Appearance of the Chuvash: characteristics and features. Indigenous population of the Chuvash Republic

The Chuvash people are quite numerous, more than 1.4 million people live in Russia alone. Most occupy the territory of the Republic of Chuvashia, the capital of which is the city of Cheboksary. There are representatives of the nationality in other regions of Russia, as well as abroad. A hundred thousand people each live in Bashkiria, Tatarstan and the Ulyanovsk Region, a little less in the Siberian Territories. The appearance of the Chuvash causes a lot of controversy among scientists and geneticists about the origin of this people.

Story

It is believed that the ancestors of the Chuvash were the Bulgars - the tribes of the Turks, who lived from the 4th century BC. on the territory of the modern Urals and in the Black Sea region. The appearance of the Chuvash speaks of their relationship with the ethnic groups of Altai, Central Asia and China. In the XIV century, the Volga Bulgaria ceased to exist, the people moved to the Volga, in the forests near the rivers Sura, Kama, Sviyaga. At first, there was a clear division into several ethnic subgroups, over time it smoothed out. The name "Chuvash" in Russian-language texts occurs with early XVI century, it was then that the places where these people lived became part of Russia. Its origin is also associated with the existing Bulgaria. Perhaps it came from the nomadic Suvar tribes, who later merged with the Bulgars. The opinions of scientists were divided in explaining what the word meant: the name of a person, a geographical name, or something else.

ethnic groups

The Chuvash people settled along the banks of the Volga. The ethnic groups living in the upper reaches were called viryal or turi. Now the descendants of these people live in the western part of Chuvashia. Those who settled in the center (anat enchi) are located in the middle of the region, and those who settled in the lower reaches (anatari) occupied the south of the territory. Over time, the differences between sub-ethnic groups have become less noticeable, now they are the people of one republic, people often move, communicate with each other. In the past, the way of life of the lower and upper Chuvashs was very different: they built dwellings in different ways, dressed, and organized life. According to some archaeological finds, it is possible to determine which ethnic group the thing belonged to.

To date, there are 21 districts in the Chuvash Republic, 9 cities. In addition to the capital, Alatyr, Novocheboksarsk, Kanash are among the largest.

External features

Surprisingly, only 10 percent of all representatives of the people are dominated in appearance by the Mongoloid component. Geneticists claim that the race is mixed. It belongs mainly to the Caucasoid type, which can be said from the characteristic features of the appearance of the Chuvash. Among the representatives you can meet people with light brown hair and eyes of light shades. There are also individuals with more pronounced Mongoloid features. Geneticists have calculated that the majority of the Chuvashs have a group of haplotypes similar to that characteristic of the inhabitants of countries in northern Europe.

Among other features of the appearance of the Chuvash, it is worth noting a low or average height, hair stiffness, darker eye color than Europeans. Naturally curly curls are rare. Representatives of the people often have epicanthus, a special fold at the corners of the eyes, characteristic of Mongoloid faces. The nose is usually short in shape.

Chuvash language

The language remained from the Bulgars, but differs significantly from others Turkic languages. It is still used on the territory of the republic and in nearby areas.

There are several dialects in the Chuvash language. The Turi living in the upper reaches of the Sura, according to the researchers, “okay”. The ethnic subspecies of Anatari placed more emphasis on the letter "y". However, clear features currently missing. Modern language in Chuvashia, rather, it is close to that used by the Turi ethnic group. It has cases, but lacks the category of animation, as well as the gender of nouns.

Until the 10th century, the alphabet was runic. After the reforms, it was replaced by Arabic characters. And since the XVIII century - Cyrillic. Today, the language continues to "live" on the Internet, even a separate section of Wikipedia has appeared, translated into the Chuvash language.

Traditional activities

The people were engaged in agriculture, grew rye, barley and spelt (a kind of wheat). Sometimes peas were sown in the fields. Since ancient times, the Chuvash have bred bees and eat honey. Chuvash women were engaged in weaving and weaving. Especially popular were patterns with a combination of red and white colors on the fabric.

But other bright colors were also common. Men were engaged in carving, carved dishes, furniture from wood, decorated dwellings with platbands and cornices. Mat production was developed. And since the beginning of the last century, Chuvashia has been seriously engaged in the construction of ships, several specialized enterprises have been created. The appearance of the indigenous Chuvash is somewhat different from the appearance of modern representatives of the nationality. Many live in mixed families, create marriages with Russians, Tatars, some even move abroad or to Siberia.

Suits

The appearance of the Chuvash is associated with their traditional types of clothing. Women wore embroidered tunics. From the beginning of the 20th century, grassroots Chuvash women dressed in colorful shirts with assemblies from different fabrics. There was an embroidered apron on the front. Of the ornaments, the Anatari girls wore tevet - a strip of fabric trimmed with coins. They wore special caps on their heads, shaped like a helmet.

Men's pants were called yem. In the cold season, the Chuvash wore footcloths. From footwear, leather boots were considered traditional. There were special outfits worn for the holidays.

Women decorated their clothes with beads and wore rings. From shoes, bast bast shoes were also often used.

original culture

Many songs and fairy tales, elements of folklore remained from the Chuvash culture. It was customary for the people to play instruments on holidays: bubble, harp, drums. Subsequently, a violin and an accordion appeared, and they began to compose new drinking songs. For a long time there have been various legends, which were partly connected with the beliefs of the people. Before joining the territories of Chuvashia to Russia, the population was pagan. They believed in various deities, spiritualized natural phenomena and objects. At a certain time, sacrifices were made, as a token of gratitude or for the sake of a good harvest. Among other deities, the god of Heaven, Tura (otherwise, Thor) was considered the main one. The Chuvash deeply honored the memory of their ancestors. The rites of remembrance were strictly observed. On the graves, usually, pillars made of trees of a certain species were installed. Limes were placed for dead women, and oaks for men. Subsequently most of population adopted the Orthodox faith. Many customs have changed, some have been lost or forgotten over time.

Holidays

Like other peoples of Russia, Chuvashia had its own holidays. Among them is Akatuy, celebrated in late spring - early summer. It is dedicated to agriculture, the beginning of preparatory work for sowing. The duration of the celebration is a week, during this time special ceremonies are performed. Relatives go to visit each other, treat themselves to cheese and a variety of other dishes, beer is pre-brewed from drinks. All together they sing a song about sowing - a kind of anthem, then they pray to the god of Tur for a long time, asking him for good harvest, the health of family members and profits. Divination is common on the holiday. Children threw an egg into the field and watched whether it broke or remained intact.

Another holiday among the Chuvash was associated with the veneration of the sun. Separately, there were days of commemoration of the dead. Agricultural rituals were also common, when people caused rain or, on the contrary, wished it to stop. Large feasts with games and amusements were held at the wedding.

Dwellings

The Chuvash settled near rivers in small settlements called yals. The layout of the settlement depended on the specific place of residence. On the south side, the houses lined up along the line. And in the center and in the north, a nested type of layout was used. Each family settled in certain area villages. Relatives lived nearby, in neighboring houses. Already in the 19th century, wooden buildings began to appear in the style of Russian rural houses. The Chuvashs decorated them with patterns, carvings, and sometimes painting. As a summer kitchen, a special building (las) was used, made of a log house, without a roof and windows. Inside there was an open hearth, on which they were engaged in cooking. Bathhouses were often built near the houses, they were called munches.

Other features of life

Until Christianity became the dominant religion in Chuvashia, polygamy existed on the territory. The custom of levirate also disappeared: the widow was no longer obliged to marry the relatives of her deceased husband. The number of family members was significantly reduced: now it included only spouses and their children. Wives were engaged in all economic affairs, counting and sorting products. The duty of weaving was also assigned to their shoulders.

According to the existing custom, the sons were married early. Daughters, on the contrary, tried to marry later, because often in marriage wives were older than their husbands. The youngest son in the family was appointed heir to the house and property. But the girls also had the right to receive an inheritance.

In the settlements there could be a mixed type of community: for example, Russian-Chuvash or Tatar-Chuvash. In appearance, the Chuvash did not differ strikingly from representatives of other nationalities, therefore they all coexisted quite peacefully.

Food

Due to the fact that animal husbandry in the region was developed to a small extent, plants were mainly used for food. The main dishes of the Chuvash were porridge (spelt or lentil), potatoes (in later centuries), vegetable and green soups. The traditional baked bread was called hura sakar, it was baked on the basis of rye flour. It was considered a woman's duty. Sweets were also widespread: cheesecakes with cottage cheese, sweet cakes, berry pies.

Another traditional dish is khulla. This was the name of the pie in the shape of a circle; fish or meat was used as a filling. The Chuvash people were engaged in cooking various types of sausages for the winter: with blood, stuffed with cereals. Shartan was the name of a type of sausage made from a sheep's stomach. Basically, meat was consumed only on holidays. As for drinks, the Chuvash brewed a special beer. Braga was made from the obtained honey. And later they began to use kvass or tea, which were borrowed from the Russians. Chuvash from the lower reaches often drank koumiss.

For sacrifices, they used a bird that was bred at home, as well as horse meat. On some special holidays, a rooster was slaughtered: for example, when new member families. Even then they made scrambled eggs and omelettes from chicken eggs. These dishes are eaten to this day, and not only by the Chuvash.

