National clothes of the peoples of Yakutia. Traditional Yakut costume Yakut wedding clothes

The national clothes of different nationalities often have a clear imprint not only of life, way of life, but also of climatic conditions. So, for example, the Yakut national costume was created specifically for the difficult climatic conditions of the North. Of course, it also contains a certain number of elements borrowed from other peoples, but this does not at all create a negative impression about the Yakut costume.

Historical reference

The Yakuts, as a national community, are by far the most concentrated in Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. A small number of people of this nationality can be found in the Magadan, Sakhalin and Amur regions.

The earliest examples of national clothing of the Yakuts are considered to be costumes that arose as early as the 13th century. Basically, these are outerwear with pronounced folk ornaments, decorations and elements. The national Yakut costume of that time was created from the fur of various animals, coarse cloth and silk, and leather.

Already in the Christian era (17-18 centuries) traditional set outerwear was made from the skin and fur of domestic animals, since the main activity of the Yakuts was horse and cattle breeding. Suede, leather and fur of short-haired pets have gained particular popularity. For additional insulation in especially frosty periods, Yakut craftsmen used the skins of animals with fluffy, long-haired fur. This one looked more like decorative ornament classic national costume: fur strips were sewn around the perimeter of the outerwear, as cuffs on the sleeves, as well as wide warm collars.

Cut Features

At the heart of every folk dress is often a straight silhouette with the same sleeves. The traditional Yakut costume is no exception.

However, in its "design" there are several variations:

• onooloh, buuktaah. Yakut craftsmen, without too much embarrassment, based this type of cut on the features of tailoring for the Russian military and avid travelers. Of course, it was not without exclusively national inclusions. The name of such a cut is due to the presence of folds on the back - “onoo” and original model sleeves - "buuk" (puff-shaped). Outerwear (most often a coat), sewn according to this principle, was worn equally by both men and women. The main materials for the manufacture of the Yakut national costumes of this cut were: leather and daba (Chinese paper fabric) - for men; fur and suede (depending on the season) - for women. Velvet stripes on the collar and cuffs served as decoration;

• kytyylaakh. It appeared in the everyday life of the Yakuts much later than the first type of cut and differs from it only in some details. For example, a double wide cloth strip, which was placed along the edge of the side of the upper national dress.

Main Feature women's summer coat, made using the kytyylaakh cut, is the presence of red threads in the ornament that adorns the perimeter of clothing and sleeves. IN male models, built according to the same principle, there are more strict and dull colors;

• tanalai. One of the most ancient types of cut. Traditional winter Yakut clothing, which was made of rovduga (deer or elk suede) using the fur of fur-bearing animals. Features of this cut are the presence of a fur shoulder pad, which was located at the junction of the sleeve and armhole. Side slits, shiny metal embellishments in the form of pendants at the waist. Some historians insist that this type of cut was typical for wedding dresses.

Basically, the women's national costume of the Yakuts did not differ much from the men's. The main differences can be called color performance, the presence of additional decor, the use of various materials.

Women's Yakut costume

The main materials for the manufacture of traditional women's clothing in Yakutia:

• everyday - practical and durable chintz and satin;

• festive - expensive, beautiful and shiny silk and satin;

• outerwear - fur, suede with the skillful addition of pieces of silk or fur national ornaments.

The national fur coat of an adult Yakut woman is called sanyyakh, it is sewn from the skins of wild animals: sable, wolf, wolverine or fox. This is one of the most important items in a bride's wedding attire. On the back, the skin was laid out in such a way that a pattern in the form of spread wings was obtained from the fur.

In general, the classic Yakut wedding wardrobe of a woman consisted of the main elements:

Annakh is a special piece of cloth that covers the face.

Undershirt made of coarse rovdug.

Leather pantaloons covering mainly the pelvic part of the bride.

Leggings - special leggings made of the skin of a wild animal, which resembled boots, but ended in the ankle area, did not have a foot part.

Fur dokha - a warm fluffy fur coat.

A traditional headdress, which, with its cut and appearance, resembled a military helmet.

