Kazakh national clothes

From the history of clothing. The study of the material culture of each people includes the study of clothing items. Events and changes in the life of the people are reflected in such spheres of everyday life as clothing - a mirror of the customs and cultural traditions of the Kazakh people. By studying clothing, its changes over time and its improvement, one can recreate interesting pictures from the life history of our ancestors. The folklore of the Kazakh people has brought to us such expressions associated with items of clothing and everyday life: “A girl dressed in a karkata”, “A woman in a kasaba” (a type of women’s clothing). Sometimes Kazakhs talk about their seniority. They say: “I made a few itkoylek (vest shirts) old before you.” Or “Whoever puts on a kebenek will return, whoever is wrapped in a kebin (shroud) will never return.” If you have read Kazakh folk epics. We heard legends about batyrs, then we came across the words: “on the batyr’s head there was a dulyga (helmet), behind his back there was a zhyga (quiver), on his body there was a sauyt (chain mail), around the body there was a beldyk” (belt). Words karkara, kabasa, itkoylek, dulyga, sauyt, zhiga, beldyk, kebenek, kebin indicate objects that surrounded Kazakhs from the day they were born until their last breath. From the era of ancient Turki to today Kazakh clothing items, along with their names, have undergone enormous changes. Like a man who has gone through many stages development, so his clothes were modified, improved, improved, for from the day of birth a person begins to wear clothes. Thus, there is history in human clothing, and time leaves its traces on it. From the works of Herodotus one can learn that the ancient tribes that lived on the current territory of Kazakhstan were nomads. The nomadic Sakas were engaged in cattle breeding. Together with the cattle, they spent the winter in winter quarters, and in the summer they migrated to zhailau. Most of the livestock were horses. Horses were “wings” for them and contributed to victories over the enemy in wars. In peacetime, their milk, from which kumys was made, was a healing drink, skins - clothing, meat - food. In ancient times, our ancestors made clothing for themselves from the skins of livestock. A hat (tymak), a fur coat, and fur pants were the most comfortable items of clothing, and perfectly suited the lifestyle of the nomadic people and the changeable weather conditions. But to say that they made clothes only from horse skins would be incorrect. By doing this we would only impoverish their “tailor’s” craft. Nomads are children of nature. They were constantly hunting. This means that our ancestors also used the skins of wild animals to make clothes. This also explains the fact that in the art of the Kazakhs there are such lines: “Where are you, the time when boots were made from the skin of a black bulan (bulan - wild horse)?” Chinese historian about the ancient Turkic kagan, about his retinue Xuan-Jiang wrote: “... their horses are stately. The kagan was wearing a blue silk robe. On the head is a turban, more than one length (3.2 m), with tassels behind the back. Together with him, more than 20 people are retinue in brocade robes, with braided braids. The rest of the warriors are dressed in leather clothes and light hats. In their hands they held flags, bows, and also axes.” It can be assumed that in ancient times the kagans (troop leaders) dressed in rich clothes made from Chinese silk. And ordinary soldiers dressed in traditional clothes made from leather. According to scientists. Among the ancient Turks there were many dancers, musicians, drummers, and masters of playing national musical instruments. They even showed their art in the courtyard of the Chinese emperor - Bogdykhan. It is known that people of art always dressed in bright, beautifully tailored, elegant clothes.

Nomad clothing. The nomadic lifestyle of our ancestors forced them to constantly defend their lands from raids. In such conditions, when more time was spent “in the saddle of a horse and on the hump of a camel,” clothing had to be comfortable, adapted for such a life. It was necessary to always be fully armed, to meet the enemy on horseback, to transport a yurt, property, family and children on the hump of a camel. Therefore, there were no big changes in the clothing of the warriors. The headdress of the ancient Turk was not much different from the Kazakh tymak of the early twentieth century. This means that the military marching life of the ancient Kazakhs was not much different from the life of warriors at the beginning of the twentieth century, and therefore the clothing did not undergo fundamental changes. Of course, it cannot be said that previously both the khan and the simple nomad dressed the same. Take, for example, the clothing of the “Golden Man,” found during excavations in the Esik area, near Almaty. This is the burial of a young noble warrior, apparently the son of the leader of a large tribe. The Ukrainian poetess Maria Vlad writes about this in her work “The Secret of the Kipchak Steppe” about how the burial of a Turkic prince was found, wrapped in Byzantine silk, in a gold robe on his shoulders, with a silver belt around the waist, in silver and gold armor, with a gold chain, With expensive rings on the fingers, holding in right hand golden mace. Since in the middle of the century the way of life of the Kipchaks did not undergo significant changes, household products and objects of material culture remained basically the same, this also applies to clothing. The military clothing of the ancient defender, which has come down to us from oral descriptions folk art, consisted of dulyga, zhyg, aksauyt, beldyk - all these helmets, armor, chain mail and belts were preserved in the armor of the Kazakh warrior until the beginning of the twentieth century. Most military armor was made of metal. Not everyone had the opportunity to purchase kireuke - chain mail. It was replaced with kokrekshe - a felt lining. Hard leather and horsehair. In the songs of Shalkiiz (XV-XVI centuries) the following words are found: “He was wearing a sleeveless leather sheepskin coat. Which cannot be broken." The peaceful clothing of a nomad was not much different from the combat clothing. When migrating, the men did not take all types of weapons with them. But they kept the soils (clubs) with them: enemies, thieves, or wild animals could attack. Life in the nomads is half military life. True, on special occasions, the clothes were different, more elegant.

Difference between women's and men's clothing

If the clothes of nomadic men basically did not change, then the outfits of girls and young women underwent some changes over time. True, there is information that in wartime the Kipchaks dressed like men, mounted horses with weapons in their hands, and fought with enemies. They led a difficult camp life. For Kazakhs, girls' and women's clothing differs from each other. Girls wore fitted dresses with double-length fringes. Camisoles were bordered with embroidery, fastened with metal clasps or belted with a silver belt. A skullcap - taqiya, decorated with eagle owl feathers - was put on the head. A skull cap with feathers meant that the girl had entered the time of marriage. Middle-aged women put a kimeshek on their heads - a headdress that completely covered the head, only the face was exposed. Over the dress they wore a camisole, and on their feet - ichigi - boots with galoshes. With age, Kazakh women dressed more and more simply. Headdresses were devoid of decorations. The men dressed the same, without much difference from each other. Although the clothes also had age differences. The clothes of the young men were more elegant. They usually wore silk shirts with or without a straight collar, velvet beshpin, trousers and rawhide boots. Over everything they put on a chekmen or chapan made of camel hair. On their heads they wore a skullcap, a borik - a hat bordered with the fur of a fur-bearing animal. With age, men's clothing also became more modest and simpler.

