Caucasian papakha: customs and traditions. “Mahmoud is in place, we can start” or interesting facts about the hat I have never taken off my hat

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Hello, dear blog readers. In the Caucasus, the saying has long been known: “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat.” Really, Caucasian papakha for the Caucasians themselves it is more than just a headdress. Since childhood, I remember how my grandfather very often quoted some eastern sage: “If you have no one to consult with, then ask the papakha for advice.”

Nowadays it’s quite rare to see a young man with a Caucasian hat on his head. Several decades ago, a hat personified masculinity and was a kind of symbol of honor and dignity. If a guy allowed himself to appear without a headdress, then it was considered almost an insult to all those invited.

Caucasian papakha was loved and respected by everyone. I remember when we lived in, we had a neighbor who wore a new hat every day. We were very surprised by this and one day they asked him where he got so many hats from. It turned out that he inherited 15 selected dads from his father, which he wears with pleasure. The most interesting thing is that every time he went out to sit with local elders at an impromptu godekan, he put on a new hat. When he was invited to a wedding, there was another one, but if he was at a funeral, then a third one was on his head.

Caucasian papakha - the personification of traditions and customs

Of course, Caucasian hats were not always the way we imagine them today. They received their most rapid development and distribution in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before this, they mostly wore cloth hats. By the way, it should be noted that all the hats of that time, based on the material made, can be divided into four types:

Fabric hats
Hats combining fabric and fur
Fur
Felt

Over time, fur hats almost everywhere replaced all other types of hats. The only thing that should be noted is that felt hats were widespread among the Circassians until the beginning of the 19th century. Of course, this also includes “bashlyks”, Turkish turbans, which, by the way, were later very skillfully replaced by a small white strip of fabric that was wound around a fur hat.

But all these nuances are more interesting for researchers. I won’t be mistaken if I assume that you are much more interested in finding out what place you occupied hat V. As I noted above, any self-respecting man was simply obliged to wear a hat on his head. Moreover, most often he had over a dozen of them. There was also a whole system for servicing papas. I know that they were cherished like the apple of their eye and stored in special clean materials.

I think that after watching this video, you learned a lot about how folk traditions were combined with the Caucasian papakha. For example, it was a great discovery for me when I learned that a young man threw his headdress through the window of his beloved in order to find out whether his love was reciprocated. I know that they were often used to express their feelings to a girl.

It should be noted that not everything was so romantic and beautiful. Very often there were cases when it came to bloodshed just because a man’s headdress was knocked off his head. This was considered a great insult. If a person himself took off his hat and left it somewhere, no one had the right to touch it, understanding that he would have to deal with its owner. It happened that in a quarrel a Caucasian man would take off his hat and hit it on the ground - this meant that he was ready to stand his ground until death.

As I said above, Caucasian youth have practically stopped wearing hats in recent years. Only in mountain villages can you meet guys who happily flaunt these hats. Although, many great Caucasians (such as) never parted with their hats. The great dancer called his hat “Crown” and did not take it off even when he was received in the highest echelons of power. Moreover, Esambaev, being a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, sat in a fur hat at all meetings of the highest body of power of the Soviet Union. Rumor has it that L.I. Brezhnev looked around the hall before each meeting and, seeing a familiar hat, said: “Mahmud is in place - we can begin.”

In conclusion, I want to say this: whether or not to wear a Caucasian headdress is the business of every person, but I have no doubt that we simply must know and respect its significance in the lives of our fathers and grandfathers. Caucasian papakha– this is our history, these are our legends and, perhaps, a happy future! Yes, watch another video about papakha:

Friends, it will be very interesting to discuss your views on this topic in the comments. Yes, and don't forget. There are a lot of interesting and useful articles ahead of you.

Original taken from ymorno_ru in What you need to know about papakha

For both the highlander and the Cossack, a papakha 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 only lose your hat along 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 papakha is considered an ordinary headdress, the purpose of which is only to keep warm. If you look at the sayings and proverbs about papakha, you can already understand a lot about its significance. In the Caucasus they say: “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat.” The Cossacks even have a saying that the two most important things for a Cossack are a saber and a hat.

In Dagestan there was also a tradition of proposing with a papakha. When a young man wanted to get married, but was afraid to do it openly, he could throw his 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.

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

Types of hats

There are different hats. They differ both in the type of fur and in the length of the pile. Also, different regiments have different types of embroidery on the top of papakhas. Before the First World War, papakhas were most often made from bear, ram and wolf fur; these types of fur best helped soften a saber blow..
There were also ceremonial hats. For officers and servants, they were trimmed with silver braid 1.2 centimeters wide.

Since 1915, it was allowed to use gray hats. The Don, Astrakhan, Orenburg, Semirechensk, Siberian Cossack troops wore hats similar to a cone with short fur. It was possible to wear hats of any shade except white, and during the period of hostilities - black. Fur hats of bright colors were also prohibited. The sergeants, constables and cadets had a white cross-shaped braid sewn on the top of their hats, 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 have a scarlet top. The Tersky ones have blue. In the Trans-Baikal, Ussuri, Ural, Amur, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk units they wore black hats made of lamb wool, but exclusively with long pile.

Kubanka, klobuk, trukhmenka
The word papakha itself is of Turkic origin; Vasmer’s dictionary clarifies 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 migrated into the Russian language, but at the same time, other names derived from ethnonyms were also used in relation to the high fur hat. The Kabardinka (Kabardian papakha) later became the Kubanka (its difference from the papakha is, first of all, in height). In the Don troops, the papakha was called a trukhmenka for a long time.

Papakha with a cuff
We all know the expression: "Punch." Tumak 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 insert metal plates into the cuff, which protected the Cossack from checker attacks. In the heat of battle, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, with a hat and a cuff it was quite possible to fight back and “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. Karakul was the name given to the skins of lambs of the Karakul breed, taken a few days after the birth of the lamb.
General's hats were made exclusively from astrakhan fur.

The return of the hat
After the revolution, restrictions were introduced for Cossacks in wearing national clothing. Hats replaced budenovkas, 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, gold for officers, black for ordinary Cossacks. On the front of the hats, of course, was a red star.
Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks received the right to serve in the Red Army, and Cossack troops were also present at the parade in 1937.
Since 1940, the hat became an attribute of the military uniform of the entire senior command staff of the Red Army, and after Stalin’s death, hats became 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 papakha is considered an ordinary headdress, the purpose of which is only to keep warm. If you look at the sayings and proverbs about papakha, you can already understand a lot about its significance. In the Caucasus they say: “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat.” The Cossacks even have a saying that the two most important things for a Cossack are a saber and a hat.

Removing your hat is allowed only in special cases. In the Caucasus - almost never. You cannot 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 a hat is that it does not allow you to walk with your head down. It’s as if she herself is “educating” a person, forcing him “not to bend his back.”
In Dagestan there was also a tradition of proposing with a papakha. When a young man wanted to get married, but was afraid to do it openly, he could throw his 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.

