National costume is largely determined by factors such as climate, history, culture. For example, in cold countries natural furs are used as details. Often there are national ornaments or religious symbols embroidered on the fabric. At present, the national costume is worn during folk holidays and festivities and for the performance of national dances and songs.
Yakutia: territorial location, climate, history, culture
At the moment it is part of the Russian Federation, in the Far Eastern Federal District. The climate there is harsh, northern, with short summers and long winters, during which the air temperature can drop to 50 degrees below zero. This factor explains the use of fur and leather in the suit. As a nationality, the Yakuts (they are also Sakha or Sakhalar) descended from the Tungus, Paleo-Asians, Mongol and Turkic-speaking nomadic tribes. For this reason, the details of the national costume contain traditional elements of clothing and othernationalities. In ancient times, the Yakuts professed a religion called Aiyy. Even now, it is their tradition to celebrate the Ysyakh holiday, where the Gods of Aiyy are glorified, shamans are present and throat singing is used.
Samples of the first national costumes
It is believed that the history of traditional Sakha clothing begins in the 13th century. Then, furs and animal skins and coarse cloth were used for warmth. The attire was decorated with a national ornament, which was applied to the fabric by embroidery. When the Yakuts mastered cattle breeding, the main material was the fur of domestic animals. He also decorated the costume, for example, cuffs or collars were sewn on. In addition, the clothes were also decorated with velvet. One of the most ancient is the Tangalay costume. It was a product made of rawhide with fur inserts at the top of the sleeve. The waist was decorated with metal jewelry, there were cuts on the sides. At the moment, this costume is no longer worn.
Modern cuts
There are several traditional elements of tailoring in the Yakut national costume. The most popular cut is called “onoolooh, buuktaah”, and includes the following elements:
- Buuk sleeve. Fluffy, loose, sometimes ruched.
- "Onoo". These are the folds on the back of the suit.
Another cut "kytyylaah". Its feature is the presence of wide strips of cloth material on the sides of the suit. Often when decorating, red is used.
National costume for adults
Women's clothing uses practical and natural fabrics such as satin and chintz. Silk and satin are used to create festive attire. Women's national costume includes decoration with embroidery, beads and fur ornaments.
Traditionally, the fair sex wore a large amount of jewelry. Metal or beaded hoops with links falling down along the face were put on the head. The hair was also decorated - the braid was called suhuoh or kiiste and was fastened with rawhide straps. The famous pectoral decoration is the kebiher ilisurekh pendant, shaped like a cross. In the manufacture, techniques such as blackening and gilding were used. A large number of jewelry expressed respect for a woman as a successor to the family, in addition, some of them played the role of amulets and talismans.
Women's fur coat is called sanyyakh. It is made from fox, sable and wolf fur. The wedding version is decorated with a fur pattern in the form of bird wings.
The complete wedding suit included the following elements: a face covering - anna, a rawhide shirt, pantaloons, leggings - leg warmers from knee to ankle, dokha - a fur coat with a pattern of wings, dabaka - a headdress with a ledge at the top, a bit reminiscent of a military helmet. Of course, a large number of decorations were attached to the wedding attire: on the head, neck, hands.
Yakut male nation althe costume looked much more modest than the women's. Be sure to present a fur trim on the collar and cuffs. It differed in volume and height of the pile. On the edge of the hem, sleeves, as well as along the sides of fur coats and capes, traditional patterns were embroidered, most often in blue, beige or brown. The man's headdress was shaped like a military helmet. It was made from natural fur. Thanks to the ties, the neck and ears were reliably protected from wind and frost. Some headdresses were decorated with ears, which symbolized the connection with space and the universe. Another decorative element is the full moon or the sun, which meant procreation. Also, caps were sometimes decorated with lush fur tails on top.
What they wore on their feet
Shoes for both men and women were high fur boots - thousand eterbes. They were made from the skin of a deer shin - kamus, and were stitched with felt. In such shoes, one could feel comfortable in frost up to 50 degrees below zero. Another option is a bag. Such shoes were made of cloth and leather and hemmed with felt and wool. She got off with the fur of a red fox, silver fox or beaver. The most popular shoe colors are gray, beige, brown, black. Of course, the female version was decorated with beads, embroidery, fur patterns.
Summer shoes were called terehe and were short boots.
Yakut children's national costume
Almost completely copied the clothes of adults. Yakut national costume for a girlwas a reduced copy of the clothes of an adult Yakut. Children also wore various jewelry made of metal, beads and fur.
The Yakut national costume for a boy was also no different from the attire of an adult man. Fur trim and modest embroidery - these are the components of the little Yakut's costume.
Ritual clothing
A special person, a shaman, was responsible for the connection with the spirits of the Yakuts. His attire was different from the costumes of ordinary people, and some of his details could have a special ritual meaning. So, for example, many costumes were decorated with fringe, reminiscent of plumage, along the sleeves and on the back. This design symbolized a bird. Putting on such a costume, the shaman got the opportunity to "fly" and communicate with the other worlds. In addition to fringe to identify oneself with a bird, their images were applied to the robe itself and used as pendants. They were mainly loons, cranes, eagles and ducks. The main material for tailoring was the skin of a stallion with the hair on the outside. The shaman's headdress deserves special attention. The material was the skin from the head of a stallion, on which the ears and mane were left. Such a headdress was not decorated in any way, ordinary people could not wear it.
Yakut national costume these days
The Yakuts wear traditional clothes on national holidays. Samples of everyday and festive traditional clothing can also be seen in historical museums. Photo of the Yakut national costumecan be seen in our article. Today, a much larger range of fabrics and various styles are used. However, traditional elements of the national costume can also often be found: for example, a modern wedding dress and a dabakh headdress. Jewelry from Yakutia is famous all over the world both from precious metals and from beads (the technique of working with the latter in some families is passed down from mother to daughter). Modern Yakut designers are often inspired by elements of the national costume and use them to create modern models.