Famous representatives of the people

Among the Chuvash with a characteristic appearance, there were also famous personalities.

Near Cheboksary was born Vasily Chapaev, a famous commander in the future. He spent his childhood in a poor peasant family in the village of Budaika. Another famous Chuvash is the poet and writer Mikhail Sespel. He wrote books in his native language, at the same time he was a public figure of the republic. His name is translated into Russian as "Mikhail", but Mishshi sounded in Chuvash. Several monuments and museums were created in memory of the poet.

V.L. is also a native of the republic. Smirnov, a unique personality, an athlete who became the absolute world champion in helicopter sports. The training took place in Novosibirsk and repeatedly confirmed his title. There are also famous artists among the Chuvash: A.A. Kokel received an academic education, wrote many amazing works in charcoal. He spent most of his life in Kharkov, where he taught and worked on development art education. A popular artist, actor and TV presenter was also born in Chuvashia

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Chuvash (Chavash) is a Turkic-speaking people of Suvaro-Bulgarian origin in the Russian Federation, the titular nation of the Chuvash Republic. The Chuvash language is the only living representative of the Bulgarian group of Turkic languages.

The Chuvashs are an original ancient people with a rich monolithic ethnic culture. They are the direct heirs of Great Bulgaria and later - Volga Bulgaria. The Chuvash culture has features similar to both Western and Eastern cultures, there are Hitto-Akkadian, Sogdo-Manichean, Hunnic, Khazar, Bulgaro-Suvar, Turkic, Finno-Ugric, Slavic, Russian and other traditions, but at the same time it none of them are identical. These features are also reflected in the ethnic mentality of the Chuvash. Chuvash people, having absorbed culture and traditions different peoples, "reworked" them, synthesized positive customs, rituals and rituals suitable for the conditions of their existence, ideas, norms and rules of behavior, ways of managing and everyday life, retained a special worldview, formed a kind of national character. Undoubtedly, the Chuvash people have their own identity - "chavashlah" ("Chuvashness"), which is the core of its uniqueness. The task of researchers is to "extract" it from the bowels of the people's consciousness, to analyze and reveal its essence, to fix it in scientific works. The main religion of the religious part of the Chuvash is Orthodox Christianity, there are adherents of traditional beliefs and Muslims.

N. A. Baskakov and other Turkologists call the “message of the Hungarian chronicles” the next argument “testifying” about the rotacism of the Volga-Bulgar language, but this is an obvious misunderstanding, because there are no such messages in the Hungarian chronicles at all - we can talk about something else - about “ Chuvashisms" in the Hungarian language, which are usually used by the Ashmarinists to prove the Bulgaro-Chuvash concept. This issue was first raised by the Hungarian scientist Barnat Munkacsy in 1894, and then supported by N. I. Ashmarin. Of particular note is the work of Zoltan Gombots, which is devoted to the analysis of Bulgaro-Turkic borrowings in the Hungarian language. Out of almost 800 Turkic borrowings in the Hungarian language, Gombots identifies 227 words, which, in his opinion, are characterized by the so-called Old Chuvash features. On this basis, he concludes: the Hungarians never communicated with the Chuvashs, but were in contact with the Bulgars for more than 100 years, therefore, such words came into the Hungarian language from the language of the Volga Bulgars, which was close to the Chuvash

In the largest and most valuable work "Christianity among the Chuvash of the Middle Volga region in the XVI-XVIII centuries. Historical essay "(1912), an outstanding Chuvash ethnographer, folklorist, historian Professor N. V. Nikolsky investigated the most decisive and critical period of the New-Bulgarian (Chuvash proper) era of ethnic history, when the transformation of the traditional religious consciousness of the Chuvashs, the destruction of the structure of the Chuvash universe, and Forcibly introduced Orthodoxy served only as an ideological justification for the colonization of the Chuvash region by Muscovy.

Contrary to his original missionary attitudes, Nikolsky negatively assessed the results of the Christianization of the Chuvash. For him, discrimination against the Chuvash, violence, the disappearance of the "class of serving foreign aristocracy", the methods of forced Russification and Christianization were unacceptable. He especially emphasized that “the Chuvash, who was alien to Christianity in life, did not want to be him even by name ... The neophytes want the government not to consider them Christians either.” In Orthodoxy, they saw the "grow up tene" (Russian faith), that is, the ideological religion of the oppressors. Further, analyzing this period, the scientist notes the facts of the spiritual and physical resistance of the Chuvash to oppression and lawlessness and concludes that “cultural and educational activities were not adapted to folk life why they didn’t leave a significant mark among the Chuvash ”(see: Nikolsky, 1912). The Chuvash peasants, who closed in their communities, until the 20th century. cases of mass Russification did not occur. Prominent Chuvash historian V. D. Dimitriev writes that “until recently the Chuvash national culture has been preserved without deformation...” (Dimitriev, 1993: 10).

National identity, character, mentality of the Chuvash people in the twentieth century. experienced several significant transformations that were caused by popular revolutions, wars, national movement and public reforms. The technical achievements of modern civilization, especially computerization and the Internet, have significantly contributed to the change in ethno-mentality.

During the revolutionary years of the early twentieth century. within one generation, society, its consciousness and behavior changed beyond recognition, and documents, letters, works of art clearly recorded spiritual, economic, political, social transformations, reflecting in a peculiar way the features of the renewing folk mentality.

Each generation of an ethnic group over time develops its own version of mentality, which allows a person and the population as a whole to adapt and function optimally in the current environment. It can no longer be argued that the core qualities, fundamental values, mental attitudes have remained unchanged. The first and main social attitude for the Chuvash people - the belief in the correctness of the covenant of ancestors ("wattisem kalani"), a rigid set of rules of conduct and laws of ethnic existence - has lost its relevance among the youth, unable to withstand competition with the polyvariance and diversity of being social networks the Internet.

The process of erosion of the traditional mentality of the Chuvash and other small peoples is obvious. Perestroika in society and the state 1985–1986 entailed serious metamorphoses in various spheres of modern Russian life. Even the "deaf" Chuvash village has undergone global changes in its socio-cultural image before our eyes. The historically established and geographically determined everyday orientations of the Chuvash have been supplanted by Western television norms. Chuvash youth through the media and the Internet borrows a foreign way of behavior and communication. Not only the style of life has changed dramatically, but also the attitude to the world, worldview, mentality. On the one hand, the modernization of living conditions and mental attitudes is beneficial: the new generation of Chuvashs is learning to be bolder, more self-confident, more sociable, gradually getting rid of the inferiority complex inherited from their “foreigner” ancestors. On the other hand, the absence of complexes, remnants of the past is equated to the eradication of moral and ethical taboos in a person. As a result, mass deviations from the norms of behavior become a new standard of life.

At present, some positive qualities have been preserved in the mentality of the Chuvash nation. In the Chuvash environment today there is no ethnic fanaticism and ambition. With a noticeable poverty of living conditions, the Chuvashs are strong in adherence to traditions, have not lost their enviable quality of tolerance, “aptramanlakh” (inflexibility, survival, resilience) and exceptional respect for other peoples.

Ethno-nihilism, which is very characteristic of the Chuvash mentality of the second half of the 20th century, is no longer so clearly expressed. There is no obvious neglect of native history and culture, rituals and rituals, a feeling of ethnic inferiority, infringement, shame for representatives of the native ethnic group; the positive identity of the nation becomes normal for the Chuvash. Confirmation of this is the real demand by the Chuvash population for studying the Chuvash language and culture in kindergartens, schools, universities of the republic.

A generalized list of the main features of the Chuvash mentality at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. There is one of the first experiments devoted specifically to the characterization of the Chuvash mentality - the material of T. N. Ivanova (Ivanova, 2001), collected in the course of many years of work at retraining courses for teachers at the Chuvash Republican Institute of Education in 2001:

• - diligence;
• - patriarchal, traditional;
• - patience, patience;
• - respect for rank, high power distance, law-abiding;
• - prestige of education;
• - collectivism;
• - peacefulness, good neighborliness, tolerance;
• - perseverance in achieving the goal;
• - low self-esteem;
• - vindictiveness;
• - stubbornness;
• - modesty, the desire to "not stick out";
• - Respect for wealth.

Teachers noted that on the issue of national self-esteem, the dualistic Chuvash mentality is characterized by "a combination of two extremes: a heightened national self-awareness among the elite and the erosion of national features among the common people."

How much of this list has survived ten years later? The Chuvash mentality, as before, is not characterized by the desire to destroy everything to the ground, and then build anew from scratch. On the contrary, it is preferable to build on the basis of what is available; even better - next to the former. Such a feature as immensity is not characteristic. Measure in everything (in deeds and thoughts, behavior and communication) - the basis of the Chuvash character (“Do not jump ahead of others: keep up with the people”)? Of the three components - feelings, will, mind - mind and will prevail in the structure of the Chuvash national consciousness. It would seem that the poetic and musical nature of the Chuvash should be based on a sensual-contemplative beginning, but observations show the opposite. Apparently, the experience of previous centuries of joyless life, deeply stored in the memory of the people, makes itself felt, and the mind and rational nature of comprehending the world come to the fore.

