Sabantuy (holiday): description and history. What is Sabantui? Another meaning of the word Sabantui in Russian

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Sabantuy is a beloved and widespread folk holiday. It has been celebrated from ancient times to the present day. Sabantuy is celebrated in the summer after the end of spring field work.

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Sabantuy is a beloved and widespread folk holiday. It has been celebrated from ancient times to the present day. Sabantuy is celebrated in the summer after the end of spring field work.

In general, for Tatarstan, a staged implementation of Sabantuy is observed: first it is celebrated in individual villages and hamlets, collective farms, a week later a regional Sabantuy is held (or on Saturday - in the villages, and on Sunday - in the regional center) Sabantuy. The celebration of Sabantuy ends in major cities and the capital of Tatarstan - Kazan . Previously, Sabantuy was not tied to a specific day of the week and was celebrated by villagers on a day convenient for them, but now a generally accepted day off is designated for the celebration of Sabantuy - Sunday.

Sabantuy has become a universal and interethnic holiday and today it is celebrated in villages, towns, districts, cities, the capital of Tatarstan, Moscow, St. Petersburg.

Sabantuy takes place not only in Russia, but throughout the world. This holiday is an international national Tatar holiday, which has become a state holiday in Tatarstan, a federal holiday in Russia and an official city holiday in many other regions of the country, as well as in different parts of the world where Tatars live. In addition, on the initiative of local Tatar communities, Sabantui began to be held annually privately in cities such as Washington, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Tashkent, Montreal, Toronto, Prague, Istanbul and many others.

In the old days, the celebration of Sabantuy was a big event, and it took a long time to prepare for it. All winter, girls and young women prepared gifts - weaving, sewing, embroidering. In the spring, before the start of the holiday, young horsemen collected gifts around the village for future winners in competitions and folk games: embroidered scarves and towels, pieces of calico, shirts, chicken eggs. A towel embroidered with a national pattern was considered the most honorable gift. The collection of gifts was usually accompanied by cheerful songs, jokes, and jokes. Gifts were tied to a long pole; sometimes horsemen tied the collected towels around themselves and did not remove them until the end of the ceremony. The elders, a kind of council of Sabantuy, appointed a jury to award the winners and kept order during the competitions. The culmination of the holiday was the Maidan - competitions in running, jumping, national wrestling - keresh, and, of course, horse racing.

The old traditions of Sabantuy are gradually complemented by modern ones, however, the basic order of the holiday is preserved. Sabantuy in the countryside is a time for receiving guests: relatives and friends, so they prepare for it in advance: they clean and whitewash the house, prepare treats for guests.

Sabantuy begins to be prepared on the eve of the holiday on Saturday or even Friday. Young men travel from one end of the village to the other, singing, collecting towels, scarves, pieces of cloth, etc., which are attached to the horses’ bridles. The more gifts collected, the more richly the rider’s horse is decorated, and therefore the young men try to receive as many gifts as possible, agreeing on them in advance with their neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances. If there is no horse, then the young men tie two towels crosswise over their shoulders, on which they hang gifts.

Most often, the owner or hostess brings out the gifts themselves and waits for the collectors at the gate. The young men thank those who give gifts with songs, and at the end of the collection they drive through the village with songs and music, showing everyone how many things have been collected.

The location of the holiday is designated and equipped in advance. The Maidan is cleared of stones and leveled, sometimes a platform is installed on it. Often the place for the Maidan is permanent, and Sabantuy is celebrated on it from year to year. On the day of Sabantuy, a table with prizes and gifts for the winners is set up on the Maidan, and there are also trading tents and buffets here.

The Sabantuy is opened by one of the leaders of the district or city, congratulating those gathered on the national holiday, and at the main Sabantuy in Kazan - the President of Tatarstan.

After the grand opening of the holiday, the entertainment part begins: singers and dancers perform, who are participants in amateur performances or professional artists.

After the end of the concert, the place and time for the competition are announced. Due to the large crowd of people and the large number of people wishing to take part in the competitions, it is impossible to hold them on the Maidan, but prizes are awarded to the winners only on the Maidan.