A large number of jewelry. This element among the Yakuts was considered one of the most important in women's clothing. At the same time, everything was decorated: clothes, shoes, head, chest, hands. Yakut beading is especially popular to this day. Its foundations are passed down from mother to daughter.

The costume of the Yakut woman exactly repeated the costume of an adult woman. The girl was characterized by the use of an edge around the perimeter of the cap.

National Yakut costume for men

Of course, clothes for men differed from women's in special modesty. The main feature was the presence of fur trim on the sleeves and collar. The pile height of such a finish could reach the highest levels. The headdress also necessarily resembles a helmet in its shape, it was made of natural fur and covered the ears, cheekbones and a little chin area from frost. At the end of such a Yakut hat, the full moon or the sun usually flaunted, which marked the continuation of the family.

Theme: "Yakut national clothes" The work was completed by: 4B grade student Liza Petrova. Head: Kalacheva L.V. Purpose: to study the Yakut national clothes and learn how to sew it in the future. Tasks: 1. Determine the role and place of clothing in the ritual culture of the people; 2. To study the customs and traditions of the Sakha people; 3. Introduction to the national culture. Relevance. The topic is relevant because we live in Yakutia and I want to introduce peers to the traditions and clothing of the Yakuts. The role and place of clothing in the ritual culture of the people The clothing of any people shows its habitat, culture and religion. The whole life of the Yakuts was closely connected with the environment: they got food, clothes, tools from it. Therefore, according to their concepts, Nature was the main thing, then Deities, and only then Man. Totemism The Yakuts, like many peoples, had totemism - the deification of animals. So, among our ancestors, a bear, a wolf, a horse, a raven, a lion, a swan, an eagle were considered sacred. For example, this can be seen in a hat with horns and a wolf face. Yakut clothes can be divided into two groups according to time and lifestyle changes: Traditional Yakut clothes (until the middle of the 18th century). Traditional Yakut clothes (from the middle of the 18th century to the 20th century). Traditional Yakut clothing until the middle of the 18th century. This is the period of the dawn of national culture. There is a great connection between clothing and religion: horned headdresses, a tangalai sleeveless jacket, etc. Clothing was made mainly from natural natural materials - leather, suede, pet fur. The main type of economic activity of the Yakuts was herd horse breeding and cattle breeding. The skins of fur animals were used for additional insulation in winter products, mainly as decoration. Women's outerwear with beaded trim (cloth). Men's warm camisole (cloth, fur, beads) For many nations, the cut of products is based on a straight cut. The traditional Yakut cut is no exception. So, everyday products mainly have a straight-cut camp and a sleeve. Women's clothing of this cut, unlike men's, is decorated either with cut-out leather stripes along the yoke or with beaded and fur stripes along the edges of the side and hem. Sleeveless jacket "Son-tangalai" This clothing is associated with the cult of the swan. This is a product of small volume, made of rodvuga with fur trim. It was carefully kept and passed down from generation to generation as a great value. She only wore married woman . This clothing was also used as a funeral, according to the Yakuts, the soul of a deceased person passed a thorny path, so the clothes had to be durable. To do this, the tangalay son was decorated with copper and silver plaques and beads in front and behind. Traditional Yakut clothes from the middle of the 18th century to the 20th century. National clothes are undergoing great changes due to the development of contacts and trade with other peoples. Elements of European clothing appear: collar, pocket, puffs and cuffs. But the traditional connection with belief still remains. Elegant demi-season coat (“kytyylaakh son”), 2nd half of the 19th century. Made of cloth with red and black finishes. Metal plates are sewn along the lines of the seams. At the level of the chest, decorative elements in the form of rhombuses made of fabric are sewn. Product length - to the middle of the calf. Complicated cut - usually the camp is made extended to the bottom, the sleeves are assembled along the collar. Such a puff-shaped sleeve, the Yakuts borrowed it from Russian urban clothing, as well as turn-down collars. Buuktaah dream Fur coat with fur trim. She was dressed by a bride, women during various rituals, a blessing on Ysyakh. This fur-lined dream was sewn from red, black and green cloth or colored brocade Diabaka Diabaka - a headdress. Headdresses are closely connected with ritual ceremonies, such as the birth of a child, the worship of Bayanay - the Master of the taiga, with hunting. Ornament The Yakut ornament is extremely diverse in its composition, it includes both simple geometric and complex floral ornamental motifs. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it reflects the main occupation of the people - cattle breeding. A special group of Yakut ornaments consists of simple lines, circles and half circles, arcs, rhombuses, triangles, squares, dotted lines, dots, crosses and nets. Among the most characteristic motifs should be attributed curvilinear ornament. . The lyre-shaped ornament-drawing is widespread in places where horse breeding is developed. Therefore, it is the main pattern in saddlecloths, kychym. The name and appearance are similar to koumiss dishes "koger". The ornament in the form of the sun is one of the most iconic ornaments among the Yakuts. It shows the worship of the Yakuts before the sun and therefore is drawn in many objects: in belts, back and chest decorations, in a “diabaka” hat, etc. Jewelry Metal jewelry is an important part of the Yakut costume. Unlike other peoples, most of the Yakut jewelry was worn over winter fur clothes (belts, torcs, chest and back decorations). Metal decorations are divided into removable and sewn-on (plates, pendants for decorating clothes). Undergarments are especially decorated with silver pendants and beads: ritual trousers, leggings, braces, a ritual belt with bells, a loincloth with falling metal pendants, and beaded jewelry. The meaning of color in clothes The whole way of life and economic activity of the Yakuts were closely connected with Mother Nature. Therefore, the colors of their clothes reflect the natural palette - the colors of the earth, sky, plants, sun and snow, colors that are always harmonious, pleasing to the eye with freshness and beauty. ysyakh Today, the national costume has developed and become rich ... Come to ysyakh in national costumes becomes fashionable and relevant. Conclusion The national dress that has come down to us tells about the time and place of its origin, reflects the habitat, culture and religion.