Psychologist E. L. Nikolaev and teacher I. N. Afanasyev, based on a comparative analysis of the personality profiles of typical Chuvash and typical Russians, conclude that the Chuvash ethnic group is characterized by modesty, isolation, dependence, suspicion, naivety, conservatism, conformity, impulsiveness, tension (Nikolaev , Afanasiev, 2004: 90). The Chuvash do not recognize any exceptional virtues (although they possess them), voluntarily submit themselves to the requirements of general discipline. Chuvash children are taught to limit their own needs in accordance with the existing material conditions of life, treat all people with respect, show the necessary tolerance for the minor shortcomings of others, and at the same time be critical of their own merits and shortcomings.

In educational practice, the attitude that a person as a natural being is transitory, and as a social being is strong by belonging to his people, dominates, therefore modesty is a form of awareness by the individual of his duties to the people around him. From childhood, tact is purposefully brought up in the Chuvash - the ability, which has grown into a habit, to observe the measure in communication, avoiding actions and words that may be unpleasant to the interlocutor or people around him, especially older people.

However, the generally recognized positive distinguishing characteristics of the Chuvash, such as diligence (gendarme colonel Maslov), kind soul and honesty (A. M. Gorky), thoroughness (L. N. Tolstoy), hospitality, cordiality and modesty (N. A. Ismukov), are killed by the pragmatic requirements of the capitalist time, these spiritual qualities become unnecessary in a consumer society.

In a curious way, two specific traditional worldview attitudes responded in the mentality of the modern Chuvash - the recognition by the Chuvash elders of just revenge through one of the types of suicide “tipshar” and the cult of virginity, which distinguished in the past and still distinguish the Chuvash from other, even neighboring peoples.

The Chuvash Tipshar belongs to the category of personal vengeance, an everyday form of passive punishment of a scoundrel-compatriot through one's own death. Tipshar (dry trouble) is the protection of the name and honor at the cost of one's life, which corresponds to the teachings of the Sardash ethno-religion. In its purest form in the XXI century. among the Chuvash, it is extremely rare, remaining only as a personal trial for crimes in the sphere of intimate relationships between girls and men. Manifestations of "tipshara" with other motivations are found among adolescents and men of mature age. Except social causes, partly affected, in our opinion, shortcomings in the educational process. The Chuvash scholars-philologists were mistaken when the course of Chuvash literature, studied in secondary school, was built on examples of self-sacrifice. Suicide ends literary heroines Varussi Y. V. Turkhan, Narspi K. V. Ivanov, Ulkka I. N. Yurkin, the poems of M. K. Sespel, N. I. Shelebi, M. D. Uip, the story of L. Ya. Agakov " Song”, story by D. A. Kibek “Jaguar”.

Turning to suicide is also closely related to gender, age, marital status person. However, with all other things being equal, social diseases, primarily alcoholism, play a fatal role. Chuvash doctors explain the increase in the number of suicides by difficult living conditions, bureaucratic oppression, disorder of life (the situation is very similar to the situation of the Chuvash people in the 19th century, as S. M. Mikhailov and the Simbirsk gendarme Maslov wrote about), which result in strained relationships in the family, alcoholism , addiction.

Among Chuvash women, suicides are rare. Chuvash women are infinitely patient to financial and everyday difficulties, they feel responsibility for children and family more acutely, they try to get out of trouble by any means. This is the manifestation of ethno mentality: the role of wife and mother in the Chuvash family, as before, is incredibly high. The problem of suicide is closely intertwined with the problem of preserving virginity before marriage and gender relations: girls with desecrated honor, who experienced deceit and hypocrisy on the part of men, resorted to “tipshar” more often. Until the twentieth century. the Chuvash believed that the loss of maiden honor before marriage is a tragedy that, apart from shame and universal condemnation, life-long ordeal promises nothing. Life for the girl was losing value, there were no prospects for respect, finding a normal, healthy family, which any Chuvash aspired to have.

For a long time, family and clan relations among the Chuvash were an effective means of containing negative factors in their gender consciousness and behavior. This may explain the singularity of cases of refusal from born child or the Chuvash practice of guardianship over orphaned children, even by distant relatives. However, today the tradition of public attention to the relationship between girls and boys and their sexual education is being replaced by social and ethical indifference on the part of elders: individual freedom, freedom of speech and active protection of property rights have turned into permissiveness and individualism. Oddly enough, the Chuvash literature of the XXI century. praises precisely the boundless disorder and anarchy in relationships and in life.

In general, in studies of the early 2000s. (Samsonova, Tolstova, 2003; Rodionov, 2000; Fedotov, 2003; Nikitin, 2002; Ismukov, 2001; Shabunin, 1999) it was noted that the mentality of the Chuvash at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. characterized by almost the same basic features as the mentality of the Chuvash of the XVII-XIX centuries. The focus of the Chuvash youth on a healthy family life remains, and the responsibility for the well-being of the home and family, as before, is assumed by women. Not disappeared, despite the wild laws of the market, the natural tolerance of the Chuvash, the desire for accuracy and good manners. The attitude “do not run ahead of people, do not lag behind the people” is relevant: the Chuvash youth is inferior to the Russian in the mood for an active life position, in terms of self-confidence and independence. The Chuvash, more than the Russians, have a noticeable orientation towards settlement and regional identity (“for 60.4% of the Chuvashs, the inhabitants of their settlement are their own, while for Russians this figure is 47.6%”). Among rural residents of the republic, in terms of the presence of people with postgraduate, higher and incomplete higher education, the Chuvash are ahead of three other ethnic groups (Russians, Tatars, Mordovians). The Chuvash (86%) are characterized by the most pronounced positive attitude towards interethnic marriage (mordovians - 83%, Russians - 60%, Tatars - 46%). In Chuvashia, as a whole, there are no such prerequisites that could lead to an increase in interethnic tension in the future.

* Viryal (from the Chuvash. vir "upper, west" and yal "village, community") - one of the two large ethno-territorial groups of the Chuvash. The name "viryal", that is, horsemen living higher along the Volga, is opposed to the name "anatri" (from Chuvash anat "lower, east"), that is, grassroots Chuvashs living lower along the Volga.

Also, the mountain Mari, as a result of the influence of the Chuvash culture, also adopted multiple elements of the culture and language of the Bulgaro-Chuvash. In the Russian chronicles, the Upper Chuvashs, along with the mountain Maris, are referred to as "mountain cheremis".

The Upper Chuvashs speak an upper dialect of the Chuvash language. It has many differences, such as multiple Mari borrowings and a characteristic "okanye", which distinguishes it from other dialects of the Chuvash language.

The Upper Chuvashs are mainly descendants of the Chuvash mountain Mari. On the territory of the riding Chuvashs, Mari toponymy has been preserved in some places.

According to researchers (N. I. Gagen-Torn and others), the cut of women's shirts among the Chuvash-Virial and mountain Mari, as well as the entire complex of women's clothing, is almost the same.

The technology for making bast shoes among the Viryal and the mountain Mari coincided, differing from the technology used by the lower Chuvashs. Riding Chuvashs wore long footcloths and onuchi. The legs were wrapped thickly, like the Finno-Ugric neighbors. Viryal footcloths were made of black cloth, anat enchi - black and white, anatri - only white.

Riding Chuvashs are also called turi (from Chuvash tu - mountain, mountainous). The history of the origin of the name "turi" is connected with the fact that in the pre-Mongolian period two main ethno-territorial massifs of the Chuvash were formed, but then they were distinguished not along the course of the Volga, but by settlement on its left and right banks, that is, on the "mountain" (turi) and on the "steppe" (Hirti), or "Kama", During the academic expedition of the XVIII century. P. S. Pallas singled out exactly two groups of Chuvash: riding along the Volga and Hirti (steppe, or Kama)

The ancient population of the north-west of Chuvashia was the mountain Mari. Even during the years of the Volga Bulgaria, the Mari were the main population of those places, although there were ancient Bulgarian settlements.

During the years of the Tatar-Mongol yoke, many refugees from the cities of Bulgar, Bilyar, Suvar and Bulgar settlements that suffered from the Tatar-Mongol invasion moved to the mountainous side from heavy yasak and destruction. They forgot Islam, although they retained some elements of this religion and switched to paganism. The Bulgars, living in the forests, closely interacted with the indigenous Mari population, lived in mixed settlements and performed common pagan rites. As a result, most of the mountain Mari were assimilated by the coming Bulgaro-Chuvash. The first large settlement of the Upper Chuvashs is the city of Cheboksary, now the capital of the Chuvash Republic, the first mention of which was recorded in 1469 by the Moscow governor I.D. but without a name, and in 1459 a Venetian monk marked the place as the city of Veda Suvar (Vata Săvar).

Nikitina E. V.

The specificity of the mentality of the Chuvash people: The philosophical aspect of the study of the essence of the ethnic mentality: abstract of the dissertation ... candidate of philosophical sciences. - Cheboksary, 2004. - 169 p.