One of the most popular types of competitions at Sabantui is still national wrestling - sidekick . The competition begins with two young boys (sometimes two old men), and then schoolchildren, young men, and middle-aged men compete in turn.

The culmination of the struggle and the entire Sabantuy is the struggle of the batyrs - the winners in the preliminary fights and, finally, the two finalists. Fights on the Maidan show the strength, dexterity, skill, courage of the warriors, as well as their nobility and respect for their opponents.

The winner of the competition receives the most valuable gift of Sabantuy, which these days is quite significant: cars, expensive consumer electronics, carpets, washing machines, etc. According to tradition, the winner is given a live ram as a prize.

Maidan served as the beginning of a sports career for many famous wrestlers, and Tatar wrestling Koresh has become a sport in which individual and team championships are held in Tatarstan and Russia.

On the Maidan they compete in lifting weights: weights (one-pound, two-pound), sometimes barbells.

Arm wrestling is showing itself more and more confidently at Sabantuy. If in the international sports arena this sport is known as arm wrestling, among the Tatar people it has long been known as “kul koreshteru”. Its rules are simple: in order to defeat an opponent, you need to press his hand to the table on which a special pillow is placed.

Arkan (rope, bau) tartysh (tug of war). In the ancient Turkic dictionary it is designated by the terms uruq (rope, rope) and uqruq (lasso).

Running with a yoke is a comic competition, but it has a certain subtext: since the buckets are not empty, but filled to the brim with water and mainly young girls of marriageable age and daughters-in-law compete, their accuracy is also tested here.

Pea fight is one of the most favorite competitions. The task is to break a pot while blindfolded.

For the most dexterous, there is such a competition as climbing a pole, on top of which a red flag or a valuable gift is attached. Moreover, the height of the pillar sometimes reaches 15 meters.

A fun competition to find a coin in a bowl with a roll. The referees blindfold the player tightly and ask him to put his hands behind his back. At the judge’s signal, the player bends over the plate and, “diving” his face into the bowl, begins to look for a coin with his lips. He only has a strictly limited time for this.

Children especially love such fun as running with an egg in a spoon, while holding the spoon in the mouth.

The comic competition of fighting with bags of straw while sitting on a log also requires a certain dexterity. A round log is installed on the Maidan. Two competitors sit astride a log facing each other, holding sacks filled with straw in their hands. At the referee's signal, the players begin to hit each other with bags, trying to knock the opponent off the log to the ground. Whoever manages to hold his own on a log and throw his opponent to the ground is declared the winner.

Also popular are tug of war, sticks, and climbing a tall smooth pole with a prize at the top. A live rooster in a cage, boots, etc. are used as a prize.

Competitions are held for singers, readers, and dancers; organize round dances and dances; Together with the craftsmen, they are engaged in various national crafts, for example, forging.

Usually the Maidan lasts from 10-11 am to 2-3 pm. It sells sweets and other goodies, and often hosts family tea parties around the samovar.

After the end of the Maidan in the evening, young people gather for evening games - Kichke uyen (evening Sabantuy) - on the edge of the village, in the meadows, at the site of the daytime Maidan or in a club. Competitions of singers, dancers, and readers are also held here.

As a rule, competitions and Sabantuy games are started by children, teenagers pick up the baton, then they are replaced by young men, and only then adults take over. This tradition of generational continuity is one of the most important on our Sabantui, which must be observed under any circumstances and conditions. The Sabantui spirit of competition, once infused into a person’s heart in childhood, will help him throughout his life. In order for a person to be able to preserve his face and dignity under any circumstances, he must always be ready for both victories and defeats, and be able to balance his desires with his capabilities. In this sense, Sabantuy is an elementary school of life.

Cheerful, wise Sabantuy is an unsurpassed invention of the Tatar people. Having originated in the mists of time, it has survived to this day as a holiday that has the magical property of constantly being renewed and enriched, absorbing the material and spiritual achievements of society at a given stage. Sabantuy, as a truly mass holiday, gives every person, no matter what nationality, religion or age, the opportunity to have fun, take part in competitive games or just be a spectator.

