The Krasnodar Territory is second only to Moscow and the Moscow region in terms of population. According to the latest data, 5,570,945 people live in Kuban, but to these figures we can safely add about a million more unregistered and temporary labor migrants.
Representatives of all nationalities have found home and love on this generous land, where there is everything - the gentle sun, the warm sea, high mountains and fields that produce good harvests. The peoples of the Krasnodar region exist side by side in good agreement.
Multinational Krasnodar region
The multiethnic composition of the population of Kuban is confirmed by dry figures. The results of the 2017 population census provide a complete picture of what peoples inhabit the Krasnodar Territory.
The main part, more than 80%, are Russians. About 4.5 million Russians live in both cities and rural areas.
Among the peoples inhabiting the Krasnodar region, there are almost 200 thousand Ukrainians and 40 thousand Belarusians.
Since ancient times, a large diaspora of Armenians has lived in Kuban, mainly in cities on the coast: about 250 thousand people.
They prefer compact settlement based on ethnicity:
- Germans - about 20 thousand;
- Greeks - more than 30 thousand;
- Adyghe - more than 19 thousand.
Live and work in Krasnodar region representatives of Circassians, Moldovans, Czechs, Georgians, Bulgarians, Turks, Crimean Tatars, Estonians. There are even isolated representatives of the small peoples of the Far North and other states, for example, Eskimos and Assyrians.
A powerful flow of labor arrived in the Krasnodar region from Central Asia. Now Turkmen, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, as well as Koreans have found a second home in the Krasnodar Territory.
What other peoples inhabit the Krasnodar region? These are Mordovians, Ossetians, Maris, Finns, Lithuanians, Poles, Romanians, Lezgins. There are Arabs, Tabasarans, Udins, Laks, Yezidis, Kurds, Gypsies, Shapsugs, Jews and representatives of other nationalities in the Kuban.
History of the settlement of Kuban
You will not find such a diverse multi-ethnic composition anywhere else except in the Krasnodar Territory. Why did this happen?
Archaeological data claim that people began to live on the fertile lands of the Kuban River more than 10 thousand years ago.
In the second millennium BC, the Adygs settled. Then the ancient Greeks created city-policies on the Black Sea coast of Kuban.
In the 10th century, the Slavs appeared and founded the principality of Tmutarakan.
In the Middle Ages, resourceful Genoese merchants built fortresses to secure trade routes.
The war with Turkey became a decisive factor: the Kuban region became Russian citizenship, and Empress Catherine II settled the Cossacks on the fertile lands - let them guard the borders.
After the abolition of serfdom in mid-19th century century, a stream of Russian and Ukrainian peasantry poured into Kuban.
The phenomenon of a subethnic group - the Kuban Cossacks
Among the peoples of the Krasnodar region, the Cossacks stand out clearly, having no analogues in the world.
Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, sent to guard the borders of Russia, peasants who came voluntarily or by force to develop free rich lands - all of them became the basis for the unique emergence of a subethnic group - Kuban Cossacks.
Linguistic traditions of the Kuban Cossacks
Coming from the South Russian and Ukrainian dialect with the addition of paramilitary expressions, this language amazes with the richness and richness of its expressions. The Cossacks “gek”, stretching out the sound “g”, and the sound “f” turned into “khf”. The neuter gender is not popular in the Cossack dialect; it is often replaced by masculine or feminine.
To fully immerse yourself in the style of the Cossack language, it is worth re-reading “ Quiet Don" The traditional dialect of the Kuban Cossacks, which has survived to this day, distinguishes them from other inhabitants of the region.
Everyday Cossack customs and traditions
Cossacks hold tightly to their traditions. And one of them is adherence to Orthodoxy, observance of religious customs. Cossacks all over the world celebrate Easter and Christmas, Savior and other church holidays.
Another good tradition among the Cossacks, which has survived to this day, is a respectful attitude towards elders and guests.
From childhood, boys in Cossack families learn to hold a bladed weapon - a saber. Handle weapons skillfully, ride a horse - such skills are traditionally passed down from generation to generation in Cossack families.
Adyghe people are the original population of the region
Until the 18th century, mainly Adyghe people lived in the Kuban. The Ubykhs, Shapsugs, Bzhedugs and representatives of other tribes were called Adyghe. Another name for the Circassians is Circassians.
Traditionally, the Adyghe people were engaged in cattle breeding, especially horses. Kabardian horses are still considered an excellent breed, receiving awards at various competitions and races.
Men forged weapons, women decorated scabbards with silver embroidery. The special attitude of the Circassians towards family has been preserved to this day - family ties are revered more than others.
Today, in the tradition of such peoples of the Krasnodar region as the Adygeis, the fashion for national clothing is returning again. Most often it is sewn for festive events, such as weddings. On the bride in a long velvet dress decorated with embroidery, the parents put on a beautiful belt forged from silver or with gold stripes. Such an expensive belt is part of a girl’s dowry. A small cap is put on the head, and the hair is covered with a light veil. In such a dress, the bride looks incredibly elegant.
Modern Adyghe grooms also happily wear a traditional suit that emphasizes their masculine appearance: Circassian coat, burka, papakha.
A wedding in folk costumes always evokes admiring glances, so young people in Kuban are increasingly holding wedding celebrations in the national style, and even a casual passer-by can enjoy the magnificent spectacle.
Greeks in the Krasnodar region
What other peoples of the Krasnodar region have preserved their national traditions? Of course they are Greeks.
Many Greeks live in cities, but approximately a third of the community is located in the villages of Kabardinka, Vityazevo, Gaverdovskoye, and Pshada. Most often in rural areas, Greeks are engaged in serving tourists and growing tobacco and grapes.
Over the past centuries, the Greeks of Kuban have not lost their national customs.
