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, 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. Just two centuries ago, burkas were carried 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 the stabbing blow of a dagger or the slashing swing of 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, old people, 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 buroks 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 burka-making enterprise. Even in the best years, when the state was the customer and buyer, women made burkas at home. And today burkas are made only to order - mainly for dance ensembles and as souvenirs 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"
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The technology for making buroks, 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.
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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 fabric 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 burka 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 “khazir” - “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 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 thirsty, 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 emphasized more than once that he always treated Caucasians with respect, and never hid the fact that he had 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 presented it with the words that he was giving the most precious thing he had.
In response, Zeldin danced Esambaev’s lezginka. And since then, the actor kept 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.
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 real highlander 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 aksakals 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!
Annotation: the genesis and evolution of the hat, its cut, methods and manner of wearing, the cult and ethical culture of the Chechens and Ingush are described.
Usually the Vainakhs have questions about when the papakha appeared in the everyday life of the mountaineers and how. My father Mokhmad-Khadzhi from the village. Elistanzhi told me a legend he had heard in his youth associated with this popularly revered headdress and the reason for its cult.
Once upon a time, back in the 7th century, Chechens who wished to convert to Islam went on foot to the holy city of Mecca and met there with the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), so that he would bless them with a new faith - Islam. Prophet Muhammad, (pbuh) was extremely surprised and saddened by the sight of the wanderers, and especially by their broken, bloody legs from a long journey, and gave them astrakhan skins so that they would wrap their legs with them for the return journey. Having accepted the gift, the Chechens decided that it was unworthy to wrap their feet with such beautiful skins, and even those received from such a great man as Muhammad (pbuh). From them, they decided to sew tall hats that should be worn with pride and dignity. Since then, this type of honorary beautiful headdress has been worn by the Vainakhs with special reverence.
People say: “On a highlander, two elements of clothing should attract special attention - a headdress and shoes. The papakha must be of an ideal cut, since a person who respects you looks at your face and sees your headdress accordingly. An insincere person usually looks at your feet, so the shoes should be of high quality and polished to a shine.”
The most important and prestigious part of the men's clothing complex was the hat in all its forms that existed in the Caucasus. Many Chechen and Ingush jokes, folk games, wedding and funeral customs are associated with the hat. At all times, the headdress was the most necessary and most stable element of the mountain costume. It was a symbol of masculinity and the dignity of a highlander was judged by his headdress. This is evidenced by various proverbs and sayings inherent to the Chechens and Ingush, which we recorded during field work. “A man should take care of two things - his hat and his name. The hat will be saved by the one who has a smart head on his shoulders, and the name will be saved by the one whose heart burns with fire in his chest.” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with your dad.” But they also said: “A lush hat does not always adorn a smart head.” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” the old people used to say. And therefore, the Vainakh had to have the best one, no expense was spared on the hat, and a self-respecting man would appear in public wearing a papakha. She was running around everywhere. It was not customary to take it off even when visiting or indoors, whether it was cold or hot there, or to pass it on to another person to wear.
When a man died, his things were supposed to be distributed to close relatives, but the headdresses of the deceased were not given to anyone - they were worn in the family if there were sons and brothers, if there were none, they were presented to the most respected man of his type. Following that custom, I wear my late father’s hat. We got used to the hat from childhood. I would like to especially note that for the Vainakhs there was no gift more valuable than a papakha.
Chechens and Ingush traditionally shaved their heads, which also contributed to the custom of constantly wearing a headdress. And women, according to the adat, do not have the right to wear (put on) a man’s headdress other than a felt hat worn during agricultural work in the field. There is also a popular belief that a sister cannot wear her brother’s hat, since in this case the brother may lose his happiness.
According to our field material, no element of clothing had as many varieties as a headdress. It had not only utilitarian, but often sacred meaning. A similar attitude towards the hat arose in the Caucasus in ancient times and persists in our time.
