Chuvash always found themselves at the crossroads of peoples and civilizations. This shaped their culture, but more than once brought them to the brink of death. It determined friendship with neighbors and, at the same time, enmity. It prompted the creation of a state in order to then repeatedly recreate it from the ashes. The fate of this people is difficult. Just like the path of Russia itself and its other ethnic groups.

“The Chuvash tribe is still an unsolved page of history,” in these words of the famous Tatar writer XX century Zarif Bashiri captures the whole essence of the complex and even mysterious origin of the Chuvash people.

Entertaining quest: Bulgarian-Suvar ancestors

Ethnogenesis, in terms of the degree of confusion, resembles a game of thimbles: “I twist and turn - I want to confuse.” Try to find the grain in the depths of centuries without confusing the archaeological layers of the historical pie. Today we will follow the representatives of the Chuvash people to get acquainted with their ancestors and trace life path ethnicity.

On the northern slopes of the Tien Shan, Altai and in the upper reaches of the Irtysh in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. the Bilu, Bugu, Cheshi and Puley tribes appeared. They belonged to the ethnic community of Oguro-Onurs. These proto-Bulgarian tribes, in turn, were representatives of the western wing of the Xiongnu tribes.

Huns... Yes, it is from them that the ancient Bulgars/Bulgarians, Suvars and some others trace their ancestry ethnic groups- ancestors of the Chuvash people. (we use the traditional transcription of Russian chronicles, keeping in mind precisely “our” Volga Bulgarians, and not the Balkan ones).

The similarity of language, economy, life and culture speaks in favor of the fact that one should look for familiar Chuvash features in the “Caucasian faces with a slight Mongoloid admixture” of the Volga Bulgarians. By the way, Chuvash - the only surviving language of the Bulgarian branch - is different from all other Turkic languages. He's so different general characteristics that some scientists generally consider it an independent member of the Altai language family.

Central Asia

The East poured into Europe. The mass exodus began with the Huns, who carried other peoples with them to the west. By the beginning of the 1st century AD. The Ogur tribes took advantage of the moral “right of the nation to self-determination” and went their own way - to the west, separately from the Huns. This path turned out to be not straight, but zigzag: from north to south and back to the north. In the 2nd century AD. Ogur tribes invaded Semirechye (the south-eastern part of modern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan), where they received the ethnonym Sabir (from the Persian Savar, Suvar “rider”) as a nickname from local Iranian-speaking agricultural tribes. As a result of mutual assimilation with the Iranian-speaking Usuns, a Proto-Bulgarian ethnic community was formed.

Some researchers believe that it was there, in Central Asia, that ancient Iranian words were fixed in the language of the Chuvash ancestors (there are about two hundred of them in modern speech). Under the influence of Zoroastrianism, the paganism of the people is formed, and the ancient Iranian cultural influence is reflected in the Chuvash material culture, for example, women's headdresses and embroidery patterns.

Caucasus and Azov region

In the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. Bulgarian and Suvar tribes settle on the right bank of the Lower Volga, occupy territories North Caucasus and the Azov region.

But, strictly speaking, the name “Bulgarians” was first mentioned only in 354 - in the anonymous “Chronograph”, written in Latin. It became widespread during the creation of “Great Bulgaria” - their first state formation. The ethnos is confidently promoting a new round of development - settlement and the formation of statehood.

This is how the Volga Bulgarians first found their native expanses, where they would build their first state. But from geographical application to the formation of the people there are still almost seven centuries of trials. And not just “state building”.

From afar for a long time - they flowed to the Volga

In the 40s of the 5th century. The militant leader Attila became the head of the Huns for 20 years, uniting the tribes from the Rhine to the Volga under his rule. The ancestors of the Chuvash, who lived in the Volga region at that time, found themselves part of a “nomadic empire”, of which even the Roman Empire was a tributary. However, with the death of Attila, the empire fell apart.