Names of clothes. There are many types of hats. These are borik, karkara (a type of round pointed hat), saukele - a tall women's headdress, kasaba. Saukele is a beautiful headdress that has very ancient roots. He was even considered the personification beautiful woman. For men and women, clothing for holidays and celebrations and for everyday life had differences.

Precious stones were used to decorate festive clothing; it was also decorated with embroidery with gold threads. Casual clothes were comfortable for work, made from simple material. With age, a person's clothing became more and more simpler and more modest. If someone died in the family, women removed jewelry from their dresses, men girded themselves with a black belt. In some areas they relied on a stick. Clothing is a national treasure. You can learn about customs by clothing. Traditions, Aesthetic tastes of the Kazakh people, about the cultural and historical development of our ancestors. And among the Kazakhs it was varied and rich.

Ancient clothing

I thought, having gone into another century,

On my head there is a beautiful fur tymak,

And I saw a quilted fur coat on myself.

With cords. Hanging down.

Pants and shirt made of white material,

Sticks are made from meadowsweet,

Decorated with materials of other colors,

To secure the tymak with them from below!

Abay Kunanbaev.

Kazakh clothes

The most ancient of outerwear is kebenek (in Zhetysu - kebentai). It is sewn from white. Gray or black felt felt facing outward with a slit at the back to make it comfortable to mount the horse. Sometimes they were cut together with trousers. It looked like a chapan. But with a big collar, and the grooms wore it over winter clothes to protect yourself from frost and blizzards. cold rain and snow. That is why the Kazakhs have a saying “That. Whoever puts on the cap will return. Whoever is wrapped in a kebin (shroud) will never return.” The Kazakhs attached special importance to the headdress. This can be seen in traditions that have survived to this day. When a particularly honored guest is given a horse, a chapan and a headdress. The men's headdress was made from the material that was at hand. It was tetrahedral, domed, insulated, lined with wool, and had a velvet, silk or fur top. Based on the type of animal fur they were made from, they were called: sable, fox, etc. Among the people, boriks made of lamb skin (merlushka), fox tymak, malakhai - warm headdresses with earmuffs and an insulated occipital bottom at the back, and earflaps of the European type were widely used. Men usually wore boots that were the same for both feet. This is so as not to waste time searching for the right and left boots. European-style boots for different feet appeared among the Kazakhs only in the last century. The clothes of the newlyweds during the wedding were distinguished by their beauty, splendor, and bright colors. Particularly beautiful were the breast vest, beshpent, chapan, worn one on top of the other, bordered with gold lines. The bride was dressed in a velvet dress, a camisole embroidered with gold threads, and on the head of the saukele - a tall, colorful, although inconvenient in everyday life, headdress, but the height of aesthetic perfection, the belt was trimmed with gold threads, and sholpas - pendants with gold decorations - hung at the ends of the braided hair , there were bracelets and rings on his hands. On his feet were boots made of soft and light leather. The Kazakh folk costume reflects ancient traditions associated with ethnic, social and economic conditions. The main material for clothing among the Kazakhs was cotton and wool fabrics, leather, thin felt. Furs, skins and leather were used to make fur coats, sheepskin coats, hats, and elegant outerwear. Young girls wore dresses decorated with gold frills. Married women wear tunic-like dresses with sleeveless vests. Hats and fur coats - items of women's clothing - were made from suede, velvet and fur. Women's clothing and headdresses were decorated with embroidery and ornaments, patterned braid, etc. Men's clothing - camisoles, robes, trousers - were mainly decorated with embroidery or stripes. There was no particular difference in the cut of formal, elegant and casual clothing of the Kazakhs. But it differed in the quality of the material and the degree of decoration. Clothing was made for special occasions from expensive materials, decorated with beads, embroidery, and gems; hats were taller; the shoes were heeled, with curved toes, made of good stuff. It was trimmed with morocco, braid, and gold threads. Clothes in the belt were intercepted by a belt decorated with gilding. Silver, semi-precious stones. In addition to the outfit, bracelets, rings, earrings, pendants, and braid jewelry were selected. If coarse fabrics were used for everyday clothing - calico, linen, chintz. Leather was home-processed, then expensive fabrics were used for elegant clothing: velvet, silk, taffeta velor and valuable furs of sable, beaver, marten, skins of deer, elk, horse, etc. The Kazakhs have always especially revered the headdress. Among headdresses, the saukele deserves special attention. Saukele is a traditional, very ancient bride's headdress. During excavations, archaeologists found headdresses similar to saukeles during excavations of medieval burial mounds. For wedding celebration A headdress was specially sewn for the bride, which consisted of a frame for securing the forehead, sides, a back plate 20-30 cm high, lined with valuable fur, and the saukele itself, which was put on over the frame. Saukele was made from thin felt covered with yellow or red velvet. The upper part was decorated with embroidery with silver threads and beads, and along the edges of the bottom there was fringe. They were decorated with a crown made of precious stones and semi-precious stones, and decorations made of beads, pearls, and turquoise were hung on the sides. A veil was always attached to the saukele, which covered the face and figure of the bride, giving her appearance tenderness and grace. During betashar - the ritual of revealing the bride's face - the veil was lifted. The Kazakh national costume has reached us in its most typical form. Like everyone folk costume, he improved under the influence environment. Conditions of nomadic life in the steppes with their winds, summer heat and winter frosts. But it dictates its own terms, and now only on holidays can you see people in national clothes. The bride's wedding dress with a high headdress - saukele - is very beautiful. Men and children often wear a special type of headdress - the taqiya. The guest of honor, a man, is traditionally presented with a robe (shapan) and a hat made of white felt (kalpak). National clothing - a historical source. To preserve it as a relic for future generations, it must be treated with care. A respectful and respectful attitude towards national clothing is a sign of the wisdom of the people, their concern for the future, for the restoration of national identity.