Academic degree: Candidate of Philosophical Sciences

Specialty code HAC: 09. 00. 11

Specialty: Social Philosophy

INTRODUCTION

Chapter I

1. 1. The genesis of the concepts of mentality and ethno-mentality

1. 2. Structure and functions of ethno mentality

1. 3. The essence of ethno mentality

Chapter II. THE MENTALITY OF THE CHUVASH PEOPLE: MAIN FEATURES AND SPECIFICS OF ITS FORMATION

2. 1. Features of the formation of the mentality of the Chuvash people. Mythology and ethnoreligion as forms of being of mentality

2. 2. Role national language and folklore in the formation of the mentality of the Chuvash people

2. 3. Socio-historical conditions for the development of the peoples of the Volga region and the specifics of the Chuvash mentality

2. 4. Characteristic features of the Chuvash ethnic mentality

Introduction

Relevance of the research topic. The global changes that took place in the world at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries caused radical transformations in interethnic relations, and national problems took on an eerie sound. It is quite possible that without a clear definition of development parameters, without positive ethnic self-identification and lobbying for priority interests, without persistent protection of the historical and cultural space, traditions and spiritual values, economically uncompetitive peoples, such as the Chuvash, Udmurts, Mari, Mordovians, following the small Shors, Teleuts, Kumandins, Yukaghirs will cease to be carriers of original cultures.

Against the background of the accelerating process of globalization, not only in the sphere of economics and politics, but also in the field of culture and education, in the context of the increasing "westernization" of the Russian way of life, interest in the problem of ethnic mentality *, in traditional national values, in the centuries-old spiritual and moral experience of ethnic groups seems to be quite reasonable. Knowledge of the peculiarities of the ethno-mentality and behavior of people in a specific geographical environment and socio-political situation is necessary for managing a multinational state.

The study of the problem of the Chuvash national mentality is caused by the desire to know its originality, historical roots and spiritual foundations of development. In almost all spheres of human activity and intellectual creativity, the Chuvash clearly showed themselves: outstanding passionaries came out of the people - known to the world cosmonaut A. G. Nikolaev, ballet dancer N. V. Pavlova, architect P. E. Egorov, sinologist N. Ya. , commander V. I. Lapaev, organizer of production A. P. Aidak and many other figures. In philosophical

In the dissertation, the terms "national mentality", "people mentality", "ethnic mentality", "ethnic community mentality", "ethno mentality" are used as synonyms. perspective - this is the problem of the correlation of the categories of the universal and the special, that is, the national in the universal and universal in the individual forms of the national. The spiritual foundations of the Chuvash society, one of ancient peoples, settled at the junction of Europe and Asia, Orthodoxy and Islam, living in many regions of the Russian Federation, are especially interesting because they conceal a deep fundamental platform of universal human foundations, value absolutes and philosophical and ethno-religious teachings about the world and society.

The desire of any nation to know its history, to preserve its culture and habitual, life-supporting psychological make-up is a natural desire. If in a person's life the awareness of one's belonging to a certain ethnic group (in other words, national self-consciousness or ethnic identity), the search for the specific values ​​of the nation play an important role and have a serious impact on relations between people (from interpersonal to interstate), then the development of sciences that analyze national problems from different angles - ethnopsychology, ethnopedagogy, ethnosociology, ethnopolitology, ethnophilosophy - is certainly necessary.

The relevance of the study of national issues noticeably increases during periods of turning point in the relationship between peoples and states due to the need for correct forecasting and development of a concept for the further development of mankind. Ethnophilosophy has a great responsibility: will it welcome globalization, theoretically justifying the usefulness of the erosion of traditional culture, morality, mentality, the basic ideologemes of the value-normative system, or will it try to minimize the possibility of downward cultural dynamics, adapting political and economic innovations to the value-semantic core - to the mentality of his people.

The degree of development of the problem and theoretical sources. A purposeful study of the problems of ethnopsychology and ethnomentality originates in the New Age, when the object of study was the "spirit of the people", "the soul of the people", "national character" and when it was first recorded that the formation of ethnic characteristics is influenced by climate, religion, laws, principles of government , examples of the past, manners and customs. From the first steps in the formation of ethnopsychology, its largest representatives studied precisely the mentality, although under other names. In the works of scientists of the XVIII-XIX centuries. J. Buffon, W. Wundt, G. W. Hegel, J. G. Herder, E. Durkheim, I. Kant, M. Lazarus, G. Lebon, C. Linnaeus, C. Montesquieu, J. G. Fichte, Z. Freud, A. Fulier, H. Steinthal, K. Jung, attempts were made to reveal the essence of the national character, the features of its manifestation in the social life and cultural creativity of peoples.

The term "mentality" first appeared in 1856 in the lexicon of the American philosopher R. Emerson. Subsequently, this concept was used by neo-Kantians and phenomenologists. However, it was developed with considerable fruitfulness by French historians of the 20th century. Representatives of the Annales school (M. Blok, L. Febvre, J. Le Goff) pioneered the use of the term "mentality" in scientific works, preferring it to "collective representations", "collective unconscious" and other similar concepts. G. Butul was one of the first to give a detailed definition of mentality, establishing its place between the world and the person who perceives this world as if through a prism. In his understanding, mentality is “a set of ideas and intellectual attitudes inherent in an individual and connected to each other by logical connections or by relations of faith. our mentality is between us like a prism. it, to use Kant's expression, is the a priori form of our knowledge. The contribution to the formation of the concept of "mentality" was made by the researchers of primitive cultures L. Levy-Bruhl, M. Moss, K. Levi-Strauss. Studying the diverse customs of uncivilized peoples, they drew attention to the colossal difference in thinking, which is formed in different cultural conditions. The problems of ethnology within the framework of the philosophy of history and culture were considered by A. Toynbee, O. Spengler, KLspers, in the field of anthropology - by L. Morgan, E. Tylor, J. Fraser.

In the 1960-80s. The history of mentalities in Europe was studied by J. Duby, A. Dupron, F. Aries, A. Burgière, W. Raoulf, P. Burke, A. Bourault, R. Chartier and others. Foreign historians of anthropological orientation began to consider all spheres of reality in projections of human ideas about them, through the mentality of social and ethnic groups. Today, their concept finds serious support not only in historical science, but also in cultural studies and philosophy.

P. E. Astafiev, N. A. Berdyaev, N. Ya. Danilevsky, F. M. Dostoevsky, V. O. Yupochevsky, N. O. Lossky, V. V. Rozanov, V. S. Solovyov, P. A. Sorokin, L. N. Tolstoy, N. I. Turgenev, P. Ya. Chaadaev and many other philosophers and historians. In modern domestic studies, the concepts of "national idea", "national consciousness", "national identification" and partially "national mentality" receive different interpretations within the framework of cultural studies, sociology, political science, philosophy and other humanities. Of the new developments in which the philosophical approach to ethno-social problems is embodied, the studies of R. G. Abdulatipov, S. S. Averintsev, M. Yu. Alekseev, E. Yu. Bagramov, A. K. Baiburin, B. N. Bessonov stand out , Yu. V. Bromley, A. V. Valeeva, E. M. Vinogradova, G. D. Gacheva, L. N. Gumshgeva, G. Guseinova, M. S. Dzhunusova, L. M. Drobizheva, A. G Zdravomyslova, A. N. Iezuitova, L. V. Karaseva, K. K. Kasyanova, I. S. Kona, V. G. Krysko, D. S. Likhacheva, S. A. Magarila, M. K. Mamardashvili , V. M. Mezhueva, V. A. Mikhailova, G. V. Osipova, M. N. Rutkevich, Z. V. Sikevich, G. U. Soldatova, T. G. Stefanenko, V. A. Tishkova, D N. Uznadze, V. M. Fedorova, V. Yu. Khotinets, G. G. Shpet and many others.

Monographs and individual articles by B. S. Gershunsky, A. I. Grishchuk, A. Ya. Gurevich, P. S. Gurevich, I. G. Dubov are devoted to the study of specifically mental structures from historical, social, psychological, cultural and philosophical points of view. Z. Z. Ibragimova, Yu. V. Polezhaeva, L. N. Pushkareva, E. Ya. Tarshisa, E. B. Shestopala and others. "mentality of the ethnic community." These include the studies of K. Z. Akopyan, V. G. Belousov, A. L. Vassoevich, I. M. Gabdul-gafarova, S. V. Grineva, I. A. Dzhidaryan, R. A. Dodonov, B A. Dushkova, F. Kh. Kessidy, A. I. Paltseva, O. I. Pashkevich, N. A. Prokopishina, I. L. Sirotina, V. K. Trofimova, etc. Nevertheless, there are Today, scientific and journalistic publications concerning the study of the problems of ethnic mentality do not give an unambiguous explanation of this complex socio-cultural phenomenon, do not reveal the completeness of its essence and structure.

The national question, including the peculiarities of the mentality, is given close attention in the republics of the Russian Federation. Brochures and solid monographs by the philosophers R. N. Bezertinov, R. Fakhrutdinov (Naberezhnye Chelny), Yu. A Kornishina, M. V. Petrova, E. V. Popova (Izhevsk), R. Skhakimova, V. I. Kurashov (Kazan), Z. N. Rakhmatullina, B. Kh. Yul-dashbaeva (Ufa), N. I Shutova (Saransk), KK Vasilyeva (Ulan-Ude), etc. In these studies, the nation is comprehended through the knowledge of the features of the national character, a specific worldview and a special structure of mentality.