Description

The Yakut clothing that developed in the ХΙΙΙ century combines many heterogeneous elements. This is especially evident in outerwear, where the use of materials of various textures and colors is noted: motley fur, cloth, jacquard silk, rovduga, leather. The costume is decorated with ornamental inserts, beads, metal ornaments 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 ancient artistic traditions.

Materials and design

Male caftan

Yakut pre-Christian clothing of the 17th-18th centuries. made mainly from natural natural materials- leather, suede, furs of domestic animals, since the main type of economic activity of the Yakuts, as a Turkic people, was herd horse breeding and cattle breeding. The skins of fur animals were used for additional insulation in winter products, mainly as decoration. Fur strips in two rows were sewn along the edge of the side, the bottom of the product and the sleeve - a design technique, due primarily to the cold climate and adopted from the northern peoples. Imported silk, imported woolen fabrics, obtained by natural exchange, were used as decoration, as they were expensive. Chinese cotton fabric"so" went on underwear, but only rich people could afford it. The poor people made underwear and summer products (shirts, robe-like clothes) mainly from thin suede leather.

For many nations, the cut of products is based on a straight cut, as the most rational and often due to the shape and size of the material. The traditional Yakut cut is no exception in this sense. So, everyday products mainly have a straight-cut camp and a sleeve. Women's clothing of this cut, unlike men's, is decorated either with cut-out leather stripes along the yoke or with beaded and fur stripes along the edges of the side and hem.

Women's clothing "kytyylaakh son"

Elegant, festive clothes of the Yakuts, as a rule, have a more complex cut - usually the camp is made extended to the bottom, the sleeves are gathered along the collar. Such a sleeve is called "buuktaah", that is, the "puff" form, the Yakuts borrowed it from Russian urban clothing, as well as turn-down collars. Lightweight caftans with an asymmetrical clasp, characteristic of the Baikal peoples, were worn by wealthy Yakuts. The coat was richly decorated along the border with beaded embroidery, metal elements and a narrow strip of expensive fur (See the image of a man'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 fabric duba with one-piece sleeves, which was worn by women in the summer. These products are very different from the products listed above in their constructive form. Obviously, the cut adopted from the East Asian peoples did not have much distribution and development due to the waste of fabric.