Before the wedding, Kazakh women have a good opportunity to shine in two dresses. Traditionally, it is customary to wear a national dress. It turned out that not all girls dream of a dress from Vera Wang or Elie Saab. This is evidenced by the popularity of ateliers that accept orders for Kazakh wedding dresses.

By the way, before putting on that same dress, you should understand the sacred meaning of this robe and look at photographs from antiquity and compare modern options.

You probably noticed that the original appearance of the Kazakh dress is different from today’s version. In the original, the dress was not so bright, and there were not so many patterns. But in terms of the “richness” of the outfit, this version was superior to the current one, since the stones on the saukele were precious.

“The Kazakhs wore such a headdress for about a year before the girl’s marriage. The richer the father was, the more richly the saukele was decorated. At the very top, in a place called taj (I suspect from the Arabic word “taj” - translated as “crown”), precious stones, pearls, corals, gold and silver coins were sewn on. In addition, it was decorated with gold threads, brocade and velvet. A “zhaktau” trimmed with fur and precious stones was sewn along the edges. and the ends of the zhaktau were tucked into pockets sewn to the bride’s dress. So that they do not break under the weight of decorations. In a word, saukele was a symbol of family well-being. Something like a business card." (Aizhan Khamit)

It is also worth noting that there are speculations that the long sleeves of the shapan meant that the girl was from a rich family and was not burdened with household chores.

“The Kazakh wedding headdress saukele is 100% borrowed from the Sakas, for whom the pointed high cap served as the “crown” of the ruling elite.” (From the facebook group “National Clothes Day”)

Below are the basic attributes of wedding clothing:

Kosetek - a light dress with frills, cut 5-6 cm below the waist and very fitted. A wide flounce was sewn to the skirt of the dress, onto which several rows of gathered frills were sewn - zelbezek . Frills also decorated the bottom of long sleeves and the collar. In some areas, instead of a frill, they made two or three folds. The dress was worn over an undershirt chikoylek , which was usually sewn from white material, with narrow sleeveless shoulders and a collar neckline tied with ribbons.

Camisole – outerwear, It was made primarily of brightly colored velvet. Its length was below the hips, the silhouette was fitted, usually lined. The neckline, floors and bottom of the camisole were decorated. Most often it was embroidery: satin stitch, vestibule, gold and silver thread, or border, lurex stripes, braid or beads.

Saukele consisted of two parts. A conical cap made of fabric, quilted, with a lining, up to 25 centimeters high, was placed directly on the head. Sometimes a forehead and back pad were sewn to it. The saukele was worn directly over it. The material for this beautiful and ceremonial dress was thin felt, trimmed with bright, most often red, fabric. The back of the cone was 10 cm higher than the front. There is a hole in the upper part. From below, and sometimes in the middle, the saukele was trimmed with fur. The front part was decorated with all kinds of stripes: braid, corals, beads, silver plaques, precious stones. Long pendants made of threads of coral, turquoise, silver plates, and silk tassels that reached the waist were attached to the sides.

For many centuries, the Kazakh national costume was distinguished by its simplicity, convenience and some features unique to it. Today we will get to know him better.

general characteristics

The population of all strata was characterized by a common form and cut of the outfit. For example, men's outerwear looked almost the same as women's. It was possible to distinguish a women's suit from a men's suit only by color and certain minor elements. It was possible to identify the social status and age of the owner of the clothing only by certain details. This article will provide a description of the Kazakh national costume with consideration of its individual components.

Kazakhs have always highly valued animal skin and fur. A fur coat made from skin was called a ton, and a fur coat made from fur was called a shash. A fur coat made from a raccoon was called zhanat ton, from a fox - kara tulki ton, from a camel - bota ton, and so on. The beaver cap was called Kamshat boryk. Kazakhs sewed quite a few types of clothes from felt. It was usually made from white wool. The most valued item was the fluff from the neck of a sheep.

Along with the materials that were woven on primitive home looms, silk, wool and cotton fabrics brought from abroad came into use. They were mainly bought by feudal lords. Ordinary people were content with leather, fur and woolen homemade items of clothing.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, Kazakhs usually made clothes from factory-made cotton fabrics such as chintz, calico, calico, calico and calico. Those who could afford it bought velvet, silk, satin, fine cloth and brocade. In addition, Central Asian fabrics were widely used: mata, adras, bekasab, padshai and others.

Women's headdress

Like many other peoples, the headdress of Kazakh women not only warmed their heads, but also indicated their marital status. Married ladies, depending on their tribal group, could wear different versions of it, but the girl’s headdress was almost the same throughout the country. Girls wore skullcaps or warm fur hats. The latter had a band of fur trimmed with otter, beaver or fox. Fur hat, which the Kazakhs called borik, was considered an attribute of wealthy girls. And everyone could afford a skullcap (takii). The top of the head was decorated with eagle owl feathers, which served as a talisman.

A little later, they began to use gimp tassels, silver coins or braid for decoration. Rich girls also wore skullcaps. Only they were made not from cheap materials, but from velvet. Such headdresses were embroidered with gold. At the top of the skullcap there was a wide embroidered blade made of fabric, covering the entire top and going down.

After the birth of her first child, the woman began to wear kimeshek - the headdress of a married Kazakh woman. Depending on the age and region, the individual details of the kimishek could differ, but it always consisted of two parts. The bottom one looked like a scarf. And the top one was a turban that was wound over a scarf. Both parts were made of white material. Kimeshek can still be found today on the heads of elderly Kazakh women.