Issues of Chuvash behavior, national idea, self-consciousness in a fragmented form are available in publications of the 16th-19th centuries. In the works of famous domestic and foreign travelers A. I. Artemyev, N. Witzen, V. P. Vishnevsky, Z. Gerberstein, I. G. Georgi, A. M. Kurbsky, V. I. Lebedev, I. I. Lepekhin , A. Lukoshkova, G. F. Miller, A. N. Minkh, A. Olearia, P. S. Pallas, V. A. Sboeva, A. A. Fuchs, I. F. Erdman contains curious descriptions of the traditional material and spiritual culture, as well as some comments on the behavior of the Chuvash peasants. From the point of view of the problems of mentality, the consciousness of the nation, the works of Chuvash researchers, cultural and scientific figures of the 19th - early 20th centuries are of interest. N. I. Ashmarin, N. L. Bichurin, T. A. Zemlyanitsky, N. I. Ilminsky, V. K. Magnitsky, N. Ya. Marr, S. M. Mikhailov, N. N. Poppe, E. Rozhansky, G. T. Timofeev, I. N. Yurkin, I. Ya. Yakovlev and others.

The first samples of the analysis of the national character and mentality are in the publications of the national newspaper "Khypar" ("News", Kazan) for 1906-1907. In the speeches of prominent figures in science, culture, literature N. V. Nikolsky, M. F. Akimov, T. S. Taer, K. V. Ivanov, S. K Kirillov, Vassya Anissi (A. V. Knyaginina) raised acute problems of protection the rights of the people, their culture, language and traditions. Analytical articles on the national question were published in the 1020s of the XX century (G.F. Alyunov, D.P. Petrov-Yuman, F. PLavlov, M.K. Sespel, G.I. Komissarov-Vander, A.P. Prokopiev-Milli, M. P. Petrov-Tinekhpi, D. V. Isaev-Avral’, Mois. F. Fedorov, and others). Informative and have not lost their theoretical significance are the documents of the Chuvash National Society(CHNO, 1918), Congresses of small peoples of the Volga and Ural regions, held in Kazan under the direct supervision of Professor N. V. Nikolsky. Unfortunately, these archival materials have not yet been covered by scientific study.

A sharp struggle against the “enemies of the people” (N. V. Shubossinni, N. I. Shelebi, P. P. Khuzangaya, V. E. Mitta, V. I. Krasnova-Asli, V. Z. Paymena, E. V. Yelliev, V. E. Rzay, S. M. Lashman, S. P. Shypchyk and many other writers) in the 1930s was at the forefront of the problem of national dignity, on the protection of language and culture. The lessons of the ideological confrontation of that time provide rich material for identifying significant features of the Chuvash ethno-mentality. In the 1950s-60s and subsequent years, there were more than once discussions about the "golden fleece" of national traditions and Chuvash character. The fundamental dispute between the historian I. D. Kuznetsov and the writer M. N. Yukhma from the republican press spread to the pages of Moscow magazines.

A new wave of the "Chuvash idea" came during the years of perestroika at the end of the 20th century. The formation of informal associations (the I. Yakovlev Society, the People's Khural, the People's Development Party - CHAP, the Chuvash Social and Cultural Center) was a bold step in the development of the nation's self-awareness. Particular success in this matter fell on the Chuvash National Congress (formed in 1992). Much has been written and printed about the Congress and around the Congress. This material can serve as a basis for studying the mentality and specifics of the national consciousness of the Chuvash people during the 20th century. Of the scientific developments of the Soviet and post-Soviet period, on the basis of which conclusions can be drawn about the mentality of the Chuvash people, one should mention the studies of specialists in various fields of knowledge G. A. Aleksandrov, I. A. Andreev, E. V. Vladimirova, G. N. Volkov, P. V. Denisov, V. D. Dmitriev, V. G. Egorova, N. I. Egorova, V. P. Ivanov, T. N. Ivanova, V. F. Kakhovsky, V. K. Kirillov, A. Pkovalevsky, M. G. Kondratiev, N. G. Krasnov, LPKurakov, G. B. Matveeva, G. A. Nikolaev, T. N. Petrova, A. K. Salmina, M. Ya. Sirotkina, A. P. Smirnova, V. P. Stanyala, A. A. Trofimova, A. P. Khuzangaya and others. Philosophical aspects problems of culture and spiritual life of the Chuvash ethnos are covered in the works of M. P. Zheltov, N. A. Ismukov, R. S. Kirillov, V. KHKuznetsov, A. G. Matveev, R. V. Mikhailova, Yu. P. Nikitin, G. D. Petrova, A. I. Petrukhin, A. G. Stepanov, E. Z. Feizov, V. I. Chekushkin, D. M. Shabunin and other philosophers.

An analysis of published works on the problem of the Chuvash national character, the Chuvash mentality shows that most of them are devoted to folklore, history and literature, linguistic, ethnographic research. There are almost no theoretical-methodological and socio-philosophical works that reveal the essence of the ethnic mentality, the specifics of its formation. Despite the obvious relevance of the problem under study, it still remains undeveloped.

The theoretical and methodological foundations of the dissertation are represented by studies in the field of history, sociology, cultural studies, psychology, linguistics, historical anthropology, ethnology, pedagogy, which provided concrete scientific material for philosophical generalization. Effective methods for studying the national mentality are intercultural analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization. Of the philosophical methods in the thesis, the method of ascent from the abstract to the concrete, the principle of the unity of the historical and the logical, dialectical contradiction as a source of development are used. Also in the work, phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches to the analysis of ethno-social phenomena have been applied: phenomenology allows us to consider ethnic being as independent view social life, hermeneutics contributes to the restoration of complex ethno-social symbols.

The methodological basis of the study of the national mentality was supplemented by the principles of domestic psychology. First, we adhere to the principle of determinism, developed by S. L. Rubinshtein and his school in the mid-1930s, from which it follows that the psyche is determined by the way of life and changes with changes in the standard of living. The conditions of material life, the influence of the natural environment (landscape), climate, political and social conditions determine the differences in national mentalities and characters. Secondly, according to the principle of the activity approach put forward by A. N. Leontiev, the psyche is formed in the process of activity and is determined by its character. Forms of activity traditional for a given culture determine national characteristics mentality and character. Thirdly, the concept of cultural and historical development of L. S. Vygotsky is used, which explains the process of assimilation by an individual of cultural experience developed in the course of the historical development of civilization. At the heart of the cultural and historical concept of L. S. Vygotsky-A. N. Leontiev lies the theory of internalization by J. Piaget and P. Janet. Formation psychological features is carried out through the internalization (transformation of external actions into internal ones) of social modes of activity in the process of ontogenetic development of a person. In concrete reality, the process of mastering generic qualities by an individual takes place in a nationally special form.

The object of research is the spiritual life of the Chuvash people, expressed in its historical and cultural heritage (in folklore, mythology, religion, fiction, ethnographic and other written sources).

Subject of study is the Chuvash ethnic mentality, its specificity and development trends.

Purpose and objectives of the study. The purpose of the study is to study the process of formation of the ethnic mentality and identify its essence on the example of the historical fate of the Chuvash people, justification social significance ethno-mentality as an integral phenomenon of modern culture and human existence.

Achieving this goal required solving the following tasks:

1) analysis of the main theoretical approaches to the definition of the concept of "people's mentality" in order to develop the category of "ethnic mentality" and identify the content and structure of ethnic mentality;

2) revealing the philosophical aspect of the study of the problem of ethnic mentality, which consists in the need to identify the specifics of the contradictions that arise in the process of the life of the people, and the way to resolve them in order to understand the essence of ethnic mentality;

3) understanding the basic prerequisites and patterns of the process of formation and development of the mentality of the Chuvash and other "foreigners" of Russia, the rationale for the cementing role of ancient mythology, ethno-religion and language in preserving the national spirit of small peoples;

4) determining the characteristics of the mentality of the Chuvash people, revealing the features of some ethno-mental phenomena characteristic of modern Chuvash.

Scientific novelty of the research. Based on available publications, the dissertation summarizes the experience of the modern socio-philosophical concept of ethno-mentality, and on this basis, for the first time, an attempt was made to study the spiritual and moral image of the Chuvash nation.

The most significant results that determine the novelty of the development are reflected in the following provisions submitted for the defense of the dissertation:

1) the definition and content of the ethnic mentality as a stabilizing spiritual, psychological and semantic, rational and irrational core of the life of the people are clarified; taking into account the points of view of psychologists, biologists, ethnologists, historians and other specialists in the humanities, the structure of ethno-mentality has been corrected (components have been identified: ethnic consciousness (self-awareness), ethnic unconscious and ethnic character);

2) the social essence of ethno-mentality is revealed; the concepts of ethnic internalization and ethnic mentalization are introduced; it has been established that the way to resolve specific contradictions that arise in the process of the life of the people and related to the relaying of ethnocultural values, traditions and experience from generation to generation is ethnic internalization; it was found that the mentalization of behavior, communication and cognition as a process of acquiring by a person through internalization and socialization of specific features of thinking and behavior developed by a social community as a result of joint activity leads to the fact that human behavior becomes meaningful, role-playing; since ethno-mentalization (the assimilation of ethno-mental foundations by an individual) affects three most important areas of human activity - behavior, communication, knowledge, ethno-mentality has a significant socio-regulatory potential that determines the intensity and direction of socio-political and socio-cultural changes in the life of an ethnic group;

3) the reasons for the emergence and development of the features of the mentality of the Chuvash people (the influence of peculiar natural, cultural, historical, political, economic, social and living conditions, etc.) are substantiated on the basis of a comparison of the Chuvash national character and behavior with the mentality of other Volga peoples; despite the significant presence of eastern and western elements in the Chuvash culture, the ethno-mentality of the Chuvash is considered as an independent, special world outlook, which has absorbed the acceptable cultural traditions of many peoples in a revised form;

4) the most characteristic features of the modern Chuvash ethnic mentality are highlighted, such as extreme collectivism in the past, reverent attitude to the earth, nature and life, unquestioning loyalty to the oath and duty, etc., which still persist, despite the strong globalization pressure in the spheres of everyday life and spiritual culture of small nations.

