National costume of Chechens: description, history, culture of the Chechen people

Chechen national culture is original and peculiar, and it is universal, because it is in close interaction with the cultures of other Caucasian peoples, developing in symbiosis with them. One of its characteristic and inalienable elements is the Chechen national costume, which reflects the nature and customs, life style, principles and ideology of this proud and disobedient people. Like all mountain dwellers, Chechens have freedom-loving character, and their traditional attire is as bright and a bit solemn as the people who wear it. One of the distinctive features is that all elements of clothing are made from natural local raw materials: sheepskin, cloth, leather, felt, etc.

Chechen folk costume: history

The formation of the traditional garb of a particular people is certainly influenced by living conditions, climate, geographic features, adherence to a particular religion, as well as its socio-economic status. The costume of the Chechen people is no exception. Let's make a short excursion into the past of this mountain people. The Chechens are the true inhabitants of the mountains, so proud and freedom-loving as the eagles that circulate above their villages located high under the sky. For many centuries they were engaged in sheep breeding, and consequently, the processing and spinning of wool. It was this material that was taken as a basis for the creation of their traditional clothes. In addition to wool and sheepskin, natural raw materials such as leather and fur were also used. The Chechens learned how to make cloth and felt a long time ago, and then skillful local craftsmen wore those or other elements that included Chechen national clothes.

As you know, in the Caucasus the Christian and Muslim religions side by side side by side. In addition to mosques and Orthodox churches, one can also find a synagogue here, which speaks of the tolerance of the peoples living here. Culturologists, ethnographers and anthropologists have long noticed that the national costume depends not only on the climate and geographic conditions, but also on the mentality and faith of one or another people. In clothes, as in a mirror, all these features are displayed. So, if the national ornament tells us about the level of artistic development of the people, then the color scale and tailoring give an idea of the moral values of representatives of this ethnos. For example, a Chechen female costume is a model of restraint and chastity. Even today, Chechens do not encourage themselves to wear frank décolleté, mini dresses or hipsters. It is also not accepted to open the navel.

Features

If you carefully observe the apparel of these mountain people, you can notice that its distinctive feature are numerous functional and decorative details and accessories, and it is in them reflect the features of life of Chechens. For example, in the wardrobe of the representatives of this people a special place is occupied by handkerchiefs. A married Chechen will never allow herself to enter a society with an open head. For men, a hat is a must-have Chechen hat. And in general, coverings for the head are not just elements of clothing, accessories, but symbols that represent courage for the representatives of the stronger sex, and for women - chastity, that is, the preservation of sacred purity. If someone touches a man's hand with a fur hat, put on a man's head, he will inflict a mortal insult upon her master. Even in battle, a man did not take off his cap before an opponent, and the warrior who lost her lost his honor and dignity. Knowing this, the enemy wanted to unseat the Chechen symbol of his honor. But the power of a woman's headscarf had a different effect. The Chechen woman could intervene in a bloody battle and throw her kerchief between the fighters, which meant the cessation of the struggle. And woe to that man who does not respect such a will of a woman. National costume of Chechens had several options: male, female, festive, combat and wedding. As for children's outfits, they were repeated by adults with slight changes. For example, boys under the age of 14 did not wear a dagger. And his appearance on the belt indicated the transition to another age category. Dagger is a city and an obligatory attribute of a young man.

Chechen costume for men

The national clothes of the representatives of the stronger sex consisted of two parts: a half-dress, called beshmet, and pants tapering downwards, so that they could be conveniently placed in boots. Both the first and the second were made of soft materials, so that the carrier was comfortable, and the suit did not constrain movements. Beshmet was considered a home and an outgoing suit. It was fastened with buttons that were made of laces, folded into nodules. This piece of clothing was 10 centimeters taller than the knee. The sleeves of the beshmet narrowed to the wrist, and the cuffs were fastened to the same buttons as on the chest. At the waist, the caftan narrows and expands to the knees. For men of advanced age, the beshmet was made of warmer materials and had a length below the knees. The color scheme of men's clothing is rather dark than light, shades of gray, brown, brown, etc. are used. However, beshmet, in particular for young men, often wore from colored fabric, thus standing out as a bright spot on a general dark background. By the way, the Chechen combat suit also consists of beshmet - half-kaftan. Clothes of white color, especially Circassians, could afford only rich Chechens.

Clothes for celebrations

The festive Chechen costume was made of bright and shiny fabric. Over the beshmet in special solemn occasions, a Circassian coat was worn, the tailoring of which coincided with the cut of the caftan. Cherkesku, as a rule, sewed from the cloth of the highest quality. She did not have a collar and fastened only at the waist, emphasizing the harmony of the mill. The sleeves were quite long, below the brush, so they were bent around. On the Circassian chest, on both sides of the chest, gas canisters were sewn. These are small pockets, which were intended to store tubules of wood with charges for weapons. Over time, they lost their purpose. However, they were preserved on the costume as a tribute to the traditions of the Chechen people. Circassians never wore unbuttoned. It was girdled with a narrow belt, on which hung a weapon - a dagger, a sword or a pistol.

Outerwear

A characteristic part of the Chechen national costume was a burka - such a special cape made of wool and doodle sleeveless, but with stressed shoulders. It was convenient for the riders to throw it on their shoulders while riding a horse. It protected the owner from rain, snow, cold, and even from the heat, no matter how paradoxical it might sound. In the case when I had to spend the night outside the house, the burka could serve as a blanket.

Headgear and shoes

The national costume of Chechens can not be without a fur hat. It has a conical shape and is made of sheepskin. As already noted above, no one but the master dared touch her, otherwise this could be regarded as an insult. Rich Chechens used to make papakhas from the skins of Bukhara lambs. In the summer, instead of a hat, you could wear a hat made of felt. As shoes, Chechen men wore light leather boots, the tops of which reached the knees. Pants made of homespun cloth, refueled inside. For wealthy men, we made chuvs - soft shoes with flat soles. Together with them on the calves and knees were stretched leather leggings, which had no soles and soles.