For example, at a wedding it is customary to dance the Vineman. This is a beautiful dance involving 6 newly married couples. They hold lighted candles in their hands and dance around the newlyweds, finally accepting them into their circle. Such an interesting and colorful ritual is becoming popular among other peoples of the Krasnodar region, who willingly adopt the Greek tradition.
Armenians are residents of Kuban
There are about 70 thousand Armenians in Krasnodar alone. Krasnodar is also the center of the southern branch of the Armenian apostolic church. About 30% of Armenians live in Sochi.
The Armenians have preserved an interesting tradition - the Vardavar holiday. A joyful summer holiday allows you to pour water on everyone, regardless of status, and you cannot be offended.
Interesting traditions of the peoples of the Krasnodar region - a mixture of national dishes. Borsch and lavash, khash and zapenka - all this can be served on the table in any Kuban home. However, Armenians often cook National dishes, while remaining faithful to culinary customs. For example, arganakka combines deer and chicken meat. Armenians cook river trout excellently. Tourists are definitely advised to try meat nastypery and kusuchi.
The multinationality of Kuban allows each people to preserve their identity and at the same time take the best and most useful from others. Perhaps, in many years, a new universal nationality will appear in the Krasnodar region - the Kuban.
Cossack rites in the Kuban had roots in Little Russia; various rites existed: wedding, maternity, naming, christening, farewell to service, funeral.
A wedding is a complex and lengthy ceremony, with its own strict rules. In ancient times, a wedding was never a show of the material wealth of the parents of the bride and groom. First of all, it was a state, spiritual and moral act, important event in the life of the village. Weddings were not held during periods of fasting and suffering in agriculture. The most preferred time of year for weddings was considered to be autumn and winter, when there was no field work and, moreover, this was a time of economic prosperity after the harvest. The age of 16-20 years was considered favorable for marriage. The community and military administration could intervene in the marriage procedure. So, for example, it was not allowed to extradite girls to other villages if there were many bachelors and widowers in their own. But even within the village, young people were deprived of the right to choose. The parents had the final say in choosing the bride and groom. The matchmakers could appear without the groom, only with his hat, but this did not mean that no one knew the groom, otherwise he could be immediately refused.
“There are several periods in the development of a wedding: pre-wedding, which included matchmaking, hand-holding, weddings, parties in the house of the bride and groom; wedding and post-wedding ritual.” Wedding festivities in each settlement were distinguished by their variety: riding around the village of parents, ransoming the bride, and then stealing the wife. At the wedding, the entire village usually walked around, sang songs, danced.
For a long time there was a custom of abducting the bride, in the event of the bride’s parents disagreeing with the marriage to a groom they did not like. The kidnapping, as a rule, was by prior agreement between the young people. But if on the part of the groom there were unauthorized actions without the consent of the bride, then for defamation of the girl, if the resolution of the conflict did not end with the creation of a family (wedding), the culprit would face the revenge of relatives, cousins and second cousins defamed (often leading to bloodshed).
In the past, only married couples could participate in Cossack wedding celebrations. For unmarried youth, separate parties were held both in the house of the groom and in the house of the bride before the main wedding - this was a concern for the morality of the foundations of the youth - because at the wedding certain liberties were allowed in celebrations and wishes.
In Kuban, calendar Christian holidays were revered and widely celebrated: Christmas, New Year, Maslenitsa, Easter (Velykiy Den), Trinity.
Holidays were usually celebrated by large companies and even by general village celebrations. For a long period, the Cossacks had a custom of both men’s conversations (walking separately from women), and women’s conversations without men. And when they got together (weddings, christenings, name days), the women sat on one side of the table, and the men on the other. This was caused by the fact that, under the influence of an intoxicated Cossack, he could take some liberties in relation to someone else’s wife, and the Cossacks, quick to punish, used weapons.
The playful and entertaining side of any holiday was very intense: round dances, games with paints, swings and carousels were arranged in every village. By the way, riding on a swing had a ritual significance - it was supposed to stimulate the growth of all living things. Easter ended with Krasnaya Gorka, or Farewell, a week after Easter Sunday. This is “parents' day”, the remembrance of the dead.
The cult of gifts and gifts was in great demand. A Cossack never returned after a long absence from home without gifts, and when visiting guests they did not go on a visit without a present.
Attitude towards ancestors is an indicator of the moral state of society, the conscience of people. In Kuban, ancestors have always been treated with deep respect. On this day, the whole village went to the cemetery, knitted scarves and towels on crosses, held a funeral feast, and distributed food and sweets at the memorial.
Traditions of the Kuban Cossacks
Kuban is a unique region in which elements of cultures have interpenetrated, interacted and formed for two hundred years different nations, including southern Russian and eastern Ukrainian.
House construction. An event very important for every Cossack family, and a cause in which many residents of the “kutka”, “edge”, and village took an active part. When laying the foundation of a house, special rituals were carried out: feathers and scraps of pet hair were thrown directly onto the construction site (“so that everything would be in order”), and the beams on which the ceiling was laid were raised on chains or towels (“so that the house would not be empty”).
Housing construction also had its own traditions and rituals. For example, a cross made of wood was built into the wall, in the front corner, in order to invoke a blessing on the inhabitants.
Interior decoration of the hut. Often in a Cossack house there are two rooms: the vylyka (great) and the small hut. The central place was considered the “goddess” (“red corner”). It was decorated in accordance with traditions and rituals in the form of an icon case with icons, which were decorated with towels. The latter were trimmed with lace at both ends. Patterns were embroidered on the cloth using satin stitch or cross stitch.
Cossack costume. The shape was established towards the middle XIX century. These were dark trousers, a Circassian coat made of black cloth, a bashlyk, a beshmet, a hat, a winter cloak, and boots. At the beginning of the 20th century, the beshmet and Circassian coat were replaced by a tunic, a hat by a cap, and a burka by an overcoat.