Theoretical and practical significance of the work. The results * obtained in the dissertation make it possible to clarify the content, structure and functions of the ethnic mentality, to determine its place in the system of concepts social philosophy. Identification of the specifics of the formation of the mentality of an ethnic community contributes to a deeper understanding of the internal sources of the spiritual life of nations, the successful resolution of ethnic conflicts, settlement and adjustment of national policy. The research materials were used in lectures and seminars on social philosophy, and were partially used in the creation of textbooks in regional disciplines (“The World of Chuvash Culture”, etc.).

Approbation of work. The main provisions and conclusions of the work were reported at meetings of the Department of Philosophy of the Faculty of Humanities s

Chuvash State University named after I. N. Ulyanova, at regional and international scientific and practical conferences and seminars at the Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov, Samara State Pedagogical University, Ulyanovsk State Technical University, at specialized sociological courses at Kazan State University. The research materials were reflected in 8 scientific publications with a total volume of 2.5 pp.

The dissertation research was carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (grant for the support of graduate students, grant code - АОЗ-1. 1-229).

The dissertation was discussed at an expanded meeting of the Department of Philosophy of the Humanities Faculties of the Chuvash State University. I. N. Ulyanova and recommended for defense.

Work structure. The dissertation research consists of an introduction, two chapters containing seven paragraphs, a conclusion and a list of references.

Conclusion

The conclusions of the dissertation research are formed in the following provisions:

1) We see the philosophical aspect of the study of the problem of the formation of ethnic mentality in identifying the specifics of contradictions in the life of an ethnos, primarily relating to behavior and communication, and the way to resolve them and thereby cognize the essence of this phenomenon. The specificity of the mentality of the people develops in phylogenesis in the process of adaptation to the social and natural environment and is fixed in the psyche of each individual in the form of biological prerequisites for the development of a special manner of thinking. These genetically fixed potentialities can be realized only in the process of human ontogenetic development due to social communication. Hence follows the conclusion about the social essence of the ethnic mentality. Ethno-mentality acts as a way of socio-cultural regulation of the life of the people, allowing the individual and the ethnic group as a whole to function optimally in a given environment.

2) The mechanism of the formation of ethno-mentality in ontogeny, i.e. ethno-mentalization, is associated with internalization and socialization (learning and assimilation by an individual of a certain system of knowledge, values, norms, attitudes, patterns of behavior inherent in a given ethnic group). The resolution of contradictions in behavior, communication, cognition occurs through ethnic internalization - through the formation of concepts as a result of the transformation of external actions into internal ones, characterizing the ethnic side of the life of the people, on the basis of which ethnic role behavior arises. The formation of ethnic behavior, in turn, leads to the formation of ethnic (national) consciousness and self-awareness and, consequently, the ethnic mentality.

3) The mental qualities of the Chuvash people, such as collectivism in everyday life, love for the native language, reverent attitude to the earth, nature, honesty, loyalty to the oath and duty, etc., are based on spiritual attitudes and axiological foundations that have evolved over many centuries under the influence of the geopolitical location of the region, natural, cultural, historical and social conditions for the development of the ethnic group.

4) A valuable source in the study of the Chuvash ethno-mentality are materials of folklore, mythology, proverbs and sayings, ancient vocabulary and historical analysis of the language, in which the relationships between the phenomena of reality reflected by consciousness and their assessment are fixed. The core component in the mentality of the Chuvash people is the ethnic religious and philosophical doctrine of the Sardash, which contains the worldview and the foundations of the traditional culture of the ethnic group. Islam and the Arab-Turkic world, as well as Orthodoxy and interaction with the Russian people, had a considerable influence on the Chuvash mentality.

5) The civilized development of the Chuvash society as part of the Russian state has a national identity. The ancient traditional culture is alive, although the 20th century introduced a lot of "alien" into the Chuvash ethno-mentality. The preservation of socio-cultural traditionalism as a way of self-preservation of the people in the future is possible only if combined with adaptation processes.

In the list of mental traits of any nation, there are a number of positive and negative traditional qualities. Their division into pros and cons is relative, conditional, because when viewed from different points they can easily be rearranged. The evaluation criterion in such cases should be the nationwide morality and worldview teachings of the ethnic group, correlated with universal human values.

Emphasizing diligence, modesty, collectivism, tolerance, unpretentiousness, hospitability of the Chuvash people has become a talk of the town, and at the same time derogatory accusations of stinginess, stubbornness, resentment and envy come to the fore. Folklore, religious, historical materials, as well as modern observations quite convincingly testify to militancy and patriotism, perseverance and audacity, endurance and patience, love of freedom and perseverance, righteousness and sacrifice, tenacity and purposefulness in the Chuvash language. national character, which at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries became almost invisible or moved from positive to unrevered qualities. It is unforgivable to ignore the spirit of freedom-loving of our ancestors - the combatants of Ataman Yermak, Bolotnikov, Razin or Pugachev, who fought side by side, hung on tagans and burned in the fire along with Salavat. A whole section requires the study of militancy and patriotism of the Chuvash people. Leaving the world a dozen words for military commands and ranks (cheers, ataman, captain, etc.), raising great generals from Mode to Chapaev, from the military leaders of the General Staff P. P. Lebedev, A. N. Bogolyubov to cosmonaut A. G. Nikolaev , today the Chuvash people do not want to raise a warrior-defender. This is a new turning point in the character and mentality of the nation.

The continuation of the work is supposed to be an analysis of the philosophical teachings preserved in the ancient Chuvash writings of runes and maps, an in-depth study of the monuments of the Old Chuvash writing and folklore and philosophical masterpieces of mythology, ethno-religion of non-artistic creations of the 19th-20th centuries. During the 20th century, the Chuvash waged a relentless struggle to preserve the traditional ethno-mentality and ethnic stability. A phased in-depth study of the Chuvash national spirit awaits its turn.

An attempt to delve into the essence of the ethnic mentality on the examples of the Chuvash and other Volga peoples, undertaken in this work, revealed the immense depth of the socio-philosophical theme, the versatility of the moral-moral, aesthetic-psychological, traditional-innovative, conscious-subconscious state of the nation in different times and in various situations, because it is this outwardly unsteady, but internally firm, core quality that is the core of the centuries-old relationships between tribes, peoples, nations and states.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, at a time when the topic “chăvashlakh” (“Chuvashness”) was discussed orally and in writing, the word “mentality” was not in dictionaries or textbooks on psychology, history, cultural studies and ethnology, but in the environment Russian philosophers and political scientists argued about the identity and difference between the concepts of "people's soul", "communal spirit", "national character", "mentality" and "mentality". Soon, methodological justifications and methodological methods for studying the problems of the national spirit, character and mentality were found unusually quickly, terms and their content were defined, and all kinds of components of a new capacious concept were identified. One after another, works appeared on the mentality of the Russian, Tatar, Bashkir, Udmurt and other peoples of the Volga basin. Against this background, the study of the Chuvash mentality has become an urgent matter for many reasons, including because of the national mentality: the Chuvash are bequeathed to keep up with others.

In our work, we use the term "ethno-mentality" instead of the concepts "mentality of the people", "national mentality" and consider it the most capacious and convenient. Ethno-mentality is a set of universally recognized, significant for the self-identification of members of an ethnic community, models of thinking, behavior, communication, developed in the process of joint life of the people by resolving specific contradictions regarding the transfer of ethno-cultural values, traditions, social experience from generation to generation, and due to cultural and historical, socio-political factors and genetic and mental characteristics of the ethnic group. The structure of ethno-mentality consists of three main components: ethnic consciousness (self-awareness), ethnic unconscious and ethnic character.

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The Chuvashs are a unique nation that has been able to carry its authenticity through the centuries. This is the fifth largest nation in Russia, most of whose representatives speak the Chuvash language - the only living one from the disappeared Bulgar group. They are considered the descendants of the ancient Sumerians and Huns, however, the Chuvash have given a lot to modern history. At least, the homeland of the symbol of the revolution, Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev.

Where live

More than half of the representatives of the Chuvash people - 67.7%, live in the territory of the Chuvash Republic. It is a subject of the Russian Federation and is located on the territory of the Volga Federal District. The republic borders on the Ulyanovsk and Nizhny Novgorod regions, Tatarstan, Mordovia and the Republic of Mari El. The capital of the Chuvash Republic is the city of Cheboksary.