Croy "onoolooh, buuktaah"

Women's clothing "tanalai son"

The most common and characteristic for Yakut clothing is the “onoolooh, buuktaakh” cut - once adopted from the Russian military and travelers, but modified in accordance with the Yakut cultural and artistic traditions. Such products necessarily have folds along the side and middle seam of the back (“onoo”) and a sleeve with an assembly along the collar (“buuk”). Coats of this cut were worn by both men and women. The difference was in the decoration. For men, coats were sewn from leather or fabric in order. The cloth coat had a velvet collar and cuffs. Women's coats such a cut was made of fur or suede, depending on the seasonal purpose. Suede coat options were sewn with decorative inserts cloth or silk. If the size of the skin did not allow making voluminous, elongated clothes, for example, a winter coat "sagynyakh", they combined different materials- suede, fur of fur-bearing animals, fabrics. Another kind of such cut is called "kytyylaakh". As a type of outerwear, it spread much later, with the spread of manufactory 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 sleeve. Women wore such clothes on cool days.

Costume "hassyat, haladaay"

The cut of clothes "tanalai" is considered the most ancient. This is a product of small volume, made of rovduga with fur trim. Distinctive features of this product: fur extension in the upper part of the sleeve; side seam slits; decorative element with metal pendants at 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 a product with a shortened fur sleeve, a yoke, a detachable element along the front, richly decorated with beads and metal trim. According to some researchers, the purpose of clothing is wedding. These products were carefully stored, passed down from generation to generation, as a great value. However, this cut was not further developed. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had practically disappeared from use.

In the future, the development of traditional Yakut clothing was influenced by the spread and wide use fabrics. This factor influenced not only the cut of clothing, but also the clothing culture of the Yakuts as a whole.

Notes

Literature

• Zhukova L. N. Yukaghir clothing. Tutorial. ─ Yakutsk: Yakutsky Krai Publishing House, 1996. ─ 142 p.
• I. V. Konstantinov Material culture of the Yakuts of the 18th century (based on burial materials)/ Yakut branch of SO AS USSR. ─ Yakutsk: Yakut book publishing house, 1971. 212 p.
• Nosov M. M. The evolutionary development of Yakut clothing from the late 18th to the 1920s// Sat. scientific Art. YAKM. - Yakutsk: Prince. publishing house, 1957. Issue 2. S. 116─152.
• Petrova S. I. wedding dress Yakuts: traditions and reconstruction- Novosibirsk: Nauka, 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.

The population of Yakutia is 955.6 thousand people, of which about half is represented by indigenous people. Most of them are Yakuts, the rest are small peoples. We offer you a selection of clothes of some small peoples Yakutia.

For northerners, the deer is not only the main mount and source of food, but also a valuable "supplier" of materials for clothing. long time ago winter clothes they sewed from deer skins, summer - from rovduga (dressed deer skin). Now traditional clothes are mostly worn either during the holidays or combined with modern clothes.

It should also be noted that the current National clothes northern peoples is very different from the traditional. This is due not only to the appearance of new materials in everyday life, but also to the intensification of interethnic contacts, as a result of which there was an interchange of clothing details. For example, Even reindeer herders now prefer either deaf outerwear(like the Chukchi or Koryaks), or fur jackets with pockets and turn-down collars(like the Yakuts).

According to Evdokia Bokova, an Even poetess, melodist and collector of Even folklore, “not so long ago, male and women's clothing Evens was the same and the difference was mainly in the number and nature of decorations. Men's aprons were decorated modestly, while women's aprons were decorated with a rovd fringe, fur tassels, metal pendants, etc.

The bearer of the Even culture, a native of the Allaikhovsky ulus Maxim Dutkin.

The peoples of the North have long used beads to decorate clothes and household items. There is evidence that in pre-revolutionary Russia, a whole deer was given for a small number of beads. The art of sewing with beads among the indigenous peoples of the North is passed down from generation to generation. Northern craftswomen decorate clothes, high fur boots, hats and even deer and reindeer sleds with beaded ornaments in combination with cloth, leather, and fur.

The smallest and most everyday items of clothing and household items amaze with the richness and complexity of ornamental bead embroidery.