Finding themselves first under the rule of the Western Turkic Khaganate, the Bulgarian tribes continued the struggle for independence. In the first quarter of the 7th century, their ruler Kubrat united his people along with the Suvar and other Turkic-speaking tribes into a union called “Great Bulgaria”. “Independence Day” finally arrived - the ruler managed to achieve autonomy from the Turkic Kaganate.

Great Bulgaria is located on the territory between the Azov and Caspian seas. And the capital became the city of Phanagoria.

State 2.0

The death of the ruler of Great Bulgaria, Kubrat, led to a split into the western and eastern parts - into two tribal unions. The first, pressed by the Khazars, led by Asparukh, moved to the west, where they later created the Bulgarian kingdom.

Part of the Eastern Bulgarians (the so-called “silver”) in the 70s of the 7th century moved first to the upper reaches of the Don, and then to the Middle Volga region. Those who remained on the spot submitted to the Khazars.

The theory about the seizure of the lands of local Finns by newcomers from the Eastern Bulgarians is disputed by modern historians. Archaeologists echo that when the Bulgarians arrived, the lands were already practically empty - the Imenkovo ​​population (Slavs who moved from the Middle Dnieper) disappeared in the 7th century, and the Volga Finns, who turned out to be the closest neighbors, lived in isolation. The Middle Volga region became a place of active interaction between the Volga-Finnish and Permian-Finnish populations with those penetrating from Western Siberia Ugric tribes.

Over time, the Bulgarians occupied a dominant position in the Middle Volga, managing to unite in an alliance and partially assimilate with the local Finno-Ugric tribes (the ancestors of the modern Mari, Mordovians and Udmurts), as well as the Bashkirs.

By the 8th-9th centuries, plow farming was established among the new settlers, and a transition to sedentary forms of farming took place. Back in the 10th century, the famous Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan mentioned that the Bulgars were actively engaged in cultivating the land: “Their food is millet and horse meat, but they also have wheat and barley.” large quantities, and everyone who sows something takes it for himself.”

In the “Risalia” of Ibn Fadlan (10th century) it is noted that the Bulgarian Khan Almush still lives in a tent.

Settlement, agriculture and even some kind of economic organization... Most likely, at the end of the 9th century, the state of Volga Bulgaria already existed. It was created in the context of the ongoing struggle against the Khazars, which contributed to the strengthening of autocracy in the state. In difficult times, the ruler relied on an eternal scheme: to unite the people with a common goal of survival and to hold with a firm hand the main levers of power, including financial ones. Even in the first quarter of the 10th century, Khan Almush concentrated in his hands the collection and payment of tribute to the Khazars from the tribes of the Middle Volga region subordinate to him.

A Question of Faith

Back in the first quarter of the 10th century, Almush, in order to fight the Khazars, turned for support to the Baghdad caliph Mukhtadir, who in 922 sent an embassy to Volga Bulgaria. As a result, most Bulgarians converted to Islam.

However, the Suwaz tribes refused. They retained the previous name “Suvaz” - Chuvash, while those who remained later assimilated with the Bulgarians.

At the same time, the scale of the spread of Islam in Volga Bulgaria cannot be exaggerated. In 1236, the Hungarian monk Julian called it a powerful kingdom with “rich cities, but all there are pagans.” Therefore, it is too early to talk about the division of the Bulgar ethnic community into Muslims and pagans before the 13th century.

Since 965, after the defeat by Russia Khazar Khaganate, begins new stage development of Volga Bulgaria. Territorial expansion is actively underway, as a result of which the Bulgarian ethnic group “subjugated all its neighbors...” (Al-Masudi). By the end of the 12th century, the northern part of the state reached the Kazanka River, the eastern - to the banks of Yaik and Belaya, the southern - to Zhiguli, and the western included the right bank of the Volga. Center of Volga Bulgaria to mid-XII century there was a city Bolgar (Bulgar), and from the second half of the 12th to beginning of XIII centuries - Bilyar. Some researchers refuse to call these cities capitals, preferring to call them “centers”, because They believe that Volga Bulgaria was rather a union of independent principalities with separate capital cities.