According to field ethnographic materials, the Vainakhs have the following types of headdresses: khakhan, mesal kuy - fur hat, kholkhazan, suram kuy - astrakhan hat, zhaunan kuy - shepherd's hat. The Chechens and Kists called the cap - kuy, the Ingush - kiy, the Georgians - kudi. According to Iv. Javakhishvili, Georgian kudi (hat) and Persian khud are the same word, meaning helmet, i.e. iron hat. The term also meant caps in ancient Persia, he notes.
There is another opinion that Chech. kui is borrowed from the Georgian language. We do not share this point of view.
We agree with A.D. Vagapov, who writes that forge a “hat”, generally speaking. (*kau > *keu- // *kou-: Chech. dial. kuy, kudda kuy. Therefore, we bring to comparison the I.-E. material: *(s)keu- “to cover, cover”, Proto-German *kudhia, Iran. *xauda “hat, helmet”, Pers. xoi, xod “helmet”. These facts indicate that the –d- we are interested in is most likely an expander of the root kuv- // kui-, as in I.-e. (s)neu- “twist”, *(s)noud- “twisted; knot”, Pers. ney “reed”, corresponding Chech nui “broom”, nuida “braided button”. from the Georgian language remains open. As for the name suram: suram-kui “astrakhan hat”, its origin is unclear.
Possibly related to the Taj. sur “a variety of karakul brown with light golden ends of the hair.” And then here’s how Vagapov explains the origin of the term kholkhaz “karakul”: “Actually Chechen. In the first part - huol - “gray” (Cham. khkholu-), khaal - “skin”, oset. khal – “thin skin”. In the second part there is a basis - haz, corresponding to lezg. haz "fur", tab., tsakh. haz, udin. hez "fur", varnish. haz. "fitch". G. Klimov derives these forms from Azerbaijani, in which khaz also means fur (SKYA 149). However, the latter itself comes from Iranian languages, cf., in particular, Persian. haz "ferret, ferret fur", Kurdish. xez “fur, skin.” Further, the geography of distribution of this basis expands at the expense of Old Russian. хъзъ “fur, leather” hoz “morocco”, Russian. household "tanned goat skin". But sur in the Chechen language also means army. This means that we can assume that suram kuy is a warrior’s hat.
Like other peoples of the Caucasus, Chechens and Ingush headdresses were typologically divided according to two characteristics - material and shape. Hats of various shapes, made entirely of fur, belong to the first type, and to the second are hats with a fur band and a head made of cloth or velvet; both types of these hats are called papakhas.
On this occasion E.N. Studenetskaya writes: “The material for making hats was sheep skins of varying quality, and sometimes the skins of goats of a special breed. Warm winter hats, as well as shepherd's hats, were made from sheepskin with long pile facing outwards, often lined with sheepskin with trimmed wool. Such hats were warmer and better protected from rain and snow flowing from long fur. For a shepherd, a shaggy hat often served as a pillow.
Long-haired papakhas were also made from the skins of a special breed of sheep with silky, long and curly hair or Angora goat skins. They were expensive and rare; they were considered ceremonial.
In general, for festive papas they preferred the fine curly fur of young lambs (kurpei) or imported astrakhan fur. Astrakhan hats were called “Bukhara”. Hats made from the fur of Kalmyk sheep were also prized. “He has five hats, all made from Kalmyk lamb, and he wears them out bowing to guests.” This praise is not only for hospitality, but also for wealth.”
In Chechnya, hats were made quite high, widened at the top, with a band protruding above the velvet or cloth bottom. In Ingushetia, the height of the hat is slightly lower than the Chechen one. This is apparently due to the influence of the cut of hats in neighboring Ossetia. According to the authors A.G. Bulatova, S.Sh. Gadzhieva, G.A. Sergeeva, in the 20s of the 20th century, hats with a slightly expanded top were distributed throughout Dagestan (the height of the band, for example, 19 cm, the width of the base - 20, the top - 26 cm), They are sewn from merlushka or astrakhan wool with a fabric top. All the peoples of Dagestan call this papakha “Bukhara” (meaning that the astrakhan fur from which it was mostly made was brought from Central Asia). The head of such hats was made of cloth or velvet in bright colors. A hat made of golden Bukhara astrakhan fur was especially prized.