Wedding headdress

Separately, it is worth noting the saukele. This is a women's wedding headdress, which is a cone-shaped hat about 70 centimeters high. The price of such a headdress could reach hundreds of selected horses. This attribute was a mandatory component of the dowry and was prepared by the parents long before their daughter’s marriage. The bride wore a saukele for the wedding and for the next few years wore it on important holidays. It is distinguished by an openwork metal finial, temple pendants, chin decorations and a tiara, which in wealthy families was made of gold. It could also contain inserts of gems, strings of pearls, corals and other things. The body of the saukele was covered with fabric. Metal plates were sewn onto it, to which stones were attached. In rich families they were precious, but in poor families they were semi-precious or completely absent. On the back of the saukele there was an image of a fish’s head, which from time immemorial was considered a symbol of prosperity. A ribbon of precious fabric, trimmed with golden fringe, ran down the back from the back of the head.

Participated in the process of making saukele various masters: embroiderers, cutters, and even jewelers. They used embossing, casting, filigree stamping and other techniques. One bride's headdress could take more than a year to make. In addition to it, it was mandatory to have zhaktau - long pendants that were attached to the sides of the saukele and reached the belt. Based on the materials from which the wedding headdress was made, it was possible to determine the social status of the bride and her family. The poor made it from cloth and decorated it with glass accessories, while the rich tried to decorate such a significant attribute as expensively as possible. Without saukale, the Kazakh national costume would not be so colorful. It was a real honor for the master to sew this headdress.

Men's hats

The Kazakh men's headdress was also presented in a wide variety. Representatives of the stronger sex wore skullcaps and all kinds of hats. The summer headdress was called a cap. It was made of thin felt. It was mostly white and had an interesting antique cut. Wealthy Kazakhs decorated their caps with embroidery of bright colors. Winter hats Kazakh men had round shape and fur trim. During the cold season, the earflap hat was also popular. The backrest for her was made from fox fur.

Another ancient Kazakh headdress, bashlyk, was made first from camel cloth, and then from camel fabric. It could be worn directly on other non-thick hats. The bashlyk protected the Kazakh from dust, rain and intrusive sun rays. Men's hat, having a fur edge, was called the same as among women, borik. And the winter fur headdress was nicknamed tymak.

Now let’s look directly at the Kazakh national costume.

Women's outfit

In the past, Kazakh women rode horses just like men, so a woman’s costume necessarily included pants. They were made from homespun cloth, sheepskin, and cotton types of fabric. Pants could be upper (shalbar) and lower (dambal). Female models They were shortened (just below the knees), wide at the top and narrowed at the bottom.

The main outerwear of Kazakh women was shapan - a wide robe. It had a straight cut and long sleeves. In the warm season they wore a light robe, and in the cold season - with a woolen lining, which was quilted together with the top. The first Kazakh shapans had an open collar, and more modern ones had a turn-down collar.

In winter, women wore what was called a coupe, which was usually lined with fox fur. The most popular was fur from fox blades. Goat skins were widely used, but most often - whiting. Rich ladies could afford a fur coat made from otter and other valuable animals. Satin or cotton fabrics were used for the upper part of the coupe. The inside of the compartment was lined with fabric only at the edges, and on the outside it was usually bordered with otter or fox fur. Expensive coupes were decorated with velvet or braided stripes. The Kazakh national costume for girls was the same as for women.

Women's wedding suit

An obligatory part of the dowry was a wedding robe, which was prepared in advance. Such outfits were made from expensive types fabrics (velvet, velvet, cloth, silk, satin). Usually the material chosen was red. Sometimes they took black or striped silk from Central Asia. The robe was sewn with a tunic-like cut. It had long sleeves and an open collar, without a collar. In the southern and eastern parts of the country, the robe was thrown over the head, and in other territories - over the shoulders. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the custom of dressing the bride in a wedding robe was abolished in Semirechye. In these parts, it was the honor of a woman who invited guests to a wedding to wear such a robe. In it she traveled around the village and invited guests. Such a woman was called that one.

Until the nineteenth century, men wore open shirts called jade. Later they were replaced by open-loop shirts with a tunic-like cut. The latter had a turn-down collar. Kazakh men wore light underpants on their legs. And over them, warmer pants made of cloth, sheepskin, suede or thick cotton types of fabric were worn. Wealthy Kazakhs wore outer trousers made of velvet or suede, which were embroidered with ornaments. Over the shirt, men, like women, wore camisoles, which could be with or without sleeves. As a rule, they had a closed collar and a stand-up collar. The main type of men's outerwear was a robe.

Kazakhs often gave each other robes. This determines the richness of their decoration and ornament, which often served as a talisman. Social differences in men's clothing manifested themselves in the same way as in women's. They could be seen by the quality of the material and finish. In the cold season, Kazakh men wore a coupe made of sheep or camel wool, a covered fur coat (ishyk) or a sheepskin sheepskin coat (ton). They also sometimes wore cloth cloaks.

The Kazakh national costume would not be complete without a belt made of fabric or leather. Wealthy people wore belts made of silk or velvet. The Kazakh national costume for a boy was practically no different from a man’s.

Shoes

The Kazakh national costume was complemented by shoes, which were practically no different for women and men. The nomadic lifestyle made its own changes to the wardrobe of the local population. They typically wore boots that were suitable for any season. The shoes of older people differed from those of young people in the height of their heels. For the latter, it could reach eight centimeters, while for the former it was much smaller. Another common type of shoe was ichigi - light boots without heels that hugged the leg. On top of them were worn kebis - leather boots. They were removed upon entering the house.

Winter boots were high and had a wide top. They were put on top of felt stockings. The very first models of Kazakh boots had curved toes. Young girls decorated their shoes with embroidery and appliqués. Poorer Kazakhs wore felt boots with leather soles. And the poorest were limited to sandals, which were leather soles with straps.

Decor

The Kazakh national costume would not be so colorful without decorations. The most common of them were embroidery and appliqué. They were applied to clothes, hats and shoes. Women also wore gold, silver, copper, bronze, pearl, mother-of-pearl and glass jewelry. Pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets were made from these materials. Special attention Kazakhs paid attention to belt decoration. Silver plaques were sewn onto it and decorated with ornaments. The type of jewelry usually depended on the age and marital status of the owner. There were also products characteristic of a particular territorial group of the population.

