The appearance of the Chuvash, features, characteristic traits of character. History of the people


And behavior. The Chuvash live in the center of the European part of Russia. The characteristic traits of character are inextricably linked with the traditions of these amazing people.

The origins of the people

At a distance of about 600 kilometers from Moscow is the city of Cheboksary, the center of the Chuvash Republic. Representatives of a colorful ethnic group live on this land.

There are many versions about the origin of this people. It is most likely that the ancestors were Turkic-speaking tribes. These people began migrating west as early as the 2nd century BC. e. looking for better share, they came to the modern territories of the republic as early as the 7th-8th centuries and three hundred years later created a state that was known as the Volga Bulgaria. This is where the Chuvash came from. The history of the people could be different, but in 1236 the Mongol-Tatars defeated the state. Some people fled from the conquerors to the northern lands.

The name of this people is translated from Kyrgyz as "modest", according to the old Tatar dialect - "peaceful". Modern dictionaries claim that the Chuvash are "quiet", "harmless". The name was first mentioned in 1509.

Religious preferences

The culture of this people is unique. Until now, elements of Western Asia can be traced in the rites. The style was also influenced by close communication with Iranian-speaking neighbors (Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans). Not only life and household, but also the manner of dressing was adopted by the Chuvash. Appearance, features of the costume, character and even their religion are received from their neighbors. So, even before joining the Russian state, these people were pagans. The supreme god was called Tura. Later, other faiths began to penetrate the colony, in particular Christianity and Islam. Jesus was worshiped by those who lived on the lands of the republic. Allah became the head of those who lived outside the region. In the course of events, the bearers of Islam became Tatars. Nevertheless, today most of the representatives of this people profess Orthodoxy. But the spirit of paganism is still felt.

Merging two types

Various groups influenced the appearance of the Chuvash. Most of all - the Mongoloid and Caucasoid races. That is why almost all representatives of this people can be divided into fair-haired Finnish and representatives of the dark Blond. Fair hair, gray eyes, pallor, a wide oval face and a small nose are inherent, the skin is often covered with freckles. At the same time, they look somewhat darker than Europeans. Curls of brunettes often curl, eyes dark brown, narrow shape. They have poorly defined cheekbones, a depressed nose and a yellow skin type. It is worth noting here that their features are softer than those of the Mongols.

Chuvash differ from neighboring groups. Characteristic for both types - a small oval of the head, the bridge of the nose is low, the eyes are narrowed, a small neat mouth. Growth is average, not prone to fullness.

Everyday look

Each nationality is a unique system of customs, traditions and beliefs. It was no exception, and since ancient times, these people in every house made their own cloth and canvas. Clothes were made from these materials. Men were supposed to wear a linen shirt and trousers. If it became cool, a caftan and a sheepskin coat were added to their image. They had Chuvash patterns inherent only to themselves. The woman's appearance was successfully emphasized by unusual ornaments. All things were embroidered, including the wedged shirts worn by the ladies. Later, stripes and checks became fashionable.

Each branch of this group had and has its own preferences for the color of clothing. So, the south of the republic has always preferred saturated shades, and northwestern fashionistas have loved light fabrics. In the dress of each woman there were wide Tatar trousers. An obligatory element is an apron with a bib. It was decorated especially diligently.

In general, the appearance of the Chuvash is very interesting. The description of the headgear should be highlighted in a separate section.

Status determined by helmet

Not a single representative of the people could walk with his head uncovered. Thus, a separate trend in the direction of fashion arose. With special imagination and passion, they decorated such things as tukhya and khushpu. The first was worn on the head unmarried girls, the second was only for family women.

At first, the hat served as a talisman, a talisman against misfortune. Such an amulet was treated with special respect, decorated with expensive beads and coins. Later, such an object not only adorned the appearance of the Chuvash, he began to talk about the social and marital status of a woman.

Many researchers believe that the shape of the headdress resembles others. Others give a direct link to understanding the design of the universe. Indeed, according to the ideas of this group, the earth had a quadrangular shape, and in the middle stood the tree of life. The symbol of the latter was a bulge in the center, which distinguished a married woman from a girl. Tukhya was a pointed conical shape, khushpu was rounded.

Coins were chosen with particular care. They were meant to be melodic. Those that hung from the edges hit each other and rang. Such sounds scared away evil spirits - the Chuvash believed in this. The appearance and character of the people are in a direct relationship.

Ornament code

The Chuvash are famous not only for soulful songs, but also for embroidery. Mastery grew with generations and was inherited from mother to daughter. It is in the ornaments that one can read the history of a person, his belonging to a separate group.

Home embroidery - clear geometry. Fabric must be white or gray color. It is interesting that the girls' clothes were decorated only before the wedding. AT family life there wasn't enough time for that. Therefore, what they did in their youth was worn for the rest of their lives.

Embroidery on clothes complemented the appearance of the Chuvash. It encoded information about the creation of the world. So, they symbolically depicted the tree of life and eight-pointed stars, rosettes or flowers.

After the popularization of factory production, the style, color and quality of the shirt changed. The older people grieved for a long time and assured that such changes in the wardrobe would bring trouble to their people. Indeed, over the years, the true representatives of this genus are becoming less and less.