Over the past few decades, Sabantuy has further strengthened its position as an all-Tatar holiday, celebrated along with Tatarstan and in many countries near and far where Tatars live. It is acquiring a, one might say, all-Russian character, attracting every year more and more representatives of different nations and peoples of Russia

Sabantuy is dear and valuable to us, first of all, as a folk holiday, in which or with the help of which we come into contact with the folk traditions of communication and fun. There are traditions - there are people, there are no traditions - there are no people. By preserving and protecting the age-old traditions of the Tatar people, their rituals and customs, native language and songs, we strengthen our foundations as a nation and people.

Sabantuy is translated from Turkic languages as “wedding (celebration) of the plow” - saban(plough) and thuja(holiday, wedding). In the Tatar language the holiday is called tat. Sabantui or Tat. saban tue. The name was also common among the Tatars Saban beyreme(bәyrәm also means holiday). The Bashkir name of the holiday has a similar etymology, from bashk. haban - plow.

Among the Chuvash, this holiday was previously called Chuvash. Sukhat - plowing (mountain Chuvash) and Chuvash. sapan tuyĕ - festival of the plow or Sapan (lower Chuvash), but now everywhere it is called Chuvash. akatuy. The Mari name for a similar holiday - agapayrem - has a similar etymology. A similar holiday of the Tatarstan Mordovians - Baltai has a Tatar etymology and means honey holiday. A similar holiday called UDM. Gerber also exists among the Udmurts.

The peoples of the North Caucasus, the Balkars and Nogais also celebrate a similar holiday, which they call Sabanta. The Kazakhs also use the same word to denote a similar holiday.

History of Sabantuy

Previously, Sabantuy was celebrated in honor of the beginning of spring field work (at the end of April), but now in honor of its end (in June).

The origins of the Sabantuy celebration go back to ancient times and are associated with the agrarian cult. The original purpose of this rite was probably to appease the fertility spirits in order to favor a good harvest in the new year.

Research in recent years shows that Sabantuy consisted of an alternation of rituals that were performed in early spring - from the first melting of snow to the beginning of sowing. This holiday existed in most Tatar villages and large Tatar communities around the world. In its implementation, local differences were observed, caused by the presence or absence of individual rituals.

First recorded in writing among the Bashkirs in the eighteenth century in the travel notes of the Russian lexicographer, naturalist and traveler Lepekhin Ivan Ivanovich and the German ethnographer, scientist Georgi Johann Gottlieb

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First version of Sabantuy

Batyr Sabantuy with a prize

As soon as the snow melted, the old aksakals held a gathering and agreed on the timing of the sabantuy. On the appointed day, the children went home to collect cereals, milk, butter, and eggs. From these products, some woman would prepare porridge for children in a field near the water (sometimes in the house). This porridge was called dere or zere botkasy(meaning of terms dere, zere unclear; perhaps there is a relationship with the Turkish dere - river - porridge was prepared by the water), and in the eastern and south-eastern regions of Tatarstan - hag botkas- “rook porridge” or “crow porridge”. Since the origins of the holiday lie in archaic, pre-Islamic beliefs, and one of them, the cult of birds - crows.

The next day, at first light, the children, having put on new clothes (necessarily new bast shoes with white cloth stockings - tula oek), went home to collect colored eggs. Everyone in their hands had a bag made from the red end of the bran (woven with patterns) - kyzyl bashly selge- towels. All housewives not only painted eggs, but also baked buns and nuts from dough especially for children - baursak and prepared sweets.

In some villages, the mistress sat the first boy to enter the house on a pillow, saying: “May your feet be light, may there be many hens and chicks...”. The first one was always given eggs, and he received more gifts than the others.

On the same day, before lunch, after the children had finished their rounds, the young men rode out on smart horses. The so-called Shoren Sugu(collection of eggs by young men). In groups of 8-10 people they traveled around the village. Stopping at each house, sometimes driving into the yard, they asked for eggs. Each housewife brought out several raw eggs, which were placed in a special bag. When the detour of the village was completed, one of the riders, more dexterous and faster, grabbed his wallet and rushed at full speed beyond the outskirts. The task of the other young men was to catch up with him. If this failed, all the eggs went to the winner, which happened rarely; usually the young men arranged a joint treat.