The Bulgarian tribes (the Bulgarians themselves and related Suvars) are drawing closer together, and the Finno-Ugric peoples are also integrating. As a result, even before the Mongol invasion, a more or less unified nationality was formed in the Bulgarian state with its own common language Chuvash type.

Rus': only business and nothing personal

From the end of the 10th century until the Mongol conquest, the most active relations developed between Volga Bulgaria and Russia. She is not yet Mother Rus' - the relationship is not one of love, but quite a commodity-money relationship. The Volga trade route passed through Bulgaria. By playing the role of an intermediary, she provided herself with decent benefits.

However, partnerships alternate with periods of military confrontation, which was caused mainly by the struggle for territory and influence over various tribes.

They failed to unite in a military alliance in the face of the Horde enemy, but the states made peace.

"Non-Golden Age" of the Horde

The real test for Volga Bulgaria was the invasion of the Golden Horde. At first, the courageous resistance of the people stopped the invasion. The first clash between the Bulgarians and the Mongols occurred after the Battle of the Kalka River in 1223. Then the Mongols sent a detachment of five thousand to Bulgaria, which was defeated. The attacks in 1229 and 1232 were also successfully repulsed.

The victory of the Volga Bulgarians over the Mongols, according to historian Khairi Gimadi, had far-reaching consequences: “Until the mid-30s of the 13th century, the Mongol invasion of Europe was delayed.” As for the Bulgarians themselves, they had no doubt that the next invasion would be more serious, merciless and would not last long. Therefore, intensive work begins to strengthen cities. In 1229, the peace treaty with Vladimir-Suzdal Russia was extended for six years.

However, in 1236 the Bulgarians were unable to resist Batu's army. Russian chronicles write about the defeat like this: “The godless Tatars came from the eastern countries to the Bulgarian land, and took the glorious Great Bulgarian and beat with weapons from the old man to the naked child, taking a lot of goods, and burning their city with fire and captivating their entire land " The Mongols ravaged Bulgaria and destroyed almost all important cities (Bulgar, Bilyar, Dzhuketau, Suvar).

In 1241, the Mongols turned Volga Bulgaria into the Bulgar ulus of the Golden Horde. Moreover, the occupied territories had special significance for them: the city of Bulgar, before the construction of Sarai, was the capital of the Golden Horde, and later became the summer residence of the khans of the Jochi ulus.

Kazan Tatars

Mongol rule forced the population to move north. At the same time, there was an increased penetration of the Kypchaks into Volga Bulgaria, who, occupying the most important positions in the administration of the ulus, gradually moved to a settled life. The surviving Bulgarian elite, thanks to their religious community - many converted to Islam in the 9th-10th centuries - gradually became closer to the newcomer Kipchaks-Tatars, as a result of which by the 15th century. the nationality of the Kazan Tatars was formed.

As part of the decrepit Golden Horde, the Bulgar ulus was subjected to numerous raids. In 1391 and 1395, the territory was devastated by the troops of Tamerlane, Novgorod robbers and Russian princes. The devastation was completed by the Mangyt yurt of Prince Edigei (later the Nogai Horde). As a result, the Bulgarian ancestors of the Chuvash as an ethnic group found themselves on the verge of extinction, having lost their historical homeland, statehood, elite and ethnic identity. According to historians, at least 4/5 of the population was destroyed.

Chuvash Daruga of the Kazan Khanate

After the collapse of the Golden Horde in the Middle Volga region, Ulu-Muhammad created the Kazan Khanate in 1438 with its center in Kazan. In addition to the Kipchak-Tatars, who served as support for the ruler, a significant part of the population were Chuvash, Mari, Mordovians and Udmurts, who were the main tax-paying class. Also, part of the Bashkir lands was part of the Kazan Khanate.