The Avars of Salatavia and the Lezgins considered this hat to be Chechen, the Kumyks and Dargins called it “Ossetian,” and the Laks called it “Tsudaharskaya” (probably because the hatmakers were mainly Tsudaharians). Perhaps it penetrated into Dagestan from the North Caucasus. This type of hat was a ceremonial form of headdress; it was worn more often by young people, who sometimes had several covers made of multi-colored fabric for the bottom and changed them often. Such a hat consisted of two parts: a fabric cap quilted with cotton wool, sewn to the shape of the head, and a high (16-18 cm) and wide at the top (27 cm) fur band attached to it on the outside (in the lower part).
The Caucasian astrakhan hat with a slightly widened band at the top (its height gradually increased over time) was and remains the most favorite headdress of Chechen and Ingush elders. They also wore a sheepskin hat, which the Russians called a papakha. Its shape changed in different periods and had its differences from the hats of other peoples.
Since ancient times, there has been a cult of headdress for both women and men in Chechnya. For example, a Chechen guarding an object could leave his hat and go home to have lunch - no one touched it, because he understood that he would have to deal with the owner. Taking off someone's hat meant a deadly quarrel; if a highlander took off his hat and hit it on the ground, it meant that he was ready to do anything. “Tearing off or knocking a hat off someone’s head was considered a great insult, the same as cutting off the sleeve of a woman’s dress,” said my father Magomed-Khadzhi Garsaev.
If a person took off his hat and asked for something, it was considered indecent to refuse his request, but the one who approached in this way enjoyed a bad reputation among the people. “Kera kui bittina hilla tseran iza” - “They got it by beating their caps,” they said about such people.
Even during a fiery, expressive, fast dance, a Chechen should not drop his headdress. Another amazing custom of the Chechens associated with headwear: the owner’s papakha could replace it during a date with a girl. How? If a Chechen guy, for some reason, could not get a date with a girl, he would send his close friend there, giving him his headdress. In this case, the hat reminded the girl of her beloved, she felt his presence, and she perceived her friend’s conversation as a very pleasant conversation with her fiancé.
The Chechens had a hat and, to tell the truth, still remains a symbol of honor, dignity or “cult”.
This is confirmed by some tragic incidents from the life of the Vainakhs during their stay in exile in Central Asia. Prepared by the absurd information of the NKVD employees that the Chechens and Ingush deported to the territory of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were horned cannibals, representatives of the local population, out of curiosity, sometimes tried to tear off the high hats from the special settlers and discover the notorious horns under them. Such incidents ended with either a brutal fight or murder, because The Vainakhs did not understand the actions of the Kazakhs and considered it an attack on their honor.
In this regard, it is permissible to cite here one tragic case for the Chechens. During the celebration of Eid al-Adha by the Chechens in the city of Alga, Kazakhstan, the commandant of the city, a Kazakh by nationality, appeared at this event and began making provocative speeches towards the Chechens: “Are you celebrating Eid al-Adha? Are you Muslims? Traitors, murderers. You have horns under your hats! Come on, show them to me! - and began to tear off the hats from the heads of the respected elders. Elistanzhin resident Janaraliev Jalavdi tried to besiege him, warning that if he touched his headdress, he would be sacrificed in the name of Allah in honor of the holiday. Ignoring what was said, the commandant rushed to his hat, but was knocked down with a powerful blow from his fist. Then the unthinkable happened: driven to despair by the commandant’s most humiliating action for him, Zhalavdi stabbed him to death. For this he received 25 years in prison.
How many Chechens and Ingush were imprisoned then, trying to defend their dignity!
Today we all see how Chechen leaders of all ranks wear hats without taking them off, which symbolizes national honor and pride. Until the last day, the great dancer Makhmud Esambaev proudly wore his hat, and even now, driving through the new third ring of the highway in Moscow, you can see a monument over his grave, where he is immortalized, of course, in his hat.
NOTES
1. Javakhishvili I.A. Materials for the history of the material culture of the Georgian people - Tbilisi, 1962. III - IU. P. 129.