The women's costume consisted of a cotton blouse (blouse) and a skirt. The blouse certainly had long sleeves. It was trimmed with braid, elegant buttons, and lace.
Cossack food. Families ate wheat bread, as well as fish and livestock products, gardening and vegetable growing. The Cossacks loved borscht, dumplings, and dumplings. Residents of Kuban skillfully salted, boiled and dried fish. They consumed honey, made wine from grapes, cooked uzvar and jam, pickled and dried fruits for the winter.
Family life. Traditionally, families were large. This is due to the widespread spread of subsistence farming, and to the constant shortage of workers, and even to the difficult situation of harsh wartime. The woman took care of the elderly, raised children, and ran the household. Cossack families often had five to seven children.
Rituals and holidays. The Cossacks celebrated Christmas, Easter, New Year, Trinity, and Maslenitsa. Were there different traditions: maternity, wedding, christening, seeing off a Cossack for service, and so on.
Wedding ceremonies required compliance with many strict rules. It was categorically impossible to organize a celebration during Lent, but it was possible in the fall and winter. Marriage at the age of 18–20 was considered normal. Young people had no right to choose: their parents decided everything. Matchmakers could even come without the groom, only with his hat. In such cases, the girl saw her future husband for the first time right at the wedding.
Oral spoken language. It is very interesting because it is a mixture of Russian and Ukrainian. In addition, it contains words borrowed from the languages of the highlanders. This colorful alloy fully corresponds to the spirit and temperament of the Cossacks. Their speech was generously decorated with proverbs, sayings, and phraseological units.
Crafts and folk crafts. The Kuban land was known for its sons - gifted people, real masters. When making any thing, they first of all thought about how practical it would be. At the same time, the beauty of the object was not overlooked. Residents of Kuban sometimes created from the most simple materials(metal, clay, wood, stone) unique works of art.
Without the Cossacks today it is impossible to maintain public order in Kuban, protection of natural resources, military-patriotic education of the younger generation and preparation of youth for military service. The role of the army in the socio-political life of the region is also significant. Therefore, the decade of the revival of the Kuban Cossacks became an event for all Kuban residents.
By the way, recently appeared and new term- "neo-Cossackism". Some figures are trying to tear the Cossacks away from their ancient roots, which the current bearers of the Cossack idea - our old people - absorbed with their mother's milk. They say there was no revival of the Cossacks, they died a long time ago. But the majority of residents of Kuban are confident that there was no break in the historical traditions and culture of the Cossacks, the Cossack spirit has always been present in our farmsteads and villages, and therefore it is blasphemous to talk about neo-Cossacks. The Cossacks are doomed to flourish, because the idea of revival has gone deeper and wider, attracting new carriers of the Cossack idea to them - our youth. We carefully preserve the traditions of our ancestors, sing our grandfather’s songs, dance folk dances, we know our history well, we are proud of our Cossack roots. This means we are confidently walking into the third millennium!
It is advisable to start about traditional folk culture with the history of the settlement of Kuban, because exactly this historical event the origins of the culture of the Kuban Cossacks are laid.
Kuban, due to its peculiarities historical development, is a unique region where, over the course of two centuries, elements of the cultures of southern Russian, eastern Ukrainian and other peoples interacted, interpenetrated and formed into one whole.
House construction is an important element of traditional folk culture. This is a big event in the life of every Cossack family, a collective affair. Usually, if not all, then most of the inhabitants of the “region”, “kutka”, and village took part in it.
This is how the turluch houses were built: “Along the perimeter of the house, the Cossacks buried large and small pillars in the ground - “plows” and “podsoshniks”, which were intertwined with vines. When the frame was ready, relatives and neighbors were called together for the first stroke “under the fists” - clay mixed with straw was hammered into the fence with fists. A week later, a second smear was made “under the fingers,” when the clay mixed with flooring was pressed in and smoothed out with the fingers. For the third “smooth” stroke, chaff and dung (manure thoroughly mixed with straw cuttings) were added to the clay.”
Public buildings: ataman rule, schools were built of brick with iron roofs. They still decorate the Kuban villages.
Special rituals when laying a house. “They threw scraps of domestic animal hair and feathers at the construction site - “to keep everything going.” Matka-svolok (wooden beams on which the ceiling was laid) were raised on towels or chains, “so that the house would not be empty.”
Ceremony during the construction of housing. “A wooden cross was embedded in the front corner of the wall, thereby invoking God’s blessing on the inhabitants of the house.
After graduation construction work the owners provided a treat in lieu of payment (they were not supposed to take it for help). Most of the participants were also invited to a housewarming party.
Interior decoration of a Cossack hut. The interior of a Kuban dwelling was basically the same for all regions of Kuban. The house usually had two rooms: the great (vylyka) and the small hut. In the small hut there was a stove, long wooden benches, and a table (cheese). The great hut had custom-made furniture: a cupboard for dishes (“mountain” or “corner”), a chest of drawers for linen, chests, etc. The central place in the house was the “Red Corner” - the “goddess”. The “Goddess” was designed in the form of a large icon case, consisting of one or several icons, decorated with towels, and a table - a square. Often icons and towels were decorated with paper flowers. Objects of sacred or ritual significance were kept in the “goddess”: wedding candles, “paskas”, as they are called in Kuban, Easter eggs, buttermilk, records of prayers, memorial books.”
Towels are a traditional element of decorating a Kuban home. They were made from homemade fabrics, trimmed with lace at both ends and embroidered with a cross or satin stitch. Embroidery most often took place along the edge of a towel with a predominance of floral patterns, a flowerpot, geometric shapes, paired images of birds.