Most of the Chuvash who found themselves part of the Kazan Khanate lived on the mountainous side of the Volga (north of modern Chuvashia), as well as on its left bank. Therefore, the territory east of Kazan, where they lived, was called “Chuvash Daruga” (“daruga” - administrative unit in the Kazan Khanate).

Since a significant part of the feudal lords and nobility professing Islam remained in Kazan, the influence Tatar language and there were few Muslim clergy in the area. On the territory of the former Volga Bulgaria, on the basis of Bulgarian ethnoculture, by the end of the 15th century, the formation of two ethnic groups - Tatar and Chuvash - was completed. If in the first, Bulgarian ethnicity was practically replaced by Kipchak-Tatar, then the Chuvash, according to ethnographer Rail Kuzeev, “while preserving the archaic Turkic language, at the same time developed a culture that was in many respects close to the culture of the Finno-Ugric people.”

33 misfortunes

As part of the Kazan Khanate, the Chuvash found a place to live. But this life was not easy due to tax burdens. The descendants of the once powerful Volga Bulgaria were obliged to pay a burdensome tribute, were involved in the construction of fortresses, and performed pit, road, stationary and military duties.

But the greatest suffering to the Chuvash people brought the war. Starting from the second half of the 15th century, the territory of their residence became a zone of Russian-Kazan confrontation. Thus, the Tatars marched across the Bulgarian-Chuvash land against the Russians 31 times, and the Russians against the Kazan Khanate - 33 times. Along with regular raids by Nogai nomads, campaigns became a real disaster for the population. These factors largely determined the willingness of the Chuvash to accept Russian citizenship.

To be continued

- the name of the ethnic group inhabiting the Chuvash Republic with its capital in the city of Cheboksary, located in the European part of Russia. The number of Chuvash in the world is just over one and a half million people, of which 1 million 435 thousand live in Russia.

There are 3 ethnographic groups, namely: the upper Chuvash, inhabiting the north-west of the republic, the middle-low Chuvash, living in the north-east and the southern lower Chuvash. Some researchers also talk about a special subgroup of the steppe Chuvash living in the southeast of Chuvashia and in the neighboring areas.
The Chuvash people were first mentioned in written sources in the 16th century.

In the scientific community, the origin of the Chuvash is still controversial, but most scientists agree that they, as well as the modern Kazan Tatars, are essentially the heirs of the Volga Bulgaria and its culture. The ancestors of the Chuvash are called the tribes of the Volga Finns, who mixed in the seventh and eighth centuries with the tribes of the Turks who moved to the Volga from the steppes of the Azov region. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, the ancestors of modern Chuvash were part of the population of the Kazan Khanate, without losing, however, some isolation and independence.

Origin of the ethnic group

The origin of the Chuvash, which is based on a mixture of ethnic groups, was reflected in the appearance of the people: almost all of its representatives can be divided into Caucasians with blond hair and dark-skinned, dark-haired Mongoloids. The former are characterized by light brown hair, gray or blue eyes and fair skin, wide faces and a neat nose, while they are somewhat darker than Europeans. Distinctive features of the second group: narrow dark brown eyes, weakly defined cheekbones and a depressed nose. Facial features characteristic of both types: low bridge of the nose, narrowed eyes, small mouth.

The Chuvash have their own national language, which, along with Russian, is the official language of Chuvashia. The Chuvash language is recognized as the only living Turkic language of the Bulgar group. It has three dialects: high (it is also called “okayushchiy”), middle-low, and also low (“ukaya”). In the mid-nineteenth century, the enlightener Ivan Yakovlev gave the Chuvash people an alphabet based on the Cyrillic alphabet. The Chuvash language is studied in schools of the Chechen Republic and its universities, local radio and television programs are broadcast in it, magazines and newspapers are published.