2. Vagapov A.D. Etymological dictionary of the Chechen language // Lingua–universum – Nazran, 2009. P. 32.
3. Studenetskaya E.N. Clothes // Culture and life of the peoples of the North Caucasus - M., 1968. P. 113.
4. Bulatova A.G., Gadzhieva S.Sh., Sergeeva G.A. Clothing of the peoples of Dagestan-Pushchino, 2001.P.86
5. Arsaliev Sh. M-Kh. Ethnopedagogy of Chechens - M., 2007. P. 243.
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 dad“- 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: “ Mahmoud is in place, we can begin" M. A. Esambaev, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, through his entire life and creativity carried the high name - Chechen konakh (knight).
Sharing with readers of his book “My Dagestan” about the features of Avar etiquette and how important it is for everything and everyone to have their own individuality, 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.”
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 what we imagine them to be today. They received the most rapid development and distribution at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 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.
| 18.11.2015Papakha in the North Caucasus is a whole world and a special myth. In many Caucasian cultures, a man wearing a papakha or a headdress in general is a priori endowed with such qualities as courage, wisdom, and self-esteem. The person who put on the hat seemed to be adapting to it, trying to match the object - after all, the hat did not allow the highlander to bow his head, and therefore to bow to someone in the broad sense.
Not long ago I was in the village of Thagapsh visiting Batmyz Tlif, the chairman of the village “Chile Khase”. We talked a lot about the traditions of aul self-government, preserved by the Black Sea Shapsugs, and before leaving, I asked our hospitable host for permission to photograph him in a ceremonial hat - and Batmyz seemed to look younger before my eyes: immediately a different posture and a different look...
Batmyz Tlif in his ceremonial astrakhan hat. Aul Tkhagapsh, Lazarevsky district, Krasnodar region. May 2012. Photo by the author
“If the head is intact, there should be a hat on it,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat” is an incomplete list of proverbs that exist among many mountain peoples of the Caucasus.
Many mountaineer customs are associated with the papakha - it is not only a headdress that keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer; it is a symbol and a sign. A man should never take off his hat if he asks anyone for anything. With the exception of only one case: the hat can be removed only when they ask for forgiveness of blood feud.
In Dagestan, a young man who was afraid to openly woo the girl he liked once threw his hat at her window. If the hat remained in the house and did not immediately fly back, then you can count on reciprocity.
It was considered an insult if a person's hat was knocked off his head. 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.
Journalist Milrad Fatulaev recalls in his article a famous case when, going to the theater, the famous Lezgin composer Uzeir Gadzhibekov bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.
Hats were not removed indoors (with the exception of the bashlyk). Sometimes, when taking off the hat, they put on a light cloth cap. There were also special night caps - mainly for old people. The highlanders shaved or cut their heads very short, which also preserved the custom of constantly wearing some kind of headdress.
The oldest form was considered to be tall, shaggy hats with a convex top made of soft felt. They were so high that the top of the cap tilted to the side. Information about such hats was recorded by Evgenia Nikolaevna Studenetskaya, a famous Soviet ethnographer, from old Karachais, Balkars and Chechens, who retained in their memory the stories of their fathers and grandfathers.
There was a special type of papakha - shaggy papakhas. They were made from sheepskin with a long pile facing outwards, lined with sheepskin with sheared wool. These hats were warmer and provided better protection from the rain and snow that flowed into the long fur. For a shepherd, such a shaggy hat often served as a pillow.
For festive papas, they preferred the fine curly fur of young lambs (kurpei) or imported astrakhan fur.
Circassians in hats. The drawing was kindly provided to me by history scientist from Nalchik Timur Dzuganov.
Astrakhan hats were called “Bukhara”. Hats made from the fur of Kalmyk sheep were also prized.
The shape of a fur hat could be varied. In his “Ethnological Studies on Ossetians” V.B. Pfaff wrote: “the papakha is very subject to fashion: sometimes it is sewn very high, an arshin or more in height, and at other times quite low, so that it is only slightly higher than the cap of the Crimean Tatars.”
A hat could be used to determine the social status of a highlander and his personal preferences, only “it is impossible to distinguish a Lezgin from a Chechen, a Circassian from a Cossack by the headdress. Everything is quite monotonous,” Milrad Fatullaev subtly noted.