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

Fun fact: The famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, 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 wearing a headdress. They say that Leonid Brezhnev, looking around the hall before his speech, saw Esambaev’s hat and said: “Makhmud is in place, we can start.”

Until relatively recently, a hat was considered to be an integral accessory of proud mountaineers. In this regard, 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, even comparing it to a wise adviser. The Caucasian papakha has its own history.

Who wears a hat?

Nowadays, it is rare for any of the representatives of modern youth of the Caucasus to appear in society wearing a hat. But just a few decades before this, the Caucasian papakha was associated with courage, dignity and honor. To come with your head uncovered to a Caucasian wedding as an invitee was regarded as an insult to the guests of the celebration.

Once upon a time, the Caucasian hat was loved and respected by everyone - both old and young. It was often possible to find a whole arsenal of papas, as they say, for all occasions: for example, some for everyday wear, others for a wedding, and others for mourning. As a result, the wardrobe consisted of at least ten different hats. The wife of every true mountaineer had a pattern for a Caucasian hat.

Military headdress

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

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

Customs of the Caucasian people

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

felt;
textile;
combination of fur and fabric.

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

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

The elders treated their hats with care, kept them in almost sterile conditions, and each of them was specially wrapped in clean cloth.

Traditions associated with this headdress

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

Checking whether a girl really loves a guy: I should have tried to throw my hat out of her window. Caucasian dances also served as a way to express sincere feelings towards the fair sex.
Romance ended when someone knocked down someone else's hat. 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 could not just be torn off one’s head.
A person could have forgottenly left his hat somewhere, but God forbid someone touches it!
During the argument, the temperamental Caucasian man took off his hat from his head and heatedly threw it on the ground next to him. 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 papakha today

The tradition of wearing a Caucasian hat has faded into oblivion over the years. Now we will have to go to some mountain village to make sure that it is not completely forgotten. Maybe you’ll be lucky to see it on the head of a local young man who decided to show it 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 country's leaders, the proud Caucasian was seen wearing his crown hat. There is either a fact or a legend, allegedly General Secretary L.I. Brezhnev began a meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR only after he spotted Mahmud’s hat among the delegates.

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

For Chechens, a papakha is something more than an ordinary headdress. This is a kind of symbol of honor, pride and dignity, which can only be worn by a person who has certain qualities and is capable of action. That is why not every Chechen could wear a hat; it was necessary to match this headdress.

Get a hat from your father

A young Chechen who was just starting to shave his beard usually received a hat as a gift. It could not be worn by mother, sisters, or other women in the family, otherwise its sacred power would be lost. If for some reason the head of the family died, then the hat always remained in the family; only the sons had the right to wear it.

You can receive a hat as a gift from a stranger

This astrakhan hat is a sign of high trust and recognition - it was not given to everyone they met simply out of pity or condescension. If a Chechen decided to give his hat, then the gifted person really deserved this expensive gift through his actions. At the same time, the material from which the hat was made, as well as its cost, were completely unimportant. The very fact of donating a hat was important, because this headdress had great sacred meaning. Receiving a hat as a gift from a stranger is an extremely rare occurrence, which sometimes still happened.

Smart head and fiery heart

A hat could only be worn by a Chechen who could preserve it and protect it along with his life and good name. If a Chechen’s hat was knocked off, it was considered humiliation, and restoring honor could be through battle and litigation with a bloody outcome. That is why the Chechens fought to the end for their hat - its loss meant shame and frivolity.

If a Chechen was guarding an object and left for a while, he would take off his hat and leave it at the entrance. Touching a hat meant challenging its owner, who considered it a matter of honor to find and punish the offender.

Features of a hat

A hat is not worn for warmth or beauty - it is a kind of symbol that emphasizes the honor and dignity of a man. The hat must be taken care of and handled carefully - it is not allowed to wear a hat by those Chechens who, for no reason, disdainfully throw this headdress on the ground. If a Chechen threw his hat on the ground, then he must be ready to die on the spot for his honor.

Tatiana Skryagina
Prominent people of Kuban. Part 1

Evgenia Andreevna Zhigulenko

(1920 – 1994)

Flight commander of the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment (325th Night Bomber Aviation Division, 4th Air Army, 2nd Belorussian Front). Guard lieutenant, Hero of the Soviet Union.

Evgenia Andreevna Zhigulenko was born on December 1, 1920 in Krasnodar into a working-class family. She graduated from high school in Tikhoretsk, Krasnodar Territory, and studied at the airship-building institute (hereinafter Moscow Aviation Technology Institute).

E. A. Zhigulenko graduated from the pilot school at the Moscow flying club. She was in the Red Army from October 1941. In 1942, she graduated from navigator courses at the Military Aviation School of Pilots and advanced training courses for pilots.

She was on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War from May 1942, by November 1944 she made 773 night combat sorties, inflicting great damage on the enemy in manpower and equipment.

While still a schoolgirl, Zhenya decided to complete two classes in a year. I spent the whole summer studying textbooks and successfully passed my exams. From seventh grade - straight to ninth! In the tenth grade, she wrote an application asking to be enrolled as a student at the Air Force Engineering Academy named after N. E. Zhukovsky. She was told that women were not accepted into the academy.

Another would have calmed down and started looking for something else to do. But Zhenya Zhigulenko was not like that. She writes a hot, excited letter to the People's Commissar of Defense. And she receives an answer that the question of her admission to the academy will be considered if she receives a secondary aviation technical education.

Zhenya enters the Moscow Airship Construction Institute, and at the same time graduates from the Central Aero Club. V. P. Chkalova.

At the beginning of the war, Evgenia Andreevna made persistent attempts to get to the front, and her efforts were crowned with success. She begins service in the regiment, which later became the Taman Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov aviation regiment of night bombers. The brave pilot spent three years at the front. She had 968 combat missions behind her, after which enemy warehouses, convoys, and airfield structures burned.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 23, 1945, Evgenia Andreevna Zhigulenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. She was awarded the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, and two Orders of the Red Star.

After the war, Evgenia Zhigulenko spent another ten years serving in the Soviet Army, graduated from the Military-Political Academy, then worked in cultural institutions Kuban. The versatility of Evgenia Andreevna’s nature was manifested in the fact that she mastered another profession - film director. Her first feature film “There are “night witches” in the sky” dedicated to fellow pilots and navigators of the famous regiment.

Elena Choba

Kuban Cossack woman, under the name Mikhail Choba, fought on the fronts of the First World War. She was awarded the St. George medals of the 3rd and 4th degrees, the St. George Cross of the 4th class.

About two centuries ago, among the Russian troops fighting against Napoleon's army, they started talking about the mysterious cornet Alexander Alexandrov. As it turned out later, the cavalry maiden Durova served under this name in the Lithuanian Lancer Regiment. No matter how Nadezhda hid her belonging to the fair sex, the rumor that a woman was fighting in the army spread throughout Russia. The unusual nature of this incident worried everyone for a long time. society: the young lady preferred the hardships of military life and the mortal risk to reading sentimental novels. A century later Kuban Cossack village Rogovskaya Elena Choba stood up in front of the village society to petition to be sent to the front.