Outside the Republic, the Chuvash live mainly in neighboring regions and in Siberia, a small part - outside the Russian Federation. One of the largest Chuvash diasporas in Ukraine - about 10 thousand people. In addition, representatives of the nationality live in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
There are three ethnographic groups on the territory of the Republic of Chuvashia. Among them:

1. Riding Chuvash. Live in the northwestern part of the region, have local names turi or viryal.
2. Middle Chuvash. Their location is the north-east of the Republic, the dialect name anat enchi.
3. Low Chuvash. They live in the southern part of the region, in the Chuvash language they have a name anatri.

population

The Chuvash are the fifth largest nationality in Russia: about 1,400,000, according to the 2010 census. Of these, more than 814 thousand people live in the territory of the Chuvash Republic. About 400 thousand Chuvashs are located in neighboring regions: Bashkortostan - 107.5 thousand, Tatarstan - 116.3 thousand, Samara - 84.1 thousand and Ulyanovsk - 95 thousand, regions.
It is worth noting that the number of Chuvash by 2010 decreased by 14% compared with the 2002 census. The negative dynamics brought this indicator to the level of 1995, which is perceived by ethnographers as a negative result of assimilation.

Name

The main version of the origin of the name is associated with the ancient tribe "Suvars", or "Suvazs". It was first mentioned in the 10th century in the memoirs of the Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan. The author wrote about a tribe that was part of the Volga Bulgaria and refused to accept Islam. Some researchers believe that it was the Suvars who became the ancestors of the Chuvash, who went to the upper reaches of the Volga in order to avoid the imposition of an alien religion.

In the annals, this name was first mentioned only in the 16th-17th centuries, during the period when the Chuvash Daruga was annexed to the Russian state after the fall of the Kazan Khanate. One of the earliest evidence is a description of the mountain Cheremis (modern Mari) and Chuvash by Andrey Kurbsky, who told about the campaign against Kazan in 1552.
The self-name of the people is Chavash, which is considered the traditional definition of nationality. The name of the nationality in other languages ​​is similar in sound: “Chuash” and “Chuvage” - among the Mordovians and Tatars, “Syuash” - among the Kazakhs and Bashkirs.
Some researchers believe that the roots of the name and the people come from the ancient Sumerians, but geneticists have not found confirmation of this theory. Another version is associated with the Turkic word javas, which means “peaceful, friendly” in translation. By the way, such character traits, along with decency, modesty and honesty, are characteristic of modern Chuvash.

Language

Until the 10th century, the language of the Suvaz tribes existed on the basis of ancient runic writing. In the X-XV centuries, during the close proximity to the Muslim tribes and the Kazan Khanate, the alphabet was replaced by Arabic. However, the sound of the language and the definition of local dialects became increasingly distinctive during this period. This made it possible to form an authentic, so-called Middle Bulgarian language by the 16th century.
Started in 1740 new page in the history of the Chuvash language. During this period, Christian preachers and priests from among the local population began to appear in the region. This led to the creation in 1769-1871 of a new script based on the Cyrillic alphabet. basis literary language the dialects of the lower Chuvashs served. The alphabet finally took shape by 1949, and consists of 37 letters: 33 of them are signs of the Russian alphabet and 4 additional Cyrillic characters.
In total, there are three dialects in the Chuvash language:

1. Grassroots. It is distinguished by an abundance of “swooning” sounds, distributed downstream of the Sura River.
2. Horse. "Overlapping" phonetics, characteristic of the inhabitants of the upper reaches of the Sura.
3. Malokarachinskiy. A separate dialect of Chuvash, characterized by changes in vocalism and consonantism.

The modern Chuvash language belongs to the Turkic language family. Its unique feature is that it is the only living language of the disappeared Bulgar group in the world. This is the official language of the Chuvash Republic, which, along with Russian, is the state language. It is taught in local schools, as well as in educational institutions some regions of Tatarstan and Bashkiria. According to the 2010 census, the Chuvash language is spoken by over 1 million Russian citizens.

Story

The ancestors of modern Chuvash were nomadic tribe Savirs, or Suvars, who lived in the Western Caspian since the 2nd century AD. In the 6th century, its migration to the North Caucasus began, where part of it formed the Hunnic kingdom, and part was defeated and forced out into Transcaucasia. In the VIII-IX centuries, the descendants of the Suvars settled in the Middle Volga region, where they became part of the Volga Bulgars. During this period, there is a significant unification of culture, religion, traditions and customs of peoples.

In addition, researchers note a significant influence on the language, objects of material and spiritual culture of the ancient farmers of Western Asia. It is believed that the southern tribes that migrated during the great migration of peoples partially settled in the Volga region and assimilated with the Bulgarian-Suvar peoples.
However, already at the end of the 9th century, the ancestors of the Chuvashs separated from the Bulgar kingdom and migrated further north because of the rejection of Islam. The final formation of the Chuvash people ended only in the 16th century, when the assimilation of the Suvars, Tatars from the neighboring Kazan kingdom and Russians took place.
During the reign of the Kazan Khanate, the Chuvash were part of it, but they kept apart and independently, despite the need to pay tribute. Soon, after the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the Chuvash accepted the power of the Russian state, but throughout history they defended their rights. So, they participated in the uprisings of Stenka Razin and Emelyan Pugachev, opposed the arbitrariness of officials in 1571-1573, 1609-1610, 1634. Such willfulness caused problems for the state, therefore, until the 19th century, there was a ban on blacksmithing in the region to stop the production of weapons.

Appearance

The appearance of the Chuvash was influenced by a long history of migration of the great people and significant mixing with representatives of the Bulgar and Asian tribes. Modern Chuvashs have such types of appearance as:

• Mongoloid-Caucasoid type with a predominance of European features - 63.5%
• Caucasoid types (with blond hair and light eyes, as well as with darker skin and hair, brown eyes) - 21.1%
• pure Mongoloid type - 10.3%
• sublaponoid type or Volga-Kama race with mild signs of Mongoloids - 5.1%

From the point of view of genetics, it is also impossible to single out a pure “Chuvash haplogroup”: all representatives of the nation are of mixed race. According to the maximum correspondence among the Chuvash, the following haplogroups are distinguished:

• northern European - 24%
• Slavic R1a1 - 18%
• Finno-Ugric N - 18%
• Western European R1b - 12%
• inherited from the Khazars Jewish J - 6%

In addition, the genetic links of the Chuvash with neighboring peoples have been discovered. So, the Mari, who in the Middle Ages lived in the same region with the Bulgarian-Suvars and were called mountain Cheremis, have a common mutation of the LIPH chromosome gene with the Chuvash, which previously causes baldness.
Among the typical features of appearance it is worth noting:

• average height in men and low in women;
• coarse hair, which by nature rarely has a curl;
• darker skin tone and eye color in Caucasians;
• short, slightly depressed nose;
• the presence of an epicanthus (a characteristic fold in the corner of the eyes) in representatives of mixed and Mongoloid types;
• the shape of the eyes is almond-shaped, slightly slanting;
• wide face;
• protruding cheekbones.

Ethnographers of the past and present noted the soft features of the face, its good-natured and open expression, associated with the peculiarities of character. The Chuvash have bright and mobile facial expressions, easy movements, good coordination. In addition, the representatives of the nation were mentioned in all testimonies as neat, clean, well-built and neat people who created a pleasant impression with their appearance and behavior.

clothing

AT Everyday life Chuvash men dressed simply: a spacious shirt and trousers made of homespun cloth, which was made from hemp and linen. The image was complemented by a simple hat with narrow brim and shoes made of bast or leather. By appearance shoes distinguished the habitats of the people: the western Chuvash wore bast shoes with black footcloths, the eastern ones preferred a white color scheme. Interestingly, men wore onuchi only in winter, while women complemented their image with them all year round.
Unlike men, who wore national costumes with ornaments only for wedding and religious ceremonies, women preferred to look attractive every day. Their traditional attire included a long tunic-like shirt made of white purchased or homespun cloth and an apron.
In Western viryals, it was complemented by a breastplate, traditional embroideries and appliqués. Oriental anatri did not use a bib, and an apron was sewn from checkered fabric. Sometimes there was an alternative option, the so-called "modesty apron". It was located at the back of the belt and reached the middle of the thigh. An obligatory element of the costume is a headdress, of which the Chuvash women had many variations. In everyday life, they used light-colored scarves, linen surpans or bandages similar to an Arab turban. The traditional headdress, which has become one of the symbols of the people, is the tukhya cap, which resembles a helmet in shape and is richly decorated with coins, beads and beads.

Chuvash women also hold other bright accessories in high esteem. Among them are ribbons embroidered with beads, which were passed over the shoulder and under the arm, neck, waist, chest and even back decorations. A characteristic feature of the ornaments is the strict geometry of forms and mirroring, the abundance of rhombuses, eights and stars.

dwelling

The Chuvash settled in small villages and villages, which were called yaly and were located near rivers, lakes and ravines. In the southern regions, the type of settlement was linear, and in the northern regions - traditional cumulus-nesting. Usually related families settled at different ends of the yal, who helped each other in every possible way in everyday life. The increase in the population in the settlements, as well as the traditional modern formation of streets, appeared in the region only in the 19th century.
The Chuvash dwelling was a solid house made of wood, which was insulated with straw and clay. The hearth was inside the room and had a chimney, the house itself had a regular square or quadrangular shape. During the neighborhood with Bukhara, many Chuvash houses had real glass, but in the future most of them were replaced with specially made bubbles.