One very common detail of the interior of a Cossack hut is photographs on the wall, traditional family heirlooms. Small photo studios appeared in the Kuban villages already in the 70s years XIX century. Photographed on special occasions: farewell to the army, weddings, funerals.
Photographs were taken especially often during the First World War; every Cossack family tried to take a photo as a souvenir or get a photograph from the front.
Cossack costume. The men's costume consisted of military uniforms and casual clothing. The uniform has gone through a difficult path of development, and it was most influenced by the culture of the Caucasian peoples. Slavs and mountaineers lived next door. They were not always at odds; more often they sought mutual understanding, trade and exchange, including cultural and everyday ones. The Cossack uniform was established by the middle of the 19th century: a Circassian coat made of black cloth, dark trousers, a beshmet, a bashlyk, a winter cloak, a hat, boots or caps.
Uniforms, horses, weapons were an integral part of the Cossack “right”, i.e. equipment at your own expense. The Cossack was “celebrated” long before he went to serve. This was due not only to material costs for ammunition and weapons, but also with the Cossack’s entry into a new world of objects that surrounded the male warrior. His father usually told him: “Well, son, I got you married and celebrated. Now live by your own wits - I’m no longer answerable to God for you.”
The bloody wars of the early 20th century showed the inconvenience and impracticality of the traditional Cossack uniform on the battlefield, but they were put up with while the Cossack was on guard duty. Already in 1915, during the First World War, which acutely revealed this problem, the Cossacks were allowed to replace the Circassian coat and beshmet with an infantry-type tunic, the burka with an overcoat, and the hat with a cap. The traditional Cossack uniform was left as a ceremonial uniform.
The traditional women's costume was formed by the middle of the 19th century. It consisted of a skirt and blouse (kokhtotka), made of chintz. It could be fitted or with a basque, but always with long sleeves, trimmed with elegant buttons, braid, and homemade lace. Skirts were made of chintz or wool, gathered at the waist for pomp.
“..Skirts were made from purchased material, wide, with five or six panels (shelves) on an upturned cord - uchkur. In Kuban, canvas skirts were worn, as a rule, as underskirts, and they were called in Russian - podol, in Ukrainian - spidnitsa. Petticoats were worn under calico, satin and other skirts, sometimes even two or three, one on top of the other. The bottom one was always white.”
The importance of clothing in the system of material values of a Cossack family was very great; beautiful clothing raised prestige, emphasized wealth, and distinguished them from non-residents. In the past, clothes, even festive ones, were relatively cheap for the family: every woman knew how to spin, weave, cut, sew, embroider and weave lace.
Cossack food. The basis of nutrition for a Kuban family was wheat bread, products of livestock farming, fish farming, vegetable growing and gardening... The most popular was considered borscht, which was cooked with sauerkraut, beans, meat, lard, and on fast days - with vegetable oil. Each housewife had her own unique taste of borscht. This was due not only to the diligence with which the housewives prepared the food, but also to various culinary secrets, among which was the ability to fry. The Cossacks loved dumplings and dumplings. They knew a lot about fish: they salted it, dried it, and boiled it. They salted and dried fruits for the winter, made compotes (uzvars), jam, prepared watermelon honey, and made fruit pastilles; Honey was widely consumed and wine was made from grapes.
In Kuban they ate more meat and meat dishes (especially poultry, pork and lamb) than in other places in Russia. However, lard and fat were also highly valued here, since meat products were often used as a seasoning for dishes.
In large undivided families, all products were under the control of the mother-in-law, who gave them to the “duty” daughter-in-law... Food was cooked, as a rule, in an oven (in the winter in the house, in the kitchen, in the summer - also in the kitchen or in a summer oven in the yard): Each family had the necessary simple utensils: cast iron, bowls, bowls, frying pans, sledge handles, bowls, pokers.”
Family and social life. Families in the Kuban were large, which was explained by the spread of subsistence farming, with a constant need for workers and, to some extent, with the difficult wartime situation. The main duty of a Cossack was military service. Each Cossack who reached the age of 18 took a military oath and was obliged to attend drill training in the village (one month each in autumn and winter), and undergo training in military camps. Upon reaching the age of 21, he entered into 4-year military service, after completion of which he was assigned to the regiment, and until the age of 38 he had to participate in three-week camp training, have a horse and a full set of uniforms, and attend regular military drills. All this required a lot of time, so in Cossack families a woman played a big role, running the household, caring for the elderly, and raising the younger generation. The birth of 5-7 children in a Cossack family was common. Some women gave birth 15-17 times. The Cossacks loved children and were happy about the birth of both a boy and a girl. But they were more happy about the boy: in addition to the traditional interest in the birth of a son, the successor of the family, purely practical interests were mixed in - the community gave out plots of land to the future Cossack warrior. Children were introduced to work early; from the age of 5-7 they did feasible work. Father and grandfather taught their sons and grandsons work skills, survival in dangerous conditions, perseverance and endurance. Mothers and grandmothers taught their daughters and granddaughters the ability to love and take care of their families and how to manage their household wisely.
Peasant-Cossack pedagogy always followed everyday precepts, which were based from the ages on the ideals of strict kindness and obedience, exacting trust, conscientious justice, moral dignity and diligence to work. In a Cossack family, father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, taught the main thing - the ability to live wisely.
The elderly were especially respected in the family. They acted as guardians of customs and played a large role in public opinion and Cossack self-government.
Cossack families worked tirelessly. Field work was especially difficult in time of suffering- harvest. They worked from dawn to dusk, the whole family moved to the field to live, the mother-in-law or the eldest daughter-in-law did household chores.
In winter, from early morning until late at night, women spun, weaved, and sewed. In winter, men were engaged in all kinds of repairs and repairs of buildings, tools, vehicles; their responsibility was to care for horses and livestock.