On July 19, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. When the news reached Yekaterinodar, an urgent mobilization of everyone began parts and units - messengers went to remote villages. Conscripts, saying goodbye to peaceful life, saddled their horses. Rogov Cossack Mikhail Choba also gathered for the front. Equipping a young Cossack into a cavalry regiment was difficult: you need to buy a horse, ammunition - the list of complete Cossack documents included more than 50 necessary things. The Choba couple did not live well, so they sent the horseless Mikhail on a cart to the Plastunov regiment.

Elena Choba was left alone - to work and manage the household. But it is not in the Cossack character to sit quietly when an enemy has come to their native land. Elena decided to go to the front, stand up for Russia and went to the respected residents in the village council. The Cossacks gave their permission.

After the village elders supported Elena’s request to be sent to the front, she had a meeting with the boss Kuban region. Elena came to an appointment with Lieutenant General Mikhail Pavlovich Babych with short-cropped hair, wearing a gray cloth Circassian cap and a hat. After listening to the petitioner, the ataman gave permission to be sent to the army and gave a fatherly farewell to the Cossack Mikhail (she chose to be called by this name).

And a few days later the train rushed Elena-Mikhail to the front. The magazine told about how the Rogovchanka fought « Kuban Cossack Herald» : “In the heat of the fire, under the incessant roar of cannons, under the continuous rain of machine-gun and rifle bullets, according to the testimony of our comrades, our Mikhailo did his job without fear or reproach.

Looking at the young and intrepid figure of their brave comrade-in-arms, his comrades tirelessly walked forward towards the enemies behind Mikhail, not at all suspecting that under the Circassian Cossack coat was hiding the Rogov Cossack Elena Choba. During our retreat, when the enemy tried to pin down one of our part and batteries, Elena Chobe managed to break through the enemy’s ring and save two of our batteries, which had absolutely no idea about the proximity of the Germans, from death, and remove the batteries from the closing German ring without any damage on our part. For this heroic feat, Choba received the St. George Cross, 4th degree.

For her fights, Elena Choba received the 4th and 3rd degree St. George medals and the 4th degree St. George Cross. She refused the latter, leaving it with the regimental banner.”

Further information about the fate of the famous Rogovchanka is contradictory. Some saw Elena in the village wearing a Red Army budenovka on her head, others heard that after the battle near the village of Slavyanskaya she was shot by the whites, others said that she emigrated.

Only many years later did some details of the life of the Cossack fighting heroine become known. In 1999, in the Krasnodar Local Lore Museum-Reserve named after. E. D. Felitsyn exhibition opened "Russian destinies". Among the exhibits was a photograph of an American theatrical troupe « Kuban horsemen» , donated to the museum by a 90-year-old Cossack from Canada. The photo was taken in 1926 in the city of San Luis. In the front row, wearing a white Circassian cap and hat, stands the legendary Cossack woman Elena Choba from Kuban village Rogovskaya.

Anton Andreevich Golovaty

(1732 or 1744, Poltava province - 01/28/1797, Persia)

The whole history of the Cossacks Kuban until the end of the 18th century, it was inextricably linked with the name of military judge Anton Andreevich Golovaty. This is an extraordinary, gifted, original personality.

Anton Golovaty was born in the town of New Sandzhary, Poltava province in 1732 (according to other sources, in 1744) in a rich Little Russian family. He studied at the Kyiv Theological Academy, but dreaming of military feats, he went to the Zaporozhye Sich. For the courage, literacy and lively mind of the young Cossack, the Cossacks christened him "Golovaty".

Being a cheerful and witty man, Golovaty served easily, quickly moving up the ranks - from a simple Cossack to a chieftain. For his military exploits he was awarded orders and letters of gratitude from Catherine II.

But his main merit is that the delegation of the Black Sea Cossacks achieved the signing on June 30, 1792 of a manifesto on allocating the Black Sea people with land in Taman and Kuban.

Anton Golovaty had an innate diplomatic talent, which was clearly reflected in his administrative and civil activities. After moving to Kuban, acting as a chieftain, Anton Andreevich supervised the construction of roads, bridges, and postal stations. In order to better control the army, he introduced "Order of common benefit"- a law establishing the permanent power of the rich elite in the army. He demarcated Kuren villages, divided the Black Sea region into five districts, and strengthened the border.

Golovaty was also involved in diplomatic negotiations with Trans-Kuban Circassian princes who expressed a desire to accept Russian citizenship.

On February 26, 1796, Anton Golovaty led a thousand-strong detachment of Cossacks and entered into "Persian Campaign", but unexpectedly fell ill with a fever and died on January 28, 1797.

Kirill Vasilievich Rossinsky

(1774–1825)

For a long time the name of this wonderful man was forgotten. He lived only 49 years, but how much good, eternal, reasonable things he did! The son of a priest, military archpriest Kirill Vasilyevich Rossinsky came to Kuban June 19, 1803. This talented, educated man devoted his entire short life to a noble cause - the education of the Cossacks. Kirill Vasilyevich in his sermons explained to believers about the benefits of education and the importance of schools for the people. In 27 churches he opened in the region, he organized the collection of money for the construction of schools. For a long time, Kirill Vasilyevich himself taught at the Ekaterinodar School. There were no textbooks, so all training was conducted according to Rossinsky’s "handwritten notebooks". Later, Kirill Vasilievich wrote and published a textbook "Brief Spelling Rules", which went through two editions - in 1815 and 1818. Now these books are stored in a special collection of the Russian State Library as unique publications. Kirill Vasilyevich Rossinsky devoted a lot of spiritual strength and knowledge to literature and science, wrote poetry, historical and geographical essays. In Yekaterinodar he was also known as a physician who rushed to the sick at any time and in any weather. His dedication, selflessness, and kindness amazed his contemporaries.

In 1904, the library opened at the Dmitrievsky School by the Ekaterinodar Charitable Society was named after Rossinsky. In honor of Kuban one of the universities in Krasnodar - the Institute of International Law, Economics, Humanities and Management - was named as an educator.

Mikhail Pavlovich Babych

Mikhail Pavlovich Babych, the son of one of the valiant officers who conquered the Western Caucasus - Pavel Denisovich Babych, about whose exploits and glory the people composed songs. All paternal qualities were bestowed on Mikhail, who was born on July 22, 1844 in the family house in Ekaterinodar on Bursakovskaya Street, 1 (corner Krepostnoy). From a very early age the boy was prepared for military service.