Ornaments showed social and gender differences, and some decorative elements served as something like calendars. There was also a ritual significance in jewelry - it was believed that the ringing of metal pendants repels evil spirits and protects the owner.

“... the incessant ringing of trinkets accompanies every movement of the Lamut girl ...”

Olsufiev A.V. General outline of the Anadyr district, its economic condition

and life of the population. - St. Petersburg: Printing House of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1896. - S. 135.

Like all peoples, each ornament has its own meaning. One of the most famous patterns is "chess". It means deer trails. The patterns are also based on images of the horns of a bighorn sheep or deer, traces of various animals, etc.

Dolgan delegation at the gathering of reindeer breeders (Yakutsk, 2013)

The Dolgan people developed in the 19th - early 20th centuries. from the Evenks, Yakuts, local Evenks, individual Enets families and the so-called tundra peasants who migrated from the Lena and Olenyok rivers. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron, published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, notes that “some part of the Yakuts moved to the Yenisei province, to the Turukhansk region, where they managed to completely obyakut Dolgans - a small Tungus tribe, just like the Russians, abandoned in the far corners of the Yakutsk Territory. V. V. Ushnitsky in his work “Tungus clans of Yakutia in the 17th century: questions of origin and ethnicity” writes:

“There are two points of view on the origin of Dolgans. The first is that the Dolgans are an ethnic group that is independent in origin, with its own independent culture and language, and the second is that the Dolgans are one of the groups of northern Yakut reindeer herders. The historical figure of Dygynchi, the prince of Dolgans, deserves attention. He is also mentioned on the Yana as the prince of the "Yukaghirs". Apparently, the Dolgans fled to Yana to the Yukaghirs. His image entered the folklore of the northern Yakut reindeer herders under the name Darinchi, his son Yungkeebil already lived and acted on Olenka.

Colorful Russian scarves from Soviet times are very popular here and look very harmonious against the backdrop of northern ornaments.

The Chukchi of Yakutia demonstrate their outfits.

Various natural dyes are used to dye leather. For example, an infusion of alder bark or dust.

Evenki Dutkina Vera Alexandrovna. She comes from the Tomsk region and came to Yakutia back in the 70s. Vera Alexandrovna said that the apron she shows belonged to her grandmother.

One of the most common ways of decorating clothes, shoes, hats, and household items among the indigenous peoples of the North is fur mosaic. Compositions of contrasting color pieces of fur sewn together are cut out by hand or according to a pattern in the form of stripes, rhombuses, triangles, circles and other geometric shapes.

Traditional summer clothes are sewn from rovduga, but since dressing skins is a rather laborious task, and they weigh a lot, at present, in many dance groups, instead of dressed leather, they use either fabric or factory suede.

Evenk singer Sinilga

Yakutia, Republic of Sakha - a small, remote and rather cold region Russian Federation. That's all that, as a rule, the vast majority of the population of our country knows about this area. Meanwhile, the Yakuts are amazing people.

Briefly about the region

A few centuries ago, the Yakutsk district, the predecessor of the modern region, was located on the territory of modern Yakutia. The current Republic of Sakha was formed in April 1922 - at first as the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1990, it was transformed into the Yakut-Sakha SSR, and it received its modern name a year later.

Yakutia is part of the Far Eastern Federal District and covers an area of ​​more than three million square kilometers. At the same time, the population of the entire district barely reaches a million. The main city of Yakutia is Yakutsk, which grew out of the Yakut prison on the right bank of the Lena. One of the features of the region is that two state languages ​​officially coexist on its territory - Russian and Sakha.

Where did the Yakuts come from

There are legends about the origin of the Yakuts. One of them, for example, claims that this people is the fundamental principle of all mankind, since Adam and Eve, from whom all people on Earth descended, were northerners. Another version speaks of the existence in antiquity of a certain Tygyn, from whom the Yakuts allegedly originate. There is also an opinion that the Yakuts are the Tatar tribes of the times of the Horde, that they are the descendants of the ancient Europeans, that the Evenks are genetically close to them and many, many others. Nevertheless, archaeologists' research revealed that people began to live on the territory of the future Yakutia already in the Paleolithic times. In the first millennium of our era, the ancestors of the Evenks and Evens came here, the Turkic-speaking tribes continued to populate the area of ​​the region until the fifteenth century. According to historians, the Yakuts were formed as a result of a mixture of Turkic-speaking and local tribes. Also in the blood of the Yakuts there may be genes of alien Tungus.