Besides Shoren Sugu on horseback in some villages they staged Shoren on foot - zheyaule soren. Several mummers went from house to house, where they collected eggs and demanded food. Those who did not give it were threatened with various misfortunes, but usually they were rarely refused.

A few days later, when the time was approaching sowing, the young men rode out on horseback to collect gifts for the winners of the competition. The villagers willingly gave away things they had prepared in advance: scarves, pieces of cloth, stockings, eggs, etc. The most valuable gift was considered to be a towel with braided patterns. It had to be prepared by young women ( Yash Kilen), who got married between the last two Sabantuis. The collection of gifts was accompanied by cheerful songs, jokes, and jokes.

The next day competitions were held: as a rule, Maidan(the place of the competition) was located in the area of the fallow field. By the appointed time, people flocked there from all sides: residents of not only this village, but also the entire surrounding area, walked, families rode on horseback. In order to have the opportunity to visit the Maidan in neighboring villages, the order in which it was held was observed. The arches and manes of horses were decorated with patterned towels and colorful pieces of chintz. Everyone present that day took out the best clothes and jewelry from their chests.

The competition began with horse racing. Sabantuy could not do without them in not a single Tatar village. The horses participating in the competition were taken to a certain distance, 5-10 kilometers from the village. The finish line was located near the Maidan. While the horses were far away, there were running competitions on the Maidan, which were started by boys or old people: the participants in the competition were always grouped by age.

The best prizes were intended for the winner of the races, as well as the hero, who became the one who won all the fights in national wrestling.

The tradition of Russians, Udmurts, Maris, Chuvashs, Bashkirs, and Uzbeks living in the neighborhood of the Tatars participating in Sabantuy has spread widely.

Sabantuy as a public holiday

Presidents of Tatarstan and Russia M. Sh. Shaimiev and V. V. Putin at Sabantuy in Kazan, 2000

V.V. Putin at Sabantuy in Kazan, 2000

Currently, Sabantuy has acquired the status of a public holiday in Tatarstan: it is held in almost every locality, decrees and resolutions are issued on preparation, dates and venues, organizing committees are appointed from the highest-ranking leaders at each level (village, town, district, city, republic), sources of financing are determined.

The main Sabantuy takes place in the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan (now in the Birch Grove of the village of Mirny). Sabantuis are also held outside of Tatarstan in places with a significant Tatar population. Also, the Federal Sabantuy is officially held annually alternately in one of the regions of Russia with a large Tatar diaspora.

Procedure for holding Sabantuy

The old traditions of Sabantuy are gradually complemented by modern ones, however, the basic order of the holiday is preserved. As a rule, in cities Sabantuy is celebrated on one day on the Maidan, but in the village it consists of two parts - the ritual collection of gifts and the Maidan. Sabantuy in the countryside is a time for receiving guests: relatives and friends, so they prepare for it in advance: they clean and whitewash the house, prepare treats for guests.

Sabantuy begins to be prepared on the eve of the holiday on Saturday or even Friday. One of the stages is collecting gifts - ayber җyuyu, yaulyk җyu. In some villages, for example, Leninogorsk and Menzelinsky districts, up to 50 or more of the best horses are saddled to collect gifts. Young men travel from one end of the village to the other, singing, collecting towels, scarves, pieces of cloth, etc., which are attached to the horses’ bridles. The more gifts collected, the more richly the rider’s horse is decorated, and therefore the young men try to receive as many gifts as possible, agreeing on them in advance with their neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances. If there is no horse, then the young men tie two towels crosswise over their shoulders, on which they hang gifts. In some villages near Kazan, gifts are collected by old elders, who go around the houses and hang the gifts from a pole on their shoulders. Most often, the owner or hostess brings out the gifts themselves and waits for the collectors at the gate. The young men thank those who give gifts with songs, and at the end of the collection they drive through the village with songs and music, showing everyone how many things have been collected.