After successfully graduating from the Mikhailovsky Voronezh Cadet Corps and the Caucasian Training Company, young Babych began to gradually move up the military ranks and receive military orders. In 1889 he was already a colonel. On February 3, 1908, a decree was issued appointing him, already with the rank of lieutenant general, as an appointed ataman Kuban Cossack Army. With a harsh hand and harsh measures, he restores order in Ekaterinodar, where at that time terrorist revolutionaries were rampant. Under the constant threat of death, Babych fulfilled his responsible duty and strengthened his Kuban economics and morality. In a short period of time, they did a lot of general cultural and good deeds. The Cossacks called ataman "Ridy Batko", since every Cossack personally felt his care, his zeal. M. Babych’s general cultural activities were appreciated not only by the Russian population. He was deeply respected by other peoples who lived on Kuban. It was only thanks to his cares and efforts that the construction of the Black Sea- Kuban Railway, the attack on Kuban plavni.

On March 16, 1917, the official newspaper reported for the last time about the former Nakazny Ataman Mikhail Pavlovich Babych. In August 1918, he was brutally murdered by the Bolsheviks in Pyatigorsk. The body of the long-suffering general was buried in the tomb of Catherine's Cathedral.

Memory of a great patriot and guardian Kuban land M P. Babyche, the last Nakazny Ataman, is alive in the hearts of the Russian people. On August 4, 1994, on the spot where Ataman’s ancestral house stood, the cultural foundation Kubansky Cossacks, a memorial plaque was unveiled (the work of A. Apollonov, perpetuating his memory.

Alexey Danilovich Bezkrovny

Among hundreds of Russian names, shining in the rays of military glory, the name of the valiant Punished Ataman of the Black Sea Cossack Army Alexei Danilovich Bezkrovny is attractive with special magnetism. He was born into a wealthy chief officer family. In 1800, a fifteen-year-old

Alexey Bezkrovny, brought up in his grandfather’s military traditions, enlisted in the Cossacks and left his father’s house - Shcherbinovsky kuren.

Already in the first skirmishes with the mountaineers, the teenager discovered amazing dexterity and fearlessness.

In 1811, during the formation of the Black Sea Guards Hundred, A. Bezkrovny, outstanding combat officer, who possessed extraordinary physical strength, had a penetrating mind and a noble soul, was enlisted in its original composition and honorably carried the rank of guardsman through the entire Patriotic War of 1812 - 1814. For courage and bravery at the Battle of Borodino, Alexey Bezkrovny received the rank of centurion. During the retreat of Kutuzov's army from Mozhaisk to Moscow, the fearless Cossack fought off all enemy attempts to break forward for 4 hours. For this feat and other avant-garde military deeds, Bezkrovny was awarded a golden saber with the inscription "For bravery". The retreating enemy tried to burn the ships with grain, but the guards did not allow the French to destroy the grain. For his valor, Bezkrovny was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow. At Platov’s request, Bezkrovny and the Black Sea hundred were enlisted in his corps. With the light hand of M.I. Kutuzov himself, the Cossacks called him "commander without error".

On April 20, 1818, Alexey Danilovich received the rank of colonel for military services. In 1821, he returned to his father’s land and continues to serve in the detachment of another hero of the Patriotic War, General M. G. Vlasov. In May 1823, he was sent with the 3rd cavalry regiment to the border of the Kingdom of Poland, and then Prussia. From his next campaign, A.D. Bezkrovny returned to the Black Sea region only on March 21, 1827. And six months later (September 27) he, as the best and most talented military officer, by the Highest will, is appointed military, and then the Ataman.

In May - June 1828 A.D. Bezkrovny with his detachment participates in the siege of the Turkish fortress of Anapa under the command of Prince A. S. Menshikov. For the victory over the Turks and the fall of the impregnable fortress, A. Bezkrovny was promoted to the rank of major general and awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Then - for new exploits - a second golden saber decorated with diamonds.

Two features were especially characteristic of Bloodless: rare courage in battles and deep humanity in peaceful life.

In January 1829, Alexey Danilovich commanded one of the detachments directed against the Shapsugs. In 1930, the Cossack knight again participates in the fight against abreks, with the famous Kazbich himself, who threatened the Cossack city of Ekaterinodar. In the same year he built Kuban three fortifications: Ivanovsko-Shebskoye, Georgie-Afipskoye and Alekseevskoye (named after Alexei Bezkrovny himself).

The health of the famous chieftain was undermined. His heroic odyssey is over. The appointment of A.D. Bezkrovny as Ataman of the Black Sea Cossack Army aroused envy among the tribal Cossack aristocracy. He, the hero of 1812, could fight and defeat the external enemies of the Fatherland. But he couldn’t overcome the internal envious people. Hunted down by enemies, with an unhealing wound in his side, Bezkrovny lived secludedly in his Ekaterinodar estate. He gave 28 years of service to the Fatherland. Participated in 13 large military campaigns, 100 separate battles - and did not know a single defeat.

Alexei Danilovich died on July 9, 1833, the day of the holy martyr Theodora, and was buried in the almshouse courtyard, at the first Cossack cemetery located here.

Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko

I will happy if my songs live among the people.

V. G. Zakharchenko

Composer, artistic director of the State Kuban Cossack Choir, Honored Artist and People's Artist of Russia, Honored Artist of Adygea, People's Artist of Ukraine, Laureate of the State Prize of Russia, Professor, Hero of Labor Kuban, Academician of the International Academy of Information, Academician of the Russian Academy of Humanities, Dean of the Faculty of Traditional Culture of the Krasnodar State University of Culture and Art, Chairman of the Charitable Foundation for the Revival of Folk Culture Kuban"Origins", member of the Union of Composers of the Russian Federation, member of the presidium of the Russian Choral Society and the All-Russian Musical Society.

The future composer lost his father early; he died in the first months of the Great Patriotic War. The memory of her mother, Natalya Alekseevna, remained in the smell of the bread she baked and in the taste of her homemade sweets. The family had six children. Mom always worked, and while working, she usually sang. These songs came so naturally into children’s lives that over time they became a spiritual need. The boy listened to wedding round dances and the playing of local virtuoso accordionists.

In 1956, Viktor Gavrilovich entered the Krasnodar Music and Pedagogical School. After graduating, he became a student at the Novosibirsk State Conservatory. M. I. Glinka at the Faculty of Choral Conducting. Already in his 3rd year, V.G. Zakharchenko was invited to a high position - chief conductor of the State Siberian Folk Choir. The next 10 years of work in this position is a whole era in the development of the future master.

1974 was a turning point in the fate of V. G. Zakharchenko. A talented musician and organizer becomes the artistic director of the State Kuban Cossack Choir. Started happy and an inspired time for the creative rise of the team, the search for its original Kuban repertoire, creation of a scientific-methodological and concert-organizational base. V. G. Zakharchenko - founder of the Center for Folk Culture Kuban, children's art school at Kuban Cossack Choir. But his main brainchild is the State Kuban Cossack Choir. The choir has achieved stunning results in many venues peace: in Australia, Yugoslavia, France, Greece, Czechoslovakia, America, Japan. Twice, in 1975 and 1984, he won the All-Russian competitions of State Russian folk choirs. And in 1994 he received the highest title - academic, was awarded two State bonuses: Russia - im. M.I. Glinka and Ukraine - named after. T. G. Shevchenko.