The Cossacks knew how not only to work, but also to rest well. On Sunday and holidays working was considered a sin. In the morning the whole family went to church, a kind of place of spiritual communication.
The traditional form of communication was “conversations”, “streets”, “get-togethers”. Married and elderly people whiled away their time at the “conversations.” Here they discussed current affairs, shared memories, and always sang songs.
Young people preferred the “street” in the summer or “gatherings” in the winter. On the “street” acquaintances were made, songs were learned and performed, songs and dances were combined with games. “Gatherings” were held with the onset of cold weather in the houses of girls or young spouses. The same “street” companies gathered here. At the “get-togethers” the girls crushed and carded hemp, spun, knitted, and embroidered. The work was accompanied by songs. When the boys arrived, dancing and games began.
Rituals and holidays. There were various rituals in Kuban: wedding, maternity, naming, christening, farewell to service, funeral.
A wedding is a complex and lengthy ceremony, with its own strict rules. In ancient times, a wedding was never a show of the material wealth of the parents of the bride and groom. First of all, it was a state, spiritual and moral act, an important event in the life of the village. The ban on holding weddings during Lent was strictly observed. The most preferred time of year for weddings was considered to be autumn and winter, when there was no field work and, moreover, this was a time of economic prosperity after the harvest. The age of 18-20 years was considered favorable for marriage. The community and military administration could intervene in the marriage procedure. So, for example, it was not allowed to extradite girls to other villages if there were many bachelors and widowers in their own. But even within the village, young people were deprived of the right to choose. The parents had the final say in choosing the bride and groom. The matchmakers could appear without the groom, only with his hat, so the girl did not see her betrothed until the wedding.
“There are several periods in the development of a wedding: pre-wedding, which included matchmaking, hand-holding, weddings, parties in the house of the bride and groom; wedding and post-wedding ritual.” At the end of the wedding the main role was assigned to the groom's parents: they were rolled around the village in a trough, locked in a hill, from where they had to pay off with the help of a quarter. The guests also suffered: their chickens were “stolen,” and their windows were covered with lime at night. “But in all this, there was nothing offensive, senseless, not aimed at the future good of man and society. Ancient rituals outlined and consolidated new connections and imposed social responsibilities on people. Deep meaning were filled not only with actions, but also with words, objects, clothes, and song tunes.”
As throughout Russia, in Kuban they revered and widely celebrated calendar holidays: Christmas, New Year, Maslenitsa, Easter, Trinity.
Easter was considered a special event and celebration among the people. The names of the holiday speak about this - “Vylyk Day”, Bright Sunday.
We need to start talking about this holiday with Lent. After all, this is precisely the preparation for Easter, a period of spiritual and physical cleansing.
Lent lasted seven weeks, with each week having its own name. The last two were especially important: Verbnaya and Passionate. After them came Easter - bright and solemn holiday updates. On this day they tried to wear everything new. Even the sun, we noticed, rejoices, changes, plays with new colors. The table was also updated, ritual food was prepared in advance.” painted eggs, baked paska, roasted a pig. The eggs were painted in different colors: red - blood, fire, sun; blue - sky, water; green - grass, vegetation. In some villages they applied geometric pattern- "pysanky". The ritual paska bread was a real work of art. They tried to make it tall; the “head” was decorated with cones, flowers, bird figures, crosses, smeared with egg white, and sprinkled with colored millet.
The Easter “still life” is a wonderful illustration of the mythological ideas of our ancestors: Easter is the tree of life, the pig is a symbol of fertility, the egg is the beginning of life, vital energy.
Returning from church, after the blessing of ritual food, they washed themselves with water containing red dye in order to be beautiful and healthy. We broke our fast with eggs and paska. They were also given to the poor and exchanged with relatives and neighbors.
The playful and entertaining side of the holiday was very intense: round dances, games with paints, swings and carousels were arranged in every village. By the way, riding on a swing had a ritual significance - it was supposed to stimulate the growth of all living things. Easter ended with Krasnaya Gorka, or Farewell, a week after Easter Sunday. This is “parents' day”, the remembrance of the dead.
Attitude towards ancestors is an indicator of the moral state of society, the conscience of people. In Kuban, ancestors have always been treated with deep respect. On this day, the whole village went to the cemetery, knitted scarves and towels on crosses, held a funeral feast, and distributed food and sweets at the memorial.
Oral spoken Kuban speech is a valuable and interesting element of folk traditional culture.
It is interesting because it represents a mixture of two languages related peoples- Russian and Ukrainian, plus borrowed words from the languages of the highlanders, a rich, colorful fusion corresponding to the temperament and spirit of the people.
The entire population of the Kuban villages, who spoke two closely related Slavic languages- Russian and Ukrainian, easily mastered the linguistic features of both languages, and without difficulty many Kuban residents switched in conversation from one language to another, taking into account the situation. Black Sea residents began to use Russian when talking with Russians, especially with urban people. When communicating with village residents, neighbors, acquaintances, and relatives, they “balakali”, i.e. spoke the local Kuban dialect. At the same time, the language of the Lineians was full of in Ukrainian words and expressions. When asked what language the Kuban Cossacks spoke, Russian or Ukrainian, many answered: “Ours, Cossack! In Kuban."
The speech of the Kuban Cossacks was peppered with sayings, proverbs, and phraseological units.
A dictionary of phraseological units of Kuban dialects was published by Armavirsky pedagogical institute. It contains more than a thousand phraseological units such as: bai duzhe (doesn’t care), sleeps and kurei bachit (sleeps lightly), bisova nivira (believes nothing), beat baydyki (idle), etc. They reflect the national specifics of the language, its originality. Phraseology, a stable phrase, captures the rich historical experience of the people and reflects ideas related to the work, life and culture of people. The correct, appropriate use of phraseological units gives speech a unique originality, special expressiveness and accuracy.