A gift from a young daughter-in-law is obligatory - Yash Kilen, which traditionally gives an embroidered towel. The best towel was subsequently given to the winner of the Sabantuy competition, which was a great honor for both the Sabantuy batyr and the girl who embroidered the towel. In recent years, due to the disappearance of home production of woven towels, shirts have begun to be donated for sabantuy.

One of the collected towels (traditional towels with red patterned ends - kyzyl bashly selge are still found among the collected gifts) are hung on a long pole at the entrance to the village as a warning about the upcoming Sabantuy.

The tradition of ritual collection of eggs has been preserved, which are given both with a gift and instead of it. Some of the eggs are sold, and the money received is used to buy things needed for the sabantuy. The rest of the eggs are used on the Maidan during comic competitions: wrestlers drink them, etc.

The Sabantuy is opened by one of the leaders of the district or city, congratulating those gathered on the national holiday, and at the main Sabantuy in Kazan - the President of Tatarstan.

After the grand opening of the holiday, the entertainment part begins: singers and dancers perform, who are participants in amateur performances or professional artists.

One of the most popular types of competitions at Sabantui is still national wrestling - sidekick. The competition begins with two young boys (sometimes two old men), and then schoolchildren, young men, and middle-aged men compete in turn.

Maidan served as the beginning of a sports career for many famous wrestlers, and Tatar wrestling Koresh has become a sport in which individual and team championships are held in Tatarstan and Russia.

On the Maidan they compete in lifting weights: weights (one-pound, two-pound), sometimes barbells.

Comic competitions are widespread and are also held on the Maidan. These are various running competitions: running with a spoon in the mouth with an egg placed on it, running with buckets on a yoke filled with water, running in bags, running in twos, when the left leg of one is tied to the right leg of the other. They compete in battle with bags filled with hay and grass, which are carried on a slippery log; compete in a game during which you need to, blindfolded, break a clay pot standing on the ground with a stick. Also popular are tug of war, sticks, and climbing a tall smooth pole with a prize at the top. A live rooster in a cage, boots, etc. are used as a prize.

Competitions are held for singers, readers, and dancers; organize round dances and dances; Together with the craftsmen, they are engaged in various national crafts, for example, forging.

Usually the Maidan lasts from 10-11 am to 2-3 pm. It sells sweets and other goodies, and often hosts family tea parties around the samovar.

After the end of the Maidan in the evening, young people gather for evening games - Kichke uyen(evening sabantuey) - on the edge of the village, in the meadows, on the site of the daytime Maidan or in a club. Competitions of singers, dancers, and readers are also held here.

Federal Sabantuy

2001 - Saratov,

2002 - Tolyatti (Samara region),

2003 - Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk region),

2004 - Yoshkar-Ola,

2005 - Nizhny Novgorod,

2006 - Saransk,

2007 - Chelyabinsk,

2008 - Astrakhan,

2009 - Ulyanovsk,

2010 - Izhevsk,

2011 - Ekaterinburg,

year 2013 - ...

All-Russian Rural Sabantuy

IV (2013) - ...

Sabantui outside Russia

Sabantuy takes place not only in Russia, but throughout the world. This holiday is an international national Tatar holiday, which has become a state holiday in Tatarstan, a federal holiday in Russia and an official city holiday in many cities around the world. In addition, on the initiative of local Tatar communities, Sabantui began to be held annually privately in cities such as Washington, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Tashkent, Montreal, Toronto, Prague, Istanbul and many others.

Notes

Akatui
Shipova E.I. Dictionary of Turkisms in Russian. Alma-Ata: Nauka, 1976, P. 268.
See Urazmanova R.K. Rituals and holidays of the Tatars of the Volga region and the Urals (Annual cycle. XIX - early XX centuries). Historical and ethnographic atlas of the Tatar people. Kazan: Publishing House PIK "House of Printing", 2001. P. 50., Nikishenkov A.A. Traditional etiquette of the peoples of Russia. XIX – early XX centuries. M.: Stary Sad, 1999, P.77, Kuchemezov B.Kh. Agriculture among the Balkars // Ethnographic Review. 2001, no. 1. P. 73.
Sabantuy (origin of Sabantuy, etymology of Sabantuy) “Etymological dictionary of the Russian language. Vasmer Max (online version) « Russian language « Classes.ru
Sabantui in Encyclopedias Chelyabinsk
Agapairem - meeting place
Baltai - a holiday of honey and butter
Gerber: about the traditional summer holiday of the Udmurts
Traditions of the peoples of the CBD
1gb.ru hosting - first page
Urazmanova R.K. Modern rituals of the Tatar people (Historical and ethnographic research). - Kazan: Tatar book. publishing house, 1984, P.52.