Religious affiliation

Most Chuvash profess Orthodoxy; the second most important religion is Islam. However, traditional beliefs have a great influence on the formation of worldviews. Based on Chuvash mythology, there are three worlds: upper, middle and lower. The upper world is the abode of the supreme deity, and here are the immaculate souls and the souls of unborn babies. The middle world is the world of people. After death, the soul of the righteous passes first to the rainbow, and then to the upper world. Sinners are cast down into the lower world, where the souls of the wicked are boiled. The earth, according to Chuvash myths, is square and the Chuvash live in its very center. The "sacred tree" supports the firmament in the middle, while at the corners of the earth's square it rests on gold, silver, copper, and also stone pillars. Around the earth there is an ocean, the waves of which constantly destroy the land. When the destruction reaches the territory of the Chuvash, the end of the world will come. Animism (the belief in the animation of nature) and the worship of the spirits of ancestors were also popular.

The Chuvash national costume is distinguished by an abundance of decorative elements. Chuvash men wear a canvas shirt, trousers and a headdress; in the cold season, a caftan and a sheep's coat are added. On your feet, depending on the season, are felt boots, boots or bast shoes. Chuvash women wear shirts with breast medallions, wide Tatar trousers, and an apron with a bib. Special significance have women's headdresses: tukhya for unmarried girls and hushpu - an indicator of married status. They are generously embroidered with beads and coins. All clothing is decorated with embroidery, which serves not only as decoration for the outfit, but also as a carrier of sacred information about the creation of the world, symbolically depicting the tree of life, eight-pointed stars and flowers. In each ethnographic group your favorite colors. Thus, southerners have always preferred bright shades, and northwesterners love light fabrics; Chuvash men of the lower and middle groups traditionally wear onuchi white, and representatives of the upper groups prefer black ones.

Chuvash traditions

The ancient traditions of the Chuvash have been preserved to this day. One of the most colorful rituals is a wedding. At the traditional Chuvash wedding ceremony there are no official representatives of the cult (priests, shamans) or authorities. Guests witness the creation of a family. According to the canons, the bride should be about 5-8 years older than her husband. The concept of divorce does not exist in traditional Chuvash culture. After the wedding, lovers should be together for the rest of their lives. Funerals are considered an equally important rite: on this occasion, a ram or a bull is slaughtered and more than 40 people are invited to a richly laid funeral table. The holiday for many representatives of this people is still Friday, the day when they put on their best clothes and do not work.

In general, the traditions of the Chuvash emphasize the most characteristic features of the people - respect for parents, relatives and neighbors, as well as peacefulness and modesty. The very name of the ethnic group in most neighboring languages ​​means “calm”, “quiet”, which fully corresponds to its mentality.

And behavior. The Chuvash people live in the center of the European part of Russia. Characteristic character traits are integrally connected with the traditions of these amazing people.

Origins of the people

About 600 kilometers from Moscow is the city of Cheboksary, the center of the Chuvash Republic. Representatives of a colorful ethnic group live on this land.

There are many versions about the origin of this people. It is most likely that the ancestors were Turkic-speaking tribes. These people began migrating west as early as the 2nd century BC. e. Seeking a better life, they came to the modern territories of the republic back in the 7th-8th centuries and three hundred years later created a state that was known as Volga Bulgaria. This is where the Chuvash came from. The history of the people could have been different, but in 1236 the state was defeated by the Mongol-Tatars. Some people fled from the conquerors to the northern lands.

The name of this people is translated from Kyrgyz as “modest”, according to the old Tatar dialect - “peaceful”. Modern dictionaries They claim that the Chuvash are “quiet”, “harmless”. The name was first mentioned in 1509.