Conclusion

So we got acquainted with the national clothing of the Kazakhs. Finally, it is worth noting that in the house of a modern family there can only be a doll in a Kazakh national costume. The people themselves have long since changed their clothes. Modern Kazakh national costumes are only worn for celebrations. Traditional outfits can be found in villages and among representatives of older generations.

The Kazakh folk costume has absorbed all the best that was created by the art and talent of many generations, multiplied by the work of hundreds and thousands of craftsmen. The Kazakh costume embodies the basic principles and achievements of artistic crafts that have been created over the centuries as a result of the economic specialization of nomadic, semi-sedentary and settled population groups. It reflected the pulsating way of life of the people, the level of their production, and aesthetic ideals. the influence of those ethnic components from which the Kazakh people historically emerged is clearly visible. For example, the Turkic-Kypchak ethnic layer includes the manner of wrapping clothes on the left side, edging a robe, a sleeveless camisole with stripes, placing colored stitches, embroidery along the edges of the cutout for the head in a kimeshek, a women's headdress in the form of a hood with a triangle running down the back. And in the fact of decorating with feathers (as amulets) children's and girls' hats, and the headdresses of singer-improvisers, scientists see a reflection of the pagan ideas of the Kazakhs and their ancestors passed down from generation to generation.

In the Kazakh costume one can find traces of the influence of neighboring ethnic groups - Russians, Tatars, Karakalpaks, Altaians; it has much in common with the national clothing of the Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, and Turkmens. There are also elements of direct borrowing, as evidenced by the interception at the waist and flared design found in the cut of the men's beshmet women's dress kulish koylek (kulish koylek), gathers on the back of another women's dress jaz koylek (jaz koylek), one-piece holats, individual samples of skull caps, boots, etc.

Like any folk costume, it was evolutionarily improved, the development of its basic forms occurred both under the influence of the environment, living conditions in the steppes with their winds, summer heat and winter frosts, and taking into account the needs of nomadic life, such as the need to stay for a long time in the saddle in clothes that do not restrict movement.

These and other factors explain its simplicity, practicality and expediency, emphatically indicating its origin in the local steppe environment.

The costumes of the wealthy part of the steppe population were distinguished by luxury and splendor. It was characterized by a strict silhouette, it was complemented by embroidery with gold and silver threads, beads, and decorated with pearls, semi-precious stones, corals, metal plaques coated with silver and gold.

The Kazakh folk costume is characterized by the absence of a strict line in the cut of formal and everyday clothing with a certain age regulation. The front room differed from the everyday one in its somewhat loose cut, the volume of hats, and decorations. Velvet, silk, brocade, and expensive furs were used to make formal clothes, while everyday clothes were made from simple material. Social differences in both women's and men's costumes are manifested mainly in the quality of material, decoration, and the number of clothes worn at the same time in a set.

All this, merged together, formed a very peculiar, unique complex of folk costume, which, more clearly than any other phenomenon, reflects, in principle, the specifics of the Kazakh national culture.

According to the famous researcher and expert on Kazakh folk costume R. Khojaeva, at the turn of the 19th and 19th centuries, shoulder clothing, both swinging and non-swinging, was tunic-like. A wide sash was placed directly on the man's body. long sleeves an open shirt - jade, with an open triangular neckline, trimmed with a stitched or quilted strip of the same fabric. They also sewed jade with a closed collar. However, starting from the middle of the 19th century, shirts with a shoulder seam, a beveled shoulder, and a straight cut on the chest, lined with a wide turn-down or narrow stand-up collar, began to spread. At the beginning of the neckline for the head, the shirt was hemmed, sewing ties to it on both sides, later they began to trim it with a placket and make a fastener for it with slotted loops on buttons

R. Khodzhaeva also reports that Kazakh women in the past wore an open shirt - koilek (koilek), as usual, also of a tunic-like cut, but longer and wider than those of men, with a blind collar and a straight slit in the front, with a fastener at the corner. The collar of women's dresses has always been turn-down, but since the second half of the 19th century it has been replaced by a stand-up collar. At the same time, girls' dresses with two or three rows of frills - kosetek (kosetek) - literally - “with two hems”, which later became generally accepted, appeared. The ends of sleeves and sometimes collars were also decorated with frills.

It can be assumed that previously women could wear dresses without collars, girls - without a slit in the front, which is also confirmed by the drawings. made at one time by European travelers.

Kazakh folk costume, especially women's, with a general similarity in silhouette, cut and decoration techniques, is not without, however, some differences in proportions, in the choice of material, and in color combinations. This is most likely explained by the fact that in some regions the most archaic forms of clothing could be preserved longer due to ingrained craft traditions and established ideas about beauty and harmony. Of course, they were sewn differently in each region, but everywhere they distinguished the costume of a girl, a young married woman, elderly woman. A special elegance was given to the girl’s costume by the edging with oka (oka) stripes, woven gold and silver threads, chain stitch, beads, as well as the presence in its set of gold, silver jewelry, pendants made of precious beads and semi-precious stones, corals, turquoise attached to it, embroidered hats with feathers.

It was considered unbecoming for a married woman to wear a dress made of bright fabric, with frills, or embroidery, while a girl could wear any dress to her taste, often embroidered with vestibule, gold and silver thread. True, a young woman could wear richly decorated bibs - kokrekshe (kokirekshe) made of thick fabric, worn on a dress under a sleeveless vest; zhaulyk (zhaulyk) is a headdress of an indoor type, folded from a square of white cotton fabric, the crossed ends of which are thrown over the shoulders. But, having become a wife and mother, she had, as custom required, to wear dresses longer than the girls’, without frills: a camisole fastened in front at the waist with a large metal buckle - kapsyrma (kapsyrma), often with buttons. Wearing a headdress, in particular, kimeshek and its varieties - sulama (sulama), shylauym, kundik (kundik), orama, was determined by the ancient custom according to which a married woman had to hide her hair, especially in the temporal part, from prying eyes. She was not allowed to leave the house uncovered and do housework, while a girl could braid her hair in two or more braids and not cover it at all.

In winter to complete women's suit a chapan (shapan) was added, covered with velvet on a quilted lining, a borik (borik) - a headdress with a fur trim, a scarf, and insulated boots.