1 Sabantui

noun Sabantui (national folk holiday dedicated to the end of spring work)

2 Sabantui

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Sabantuy in photographs by Rifkhat Yakupov. Photo album, Alena Karimova, Shamil Idiatullin, Rifhat Yakupov. In the photographs of this album, Rifhat Yakupov managed to capture the “very life” of the Tatar people. The author invites the viewer to co-create, and silent pictures are suddenly filled with sounds and...

Sabantuy

“Sabantuy” translated into Russian as “festival of the plow” is the most famous annual Tatar folk festival in honor of the end of spring field work.

The origins of the celebration of Sabantuy go back to ancient times and are associated with the agrarian cult. The original purpose of this rite was probably to appease the fertility spirits in order to favor a good harvest in the new year. Previously, Sabantuy was celebrated in honor of the beginning of spring field work (at the end of April), but now in honor of its end (in June).

Sabantuy is a beloved and widespread Tatar folk holiday. Therefore, it has been celebrated from ancient times to the present day, interrupted only during wars and other difficult periods of life. However, upon the return of peaceful life, the celebration of Sabantuy was resumed. Research in recent years shows that Sabantui consisted of an alternation of rituals that were performed in early spring - from the first melting of snow to the beginning of sowing. This holiday existed in most Tatar villages and large Tatar communities around the world. In its implementation, local differences were observed, caused by the presence or absence of individual rituals.

Over time, the traditions of Sabantuy have changed. Local differences gradually disappeared, and the timing of its celebration became uniform: Sabantui is now celebrated in the summer after the end of spring field work and before the start of mowing during a break in agricultural work. In general, for Tatarstan, a staged implementation of Sabantuy is observed: first it is celebrated in individual villages and hamlets, collective farms, and a week later a regional Sabantuy is held. The celebration ends with Sabantuy in major cities and the capital of Tatarstan - Kazan. Previously, Sabantuy was not tied to a specific day of the week and was celebrated by villagers on a day convenient for them, but now a generally accepted day off is designated for the celebration of Sabantuy - Sunday.

Over time, the general form of the holiday took shape, which was not the case in traditional life; a number of stages and outdated rituals disappeared. Gradually, the third version of Sabantuy began to prevail, which consisted of collecting gifts, Maidan and evening youth games. Gradually, stages such as collecting food to prepare “porridge” and collecting colored eggs from house to house, in which children participated, disappeared. This was due to the classification of a number of rituals as religious and their prohibition by the Soviet authorities, and to the fact that the collection of food began to be treated as hoarding.

Sabantuy is an international national Tatar holiday, which has become a state holiday in Tatarstan, a federal holiday in Russia and an official city holiday in many cities around the world. In addition, on the initiative of local Tatar communities, sabantuis were held privately in cities such as Washington, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Tashkent, Montreal, Toronto, Prague, Istanbul and many others.

The origin of the calendar holiday Sabantuy among the ancestors of the Tatars is associated with the rituals of public prayers and sacrifices in honor of the god of the sky and sun Tengre and the spirits of ancestors. From the very beginning, Sabantuy was a spring holiday associated with the awakening of nature and the beginning of spring work (saban - “spring”). Its origin is connected with the rites of ritual marriage with nature that existed among a number of ancient Turkic tribes and other peoples of the world. Therefore, initially the games and competitions of Sabantuy were of a sacred nature. In this context, thuja should be interpreted precisely as “wedding” (“marriage”).