Folk arts and crafts are an important part of traditional folk culture. The Kuban land was famous for its craftsmen and gifted people. When making any thing, the folk craftsman thought about its practical purpose, but did not forget about beauty. From simple materials - wood, metal, stone, clay - they were created true works art.
Pottery production is a typical small peasant craft. Every Kuban family had the necessary pottery: makitras, makhotkas, bowls, bowls, etc. The making of a jug occupied a special place in the potter’s work. Creating this beautiful form was not accessible to everyone; its production required skill and skill. If the vessel breathes, keeping the water cool even in extreme heat, it means the master has put a piece of his soul into the simple vessel.
Blacksmithing has been practiced in Kuban since ancient times. Every sixth Cossack was a professional blacksmith. The ability to forge their horses, chaises, weapons and, above all, all household utensils was considered as natural as cultivating the land. TO end of the 19th century centuries, centers of blacksmithing were formed. In the village of Staroshcherbinovskaya, for example, blacksmiths made plows, winnowers and harrows. They were in great demand in the Stavropol and Don regions. In the village of Imeretinskaya they also made agricultural tools, and in small village forges they forged what they could: axes, horseshoes, pitchforks, shovels. The skill of artistic forging also deserves mention. In Kuban it was called “kovan”. This delicate and highly artistic metal processing was used in forging grilles, canopies, fences, gates; flowers, leaves, and animal figurines were forged for decoration. Masterpieces of the blacksmith's craft of that time can be found on buildings of the 19th - early 20th centuries in the villages and cities of Kuban.
Eyewitnesses and writers of everyday life singled out weaving from all folk crafts. Weaving provided material for clothing and home decoration. Already from the age of 7-9, girls in a Cossack family learned to weave and spin. Before reaching adulthood, they managed to prepare for themselves a dowry of several tens of meters of linen: towels, tabletops, shirts. The raw materials for weaving were mainly hemp and sheep's wool. The inability to weave was considered a great disadvantage among women.
Integral objects of the Kuban home were looms, spinning wheels, combs for making threads, beeches - barrels for bleaching canvas. In a number of villages, canvas was woven not only for their families, but also specifically for sale.
Our ancestors knew how to make household utensils of openwork weaving in the Slavic style. They wove cradles, tables and chairs, baskets, baskets, courtyard fences - wattle - from reeds, willows, and reeds. In the village of Maryanskaya this trade has been preserved to this day. In the markets of Krasnodar you can see products for every taste, bread bins, shelves, furniture sets, and decorative wall panels.
During the transformation, Russian society has faced complex moral, political, and economic problems that cannot be solved without the help of humanities. People are concerned about the future, but at the same time they never run out of interest in the past, in their history. Delving into history returns to people the values that were once lost. Without historical knowledge there can be no truly spiritual growth.
Throughout its history, humanity has accumulated countless wealth of spiritual values, among which culture is one of the priorities. Cultural values They have a truly wonderful gift - they are aimed at the ideological and spiritual elevation of a person.
The development of culture was determined by the traditions of the literary and spiritual life of peoples. This was manifested in the development of the education system, cultural and educational institutions, publishing activities, the emergence of Kuban literature, science, and art. The policies of the military administration government and the church had a certain influence on her. First of all, this concerned the Cossack population of Kuban.
Topic: Customs of the peoples of Kuban
Goal: to help students familiarize themselves in detail with and consolidate knowledge about the peculiarities of everyday culture and customs of the population of Kuban.
Tasks of formation of UUD:
Regulatory: -formulate and maintain the learning task; adequately perceive the suggestions of the teacher and classmates to correct mistakes
Cognitive: - search and selection, transmission of information orally, construction of reasoning, monitoring and evaluating the result of activity.
Communicative: -ask questions; formulate your difficulties; argue your position; - be active in solving problems; -build statements that are understandable to classmates.
Personal: -adopting the image of a “good student”; -respect for the opinions of classmates; -exercise self-control.
Equipment:
Progress of the event
Organizing time. Greetings.
Each of us needs to know the history and customs of our people. It is not for nothing that the Kuban wisdom says, “A people without traditions is like a tree without roots.” - Today we will get acquainted with the customs and holidays in Kuban.
Main part.
1) Customs of the peoples of Kuban.
People live in the Krasnodar region different nationalities. The Greeks, for example, celebrated the holiday of Sirandonas in April and prepared a dish of forty herbs - hortarike. They celebrated spring on May 1st.
In Armenian settlements, before the New Year, mummers climbed onto the roofs of houses and lowered a bag into the chimney. So that the owners of the house put gifts in it. Our neighbors, the Circassians, organized games that took place in a large courtyard.
2) Respect for elders.
3) Respect for parents.
Honoring parents, godfathers and godmothers was not just a custom, but an internal need for a son or daughter to take care of them. The authority of father and mother was so revered that they did not begin any work without the blessing of their parents. This custom is still preserved in Cossack families to this day. In Kuban, they addressed their father and mother only as “You” - “You, mother”, “You, tattoo”. Respect for elders was instilled in the family since early years. The children knew which of them was older in relation to whom.
The elder sister was especially revered, gray hair younger brothers and sisters called nanny, nanny, since she replaced the busy homework mother. Not only parents, but also the entire adult population of the village and village showed concern for the upbringing of the younger generation. For indecent behavior of a teenager, an adult could not only make a reprimand, but also easily “punch his ears”, or even “treat” him with a light slap in the face, and inform his parents about this, who would immediately “add.”
4) The birth of a Cossack.