Patriotic pathos, feeling of one's own involvement in people's life, civil responsibility for the fate of the country - this is the main line of Viktor Zakharchenko’s composing work.

In recent years, he has been expanding his musical and thematic range, as well as the ideological and moral orientation of his creativity. The lines of poems by Pushkin, Tyutchev, Lermontov, Yesenin, Blok, Rubtsov sounded differently. The framework of the traditional song has already become narrow. Confessional ballads, reflective poems, and revelation songs are created. This is how poems appeared "I will ride"(based on verses by N. Rubtsov, "The power of the Russian spirit"(based on poems by G. Golovatov, new editions of the poem "Rus" (to verses by I. Nikitin).

The titles of his works speak for themselves - "Alarm"(based on verses by V. Latynin, “You can’t understand Russia with your mind”(based on poems by F. Tyutchev, "Help the weaker" (to verses by N. Kartashov).

V. G. Zakharchenko revived traditions Kubansky military singing choir, founded in 1811, including in its repertoire, in addition to folk and original songs, Orthodox spiritual chants. With the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus', the State Kubansky Cossack choir takes participation in church services. In Russia, this is the only team that has been awarded such a high honor.

Viktor Gavrilovich Zakharchenko - professor, dean of the faculty of traditional culture of the Krasnodar State University of Culture and Art. He conducts extensive scientific research activities; he has collected over 30 thousand folk songs and traditional rituals - a historical heritage Kuban village; collections of songs published Kuban Cossacks; Hundreds of arrangements and folk songs have been recorded on records, CDs, and videos.

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

Highlanders never take off their hats. The Koran prescribes covering 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 tradition not associated with religion. From an early age in the Caucasus, it was not allowed to touch a boy’s head; it was not even allowed to stroke him in a fatherly way. Even the hats were not allowed to be touched by anyone except the owner or with his permission. The very wearing of headwear from childhood developed a special posture and manner of holding oneself, which did not allow one to bow one’s head, much less bow. The dignity of a man, they believe in the Caucasus, is not in his trousers, but in his hat.

They wore a hat all day long, and the old people did not part with it even in hot weather. Arriving home, they theatrically took it off, carefully clasping it with their palms on each side, and carefully laying it on a flat surface. When putting it on, the owner will brush away the speck from it with his fingertips, cheerfully ruffle it, placing his clenched fists inside, “fluff” it, and only then pull it from his forehead onto his head, grasping the back of the headdress 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 headdress. It wore out less. After all, fur is born first of all where it comes into contact. Therefore, they touched the upper back part with their hands - the bald patches were not visible. In the Middle Ages, travelers in Dagestan and Chechnya observed a strange picture for them. A poor mountaineer stands in a worn-out Circassian coat, which has been repaired more than once, and trampled charyks on his bare feet with straw inside instead of socks, but on his proudly set head he flaunts, like someone else’s, a large shaggy hat.

Lovers found an interesting use for the hat. 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 would see him, throws his hat out the window of his chosen one. With the hope of reciprocity. If the hat does not fly back, you can send matchmakers: the girl agrees.

Of course, careful treatment concerned, first of all, the 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 remains dear. Only a special breed of sheep is suitable, or rather three-month-old lambs. Then the scribble on the little ones, alas, straightens up.

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

There are many legends and traditions associated with burkas. And even more ordinary everyday stories. How can you kidnap a bride without a burqa, or protect yourself from a stabbing blow from a dagger or a slashing swing from a saber? The burka, like a shield, was used to carry the fallen or wounded from the battlefield. A wide “hem” was used to protect both oneself and the horse from the sultry mountain sun and chilly rain on long hikes. Wrapping yourself in a cloak and pulling a shaggy sheepskin hat 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 Civil War, Cossacks and Red Army soldiers “treated themselves with a burka”: they covered themselves and their horses with a warm “fur coat,” or even two, and let their fighting friend gallop. After several kilometers of such a race, the rider steamed, as if in a bathhouse. And the leader of the people, Comrade Stalin, who was suspicious of medicines and did not trust doctors, more than once boasted to his comrades about the “Caucasian” method he had invented to get rid of colds: “You drink several cups of hot tea, dress warmly, cover yourself with a cloak and a hat and go to bed. In the morning - like a piece of glass."

Today, burkas have become almost decorative and are disappearing from everyday life. But until now, in some villages of Dagestan, the elderly, unlike the “fickle” youth, do not allow themselves to deviate from customs and appear at any celebration or, conversely, a funeral without a burqa. And the shepherds prefer traditional clothes, despite the fact that today mountaineers are better warmed in winter by down jackets, "Alaskan" and "Canadian" jackets.

Just three years ago, in the village of Rakhata, Botlikh district, there was a burka-making artel, where the famous “Andiyka” were made. The state decided to unite the craftswomen into one farm, despite the fact that all production of burkas is exclusively handmade. During the war in August 1999, the Rakhat artel was bombed. It’s a pity that the unique museum opened at the artel is the only one of its kind: the exhibits were mostly destroyed. For more than three years, the director of the artel, Sakinat Rajandibirova, has been trying to find funds to restore the workshop.

Local residents are skeptical about the possibility of restoring the burok-making enterprise. Even in the best years, when the state was the customer and buyer, women made burkas at home. And today burqas are made only to order - mainly for dance ensembles and as keepsakes for distinguished guests. Burkas, like Mikrakh carpets, Kubachi daggers, Kharbuk pistols, Balkhar jugs, Kizlyar cognacs, are the calling cards of the Land of Mountains. Caucasian fur coats were presented to Fidel Castro and the 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 which of those who visited Dagestan did not try it on.

Having finished her housework, Zukhra Javatkhanova from the village of Rakhata gets down to her usual simple work in a remote room: the work is dusty and requires a separate room. For her and her family of three, this is, although small, still income. Locally, the product costs from 700 to 1000 rubles, depending on the quality; in Makhachkala it is already twice as expensive, in Vladikavkaz - three times. There are few buyers, so there is no need to talk about stable earnings. It’s good if you manage to sell a couple a month. When a wholesale buyer “for ten to twenty pieces” comes to a village, usually a representative of one of the choreographic groups, he has to look into a dozen houses: every second household in the village makes burkas for sale.
"Three Days and Three Women"

The technology for making burkas, known since ancient times, has not changed, except that it has become a little worse. Through simplification. Previously, a broom made of flax stalks was used to comb wool, now they use iron combs, and they tear the wool. The strictness of the rules for making a burqa resembles a recipe for a gourmet dish. Particular attention is paid to the quality of raw materials. The wool of the so-called Mountain Lezgin coarse-wool breed of autumn-sheared sheep is preferred - 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” ones.

