreation. Also, hats were sometimes decorated with fluffy fur tails on the top of the head.

What did you wear on your feet?

Shoes for both men and women were high boots - thousand etherbes. They were made from the skin of the shin of a deer - kamus, and stitched with felt. In such shoes one could feel comfortable in frosts down to 50 degrees below zero. Another option is a torbaza. Such shoes were made of cloth and leather and lined with felt and wool. It was trimmed with red fox, silver fox or beaver fur. The most popular shoe colors: gray, beige, brown, black. Of course, the women's version was decorated with beads, embroidery, and fur patterns.

Summer shoes were called terehe and were shortened boots.

Yakut children's national costume

Almost completely copied the clothes of adults. The Yakut national costume for girls was a smaller copy of the clothing of an adult Yakut woman. Children also wore various jewelry made of metal, beads and fur.

The Yakut national costume for a boy was also no different from the attire of an adult man. Fur trim and modest embroidery are the components of the little Yakut costume.

Ritual clothing

Among the Yakuts, a special person was responsible for communication with spirits - a shaman. His attire was different from the costumes of ordinary people, and some of its details could have a special ritual meaning. For example, many costumes were decorated with fringe, reminiscent of plumage, along the sleeves and on the back. This design symbolized a bird. By putting on such a costume, the shaman was able to “fly” and communicate with other worlds. In addition to fringes, to identify oneself with a bird, their images were applied to the robe itself and used as pendants. These were mainly loon, crane, eagle and duck. The main material for tailoring was stallion skin with the hair facing out. The shaman's headdress deserves special attention. The material was the skin from the head of a stallion, on which the ears and mane were left. Such a headdress was not decorated in any way; ordinary people could not wear it.

Yakut national costume today

Yakuts wear traditional clothes on national holidays. Samples of everyday and festive traditional clothing can also be seen in historical museums. Photos of the Yakut national costume can also be seen in our article. Today, a much larger range of fabrics and different styles are used. However, you can often find traditional elements of the national costume: for example, a modern wedding dress and a diabach headdress. Jewelry from Yakutia, both made of precious metals and beads, is famous all over the world (the technique of working with the latter is passed down from mother to daughter in some families). Modern Yakut designers are often inspired by elements of the national costume and use them to create modern models.

It is impossible to imagine Ysyakh without traditional clothing. On the eve of the Yakut holiday, YSIA decided to recall the history of the haladaay dress - one of the main components of a woman’s costume.

Roots

Haladaai - traditional Yakut dress. Along with a sleeveless vest - kehiechchik- and silver jewelry makes up a festive women's costume, worn on the main summer holiday - Ysyakh. It appeared in the wardrobe of the Yakuts several centuries ago and, most likely, was borrowed from the inhabitants of neighboring regions of Siberia.

Festive Siberian khaladai made from daba, 19th century.
Cold, cold - women's outerwear for spring and autumn, common in Kursk, Oryol and some other provinces in the south of European Russia, as well as on the Don. In the southern Russian provinces, the cold jacket was made from factory-made black fabric on cotton wool with a lining. It was an open, single-breasted garment with a solid, widening back and the same flaps, without a collar, with a round collar around the neck, and long narrow sleeves. The cold jacket usually did not have a fastener; it was decorated with colored machine stitching along the collar and hem. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the cold jacket was considered very fashionable clothing. The Buryat women's voluminous dress is also called khaladaikha; made from silk fabrics, it is weekend wear in the Baikal region. Clothing similar in style and cut was common among the Altaians and Tatars (“Russian Traditional Costume”, 2001).

Researchers attribute the appearance of haladaay among the Yakuts to the period of Christianization of Yakutia in the middle of the 17th century. At this time, new trade relations were actively developing, industrial goods appeared, including manufactured fabrics. In general, there is a strong influence of Russian culture on Yakut culture, which also affected clothing.

M. Nosov. Yakuts of the 17th century. Ysyakh.

In the old days, on Ysyakh and other holidays, people wore clothes made from traditional materials - fur, rovduga, leather. Women's festive attire, for example, consisted of natazniks with leggings, a robe shirt with fur trim and beaded trim, an elegant sleeveless vest, a fur coat - tangalay, elegant shoes made of rovduga or kamus. Headdresses were: in winter - a bonnet with a fur lining or a winter hat with horns, in summer - a warm hood, headdress basting with rear suspensions, the girls wore a hat yay. Metal jewelry made of brass or silver was mandatory. At the same time, all elements of clothing and decor had a symbolic meaning, and their use was strictly regulated - the age, social status and financial situation of the owner could be determined from the outfit. The tradition of demonstrating one's wealth through clothing is one of the reasons why fur clothes and hats were worn at Ysyakh.

M. Nosov. Portrait of a Yakut girl.

In the middle of the 17th century, traditional materials began to replace manufactured fabrics. New types of clothing appeared, including the haladaai. Festive women's attire during this period included a coat - dream, dress haladaay, sleeveless- kehiechchik, headdress - diabak, elegant leather shoes, decorated with embroidery, beads or metal plaques, mittens and silver jewelry.

By the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, the khaladaay became firmly established in the life of the Yakuts - it was worn both at home and on holidays. Homemade khaladaai were made from simple fabrics; for festive occasions they chose elegant and expensive ones. On Ysyakh, women dressed up in a festive khaladai with a sleeveless vest - kehiechchik, tied shawls on their heads or put on hats. This version of the festive outfit, with minor variations, has survived to this day.