Cossacks valued family life and treated married people with great respect. Baby born single Cossacks nursed everything, and when his first tooth appeared, they certainly came to look and there was no end to the delight of these battle-hardened warriors. All the father's relatives and friends brought a gun, cartridges, gunpowder, bullets, a bow and arrows as a gift to the newborn. These gifts were hung on the wall. The father put a sword belt on the child, put him on a horse and then returned his son to his mother. When the baby started teething, his father and mother put him back on the horse and took him to church to serve a prayer service to Ivan the warrior. Three-year-old children could already ride horses freely, and by the age of five they were galloping across the steppe. - Listen to “Lullaby”.
5.) Cossack clothing.
The Cossack perceived clothes as a second skin, kept them clean and never allowed himself to wear someone else's clothes. The Cossacks had a custom of men's conversations without women and women's conversations. If they got together, the women sat on one side of the table, the men on the other.
6). Cult of the gift.
There was a cult of gifts and gifts. A Cossack never returned after a long absence from home without gifts, and they never went on a visit without a present.
7) Cossack weapons.
Among the Cossacks and Kubans it was considered a disgrace to buy a dagger. The dagger is usually either inherited, or as a gift, or, oddly enough, stolen or obtained in battle. Checker. The Cossack had to purchase a saber for himself. No one gave him a weapon. A Cossack was obliged to go on a campaign in uniform, with weapons and, of course, on horseback.
8)Work with sayings.- Sayings about the horse and weapons of the Cossack. How do you understand the meaning of sayings?
A Cossack without a horse is like a warrior without a gun (a horse for a Cossack is part of a weapon)
Cossack with a horse both night and day (Cossack and horse are inseparable)
All relatives are not worth a horse (the price of a combat horse is high)
A horse is learned by riding, and a friend is learned in trouble (virtues are tested in difficult moments)
In battle, a Cossack glorifies himself not with his tongue, but with his horse and blade (glory is only won by deeds)
A good horse in a run is like a falcon in the sky (i.e., easy in a race)
Don’t blame the horse, blame the road (look for the reason for failure fairly)
Drive your horse not with a whip, but with oats (reward is healthier than punishment)
A healthy horse sleeps standing (an important indicator of health)
The horse's reliable stirrup - the crown is intact in battle (check your ammunition - you will stay alive in battle)
Horses in meadows are like pearls in silks (beautiful and valuable)
9) Cossack horse.
Among the Kuban residents, before leaving home for war, the Cossack’s wife led the horse, holding the reins in the hem of her dress. According to the old custom, she passed on the reins, saying: “On this horse you are leaving, Cossack, on this horse you are returning home with victory.” Having accepted the occasion, the Cossack hugged and kissed his wife and children, sat in the saddle, took off his hat, made the sign of the cross, stood up in his stirrups, looking at the clean and cozy white hut and the front garden.
Then he pulled his hat over his head, warmed his horse with his whip, and left the quarry to the gathering place. In general, among the Cossacks the cult of the horse prevailed in many respects over other rituals. Before the Cossack left for war, when the horse was already under the marching pack, the wife first bowed at the horse’s feet to protect the rider, and then to the parents, so that prayers would be constantly read for the warrior’s salvation.
10) Housing construction.
Ceremony during the construction of housing. Pieces of animal hair and feathers were thrown at the construction site - “to keep everything going.” Wooden beams were raised on towels “so that the house would not be empty.” After the completion of construction work, the owners provided treats in lieu of payment (they were not supposed to take it for help). Most of the participants were also invited to a housewarming party.
eleven). Cossack and guests.
Immense respect for the guest was due to the fact that the guest was considered a messenger of God. The most dear guest was considered a stranger from distant places, in need of shelter, rest and care. Those who did not show respect to the guest were deservedly subjected to contempt. Regardless of the guest’s age, he was given the best place at meals and on vacation.
It was considered indecent to ask a guest for 3 days where he was from and what the purpose of his arrival was. Even the old man gave up his seat, although the guest was younger than him. The Cossacks had a rule: wherever he went on business or to visit, he never took food either for himself or for his horse. In any farm, village, village he always had a distant or close relative, godfather, matchmaker, brother-in-law or just a colleague, or even just a resident who would greet him as a guest, feed both him and his horse, the Cossacks stopped at inns on rare occasions when visiting fairs in cities. To the credit of the Cossacks, this custom has not undergone any significant changes in our time.
Cossack hospitality has long been known not only to historians, but also to ordinary people.
12). Holidays in Kuban.
What holidays are celebrated in Kuban?
As throughout Russia, in Kuban they honored and widely celebrated Christmas, New Year, Maslenitsa, Easter, and Trinity, but in Kuban they were celebrated especially. (I show the slide, the children name the holidays)
13). Messages from children.
Easter is a bright and solemn holiday. On this day they tried to wear everything new. The table was also updated. Ritual food was prepared in advance: eggs were painted, Easter cakes were baked, a pig was fried. The eggs were painted in different colors: red - fire, blood, sun. Blue – sky, water. Green is grass. In some villages, a design called “pysanka” was applied to the eggs.
Ritual bread - Easter, was a real work of art. They tried to make it tall, decorated it with pine cones, flowers, bird figures, and sprinkled it with colored millet. Easter is the tree of life, the pig is a symbol of fertility, the egg is the beginning of life. Returning from church, they washed themselves with water containing red dye in order to be beautiful and healthy. The entertainment side of the holiday was very eventful: round dances, games with paints, swings.
A wedding in Kuban is a holiday with strict rules. The most preferred time of year for a wedding was considered to be autumn and winter, when there was no field work and, moreover, this was a time of economic prosperity after the harvest. The age of 18–20 years was considered favorable for marriage. It was not allowed to extradite girls to other villages if there were many bachelors and widowers in their own. The young were deprived of the right to choose. The parents had the final say in choosing the bride and groom. Great importance V wedding ceremony The Slavic population of Kuban had a towel (rushnik). Holding a towel, the bride and groom walked to the church to get married. The wedding loaf was placed on the towel. All wedding towels were richly decorated with hand-woven lace.