The most ancient and main competitions on Sabantui, associated with the nomadic and semi-nomadic life of the ancestors of the Tatars and previously having sacred significance, are running, national wrestling kuresh, horse racing (“at chabyshlar”) and jumping. This is largely explained by the similar ideology of pagan rituals and holidays associated with the beginning of the spring-summer cycle of agricultural work among the Tatar, Bashkir, Chuvash, Mari, Udmurt, Mordovian and Russian ethnic groups. There was a mutual enrichment of the content of Sabantuy and similar holidays among other peoples of the Volga region.

The basis of the Sabantuy ritual of giving, which replaced the pagan sacrifices to the god of the Sun and sky Tengre, is the desire for procreation, ensuring the fertility of livestock and the fertility of the earth. The motive of gifting, which replaced sacrifices, is the basis for collecting gifts on Sabantui. Moreover, the collection of gifts by the young men, who were called “Birne Zhyyuchy”, “Solge Zhyyuchy”, became a kind of prelude to the holiday. Sabantuy gifts - embroidered white towels, scarves, eggs and, finally, a ram intended for the hero Sabantuy. The runner who injured his leg and especially the horse who crossed the finish line last were rewarded. The necks of such horses were decorated with embroidered towels and scarves. Despite the influence of certain elements (Muslim, Christian, Soviet) on the Sabantuy holiday in different eras, the transmission of the tradition of rituals, games and competitions of Sabantuy remained continuous, as evidenced by many types of historical sources (written, archaeological, ethnographic, etc.). During the existence of the Kazan Khanate, Sabantuy received the status of the most widespread national holiday.

Since that time, it has wandered from century to century, enriched with new content and forms, turning into a truly international, creative, sports, gaming, and humanitarian forum. After the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgaria, which in principle did not prohibit ancient customs that do not contradict Sharia, the ruling elite changed its value orientations in relation to the genealogical and cultural pagan heroes, the former khans, which could not but affect the ritual, i.e. the main part of calendar holidays. It was with the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars that the folk calendar also changed. The New Year began to be celebrated as the holiday of Nauruz, or Hamal. Sabantuy moved back to the beginning of May, becoming the holiday of the beginning of spring and sowing. After the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in Soviet Russia on February 14, 1918, Nauruz began to be celebrated among the Tatars as a holiday to welcome spring.

Since the 20s of the 20th century, Sabantuy, approaching the summer solstice, has absorbed the best components of the second Tatar folk holiday - Dzhien, which also has ancient Turkic roots. It preserved the best examples of the cultural heritage of the Tatar people - songs and dances, games, competitions and original physical exercises.

Since 1990, Sabantuy has been included in the list of legislatively approved republican holidays, which allows us to consider it as a historical phenomenon not only in the system of calendar customs and rituals of the people, but also as an integral part of nationwide holidays.

The visit to Tatarstan and the direct participation in Sabantuy of the Presidents of the Russian Federation B.N. played a big role in strengthening public interest in Sabantuy. Yeltsin in 1995 and V.V. Putin in 2001.

Despite the fact that Sabantuy is an original Tatar national folk holiday, representatives of other nationalities are also welcome to participate in it. Sabantuy is held in villages and cities of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as outside it - places of compact residence of the Tatar population (in the regions of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Germany, USA). Sabantuy is a concentrated expression of Tatar traditional culture, its ethics and values. At the same time, throughout history it has absorbed elements of other ethnic cultures.

The Sabantuy model as a form of technology of cultural communication can serve as the basis for initiating a new type of international holidays, like the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro or the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture in Bulgaria.

From the history of Sabantuy

Sabantuy has long been the favorite holiday of the Tatar people. According to some researchers, it has a thousand-year history. In any case, back in 921 this holiday was described by the Baghdad ambassador Ibn Fadlan, who arrived in ancient Bulgar. Now Sabantuy falls in June, when sowing works end, but in previous years it was celebrated before they began, at the end of April. This holiday was celebrated in most villages of the Kazan Tatars and Kryashen Tatars. Its name comes from the Tatar words “saban” (“spring” or “plough”) and “tui” (“celebration”, “wedding”). The Tatar Sabantuy is in many ways reminiscent of the Chuvash Akatuy, the Bashkir Khabantuy and the Udmurt Gerber.