In the past, a swing skirt - a beldemshe made of velvet or thin cloth, which was gathered on a wide, dense belt made of the same material, fastened with buttons or a buckle - was very popular in the south of Kazakhstan and Semirechye. Beldemshe was often embroidered with a vestibule, sometimes trimmed with expensive fur. Its variety - shalgy (shalgy) was tied with a wide ribbon in two circles around the waist.

Women of Central and Northern Kazakhstan, depending on their taste, wore dresses under their camisoles decorated with small silver plaques minted specifically for this purpose - shityr. And in the southeast, leaf-shaped thin plaques - zharma - were sewn along the cut of the dress for the head. This dress was fastened at the throat with one large patterned clasp - tana (brooch). In the west of Kazakhstan, a metal decoration - tamaksha (tamaksha) was often tightly sewn onto the collar of a dress, and silver coin-shaped circles, often silver coins, corals on small chains, were sewn onto camisoles.

Elderly women usually wore camisoles over a loose-fitting lined dress - zhon koilek (zhon koilek) - sleeveless vests, long with welted and stitched pockets, slightly fitted. In Central Kazakhstan, they were fastened with a strict series of silver fasteners - bota trsek (bota tirsek), vaguely reminiscent of the knee joints of a camel (bota - camel, tirsek - bend), or with figured buttons framed with silver. And in the southeast they simply belted themselves with a sash made of satin or chintz. Elderly women wore a kimeshek on their heads, complemented by a turban or scarf wound from below so that each upper turn was higher than the previous one. The kimeshek was sewn from white cotton fabric.

In the cold season, older women wore velvet-covered or quilted chapans, and wealthier women wore a fur coat (ishik) made from the skins of fur-bearing animals, which in the past was a measure of wealth, ichigi (mәsi) worn in leather galoshes - kebs (kebis).

The Kazakh men's costume is more similar than the women's costume. It consisted of underwear - jade (shirt, pants), chapan (shapan) made from purchased fabric, shekpen from homespun cloth of the same name, wide trousers (shalbar, sym) made of sheepskin, dyed in natural colors, tucked into boots - saptama with felt stocking - baypak (baypak), sheepskin coat - tones. Men's hats were not very diverse either. In a men's suit, only the details of the cut, the materials from which they were made, and the composition of the items changed in accordance with the requirements of the time.

The horseman's costume was distinguished by its sophistication; a shirt was sewn for him - koilek (koilek) with a stand-up collar made of white cotton fabric. In the side under the sleeves of the shirt, gussets were inserted - koltyksha (koltyksha) in the form of triangles. Pants - dambal with a “wide step” made of the same material as the shirt, had the appearance of a rectangular “bag” with two long, slightly tapering legs with an insert - a wedge (ushkil) in the connection. The upper edges of the trouser legs were turned up so that a belt could be threaded through them.

Over the underwear, the horseman wore a light, fitted, fitted, with a stand-up collar, buttoned shoulder clothing - beshmet (in the north and east of Kazakhstan), keudeshe, kokrekshe (in the west, in Central Kazakhstan) with or without sleeves inserted into the armhole sleeves Depending on this, in the first case it was called beshmet, in the second - keudeshe, kokrekshe.

The beshmet in the south of Kazakhstan was also fitted, just below the hips, and was fastened at the top of the wrap with only one button. The shirt to go with it was made of thin cotton fabric with a stand-up collar and a bias fastener and tucked into the trousers. They were girded with a belt - a beldik (beldik) made of rawhide, often with a cloth sash.

Chapans, beshmets, kokrekshes were sewn from thin woolen cloth - maut, velvet, brocade,

printed silk, mainly in blue, brown and beige colors. It should be said that the Kazakhs and their ancestors have been familiar with these materials for a long time through exchange trade on the ancient caravan “Silk Road” that once passed through the cities of Southern Kazakhstan. The edges of the half sleeves were bordered with braid, and welt pockets without flaps were located slightly below the waist. Since the 19th century, decoration with braid, gold and silver thread has become widespread. Bloomers were sewn from the same material

like the beshmet, with a wedge insert for convenience when riding. The upper edges of the trousers, tucked into boots, like I did with dambals, were turned up so that a belt could be threaded through, which replaced a belt. The bloomers had no flies, no fasteners or buttons.

Trousers, fastened on a wide belt with buttons and a fly, appeared as part of a horseman's costume much later, towards the end of the 19th century, under the influence, presumably, of Russian tailoring. Beshmets and trousers made from the skins of foals and saigas, embroidered with a vestibule, were very popular among young men. Depending on the season, beshmets could be insulated.

The costume of the elderly man consisted of the same types of clothing as the horseman, only a little looser cut. For example, his beshmet was not always fitted, it was even considered indecent for his age, and his trousers were wider. Such a suit was sewn from simple material, fine woolen cloth - mauta (mәuiti), printed silk in calm tones. Over the lower shoulder clothing, the man put on a spacious chapan, made of dense material, lined, straight cut, with long and wide sleeves, and belted it.

With the onset of winter, men put on sheepskin or wolf sheepskin coats, put a fox cap - tymak (tymak) on their heads, and heavy ones on their feet leather boots- saptama. True, the sheepskin sheepskin coat was often replaced by a fur coat quilted with fur or wool lining - buy (kupi), one of the ancient forms of clothing of the Kazakhs - cattle breeders. According to S.I. Rudenko, who in the 20s, based on paleoethnological data, examined the clothing of the Kazakhs of the Uila and Sagyz rivers, the purchase was in use among the Kazakhs and their ancestors for at least two millennia. Covered with cloth, velvet, and made from the skins of fur-bearing animals, ishik fur coats (ishik) were highly valued among the steppe nobility. The most elegant fur coats were trimmed around the edges with otter and marten fur.

Included men's suit From ancient times, a long felt cloak was included - ke-benek, which was sewn from small, special quality, square pieces of thin felt, specially prepared for this purpose, with pile on the front side. Its collar was often cut out to be either a stand-up collar or a wide turn-down collar, which served as a hood. It was worn by shepherds and herdsmen over winter clothes, going to the pastures in the winter cold with their livestock.