According to custom, the wedding table was set in two houses: the groom's and the bride's.
Only the groom's guests could be present. The second day of the wedding took place at the bride's parents' place. The wedding ended with catching chickens in the yards of the participants in the festivities and cooking noodles over a fire. This was called “putting out” the wedding.
14) Harvest Festival.
This is a major fruit festival. This holiday falls around September 6, it was held after the harvest was harvested and the gods must be thanked for new food. A few days after the holiday, live fire is produced, which will be stored in ovens all winter until spring.
With a smoldering brand from the living fire, they go around the sown fields and thus protect them from “dashing and ghost”. During this round, ritual plowing of the field also takes place, so that a whole procession with fire and a plow moves around the fields. On this day they move to a new home. Housewarming day and moving the brownie from the old hearth. It was done like this. In an old hut, an old woman lights a stove. At noon the coals are put into a pot. Turning to the baked corner, the old woman says: “You are welcome, grandfather, to come to our new home.” The pot is covered with a towel, covered with a lid and carried to a new home. There the grandmother knocks on the door and asks: “Are the owners happy to have guests?” “You’re welcome to grandpa for the housewarming,” they answer her. At home, coals are placed in the stove. The pot is broken and buried at the front corner of the house.
According to legend, it was believed that in the morning on wet meadows The eel comes out and shakes off all its ailments onto the dew. Then they cling to people. Healers used eels to tell fortunes. They threw them on the coals and guessed by the way the eel jumped. And finally, Mother Osenina came to earth, just for a month. And its time is cool, but beautiful and satisfying.
15) Staging. Shchedrovki.
The evening on New Year's Eve is called "generous evening." On this evening, every home must cook dumplings with cheese and potatoes, fry sausage, and bake pies with cabbage. Boys and girls go to give.
They come up to the window of some hut and shout: - Hello, master and hostess! May I be generous to you? Having received permission, they sing schedrovka: Shchedrivochka was generous
It fell until the end.
Shcho ti, titka, puffed up
Give us a break.
It's hot - give it to us,
It's so cold - whine to you.
Shchedryk, bucket
Give me the Varenyk.
A breast of porridge,
Kilce cowboys.
The owners brought out a full bowl of dumplings and sausages, pies with meat and potatoes, and treated those who generously.
16). Sowing.
There was another ritual. Sowing for the New Year. The morning of the New Year began with the arrival of the sowers. It was believed that prosperity and good luck throughout the year depended on the first day.
Boys and boys went to sow. Sometimes they dressed up in women's clothes. The guys put large canvas bags over their shoulders, full of cereal seeds, peas, sunflowers, and beans. Appearing on the threshold, they said: “Hello, owners! Happy New Year!"
The first thing the boys did was sit on the threshold and ask them to “cluck” like hens so that the quacks would lay eggs well. When they sat down, they were sprinkled with holy water. Then they began to sow. To ensure a bountiful harvest, the grains were first thrown into the holy corner and then thrown up.
Throwing grains to the ceiling, the sowers said:
I sow - I winnow, I sow
Happy New Year.
Tah-toh, tararoh!
Ferment, God, peas!
Zhito, wheat,
All arable land (everything that is planted).
The grains were then swept up and given to the poultry so that they would be healthy and lay eggs well.
17) Driving a goat.
On New Year's Eve they brought a goat. This colorful, cheerful ritual was intended to ensure happiness and abundance in the coming year.
It was not for nothing that they sang: De goat hode - there is a lively rode. There's a goat with a horn - there's a haystack there. De goat top - top - a hundred kopecks live there
The most important thing is to make a goat mask. Sometimes the mask was a canvas bag with a sheepskin beard and straw horns. More often the mask was made entirely of wood. The lower jaw was made suspended and the goat could open its mouth. A bell was suspended from the goat's horns. The goat's retinue was not numerous.
Usually there was a did, a gypsy, a guide and a mikhonosha (carrying a bag for treats), a musician and a group of singers in festive costumes.
Here is the ritual recorded in the village of Brynkovskaya.
Guide: Master, let the goat in?
Host and hostess: Oh, come in, come in!
Guide: Only the goat is restless and mischievous.
Chorus: Good luck to you, honest gentlemen,
We are not walking alone, we are leading a goat.
And horned and bearded.
They took it recently - the bulla is young,
And the teperychki has grown old,
She didn’t feed her children.
That goat went to Mikhaylivka,
And in Mikhaylivka all the people are archers.
They want to take the goat and ruin it from their retinue.
Then the goat collapsed, but we became alive. (the guide laments over the goat).
Guide: Oh, my goat! Oh, my dear! Well, from now on I will be in labor! Oh my God! Oh, everything was fine. Yes, you served Mani in silence. Yes, I gave us that milk. There was a lot of milk. Now why should I get money? Guys! Who can treat you?
Cossack: I'm flying!
Guide: You? Do you take a lot?
Cossack: No!
Guide: If the goat gets tired, I’ll pay! (The Cossack makes movements with his hands.)
Cossack: I’ll fly out in one fell swoop. I know this prayer... oh-oh-oh!
A goat was running through the mist,
Four paws, heels whip
pole head,
May God bless her! (the goat starts to move)
Guide: Oh-oh! Wiggle your little head! Oh, you're my little darling!
18). Listening to a song.- Not a single holiday in Kuban was complete without a song.
Lesson summary.
Name the customs of the peoples of Kuban.
What was the name of the holiday in which only boys participated?
Why did they throw wool and feathers during housing construction?