Our ancestors, whose well-being depended on the harvest, tried to appease the spirits of fertility. By worshiping the snow-free land into which grain grains would soon fall, people tried to earn the favor of natural forces. Gradually, the ancient rituals were forgotten, but subsequent generations continued to happily celebrate the holiday of the spring plow before the start of difficult field work. By the 19th century it had become a joyful folk festival, although some echoes of ancient beliefs remained. As soon as the snow melted in the fields, the old elders agreed on the timing of Sabantuy.
The festive cycle usually began with the symbolic plowing of the first furrow with a wooden plow. Sabantuy consisted of a whole sequence of rituals. On a predetermined day, the children went to the houses of their fellow villagers to collect food, from which they then prepared a special porridge. In the eastern and south-eastern regions of Tatarstan it was called hag botkasy - “rook porridge” or “crow porridge”, which indicates the connection of Sabantuy with the archaic cult of birds. The next morning the children again went from house to house and collected colored eggs. All the housewives warmly greeted the children and treated them to specially prepared delicacies. On the same day, young men rode around the village on horseback, stopping at each house and demanding treats from the owners. When the time was already approaching sowing, young men on horseback collected gifts for the winners of the competition.

A patterned towel was considered the most valuable gift. Such towels certainly had to be prepared by young women (yash kilen) who got married within the last year. The collection of gifts was accompanied by songs and jokes. Finally, the culmination of the holiday came. The Maidan, the place of competition, was located in a meadow or forest clearing. Everyone gathered here in the afternoon, when the old people left the mosque at the end of prayer.

The holiday usually opened with a running competition (yugereu), with participants grouped by age. A horseman galloped ahead and showed the runners the way. The winners often immediately presented the prizes to honored guests or older relatives, who in return presented them with money. There was a struggle (kuresh) in the center of the Maidan. The wrestlers threw a sash (bilbau) over each other's backs, the ends of which they held in their hands, wrapped around the wrist, and tried to put the opponent on his shoulder blades. Those who managed to defeat their opponents then competed with each other. As a result, there was only one winner left - the hero, who became the main hero of the holiday. Sometimes famous warriors came from afar to measure their strength and dexterity. The best prizes were intended for the batyr, as well as the winner of the races (baige). Horses participating in the races were taken several kilometers from the village. At the finish line, a young guy or girl held a white scarf embroidered with multi-colored silk on a pole, which went to the winner.

Other competitions include extracting coins from cauldrons filled with kumiss with your mouth and pulling ropes. After the competition, those present were treated to a traditional treat - bishbarmak and horse sausages. The celebration did not end there. Until late at night, young people sang songs and danced, folk musicians and singers demonstrated their talents.

In some villages, the dates of the holiday did not coincide. This was done intentionally so that the villagers had time to attend spring celebrations throughout the area and visit friends and relatives. Therefore, the Maidan was always crowded. The best outfits, decorated with bright embroidery, which always distinguished both women's and men's Tatar costumes, were taken out of the chests. During the holiday, young people had the opportunity to look at the bride or groom. It was on Sabantuy that acquaintances were made and future married couples were planned. With such a crowd of people, conflicts arose extremely rarely, since order was carefully maintained, and an atmosphere of cordiality and goodwill invariably reigned around.

It can be noted that in different regions the holiday had its own characteristics. For example, in many villages of the Baltasinsky and Arsky districts, a week before the Maidan, horse races were held for young men, and two or three adult men were engaged in collecting gifts for the winners. So that everyone could see the collected gifts, they were hung from a pole, which was carried on the shoulder. In some villages in the Zelenodolsk and Vysokogorsk regions, it was customary to visit cemeteries on the eve of the holiday. Neighboring women congratulated each other on the arrival of spring and treated them to sour cream; colored eggs were distributed to the children of relatives.

In the 21st century, the history of the ancient holiday continues. Nowadays, Sabantuy is celebrated not only in the cities and villages of Tatarstan, but also far beyond its borders, attracting people of various nationalities. There are still songs and laughter, horsemen gallop on fast horses and the Maidan is noisy...

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