Features of the Yakuts

By appearance Yakut is easy to recognize. They tend to have an oval face with a broad forehead, slightly slanted eyelids, and large, black eyes. The mouth is also large, the enamel of the teeth is yellowish, the nose is usually humped, but it can also be straight. The color of the skin gives off a grayish yellow or is swarthy. The hair is black, coarse, not curly. Growth is usually small. Yakuts have a rather high life expectancy.

This nation has a well-developed hearing, vision, on the contrary, is not very good. They do not differ in speed of movement, everything is done slowly. There are no super-strong athletes among the Yakuts either. The nation is highly productive. Since ancient times, horse breeding, cattle breeding, fishing, and fur hunting have been considered their main occupations. The Yakuts also processed wood, dressed skins, sewed carpets, clothes, blankets.

Religion occupies a huge place in the life of the Yakuts. Now they are Orthodox, but since ancient times their life has been closely connected with shamanism (in some places this has remained to this day).

Yakut dwelling

Since the ancestors of the Yakuts were nomadic people, the current Sakhalars (this is their self-name) live in yurts (of course, not all, this does not apply to the inhabitants of cities). Their settlements are a collection of several houses. The dwelling of the Yakuts differs from the Mongolian yurts in that it is built from round logs, and not from felt. In this case, only small trees are used. Cutting high, large for them is a sin - this is one of the traditions and customs of the Yakuts.

The roof is made cone-shaped, and the door is located from the east. In addition, Yakut yurts have many small windows, along which there are a variety of sunbeds - low and high, wide and narrow, fenced off from each other so that small rooms are obtained. The highest sunbed is intended for the owner, the lowest is located near the entrance to the house.

As a rule, yurts are placed in the lowlands so that they are not blown by the wind. Often houses are made collapsible - if the tribe leads a nomadic lifestyle. The choice of a place to build a dwelling is very important for the Yakuts - it should bring happiness.

National Costume

The Yakut costume directly depends on temperature conditions - the climate in the Republic of Sakha is not hot, which is why clothes are often sewn using horse or cow skin (and not just fabric). For winter attire, fur is taken.

The costume itself is a caftan with wide sleeves and a belt, combined with leather pants and fur socks. In addition, Yakuts wear fabric shirts, belted with a belt. The material, in addition to fur and leather, is used the most diverse - and silk, and cloth, and rovduga. In ancient times, suede suits were often sewn. Festive costume more flared down, with puff sleeves and turn-down collars.

Yakut wedding

A wedding among the Yakuts is a special phenomenon. There is an ancient sacred tradition, according to which the parents of a baby, almost from the very moment of birth, must find her a future life partner. They choose a boy and for many years observe his life, character, habits, demeanor - after all, it is very important not to make a mistake in the game for your daughter. As a rule, first of all, they pay attention to those boys whose fathers are in good health, strong, hardy, able to work with their hands - make yurts, get food, and so on. This means that such a man will transfer all his skills and abilities to his son. Otherwise, the boy is not considered as a potential "groom". Some parents of daughters manage to choose a future husband for their baby quickly, for some this process takes quite a long time.

Matchmaking also refers to the traditions and customs of the Yakuts and goes as follows. The girl is forbidden to leave the house on this day, and the parents go to the house of the candidate for her hand and heart. They do not talk with the guy himself, but with his parents, painting them in colors all the virtues of their daughter - here it is very important to try to make the future daughter-in-law like them in absentia. If the guy’s parents don’t mind, then they call the size of the bride price - before, bride money was given in deer (this is still preserved in some places), now it is money. When the parents shake hands, solemn preparations for the wedding begin. The mother prepares the girl for the ceremony. She must also give her daughter a dowry, which certainly includes richly decorated outfits - this shows that the bride is not from the poor.