The courtyard had the shape of an elongated rectangle and was traditionally divided into two parts. The first housed the main residential building, a summer kitchen with an open hearth, and all the outbuildings. Products were stored in dry cellars nuhrepah. In the back, a garden was laid out, a corral for cattle was equipped, sometimes there was also a threshing floor. There was also a bathhouse, which was available in every yard. Often, an artificial pond was dug next to it, or they preferred to locate all the buildings near a natural reservoir.

Family way

The main wealth of the Chuvash is family relationships and respect for elders. Traditionally, three generations lived in the family at the same time, the elderly were anxiously looked after, and they, in turn, raised their grandchildren. Folklore is permeated with songs dedicated to love for parents, there are even more of them than ordinary love songs.
Despite the equality of the sexes, the mother, "api", is sacred to the Chuvash. Her name is not mentioned in swearing or vulgar conversations, ridicule, even if they want to offend a person. It is believed that her word is healing, and the curse is the worst thing that can happen. The Chuvash proverb testifies eloquently about the attitude towards the mother: “Every day treat your mother with pancakes baked in your own palm, you still won’t repay her with kindness for kindness, work for work.”

Children are no less important family life than parents: they are loved and welcomed, regardless of the degree of kinship. Therefore, there are practically no orphans in traditional Chuvash settlements. Children are pampered, but they do not forget to instill diligence and the ability to count money from an early age. They are also taught that the main thing in a person is kămăl, that is, spiritual beauty, inner spiritual essence, which can be seen in absolutely everyone.
Before the widespread spread of Christianity, polygamy was allowed, the traditions of sororate and levirate were practiced. This means that after the death of her husband, the wife had to marry her husband's brother. The Sororat allowed the husband to successively or at the same time take one or more of his wife's sisters as his wife. The tradition of the minority is still preserved, that is, the transfer of inheritance to the youngest in the family. In this regard, the youngest of the children often stays for life in the parents' house, cares for them and helps with the housework.

Men and women

The Chuvash husband and wife have the same rights: the man is responsible for everything that happens outside the home, and the woman completely takes care of life. It is interesting that she can independently manage the profit she receives from the sale of products from the yard: milk, eggs, fabrics. It values ​​hard work, honesty and the ability to have children most of all.

It is especially honorable to give birth to a boy, and although Chuvash families love girls no less, their appearance means additional trouble, since each of them has to put up a solid dowry. The Chuvash believed that the later a girl marries, the better: this will allow you to accumulate more dowry and thoroughly study all the intricacies of housekeeping. Young men were married as early as possible, so in traditional families the husband is often several years younger. However, women had the right to inherit from their parents and husband, so they often became the head of the family.

Life

Today, as throughout history, agriculture continues to play a major role in the life of the Chuvash. Since ancient times, the people have been actively engaged in agriculture, using the three-field or slash-and-burn systems. The main crops were wheat, rye, oats, spelled, peas, buckwheat.
Flax and hemp were grown to create fabrics, and hops and malt were grown to produce beer. The Chuvash have always been famous as excellent brewers: each family has its own beer recipe. Stronger varieties were produced for the holidays, and low-alcohol ones were drunk in everyday life. Intoxicating drinks produced them from wheat.

Animal husbandry was not as popular as there was a lack of suitable fodder land in the region. In households, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and poultry were bred. Another traditional Chuvash occupation is beekeeping. Along with beer, honey was one of the main exports to neighboring regions.
The Chuvash have always been gardening, planting turnips, beets, onions, legumes, fruit trees, and later potatoes. Of the crafts, woodcarving, weaving of baskets and furniture, pottery, weaving and needlework flourished brightly. The Chuvash achieved great success in handicraft woodworking: the production of matting, ropes and ropes, carpentry, cooperage, carpentry, tailoring, and wheelwork.

Religion

Today, more than half of the Chuvashs formally profess Christianity, but there are still associations of adherents of traditional paganism, as well as religious syncretism. A few groups of Chuvash profess Sunni Islam.
In ancient times, the Chuvash believed that the world is a cube, in the center of which are the Chuvash. Along the shores, the land was washed by the oceans, which gradually destroyed the land. It was believed that as soon as the edge of the earth reached the Chuvash, the end of the world would come. On the sides of the cube were the heroes guarding it, below - the kingdom of evil, and above - the deities and spirits of those who died in infancy.

Despite the fact that the people professed paganism, they had only one supreme god Tura, who led the lives of people, sent disasters on them, emitted thunder and lightning. Evil was personified with the deity Shuittan and his servants - evil spirits. After death, they tortured sinners in nine cauldrons, under which they kept fire for eternity. However, the Chuvash did not believe in the existence of hell and paradise, just as they did not support the idea of ​​rebirth and transmigration of souls.

Traditions

After the Christianization of society, pagan holidays were correlated with Orthodox ones. Most ritual celebrations took place in the spring and were associated with agricultural work. So, the holiday of the winter equinox Surkhuri marked the approach of spring and the increase of the sunny day. Then came an analogue of Shrovetide, the holiday of the sun of Savarni, after a few days they celebrated Mankun, which coincided with the Orthodox Radonitsa. It lasted for several days during which sacrifices were made to the sun and ancestral rites were held. The month of commemoration was also in December: it was believed in culture that the spirits of ancestors could send curses and blessings, so they were coaxed regularly throughout the year.

Famous Chuvash

One of the most famous natives of Chuvashia, born near Cheboksary, the famous Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev. He became a real symbol of the revolution and a hero of national folklore: not only films are made about him, but also witty jokes about Russian ingenuity are made up.

Andriyan Nikolaev was also from Chuvashia - the third Soviet citizen who conquered space. From his personal achievements - work in orbit without a spacesuit for the first time in world history.

The Chuvash have a rich historical and cultural past, which they have been able to preserve to this day. The combination of ancient beliefs, customs and traditions, adherence to the native language help to preserve authenticity and pass on the accumulated knowledge to new generations.

Video

To the question What traits of character and appearance are characteristic of the Chuvash? given by the author Polina Skorik the best answer is A lot has already been said. It can be added that the appearance is very diverse, from Caucasoid to Mongoloid. The character is very calm, restrained. Highly an interesting example in in the old days it was a custom if the Chuvash was offended, and he could not adequately answer, then the last resort was that he went to the offender and hung himself on his gate.
The custom is creepy, but very revealing.

Answer from Olga Mikushova[newbie]
Word for word is rightly said ... they are somehow strange, cunning, vile, they don’t like Russians, although they themselves survive at the expense of Russians, they themselves don’t know how to do anything ... a very low level of development, they won’t give a helping hand in life, as if the author had said, if you get out yourself, they will observe, and then, considering you strong, they will impose themselves on you. Nauseating.

Answer from Garanina Olga[newbie]
I have an ex-husband Chuvash, it’s impossible: he got out of some wilderness, and his manners are lordly, he doesn’t want to do anything with his hands and doesn’t want to work either, don’t care that his wife is on decree and the child is hungry. Igoists are greedy, they have the same in their family. I had to take work home on a decree in order to feed us all. Hamlo is rare.

Answer from Max Zakharov[newbie]
I'm Chuvash. And you know, different people have different personalities. There are thieves of all nationalities and murderers too.

Answer from 1 1 [newbie]
Cunning, Greedy (they will hang themselves for their own and present that someone prevented them from giving everything to the common cause), Tikhushniki (they will break their whole head, in an accident on nervous ground get caught, but they do not admit that all this is on a nervous basis due to experiences). They will calmly watch how you will fall down soon, but they will not intervene until you fall, but if you fall, they can help, provided that you get up yourself. Briefly speaking. Ugh!.

Answer from Inna Laskova[newbie]
My husband is Chuvash. Uff... what a character

Answer from Net Hope[newbie]
And how do they differ? See the horoscope for every day - and that's it!

Answer from Galina Bogomolova[guru]
very calm, they speak softly. Women are humble. In Cheboksary, I was amazed at how - how should I say this - unsmart, or something. If a woman is brightly dressed, then she is coming.
The city is sterile. We were also struck by the fact that on a Sunday summer evening there were few people on the streets. No one walks, young people do not hustle.

Answer from Olga Samakova[newbie]
Hospitality, friendliness..

Answer from GiVary want and mutter![guru]
In my youth, I had a Chuvash girlfriend Lenochka, I am very sorry that I lost contact with her. kind person, a squint-eyed beauty, how I miss her funny songs and warm heart.

Answer from Äleita[guru]
Good people.. . they didn’t show in the police chronicles ...

Answer from Џ originally from the USSR[guru]
Freckles, blond or reddish hair, high cheekbones... There are others, brunettes with high cheekbones, with sunken eyes. . The characters are different, and cheerful, and gloomy, and serious ..

Answer from Telenok89 bull[active]
succumb ... to both their own and others

Answer from Friend of human[guru]
They, like Russians, Mordovians and Chuvashs, are our guys

Answer from Amil Latypov[newbie]
What are your Tatars of ours, the same only wildly educated Turks

Answer from Alex Pronin[newbie]
The Chuvash have a distinctive character trait is the desire to steal, betray, substitute!