Fabrics

For sewing haladaai, both men's and women's, light, well-draped fabrics were chosen. Everyday haladaai were made from chintz, dab, linen, and teak. They were mostly of calm colors and were not richly decorated. For weekend dresses, more expensive fabrics were chosen - satin, brocade, taffeta, silk. Over time, traditional decoration made of beads and metal plaques began to be replaced with more affordable ones: braid, bugles, silk thread, soutache. They were used to decorate collars, dress hems, and cuffs.

A full weekend suit consisting of a smart khaladai and a sleeveless vest (based on a drawing by M. Nosov)

An obligatory pair for the festive haladai was a sleeveless vest - kehiechchik, it was sewn from bright fabrics and richly decorated, first with beads, rovduga and fur, and later with sequins, rhinestones, and braid.

Color

Initially, color did not play a big role in traditional clothing, since the latter was made from natural materials that did not have a rich color palette. The exception was beads used to decorate clothes. The Yakut costume, as a rule, used white, blue and black colors. As fabrics spread, color became one of the main means of expressiveness in costume.

In Yakut clothing, color had both symbolic and utilitarian meaning. First of all, it depended on the seasonal purpose of the product. Everyday items were predominantly neutral, dark tones; festive costumes were distinguished by bright colors and combinations of contrasting colors.

The symbolic meaning of color was largely determined by its incarnations in nature. Red color - the color of blood - personified the soul, vitality. Green - the color of grass, awakening nature - symbolized youth, the flourishing of life, immortality. Blue - heavenly color, symbol of Salgyn-kut (heavenly soul) - a sign of development, the flourishing of life. Yellow And white – the colors of the sun’s rays, snow – are a symbol of life, happiness, the positive forces of nature, all the best. Black , dark grey , brown - the color of Mother Earth, the earthly soul - Buor-kut.

Cut

In the ancient clothing of the Yakuts, like other northern peoples, straight cut predominated, this was explained by the characteristics of the source material - animal skins. It was more rational, and straight clothes provided better protection from the cold. With the advent of manufactured fabrics and under the influence of European culture, a trapezoidal silhouette became established in traditional Yakut clothing, the “onooloooh, buuktaakh” cut (with folds, frilly sleeves) and additional elements appeared: collar, cuffs.

Ancient women's shirt-khaladai (drawing by M. Nosov)

According to the artist and ethnographer Mikhail Nosov, the prototype of the modern haladaai is the shirt-dress of the same name. It was made from dab or simple fabric; the oldest examples, dating from the mid-17th century, had light ruffles at the front and back at the collar. The collar, as a rule, was replaced by a light rope or leather edging, and the edges of the sleeves and the cut at the neck were processed in the same way. At a later time, gatherings began to be done in the chest area and along the bottom of the sleeves.

Women's dress haladaay of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the silhouette of the dress was finally formed: the Yakut khaladaai had a yoke with a front clasp and a large turn-down collar. A wide rectangular frill was sewn along the chest line - a fold and a falbor, and sometimes two. The upper part of the sleeve was heavily shirred along the edge, and narrow cuffs were sewn along the bottom. The resulting puff emphasized the wealth of the owner - the richer the person, the more magnificent the sleeve. Thin black lace or lace to match the dress was sometimes sewn along the joining line of the falbora and along the bottom of the cuffs. The men's khaladaay had a similar cut, with the only exception that it was shorter than the women's and was decorated more modestly. In this form, the haladaai survived until the middle of the 20th century, when, under the influence of fashion trends, the silhouette became more elegant - fitted dresses, vests, and coats appeared. The decor became simpler, silver decorations replaced beaded decorations. Traditional elements of festive attire were preserved in remote villages, where the influence of urban culture was not so strong.

In the first decade of the 21st century, interest in national clothing and jewelry began to revive - wearing them on Ysyakh is becoming a widespread tradition. However, as researchers of Yakut costume note, often designers, trying to modernize an outfit, do not strive to follow the traditional cut, using only some of its features. As a result, clothing becomes more and more stylized, and ignorance of the symbolism of decor leads to errors in costume design. So, for example, men's festive clothes are decorated with floral patterns, which have been characteristic of women's clothing since ancient times, and head decorations - basting and a hat- yay Traditionally worn by young women and girls, today they can also be seen on older women.

The article uses data from the monograph by S. Petrova and Z. Zabolotskaya “Folk costume of the Yakuts” and research by M. Nosov “Clothing and jewelry of the Yakuts of the 17th-20th centuries.”

In modern society it is rare to see a person in a national costume, however, despite this, the traditional clothing of each people and ethnic groups still remains part of the material culture. And at the same time, it is a vivid embodiment of historically established religious beliefs, spiritual values, climatic features, and economic structure. Based on the transformation of clothing, one can trace the evolutionary development of different civilizations. A striking example of this is Yakut national clothing.

National clothes of Yakutia - features

Traditional clothing of Yakutia acquired its characteristic features and features in the XӀӀӀ century; already at that time the population used materials of different colors and textures, different types of fur, and various decorative elements. Costumes were made from cloth, jacquard silk, leather, and rovdug. They were decorated with ornamental inserts, embroidery, beads, and pendants. Most of all, such color was present in the outer national clothing of Yakutia.

Of course, many features of the costume were determined by the polar climate and the main type of activity - herd husbandry and cattle breeding. Therefore, most of the clothing, especially of the poor classes, was made of leather and suede. To insulate the outfit, fur strips were sewn on. Imported silks and woolen fabrics were used as decoration; only rich people could afford them.

Women's national clothing of Yakutia

Everyday women's Yakut national clothing differed from men's only in the presence of decor, which included stripes made of welted leather, beads and fur stripes. Basically, these are straight-cut products, determined by the size and shape of the material.

Things were different with the festive Yakut national clothing - women's at that time had a more complex cut, with gathers on the sleeves and flared downwards. Particular attention was paid to decorating the festive outfit.