The beshmets (kokrekshe) of the old people were of a straight silhouette, without any hint of decoration. They were sewn from simple fabric, on a quilted base. They were fastened with buttons. Bloomers were made from the same material as shoulder clothing; they were tucked into boots or ichigi. The shirt was usually sewn long to the knees, with turn-down collar, with ribbons at the neck for tying, which covered a wide dambal made of the same white chintz fabric.

Rich old people. especially those who were fond of horse riding and hunting, for their own pleasure, wore suede robes embroidered with multi-colored silk threads over the beshmet, wide trousers with slits at the bottom, belted with belts with sheath plaques sewn to them.

Men's outerwear, as is known, was not fastened, and therefore the belt was hers.

mandatory element. The most ancient belt of the Kazakhs is kse-belbeu (kise-belbeu). Unlike other types of belts, for example, beldik (beldіk), it had decorative leather pendants firmly attached to the straps, the so-called okshantay (okshantay), reminiscent in appearance of ancient powder flasks, scabbards - kyn (kyn). The belt was also decorated with metal plaques.

In men, Borik (bөrik), a round hat with a fur edge, covered with velvet, and its varieties -Kundyz Borik (қndyz bөrik), Pushpak Borik (Pұshpak Bөrik), Kara Borik (Kara Bөrik) were widely popular. etc. They differed in materials and small details in cut. In the steppe conditions, the tymak - the three-fox of a fox - was also indispensable; kalpak - a hat made of white felt, trimmed mainly with black velvet; zhalbagai, dalbai - lined hoods, reminiscent of the cut of a triukha; takiya - a round skullcap with patterned stitching on the band.

The steppe nobility used high headdresses, ayyrkalpak and murak, made of velvet. Mostly burgundy in color, on a felt base, embroidered with gold thread with floral patterns. They were worn over a cone-shaped hat trimmed with expensive fur.

Adult men constantly, even at dinner dastarkhan, wore a skullcap, and all the headdresses listed above on top of it when they were in the fresh air. Young men and children wore “shugla” (ray), “gul” (flower), and skullcaps embroidered with silk, gold and silver threads, with patterns placed on the dome on four sides. Often they made do with purchased skullcaps made in Kazan, Bukhara, and Tashkent.

Men, without exception, wore boots, which usually did not differ between left and right, which made it possible to wear them much longer, changing from one foot to the other from time to time. Boots, distinguishable into left and right, appeared among the Kazakhs much later, in all likelihood, as a result of familiarization with European culture.

Heavy boots - saptama, made from home-made leather, were in great demand among the steppe population. They were worn over felt stockings - baypacks, which reliably protected the legs and knees from frost and piercing winds. Koksauyr (koksauyr) boots, sewn from green shagreen, which was obtained by pressing under the weight of some weight scattered on the softened skin of millet, were considered exquisite shoes. Ichigi (mәсi) were worn mainly by old people, putting on leather galoshes - kebs (kebis) when leaving the house. Later, rubber ones, the so-called, also came into use. "Aeiat" factory-made galoshes.

The most primitive footwear that the poor had to make do with were rawhide leather sandals - shokai (shokai), as well as sharyk (sharyk), worn on boots to protect them when walking on scree.

The Kazakh children's and teenagers' costumes, in their design, repeat the clothes of adults in a smaller form, which, apparently, is due to the desire of parents to see their children as adults as soon as possible. The exception was the so-called it koilek (it koilek), which was sewn for newborns from a single piece of cotton fabric without shoulder seams or piping, and cotton bibs and trousers.

The wedding suit of both the bride and the groom differed from the ordinary one in its elegance, decorations, high quality materials, finishing, number of pieces of clothing included, and the presence of such inconvenient headdresses for everyday wear as saukele, ayyrkalpak, murak, embroidered with gold and silver thread. dresses, camisole, beshmet, robe. Necklace. rings, earrings, all kinds of pendants for women's sets wedding suit Traditionally they were part of the bride's dowry and were prepared in advance.

Of course, if a poor man got married, then he made do with a simple update of clothes, and his bride was content with an ordinary poor scarf - zhaulyk, which was added to everyday clothes.

Saukele - a wedding, as the Kazakhs say, “sacred” headdress of the bride, dates back to hoary antiquity. It is mentioned in many epic poems and legends. Saukele-shaped headdresses have been found by archaeologists in early medieval burials. Usually I used a quilted, velvet, conical hat as a frame for the saukele, sewing a forehead and a back cover to it. After this, the saukele itself was placed on top of it - a headdress in the shape of a tall cone trimmed with expensive fur, made of thin felt, trimmed with bright, most often burgundy or red fabric.

Saukele was decorated with silver and gilded plaques, a gold diadem with a ruby,

long, on both sides, pendants - zhaktama (zhaktama), consisting of coral beads, pearls, turquoise. A mandatory addition was a smooth cape made of a transparent white veil, attached to the top of the headdress - a zhelek, which was usually used to cover the bride’s face and wrap her entire figure during the performance of the ritual wedding song “Betashar” to introduce the girl to the groom’s relatives.

An ancient kasaba headdress (literally “embroidered with gold”) in which, in all likelihood, the main elements of this early prototype - the ancient Turkic women's hat of the same name, was based on a round shape, slightly sloping down at the back of the head. I made it using the same material as the camisole included in the women's suit, embroidering it with gold threads and outlining it with lurex embroidery.

The history of the search for this half-forgotten headdress is not without interest. The now deceased craftswoman Tleules Seitbekov first told us about it in my home village of Mayakum, in the south of Kazakhstan, back in 1963. For many years, the persistence of the economic structure and way of life of the Kazakhs, localized in the steppes of the Eurasian belt.

However, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, in connection with the development of commodity production in the emergence of capitalist relations on this basis, the expansion of economic and ethnocultural contacts with neighboring peoples, the influx of Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, Tatars and other peoples into Kazakhstan, significant changes took place in everyday life , economy, aesthetic ideals of its indigenous population. During this period, the city pier also began to have a strong influence on folk clothing.