To make a burka, as the Andes 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 to make the upper and lower parts of the burka, respectively. The wool is loosened with a very ordinary bow and string, placed on a carpet, moistened with water, twisted and knocked down. The more times this procedure is done, the better quality - thinner, lighter and stronger - the resulting canvas is obtained, i.e. knocked down, compacted wool. A good burqa, usually weighing about two to three kilograms, should stand straight without sagging when placed on the floor.

The fabric is simultaneously twisted and combed periodically. And so hundreds and hundreds of times over several days. Hard work. The canvas is rolled and beaten with hands, the skin on which turns red, becoming covered with many small wounds, which over time turn into one continuous callus.

To prevent the burka from letting water through, it is boiled for half a day over low heat in special boilers, adding iron sulfate to the water. Then they treat it with casein glue so that “icicles” form on the wool: when it rains, water will flow down them. To do this, several people hold the burka soaked in glue above the water upside down, just like a woman washes her long hair. And the finishing touches - the upper edges of the burqa are sewn together to form shoulders, and the lining is hemmed “so that it does not wear out quickly.”

The fishery will never die, says Abdula Ramazanov, business manager of the Botlikh district administration. “But burkas will go out of everyday life - this is too difficult an occupation. 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 clients: burkas have changed in size - they are made not only for men, but also for children. The production of tiny products that are placed on bottles of champagne or cognac - an exotic gift - became original.

Burkas can be made anywhere, the technology is simple, if only there were the proper raw materials. And this may cause problems. The lack of former mass demand and the termination of the state order for burkas led to a decrease in the number of the Mountain Lezgin coarse-wool breed of sheep. It becomes rare in the mountains. Several years ago in the republic there was serious talk about the threat of extinction of the breed. It is being replaced by the fat-tailed breed of sheep. Three-year-old lamb of this breed, raised in alpine meadows, produces the best kebabs, the demand for which, unlike burkas, is increasing.

Cherke?ska(abh. ak?imzh?s; Lezg. Chukha; cargo. ????; Ingush. chokhi; Kabard.-Cherk. tsey; karach.-balk. Chepken; Osset tsukhaha; Arm. ?????; Chech. Chokhib) - the Russian name for men's outerwear - caftan, which was common in everyday life among many peoples of the Caucasus. The Circassian coat was worn by Adygs (Circassians), Abazas, Abkhazians, Balkars, Armenians, Georgians, Ingush, Karachais, Ossetians, Chechens, peoples of Dagestan and others. Historically, the Terek and Kuban Cossacks borrowed the Circassian coat. Currently, it has practically fallen out of use as everyday clothing, but has retained its status as ceremonial, festive or folk clothing.

Circassian is probably of Turkic (Khazar) origin. It was a common type of clothing among the Khazars, from whom it was borrowed by other peoples inhabiting the Caucasus, including the Alans. The first image of a Circassian coat (or its prototype) is displayed on 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. Typically slightly below the knees (to keep the rider's knees warm), length may vary. It is cut to the waist, with gatherings and folds, and is girded with a narrow belt; the belt buckle served as a fire-cutting chair. Since everyone was a warrior, this was clothing for battle and should not restrict movement, so the sleeves were wide and short, and only for old people the sleeves were made long - to warm the hands. A distinctive feature and well-recognized element are gazyri (from the Turkic “khazyr” - “ready”), special pockets for pencil cases, often made of bone, intercepted with braid. The pencil case contained a measure of gunpowder and a bullet wrapped in a rag, cast for a specific gun. These pencil cases made it possible to load a flintlock or matchlock gun at full gallop. In the outer pencil cases, located almost under the armpits, dry wood chips were stored for kindling. After the advent of guns that ignited a charge of gunpowder with a primer, the primers were stored. On holidays they wore a longer and thinner Circassian coat.

The ancient Slavs called a sheepskin hat with a cloth top a klobuk. Among the Caucasian peoples she was called Trukhmenka or Kabardian. White, black, high, low, round, cone-shaped... Different times - different styles. Among the Terek Cossacks, this hat was always called a papakha and was an important and obligatory part of the Cossack military service.

From the fox and the wolf
At different times, Cossacks wore different styles of papakhas: from high ones with a cone-shaped top to low ones with a flat top. The Donets and Cossacks in the 16th-17th centuries supplied their hats with a cloth cuff that fell to the side in the shape of a cone. It was possible to insert a steel frame or a hard object into it to protect the head from saber and later checker strikes.
The main material from which the hat was made was kurpei - small and large curly fur of young lambs of coarse-haired breeds, usually black. The overwhelming majority of Cossacks wore kurpei hats. Astrakhan fur and broadtail were also used.
Karakul are skins taken from lambs of the Karakul breed on the first or third day after the birth of the animal. Karakul is distinguished by thick, elastic, silky hair that forms curls of various shapes and sizes.
Karakulcha - skins of lambs (miscarriages and floggings) of Karakul sheep. It has short, silky hair adjacent to the flesh with a moire pattern, without formed curls. Karakul and astrakhan fur were brought mainly from Central Asia, and therefore hats made of this expensive material were worn by wealthy Cossacks. These were holiday hats, they were also called “Bukhara”.

As a rule, there were several papas: everyday, festive and for funerals. There was a special system for caring for them: they were kept clean, protected from moths, and kept wrapped in clean cloth.
In hot climates, a lamb hat was worn all year round. It perfectly protects the head from the thermal effects of sunlight and from hypothermia in winter.
Much less common were hats made from the skins of a bear, a fox or a wolf. However, there were also such people. By putting on such a hat, a person showed all people his hunting abilities, luck and courage. However, despite their appearance, these hats were less practical. The bear fur hat was heavy, and under the influence of moisture it was completely unliftable, but it held back a saber strike well. The fox fur hat was thin, wore out quickly and practically ceased to protect the owner from cold and heat. A hat made from wolf skins was unsuitable for hunters, since animals recognized the smell of a wolf from a distance and ran away. In addition, it was very difficult to find a wolf in the mountains. Sheep flocks were guarded by dogs, and during skirmishes with wolves, they greatly damaged the wolf's skin.

Symbol of wisdom
The hat was the most important part of the Cossack right. “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, ask the hat for advice,” these sayings were popular among the Cossacks.
It was as much a talisman as the belt. The hat is a symbol of the wisdom and full rights of the Cossack, his honor, masculinity and dignity. The Cossack took off his hat only during prayer and at funerals. It is also necessary to remove it in the hut or other room where the icon hangs.

The loss of this main headdress by a Cossack was associated with imminent death. Remember the words from the song “Don Ballad”:
Oh, evil winds have blown
Yes on the east side
And they tore off the black hat
From my wild head.
If a Cossack's hat was knocked off his head, this was the biggest insult. And if he took off his hat and hit it on the ground, it meant that he would stand his ground to the death.
Icons or protective prayers written by the child were often sewn into the hat. Some troops had a tradition of sewing awards onto this headdress. Usually these were plaques with inscriptions describing for what merits the regiment was awarded, and this gave the hat a special moral value. Cossacks often placed orders or securities behind the lapel of this cap. This was the most reliable place, because you could only lose your hat along with your head.