Woman suit

Chechen girls, unlike men, wore more diverse in color, material and clothing. Along the way, you could learn almost everything about the age, social status and status of women in society. Women's national costume of Chechens consisted of 4 elements: top dress, dress-tunic (bottom dress), trousers, belt. For married women, an obligatory component of clothing was and is still a handkerchief. Tunic or undershirt, as a rule, very long, to the ankles. It is made of lightweight monophonic matter. The tunic on the chest has a cut, and there is also a small stand-up collar, which is fastened to the button. Under the lower dress of a woman dress pants trousers collected at the bottom - an indispensable attribute of Muslim women's clothing. A pair of tunic - trousers, complemented with a handkerchief, as a headdress, was quite an appropriate outfit for everyday wear. By the way, in the festive version, the trousers in the lower part were silked in tone with the tunic. The sleeves of the lower dress were straight and long to cover the hands. The festive women's folk costume of Chechens had a tunic with very long sleeves that reached to the floor. These dress-shirts were decorated with breastplates that were made of precious metals and were framed with stones. The upper or lower gown was like a robe that was fastened at the waist with small hooks. He was sewn from expensive fabrics, for example, brocade, velvet, satin or cloth. As embellishments, braid, embroidery, folds and frills were used. Dresses of bright shades were worn only by Chechen girls and young women, mature ones preferred dark colors and rarely used ornaments.

Accessories

An obligatory attribute of the Chechen costume for both men and women is the belt. Women's belts, as in the costumes of other Caucasian peoples, were jewelry. They were decorated with precious stones, pearls, buckles of various shapes. Some of them were real masterpieces of jewelry art. Handkerchief to this day - an indispensable element of women's attire. Girls use scarves made of weightless transparent fabric, and women - silk dense scarf with fringe, which according to tradition was worn over the chukta (this is a special bag where the braids were laid). Jewelry - massive rings, brooches, necklaces, temporal pendants, bracelets - can also be called an obligatory part of the traditional dress of Chechens. Depending on the consistency of the family, ornaments could be made of bronze or silver, but not gold.

Footwear

Chechens on their feet wore shoes of various models and from various materials: leather, morocco, felt, wool, etc. The most popular models were light shoes like slippers made of leather that were worn at home or on the street. Young Chechens like to wear shoes without backs with a sole made of hard material and with heels of medium height, about 5 cm. In the cool time, it was customary to wear morocco boots. When they were decorated, the women of fashion gave vent to their fantasies, embroidered with gold and silver threads on the tops, and pierced with pearls and stones. Boots were of two kinds - with a heel and on a flat sole. Naturally, the first species was more suitable for girls and young people, the second one was used by middle-aged and elderly women. However, the most fashionable women wore leather shoes. They were sewn according to individual orders and standards from several pieces of the highest quality leather.

Modern Chechen costume

The people of Chechnya highly respect the traditions and customs of their people. Unlike many peoples, they have not completely abandoned it and are happy to wear them nowadays. Young people, of course, wear national costumes only on holidays, and on the other days they prefer to dress in the way that is customary in the modern world. Men keep a tribute to tradition and wear fur coats, combining them even with business suits. In Chechnya, you can meet elderly people dressed in beshmet and even Circassian women. Women of the same age group also adhere to national traditions, wear long dresses and wide trousers in everyday life and always walk with their heads covered. Some modern Chechen designers, wishing to realize the inextricable link between the past and the present, create models in the so-called ethnic style, using the features of the ancient national costume of the Chechens. So, in fashion collections you can find Caucasian shirts with a collar "rack" on one button, etc. The same applies to women's clothing: there are many more opportunities to bring the national into a modern image.

By the way, recently not only Chechen designers of clothes, but also world meters of the industry have started using elements of Caucasian, in particular, Chechen costume when creating models in the style of "ethno" or "folk". Several years ago, the famous Russian fashion designer Ulyana Sergeenko in her collection "The Caucasus", inspired by the creation of M.Yu. Lermontov (Caucasian period), presented several models of women's clothing, which were a Circassian coat, that is, an element of not female, but male National Chechen costume. Today, also in the trend of Caucasian jewelry and various accessories (belts, pendants, headgear or shoes.) Quite often, modern wedding dresses of authorship of Chechen designers are adapted versions of an old wedding dress. What are their characteristic features?

Wedding dress

Unlike the European outfits intended for the wedding, the Chechen wedding dress can be of a variety of colors and shades, including white. The Soviet years made their corrections, and today still a preference is given to a white dress - a symbol of purity and purity. Many Chechen couples do not mind dressing up in their national dress in their most solemn day, and in this costume to perform a traditional dance, which, incidentally, is very popular today in Russia and other CIS countries, for example, in Armenia. We have already described what a festive traditional dress of Chechens is. It is in this version is sewn and the bride's dress. It consists of two layers - a tunic and a swinging top dress. Naturally, for the wedding ceremony the best, most beautiful and elegant fabrics are selected: silk, satin, organza, etc. The breastplate is especially beautiful. The top dress is made of heavy satin or silk and is decorated with pearls, rhinestones and beaded braid. Instead of a veil put on a silk handkerchief, and sometimes it is fixed in the form of a plume. At traditional Chechen weddings, the bride is presented with a large number of precious products and all this she must demonstrate on herself during the wedding dance. The upper dress sleeves are very long, embroidered and reach the floor. The most important element of the bride's outfit is the silver belt, which the bridegroom gives her before the wedding.