The wedding attire of the Yakuts used to be sewn only from natural materials, now it is not so necessary. Only one thing matters: dazzling White color, it means purity and innocence. Also, the dress must have a tight belt.

The time of the wedding is chosen by the girl. At first, the bride and groom are in different yurts. The shaman (instead of him there may be the father of the bride or the mother of the groom) fumigates them with birch bark smoke - it is believed that this cleanses the newlyweds from various slanders and everything bad. Only after this ceremony are they allowed to see each other and make a traditional circle around their future home (important: until this moment, the bride and groom do not meet eye to eye, there should always be someone next to them). Then they are declared legal husband and wife and a meal begins, during which the girl must have amulets - they protect the newly-made family from evil and disease. Traditional dishes at the Yakut wedding are venison, beef, fish, foal. From drinks - koumiss and wine.

Before the wedding, Yakut girls can walk with their heads uncovered; after getting married, the young wife must henceforth hide her hair from everyone except her husband.

Yakut art

Yakut songs are also special. First of all, we are talking about olonkho - local epic folklore, which is considered to be a type of poetry. It is performed like an opera. This is the oldest type of Yakut art, which is now considered a UNESCO heritage.

Olonkho can be of any size - the maximum reached thirty-six thousand (!) Lines. They include all the traditional legends and legends of the Yakuts. Far from everyone can perform Yakut songs - for this it is necessary to have an oratorical gift and the ability to improvise, as well as be able to give your voice different intonations and colors. Olonkho is recited without interruption - up to seven nights in a row, so the performer must also have a good memory (however, this is a hallmark of all Yakuts).

The Yakuts also have their own national musical instrument. It looks like a jew's harp, some consider it just a variety of a jew's harp. This instrument is called khomus. The art of the Yakuts also includes throat singing, for which they are very famous.

Traditions and customs

Some traditions and customs of the Yakuts have long remained unchanged. So, even today they greatly revere nature, believing that it is alive. They believe in the existence of good and evil spirits and that nature helps to fight the latter. So, for example, lightning, thunder, thunderstorm, according to their beliefs, pursue evil spirits. The wind also has its own spirits - they guard peace on earth. The Yakuts especially revere water, they bring offerings to it - boats made of birch bark. Do not put anything sharp into the water - it can injure her. Fire among the Yakuts is considered the patron saint of the hearth, before it was not extinguished, but moving from place to place, they took it with them in special pots. The Yakuts pay special respect to the spirit of the forest, which helps them in their hunting. The sacred animal for this people is the bear, whose claws they wear as amulets and talismans.

Their numerous holidays are closely connected with the traditions and customs of the Yakuts. For example, Ysyakh, which takes place at the beginning of summer. This family celebration, symbolizing the friendship of peoples, it is considered the most important among the Yakuts. Its other name is “Kumiss Feast”. At its end, it is imperative to perform a special round dance in honor of the sun - in this way the luminary is thanked for the warmth.

Blood feud also belongs to the traditions and customs of the Yakuts. There are also many birth rituals. And at death, you need to call one of the youth to yourself and leave all your connections to him - tell him both about friends and enemies.

1. Yakutia is the only region in our country where three time zones operate at once (the difference with Moscow is 6, 7 and 8 hours).
2. Almost half of the territory of Yakutia is located beyond the Arctic Circle.
3. Yakutia has the first place in the Russian Federation in terms of the total amount of reserves of all natural resources.
4. In addition to the two state languages, the Evenki, Even, Dolgan and Yukaghir dialects are widespread in the Republic of Sakha.
5. Yakuts do not grow body hair.
6. Almost every Yakut family has special national knives with an asymmetrical blade.
7. The Yakut legend says that the stone Sat, which is taken from the stomachs of birds and animals, is considered magical, but it will lose its power if a woman looks at it.
8. Sakhalar is the self-name of the Yakuts, and Sakhalyar is a person born from the marriage of a Yakut and a European.

This is not all the features and customs of the Yakuts. Such an interesting nation needs to be studied for a long time and carefully in order to be fully imbued with their spirit - however, like any other nationality on Earth.