According to the charter
Around the middle of the 19th century, the papakha began to be used as a headdress for all Cossack troops and for the Caucasian corps. The charter did not prescribe its uniform form. Cossack troops wore hats of various varieties, hemispherical, cylindrical, with a fur or fabric bottom, of different colors. Everyone wore a hat, chosen according to their financial capabilities and imagination. All this wild variety continued until the end of the 19th century, until the appearance of the hat, as part of military clothing, was described in detail in the regulations. Caucasian troops were ordered to wear hats 3-4 inches high, made of sheep fur. The fur should have a short pile length and must be black. The top of the hat was made of cloth and painted in military color. Among the Kuban Cossacks it was scarlet, and the Terets had blue hats. The cloth top of the hat was trimmed with silver braid crosswise and around the circumference of the top (cuff) for officers, and with basson for ordinary Cossacks.
Galun is a gold or silver ribbon, patterned weaving, for finishing clothes and hats.
Bason is a woolen braid in the form of a narrow ribbon, used for finishing clothes and hats.
Each of the Cossacks leaving for service dreamed of returning home “with silver braid on their cap,” that is, of achieving service.
The hat of the Don Cossacks was the same as that of the Kuban. In the Trans-Baikal, Ussuri, Ural, Amur, Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk units they wore black hats made of lamb wool, but only with long pile. Here you can see borrowing from Asian peoples, especially from the Turkmens. Turkmen hemispherical hats with long hair have become widespread throughout the Central Asian region.
The top of the hat was made from four pieces of cloth and painted in military color. White and gray hats were used as an element of everyday clothing. In the front area, in the center, they usually attached a cockade of St. George's colors - in the center there was a black oval, then an orange and again a black oval. The color of the cockade was the same for all types of troops. During the First World War, cockades were often painted a camouflage color for camouflage.
If the Cossack hundred had awards “for distinction,” then they were worn above the cockade. Most often, the insignia was a white or silver metal strip on which the merits of hundreds, the date of a battle or other feat were written.
In 1913, throughout Russia, gray hats began to be used as winter headdress for all branches of the military. Caucasian soldiers, when they lost their black papas, also wore gray ones.

Fashionistas
Recommendations regarding the appearance of hats were often not followed. Often, Cossacks, violating the regulations of the charter, based on their own tastes, ideas and fashion “trends”, sewed higher and more magnificent hats, as well as white ones. These “liberties” did not seem to be in bad taste. Each one sewed a custom-made hat - one that suited him and his uniform, combat and private. This is how the same passion for panache and the desire to look decent was manifested.
However, for combat service, hats were sewn according to regulations whenever possible.
By 1920, low hats of 12-15 cm, widening at the top, the so-called “Kubankas”, began to come into fashion. One version of the appearance of the “Kubanka” says that these are modernized “Hungarians”, which the Cossacks brought from the Western Front during the First World War.
After the victory of the Soviet government, military restrictions were introduced for the Cossacks, which did not allow them to serve in the army and wear the national military uniform, that is, wearing a hat, as well as other components of the Cossack uniform, was regarded as a challenge to the authorities.

However, after 1936, Cossacks could fight in the ranks of the Red Army in the traditional Cossack uniform, including a hat. According to the charter, it was allowed to wear low black hats. Two stripes were sewn on the cloth in the form of a cross: black for privates, gold for officers. A red star was attached to the front of the hat in the middle.
In 1937, the Red Army marched on Red Square and for the first time it included Cossack troops. However, it is worth noting that only Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks received the right to serve in the Red Army. But as a headdress, the papakha returned not only to the Cossacks. Since 1940, it has become an attribute of the military uniform of the entire senior command staff of the Red Army.

Since ancient times, the Chechens have had a cult of headdress - both female and male.

A Chechen's hat, a symbol of honor and dignity, is part of his costume. “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat”; “If you have no one to consult with, consult with your hat” - these and similar proverbs and sayings emphasize the importance and obligation of a hat for a man. With the exception of the bashlyk, hats were not removed indoors.

When traveling to the city and to important, important events, as a rule, they wore a new, festive hat. Since the hat has always been one of the main items of men's clothing, young people sought to purchase beautiful, festive hats. They were very carefully preserved, wrapped in clean cloth.

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, understanding that they would have to deal with her owner. 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, this is considered baseness, worthy of a slave. In Chechen traditions there is only one exception to this matter: the hat can be removed only when asking for forgiveness of blood feud. Makhmud Esambaev, the great son of the Chechen people, a brilliant dancer, knew well the value of a papakha and in the most unusual situations forced people to take Chechen traditions and customs into account. Traveling all over the world and being accepted in the highest circles of many states, he never took off his hat in front of anyone.

Mahmud never, under any circumstances, took off his 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 fur hat at all sessions of the highest body of power of the Union. Eyewitnesses say that the head of the Supreme Council L. Brezhnev, before the start of the work of this body, looked carefully into the hall, and, seeing a familiar hat, said: “Mahmud is in place, we can begin.” M. A. Esambaev, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, throughout his entire life and work carried the high name of the Chechen konakh (knight).

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

Based on materials from http://www.chechnyafree.ru

The papakha is a symbol of honor. Since ancient times, the Chechens have revered headdresses - both women's and men's. A Chechen's hat, a symbol of honor and dignity, is part of his costume. “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat”; “If you have no one to consult with, consult with your hat” - these and similar proverbs and sayings emphasize the importance and obligation of a hat for a man. With the exception of the bashlyk, hats were not removed indoors. When traveling to the city and to important, important events, as a rule, they wore a new, festive hat. Since the hat has always been one of the main items of men's clothing, young people sought to purchase beautiful, festive hats. They were very carefully preserved, wrapped in clean cloth. 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, understanding that they would have to deal with her owner. 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, this is considered baseness, worthy of a slave. In Chechen traditions there is only one exception to this matter: the hat can be removed only when asking for forgiveness of blood feud. Makhmud Esambaev knew well the value of a hat and in the most unusual situations forced him to take Chechen traditions and customs into account. Traveling all over the world and being accepted in the highest circles of many states, he never took off his hat in front of anyone. Mahmud never, under any circumstances, took off his 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 fur hat at all sessions of the highest body of power of the Union. Eyewitnesses say that the head of the Supreme Council L. Brezhnev, before the start of the work of this body, looked carefully into the hall, and, seeing a familiar hat, said: “Mahmud is in place, we can begin.” M. A. Esambaev, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR. Sharing with readers of his book “My Dagestan” about the peculiarities of Avar etiquette and how important it is for everyone to have their own individuality, uniqueness and originality, the people’s poet of Dagestan Rasul Gamzatov emphasized: “There is a world-famous artist Mahmud Esambaev in the North Caucasus. He dances dances of different nations. But he wears and never takes off his Chechen hat. Let the motives of my poems be varied, but let them wear a mountain hat.”