Religious preferences

The culture of this people is unique. Elements of Western Asia can still be traced in rituals. The style was also influenced by close communication with Iranian-speaking neighbors (Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans). The Chuvash adopted not only their everyday life and economy, but also their manner of dressing. Their appearance, costume features, character and even religion were obtained from their neighbors. So, even before joining the Russian state, these people were pagans. The supreme god was called Tura. Later, other faiths began to penetrate into the colony, in particular Christianity and Islam. Those who lived on the lands of the republic worshiped Jesus. Allah became the head of those who lived outside the area. In the course of events, Muslims became dissatisfied. Yet today, most of the representatives of this people profess Orthodoxy. But the spirit of paganism is still felt.

Merging two types

Various groups influenced the appearance of the Chuvash. Most of all - the Mongoloid and Caucasian races. That is why almost all representatives of this people can be divided into fair-haired Finns and representatives of dark hair. Blonde hair is characterized by light brown hair, gray eyes, pallor, a wide oval face and a small nose, the skin is often covered with freckles. At the same time, they are somewhat darker in appearance than Europeans. Brunettes' locks are often curled, their eyes are dark brown and narrow in shape. They have poorly defined cheekbones, a depressed nose and a yellow skin type. It is worth noting here that their features are softer than those of the Mongols.

The Chuvash differ from neighboring groups. Characteristic for both types are a small oval head, a low bridge of the nose, narrowed eyes, and a small, neat mouth. Average height, not prone to obesity.

Casual look

Each nationality has a unique system of customs, traditions and beliefs. It was no exception, and from ancient times these people made cloth and canvas on their own in every home. Clothing was made from these materials. Men were supposed to wear a linen shirt and trousers. If it became cool, a caftan and a sheepskin coat were added to their look. The Chuvash had patterns unique to themselves. The woman’s appearance was successfully emphasized by unusual ornaments. All things were decorated with embroidery, including the wedged shirts that the ladies wore. Later, stripes and checks became fashionable.

Each branch of this group had and still has its own preferences for the color of clothing. Thus, the south of the republic has always preferred rich shades, and northwestern fashionistas loved light fabrics. Each woman's outfit included wide Tatar trousers. A mandatory element is an apron with a bib. It was especially diligently decorated.

In general, the appearance of the Chuvash is very interesting. The description of the headdress should be highlighted in a separate section.

Status determined by helmet

Not a single representative of the people could walk with his head uncovered. This is how a separate movement in the direction of fashion arose. Such things as tukhya and hushpu were decorated with special imagination and passion. The first was worn on the head by unmarried girls, the second was only for married women.

At first, the hat served as a talisman, a talisman against misfortune. Such an amulet was treated with special respect and decorated with expensive beads and coins. Later, such an object not only decorated the appearance of the Chuvash, it began to talk about social and marital status women.

Many researchers believe that the shape of the headdress resembles Others provide a direct link to understanding the design of the Universe. Indeed, according to the ideas of this group, the earth had a quadrangular shape, and in the middle stood the tree of life. The symbol of the latter was a bulge in the center, which distinguished married woman from a girl. Tukhya had a pointed conical shape, hushpu was round.

The coins were chosen with special care. They had to be melodic. Those that hung from the edges hit each other and rang. Such sounds scared away evil spirits - the Chuvash believed in this. The appearance and character of a people are directly related.

Ornament code

The Chuvash are famous not only for their soulful songs, but also for their embroidery. The skill grew over generations and was passed down from mother to daughter. It is in the ornaments that one can read the history of a person, his belonging to a separate group.

The main embroidery is clear geometry. The fabric should only be white or gray. It’s interesting that girls’ clothes were decorated only before the wedding. IN family life there was not enough time for this. Therefore, what they did in their youth was worn for the rest of their lives.

Embroidery on clothes complemented the appearance of the Chuvash. It contained encrypted information about the creation of the world. Thus, the tree of life and eight-pointed stars, rosettes or flowers were symbolically depicted.

After the popularization of factory production, the style, color and quality of the shirt changed. The older people grieved for a long time and assured that such changes in the wardrobe would bring disaster to their people. And indeed, over the years, true representatives of this genus are becoming fewer and fewer.