At the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries. fur hats (made from sheepskin with long wool) were worn mainly as shepherd's hats (Chechens, Ingush, Ossetians, Karachais, Balkars).
A high astrakhan fur hat was common in Ossetia, Adygea, flat Chechnya and rarely in the mountainous regions of Chechnya, Ingushetia, Karachay and Balkaria.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, low, almost head-length, tapering caps made of astrakhan fur came into fashion. They were worn mainly in the cities and adjacent areas of flat Ossetia and Adygea.
Papakhas were and are expensive, so rich people had them. Rich people had up to 10-15 dads. Nadir Khachilayev said that he bought a hat with a unique iridescent golden hue in Derbent for one and a half million rubles.
After the First World War, a low hat (band 5-7 itself) with a flat bottom made of fabric spread in the North Caucasus. The band was made from kurpei or karakul. The bottom, cut from one piece of fabric, was located at the level of the top line of the band and was sewn to it.
Such a hat was called a Kubanka - it was first worn by the Kuban Cossack army. And in Chechnya - with a carabiner, due to its low height. Among young people it replaced other forms of papas, and among the older generation it coexisted with them.
The difference between Cossack hats and mountain hats is their diversity and lack of standards. Mountain hats are standardized, Cossack hats are based on the spirit of improvisation. Each Cossack army in Russia was distinguished by its hats in the quality of fabric and fur, shades of color, shape - hemispherical or flat, dressing, sewing ribbons, seams and, finally, in the manner of wearing those same hats.
People in the Caucasus took great care of hats - they kept them covered with a scarf. When traveling to a city or on a holiday in another village, they took a festive hat with them and put it on only before entering, taking off a simpler cap or felt hat.
X Abib made a speech at the awards ceremony after his fight with Dustin Poirier that offended some women in the Caucasus. Women reacted sharply on social networks, calling Khabib a sexist and a Freudian, and today a flash mob - photos of women in hats - is gaining momentum.
KU wrote the following about this.
For me, this whole story is divided into 3 parts: about Khabib; about the hat; about in what cases womenin the North Caucasuswore men's clothing.
About Khabib. Khabib is, of course, an outstanding athlete who has already gone down in history. It has a colossal influence on millions of people. In the next 1-2 years, we will observe the politicization of everything related to Khabib and power sports in the Caucasus. We have observed this before, but now this process will take place within completely different boundaries. Or rather, it will be a cross-border process. The dignity with which Khabib speaks about the North Caucasus, his culture and identity is worthy of respect. But when he tries to be a spiritual leader and go beyond the profession, he does not always succeed as brilliantly as fighting in the octagon.
The triumphant in Abu Dhabi was a little tongue-tied, but still, it seems to me, he did not intend to offend or humiliate women, much less “show them his place.” I can’t imagine that he, as a person brought up on traditional culture, doesn’t know what “woman’s honor” means among the peoples of the Caucasus - how many folklore texts there are about it; how many blood fights, even at the beginning of the twentieth century, were arranged because a woman’s honor was hurt!
“If you put on a hat, you must match it, do not lose your honor and dignity. Our women traditionally do not wear a hat, because a hat (like, for example, a dagger or a belt for a Circassian coat) is an exclusively male attribute,” - when I “deciphered” Khabib’s text, I read this way.
About the hat. Papakha in the North Caucasus is a whole Universe. In many Caucasian cultures, a man wearing a papakha or a headdress in general is a priori endowed with such qualities as courage, wisdom, and self-esteem. The person who put on the hat seemed to be adapting to it, trying to fit in - after all, the hat did not allow him to bow his head, and therefore, to bow to someone in the broad sense.Many mountaineer customs are associated with the papakha - it is not only a headdress that keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer; it is a symbol and a sign. A man should never take off his hat, with the exception of only one case: the hat can be removed when asking for the forgiveness of blood relatives.
The administration of the Kuban region, realizing that the highlanders will not accept the custom of removing their headdress indoors, in the end XIX century, issued a special order allowing mountaineers to wear hats indoors.