Historically, the papakha in Azerbaijan is not only a headdress, but a symbol of honor, dignity and masculinity. Traditionally, in our country, hat sewing as a craft developed in close connection with the history, life and culture of the people. It is no coincidence that oral folk art has preserved many riddles, proverbs and sayings about hats.

The shape and material of this headdress, the history of which dates back centuries, was usually an indicator of the social status of the one who wears it. In the old days, men never took off their hats. Appearing in public places without a headdress was considered unacceptable.

For centuries, papakh sewing masters, like representatives of other crafts, enjoyed great respect in society. However, over time, young people lost interest in hats, and the number of hat masters decreased significantly.

In the village of Boradigah, Masalli district, master Yagub lives and works, who is well known not only in his native region, but also in neighboring regions, and even in Iran. Yagub Mamedov was born in 1947 in Boradigi; he learned the craft of papakhchi from his grandfather.

The shape and material of this headdress, the history of which dates back centuries, was usually an indicator of the social status of the one who wears it
© Sputnik / Rahim Zakiroghlu
Master Yagub from the village of Boradigah, Masalli district, has been practicing this craft for almost half a century.
© Sputnik / Rahim Zakiroghlu
Traditionally, hat sewing as a craft developed in close connection with the history, life and culture of the people
© Sputnik / Rahim Zakiroghlu

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A papakha in Azerbaijan is not only a headdress, but a symbol of honor, dignity and masculinity

“My grandfather Abulfaz was the most famous papakhchi in our region. I often came to him, watched him work and slowly learned everything. Since 1965, I became his student,” recalls the master.

Mamedov graduated from school, entered the correspondence department of the institute and continued to work. In those years, he continues, orders came in all year round and quite a lot: “But now there are much fewer orders, and even then mostly only in the fall or winter.”

According to him, he mainly sews Bukhara papakhas (they got their name from the city of Bukhara, where leather for papakhas was brought from - ed.), and they are worn either by elderly people or mullahs. The master says that in the past papakhas were treated with great respect: “In the old days, theater visitors bought two tickets - one for themselves, the other for the papakha. But now the Bukhara papakha has gone out of fashion.”

The master says that he used to sew 30-35 papas in the winter month alone, and 15-20 in the remaining months, but now orders are received for only 5-10 papas. At the same time, Mamedov is sure that you can sew a high-quality hat only if you really love your job. In addition, you must have at least minimal artistic taste.

“The master must know whether a hat will suit a person or not. For example, a small hat will not suit a fat person, but, on the contrary, it will suit a thin person,” says Mamedov.

He also talked about how the leather for dads is brought from Uzbekistan: “Little lambs are killed by strangulation in order to preserve the curls of wool. The resulting wool is wrapped in gauze and kept in a special place for two days. Then the skin is salted, its back part is cleaned, processed and ultimately obtain material for a hat."

Master Yagub says that the correct tailoring of a hat is also of great importance. When sewing the inside of a hat, he sews the felt with a sewing machine, and the leather only by hand. Some craftsmen, Mamedov continues, in order to quickly complete the order, sew the leather together with a machine. But it’s better not to do this, because after some time the seams on the hat begin to gather, and then folds form in this place, and the hat deteriorates.

As for prices, they vary on average from 100 to 300 manats, but the master says that he is always ready to negotiate with the client.

The master taught this craft to his brother Zahid, and now they work together. Young people are not interested in this craft, which is why today Mamedov is the only papakha sewing master in the entire district...

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

Esambaev, who came to Moscow at the age of 17, worked part-time at Mosfilm. In Pyryev’s film, he got the role of a friend of the Dagestan shepherd Musaib, played by Zeldin. In the scene when Zeldin walks along the alley of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy and encounters Glasha, they are surrounded by mountaineers, Musaib’s friends. One of them was Makhmud 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 into the movie camera! It was he who addressed Mahmud, who kept peeking 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 there was no time to run away. Gave Mahmud 15 kopecks. He happily ran to carry out the assignment, but brought two bottles instead of one - like a true Caucasian, he showed respect. This is how the friendship between the two legendary people began. Subsequently, when Esambaev became a great dancer, he, for the sake of a joke, kept remembering Zeldin of the times when he “chased him for a bottle”, saying that Zeldin owed him 15 kopecks...

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

And one day Makhmud Esambaev presented Zeldin with his famous silver hat, which he wore in public without taking it off, and which became an integral part of his owner’s everyday image. If you know what this hat meant to Esambaev, you can say that he gave Zeldin a truly royal gift, he 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 - this is a tradition, mountain etiquette: a Caucasian man never bares his head. In this regard, Zeldin noted that Mahmud was “an amazing guardian of national culture.”

Esambaev himself used to jokingly say that a Caucasian man even goes to bed wearing a fur hat. Makhmud Esambaev became the only person in the USSR who was allowed to have his passport photograph taken wearing a traditional headdress. The respect for him was so strong. Esambaev never took off his hat in front of anyone - neither in front of presidents, nor in front of kings. And on Zeldin’s 70th birthday, he said that he was taking off his hat in front of his talent and gave 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 the gift from his dear friend, sometimes wearing it to concerts.

During his colorful 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 “Man of La Mancha” in the year of the 400th anniversary of Cervantes.” But the most expensive and sincere gift always remained Esambaev’s papakha...

Zeldin always considered Esambaev a great man. “Mahmoud is a man sent to us by heaven. This is a legendary man. But this legend is real, the legend of the most striking actions he showed. This is not only spiritual generosity. This is the need to help do good. Getting people out of the most incredible situations. The huge role of the example of existence and feeling of life. Mahmud is a great man because, despite his greatness, he saw a person, he could listen to him, help him, and kindly speak with him. This is a good man.

When he called me, without any preamble, he began to sing “The Song of Moscow”: “And no matter where I go, no matter what grass I walk on...” He didn’t just come into the house - he burst into it. He put on a whole show from his parish... A handsome man (ideal figure, wasp waist, posture), he lived beautifully, turning his life into a picturesque show. He treated him beautifully, looked after him beautifully, spoke beautifully, dressed beautifully. I sewed only from my own tailor; I didn’t wear anything ready-made, not even shoes. And he always wore a hat.

Mahmud was a pure genius. I didn’t study anywhere, I didn’t even finish high school. But nature was rich. Incredible capacity for 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 - Moscow and Grozny. He had a house in Chechnya, his wife Nina and daughter lived there... 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 could fit there; there was nowhere to sit. And the owner greeted newly arrived guests in some incredibly luxurious robe. 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 bring pleasure to everyone...”

The last time Vladimir Zeldin appeared in a fur 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 exit was the final chord in the long-term friendship of the two legendary artists.