World of traditions

Customs say a lot about a people. One of the most colorful rituals is a wedding. The character and appearance of the Chuvash, traditions are still preserved. It is worth noting that in ancient times, priests, shamans or government officials were not present at the wedding ceremony. Guests of the event witnessed the creation of a family. And everyone who knew about the holiday visited the homes of the newlyweds’ parents. Interestingly, divorce was not perceived as such. According to the canons, lovers who married in front of their relatives must be faithful to each other for the rest of their lives.

Previously, the bride had to be 5-8 years older than her husband. On last place When choosing a partner, Chuvash people valued their appearance. The character and mentality of these people required that, first of all, the girl be hardworking. They gave the young lady in marriage after she mastered household. Adult woman They were also tasked with raising a young husband.

Character is in customs

As previously mentioned, the very word from which the name of the people comes is translated from most languages ​​as “peaceful”, “calm”, “modest”. This meaning absolutely corresponds to the character and mentality of this people. According to their philosophy, all people, like birds, sit on different branches of the big tree of life, each is a relative of the other. Therefore, their love for each other is limitless. The Chuvash people are very peaceful and kind people. The history of the people does not contain information about attacks on the innocent and arbitrariness against other groups.

The older generation keeps traditions and lives according to the old pattern, which they learned from their parents. Lovers still get married and swear fidelity to each other in front of their families. Mass celebrations are often held, at which the Chuvash language sounds loudly and melodiously. People wear the best suits, embroidered according to all the canons. They cook traditional lamb soup - shurpa, and drink home-made beer.

The future is in the past

IN modern conditions With urbanization, traditions in villages are disappearing. At the same time, the world is losing its independent culture and unique knowledge. Nevertheless, the Russian government is aimed at maximizing the interest of contemporaries in the past of different peoples. The Chuvash are no exception. Appearance, features of life, color, rituals - all this is very interesting. To show to the younger generation the culture of the people, university students of the republic spend impromptu evenings. Young people speak and sing in the Chuvash language.

The Chuvash live in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, so their culture is successfully breaking through into the world. Representatives of the people support each other.

Recently, the main book of Christians, the Bible, was translated into Chuvash. Literature is flourishing. The ornaments and clothing of the ethnic group inspire famous designers to create new styles.

There are still villages where they still live according to the laws of the Chuvash tribe. The appearance of men and women in such gray hair is traditionally folk. The great past is preserved and revered in many families.

One of the most numerous peoples Volga region, has long become “one of our own” in the family of Russian peoples.
It is all the more interesting to know that its history and origin are the subject of fierce battles among historians and anthropologists!
The Chuvash are related to a variety of peoples of the past and present, and they are not directly related to anyone.
So who are they really?

The invisible people of the Volga region

Despite the fact that the Volga region was on the outskirts of ancient civilizations, its peoples were well known.
The Mordovians, Maris and Cheremis are mentioned long before the Slavs!
Herodotus and Jordan write about the well-recognized signs of these peoples, but not a word about the Chuvash...

The Arab traveler Ibn Fahdlan, in the 10th century, described the local peoples in detail, but did not see the Chuvash.
The Khazar king Joseph wrote to his Jewish co-religionist in Spain about the subject peoples, but again without the Chuvash!
And even in the 13th century, the Hungarian monk Julian and the famous Rashid ad-Din crossed Chuvashia far and wide, but did not see such a people.

However, there is a strong version that the Chuvash are not just the indigenous inhabitants of these places, but even the descendants of Attila the Huns!

Horsemen of Attila or peaceful farmers?