The restructuring of the Kazakh village into new basis carried out during the years of Soviet power. Clothes and shoes could now be purchased ready-made, which made it possible to abandon narrow-woven weaving and handicrafts for the production of sheepskin coats, sheepskin coats, and skins of fur-bearing animals. With the expansion of the production of consumer goods, the art of gold seamstresses, embroiderers, tanners, and jewelers - zergers - became a thing of the past.

Whether we like it or not, due to these circumstances, under the influence modern fashion, replacement of materials, decorations, folk costume, which was a unique manifestation of material culture, an inexhaustible source for versatile research in the field of ethnoart history, even in the most traditional forms is undergoing a certain evolution today. This raises the problem of its preservation, saving from pseudoscientific delights, fake crafts, which complicate the task of recreating the national costume in all its splendor and brilliance.

Time is merciless to the best examples of native costume - fabric, suede, fur, leather and skins are its main materials - they cannot be stored forever. People are also not eternal - witnesses and experts of a bygone era, who themselves wore folk costume and therefore know its features well. The problem of preserving folk costume is further complicated by the inept intervention of individual fashion designers who are overly keen on pseudo-national elements in art and actively push their “creations” through cinema, television, theaters, concert organizations, and all kinds of tailoring workshops.

Kazakh folk costume, the creators of which are distinguished by an amazing understanding of the nature of the products, materials, decor, manufacturing methods, brought to the point of virtuosity, is a subject of special national pride. Preserving it for future generations in its original form is, of course, both honorable and responsible for everyone involved in this process.

Description of the presentation by individual slides:

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History of Kazakh national clothing The national clothing of the Kazakhs has absorbed all the best that the art and talent of folk craftsmen have been able to create over the centuries. It reflects the way of life of the people, the level of their production, aesthetic ideals, and the influence of those ethnic components from which the Kazakh people historically emerged is clearly visible. Of course, the traditional costume of the Kazakhs was greatly influenced, first of all, by the nomadic way of life. Folk “designers” created clothes so that they were comfortable for riding a horse, warm in the winter and not hot and heavy in the summer. Neighboring peoples, with whom the Kazakhs were in close relationship, had a great influence on the formation of the Kazakh costume. In it you can find special features inherent, for example, in the national clothing of Russians, Tatars, Karakalpaks, Altaians, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and Turkmens. Unlike the traditional clothing of some other peoples, the Kazakh costume is simple in composition, practical and distinguished by strict elegance thanks to fur trim, embroidery, and inlay. It is impossible to find in it the abundance of decorations and blinding diversity of colors that are characteristic of, say, the Turkmen

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The following fabrics and materials were used to make clothes, shoes, and hats: - leather (the main material), which was used to make winter pants, festive outerwear, sleeveless jackets, sheepskin coats, and hats. The skins were taken mainly from domestic animals - goats, sheep, stallions, cows. Tanned and bleached leather was used in combination with fabrics; - fur (as insulation and, at the same time, decoration of outerwear, shoes, etc.); - cloth (homemade); - felt (fine wool, made at home); - cotton fabric(imported - calico, calico, calico, calico, for people of average income); - silk, brocade, velvet, satin, fine cloth (imported, a symbol of security, prosperity, high social status of a person). The sets were decorated with embroidery, fur trim, and various accessories. To dye the fabric, mixtures of dyes were cooked - yellow, red, orange and others.

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Women's traditional clothes. Women's Kazakh national clothing is very beautiful, interesting in terms of unusual shapes, cut, and color combinations. The main components of the outfit for girls and women: - camisole or camisole – light dress, with sleeves (beshmet) or without, falling along the figure and widened towards the bottom. The fabric (most often velvet) used for camisoles was bright for young girls, while older girls preferred muted, calm tones; - koylek - a dress or long undershirt made of a single piece of simple fabric (like everyday wear), made of expensive material (dressy). The cut is non-standard - wide straight sleeves, a closed collar, later a stand-up collar, several rows of frills; - pants are a mandatory element of clothing, since horse riding required an appropriate way to dress.

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Women's trousers were tied with a cord at the waist, they were made slightly shortened (only below the knees), and tapered; - coupe – winter fur coats; - shapan - outerwear, something like a robe. Women's headdresses indicated their marital status - girls wore skullcaps and boriks (winter version), and married women wore hats, taking into account the characteristics of their husband's family. The bride always wore a saukele to her wedding - a tall cone-shaped hat complete with long pendants - zhaktau.

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Men's national clothing Kazakh national men's clothing also has its own specific traditions: - zheyde - a tunic shirt, which is worn underneath; - pants – light bottom and top from different fabrics, taking into account the wealth of the owner; - camisole; - shapan - robe, outerwear, emphasizes a person’s wealth and financial situation; - sheepskin coat; - ishyk (fur coat); - coupe. An integral accessory is a leather/fabric belt, sometimes made of velvet. The headdress of Kazakh men is a skullcap (permanent headdress), borik, kalpak ( summer hats), Tymak (winter version). The coloring of the robe has a symbolic content: White color means joy, black - earth, red - fire, sun, green - youth, yellow - knowledge.

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Leather belts were very common in Kazakh costumes. One of these belts was the kise. Special pendant bags for storing gunpowder and bullets, a scabbard and a snuff box were attached to the long pussycat. Their shapes and arrangement are of the same type, which indicates the antiquity of the kis. Often the belt itself and pendants were decorated with silver-plated copper, less often with silver plaques.

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The most important and unusual element of the Kazakh wedding dress is saukele (translated from Kazakh as “beautiful head”). Saukele – main element wedding dress of the bride, which has no analogues among other nations. The purpose of this part of the bride's attire is to protect her and her future family from unkind views and unkind people. This is a cylindrical headdress that reaches a height of 50 to 70 centimeters. It can be velvet or velor, but it is decorated in a royally rich way: small gold or silver coins, beads of various colors or figured plates form national ornaments. Gems also used for saukele decoration: pearls, rubies, corals and others. The top of the saukele is closed by a decorative element in the form of a bunch, which is created using the feathers of an owl or eagle owl. The edges of the headdress are trimmed with fur. The saukele is complemented by a translucent snow-white veil, sometimes decorated with delicate lace patterns.