In Dagestan, a young man who was afraid to openly woo the girl he liked once threw his hat at her window. If the hat remained in the house and did not immediately fly back, then you can count on reciprocity.
It was considered an insult if a person's hat was knocked off his head. If a person took off his hat and left it somewhere, under no circumstances should it be touched or moved to another place.
Journalist Milrad Fatulaev recalls in his article that, going to the theater, the famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.
Did women in the North Caucasus wear men's clothing? Yes, they did. In exceptional cases, at weddings or when participating in certain rituals. In anthropology this is called “ritual dressing”. However, not only women dressed up as men, but also men dressed up as women.
For example, ethnographer Vilen Uarziati wrote that “in Central Ossetia - in Urstual, Khudygom, Tyrsygom - at weddings, girls 12–15 years old wore men's clothes, glued on their mustaches and pulled their hats down on their foreheads. In this form they appeared in the evening at the end of the wedding feast.” Changing their voices, they introduced themselves as guests of the neighboring gorge and made fun of the men who were already tipsy.
In Dagestan, at weddings (Batsada village, Rugudzha village) there were permanent characters - mummers. Mummers could be men and women, boys and girls. Sometimes a woman would dress up in men's clothes and add a mustache, or, conversely, a man would dress up as a woman. The mummers joked, threw flour and ash into the crowd, and got dirty with soot. It was not customary to take offense at their jokes.
In the village During the wedding, in Ruguja, the woman dressed in men's clothes and danced the “men's dance” (chirisani).
At a Dargin wedding, female mummers were usually the groom's sisters, sisters-in-law, or aunts aged from 25 to 40 years. They dressed in men's clothes, attached mustaches, and attached a dagger to their belts. The face was smeared with soot or a dough mask was placed on it.
Ruslan Seferbekov, an ethnographer from Dagestan, believes thatSuch ritual disguises “were resorted to to enhance the laughter component of the ritual ritual. At the same time, cross-dressing was a reaction to the strict regulation of gender roles in traditional mountain society.”
A woman could wear men's clothing not only to amuse the public at weddings, but also on more serious occasions. Among the Abkhazians, if men died, women dressed in men's clothing and took revenge. In rare cases, a woman became an abrek and dressed in men's clothing. For example, historian Aslan Mirzoev reports:
“There is a rare case in the history of Kabarda when a woman became an abrek. Her name was Zurumkhan Shogenova, and her activities date back to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Zurumkhan was born in the Little Kabardian village of Kanshuey (now Nizhny Kurp) in the family of a simple peasant. When her father died, her mother and four children moved to her brother Batyrbek Naloev. From a young age, Zurumkhan dressed like a man, carried weapons, rode horses, and then became an accomplice of the abreks, with whom she led a life of robbery. By the beginning of the civil war she was about 40 years old. Robbery began to bore her, she began to think about family life. Soon she married a Chechen, and in 1944, when the Chechens were deported, she did not leave her husband and went with everyone to Central Asia. After the death of her wife, she returned to Kabardino-Balkaria and served as a night watchman at the Argudan MTS.”
That is, Khabib is not entirely right. For women in the Caucasus, a papakha is quite possible. And how!
The legendary Taimasha Gekhinskaya, a Chechen, commanded a detachment for 10 years during the Caucasian War.
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 an argument or quarrel and hit it on the ground, this meant that he was ready to do anything to the end.
We know that 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 only be removed when asking for blood feud.
Makhmud Esambaev, the great son of our 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, saw a familiar hat, and said: “Mahmud is in place, we can begin.” The only person in the Soviet era who had a passport with a headdress. He was the only one in the USSR who had such a passport; Even in this, he retained the etiquette of the Chechen people - not to take off your hat to anything. They told him that if you don’t take off your headdress, then we don’t have the right to issue a passport, to which he answered briefly: In that case, I don’t need it.” This is how he responded to the higher authorities.
M.A. Esambaev, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, throughout his life and work carried the high name of the Chechen konakh (knight).
Sharing with readers of his book “My Dagestan” about the features of Avar etiquette and how important it is for everything and everyone to have their own individuality, 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.”