Hunnic hypothesis

Traditionally, the Chuvash are considered the descendants of the people suar-suvar , which was related to the Khazars and Bulgars, developed somewhere in the steppes of Central Asia and, together with the Huns, came to Europe.
Some Savirs, as part of the Sarmatian world, are mentioned by Strabo, and in myths Siberian Tatars, there is a legend about how they conquered these lands from the people soir, who went west.
Thus, the Savirs could be one of the eastern branches of the Sarmatians, who early met the Turks and Huns, after which they came to Europe under the banner of Attila, already a strongly mixed people.
After the murder of Attila and the defeat of his sons in the battle with the Gepids, at Nedao, the remnants of the Huns went to the Black Sea region, and from there further east, where they mixed with the aboriginal Finno-Ugrians and became the Chuvash.

As proof, they cite the undoubtedly Turkic language of the Chuvash and the distinctly mixed Mongoloid appearance and, in general, nothing more!

Bulgarian hypothesis

Another version derives the Chuvash from the population of Volga Bulgaria, which disintegrated after Batu conquered it and a certain part of the tribe settled in present-day Chuvashia.
DNA genealogy speaks in favor of this version - showing a large percentage of R1A haplotypes in the Chuvash and Bulgars, which makes both Sarmatians related.
But linguists are strongly against it, since the Bulgars spoke a typically Western Turkic language, which is related, but very different from Chuvash.
These are cousins, not direct relatives.

Khazar version

There is reason to suspect a strong Khazar influence on the Chuvash: the Chuvash language has a huge number of parallels with the language of the Jewish rulers of Khazaria (about 300 similar words).
Even the name of the supreme deity "Toram" suspiciously coincides with the holy book of Judaism.
In the 19th century this version was very popular

The Chuvash and their ethnonym “Chuvash” were taken from the Khazar Kaganate. They acquired it during the Kavar uprising, when a split occurred among the Khazars.
As is known, the Kavar uprising occurred shortly after religious reform Kagan Obadya, who raised Judaism to the rank state religion.
This uprising was raised by the Muslim Khazars, outraged by the granting of privileges to Jews and the infringement of their own rights.
It was then that the Khazar people split into two branches: into rebels called Kavarami(from the Chuvash word kavar“conspiracy, conspirators, front”) and on peaceful Khazars who did not participate in the rebellion and were nicknamed Chuvash(from Chuvash-Turkic-Iranian juash, yuash(“peaceful, meek, quiet”).

Anthropology of the Chuvash

Chuvash - usually have mixed European-Mongoloid features.
Moreover, they predominate, oddly enough for this region, mixes with southern Europeans, and not in the northern ones, like the Mordovians or Permians.
Caucasoidism, in general, predominates and typical Mongoloids make up no more than 10% of the population.
But appearance The Chuvash are quite recognizable: small or medium height, with dark eyes and hair, dark skin, a wide and flattened face, small eyes and a short, wide nose.
In men, the growth of beard and mustache is weakened; in women, there is often excessive accumulation of fat male type in the area of ​​the shoulders and abdomen.
The length of the body is greater than the length of the legs, the shape of the head is round with a massive facial part and a weakly defined chin.

Chuvash language

With all the influence of Khazar words, as well as the differences in the written language of the Volga Bulgaria and Chuvash, the language of this people is clearly recognized as Turkic and the only living language of the Bulgarian group.

Who are the Chuvash and from whom did they descend?

Today it is obvious that the Chuvash have a large share haplotypes of the Indo-European population, and a very ancient one - the Andronovo people of Western Siberia, who were the ancestors of the Altai Scythians and Sarmatians, as well as the Avars.
This people early mixed with the early Turks: the Huns, and then the Bulgars and Khazars.
Then they were joined by the indigenous inhabitants of the Volga region, close to the Finno-Ugrians, and perhaps the West Siberian Ostyak Ugrians took part in the formation of this people.

From such a cocktail of backgammon, a very mixed ethnic group emerged, where obvious Mongoloid characteristics of the people are combined with the Turkic language, Finno-Ugric customs and the obvious influence of the Tatar-Mongols and Khazars on the linguistic base of the Chuvash.