World of Traditions

Customs say a lot about a people. One of the most colorful rituals is a wedding. The character and appearance of the Chuvash, traditions are still preserved. It should be noted that in ancient times wedding ceremony no priests, shamans or official representatives of the authorities were present. The guests of the action witnessed the creation of a family. And everyone who knew about the holiday visited the houses of the parents of the newlyweds. Interestingly, divorce as such was not perceived. According to the canons, lovers who combined in front of their relatives must be faithful to each other until the end of their lives.

Previously, the bride had to be 5-8 years older than her husband. In the last place when choosing a partner, the Chuvash appearance was put. The nature and mentality of these people demanded that, first of all, the girl be hardworking. They gave the young lady in marriage after she mastered the household. adult woman also instructed to raise a young husband.

Character - in customs

As mentioned earlier, the word itself, from which the name of the people came from, is translated from most languages ​​​​as "peace-loving", "calm", "modest". This value is absolutely consistent with the nature and mentality of this people. According to their philosophy, all people, like birds, sit on different branches of the big tree of life, each one is a relative to another. Therefore, their love for each other is boundless. very peaceful and kind people Chuvash. The history of the people does not contain information about the attacks of the innocent and arbitrariness against other groups.

The older generation keeps traditions and lives according to the old scheme, which they learned from their parents. Lovers still marry and swear allegiance to each other in front of their families. Often they arrange mass celebrations, at which the Chuvash language sounds loud and melodious. People put on the best suits, embroidered according to all the canons. They cook traditional mutton soup - shurpa, and drink their own beer.

The future is in the past

AT modern conditions urbanization traditions in the villages are disappearing. At the same time, the world is losing its independent culture and unique knowledge. Nevertheless, the Russian government aims to maximize the interest of contemporaries in the past. different peoples. The Chuvash are no exception. Appearance, features of life, color, rituals - all this is very interesting. To show young generation culture of the people, impromptu evenings are held by students of the universities of the republic. Young people speak and sing at the same time in the Chuvash language.

The Chuvash live in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, so their culture is successfully breaking through into the world. Representatives of the people support each other.

Recently translated into Chuvash main book Christians - Bible. Literature flourishes. Ornaments and clothes of the ethnic group inspire famous designers to create new styles.

There are still villages where they still live according to the laws of the Chuvash tribe. The appearance of a man and a woman in such gray hairs is traditionally folk. The great past is preserved and revered in many families.

CHUVASHI, Chavash (self-named)- people in Russian Federation, titular nation Chuvash Republic. They also live in a number of republics and regions of the Ural-Volga region - Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Saratov, Orenburg, Sverdlovsk regions. Significant groups of Chuvash are settled in Siberia - Tyumen, Kemerovo regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory, etc. (see table). They live in the CIS and Baltic states. 1637.1 thousand people live in the Russian Federation, incl. in the Chuvash Republic 889.3 thousand people. (see Resettlement of the Chuvash)

On June 24, 1920, the Chuvash Autonomous Region was formed, since 1925 - an autonomous republic. Since 1990 - the Chuvash SSR, since 1992 - the Chuvash Republic.

There are various hypotheses of the origin of the Chuvash, which boil down to the following concepts:

1) the Chuvash ethnos was formed on the basis of the agricultural Bulgarian population that did not convert to Islam, settled on the right bank of the Volga in the Sviyazhye, Pritsivilye, Prianishye and on the left bank in Order and Order, partially assimilated the Finno-Ugric peoples in the north of Chuvashia. Supporters of the theory of the Bulgarian origin of the Chuvash are numerous (N. I. Ashmarin, N. A. Baskakov, D. M. Iskhakov, N. F. Katanov, A. P. Kovalevsky, I. Koev, R. G. Kuzeev, S. E Malov, N. N. Poppe, A. Rona-Tash, B. A. Serebrennikov, A. A. Trofimov, N. I. Egorov, V. P. Ivanov, etc.), although they adhere to various hypotheses about the Bulgarian -Turkic succession. A lot of evidence was also found of the ancient connections of the ancestors of the Chuvash with the Indo-Iranian cultural area;

2) supporters of another concept believe that the basis of the Chuvash ethnos was the Finno-Ugric (Mari) population, which experienced a strong cultural, especially linguistic, influence of the Bulgarians (N. I. Vorobyov, V. V. Radlov, N. A. Firsov and others. );

3) Kazan scientists M. Z. Zakiev, A. Kh. Khalikov, N. N. Starostin and others put forward a hypothesis about the pre-Bulgarian Turkization of the Middle Volga region, about the beginning of the formation of the Chuvash ethnos on the basis of the Turkic-speaking carriers of the culture of the Piseral-Andreev burial mounds of the 2nd–3rd centuries . AD AT different time various other hypotheses have appeared, incl. about the origin of the Chuvash from the Huns (V. V. Bartold), from the Sumerians (N. Ya. Marr), etc.

Ethnographic groups of Chuvash:

1) viryal, or turi (mounted). One of the ethnographic groups of the Chuvash people, settled in the northern regions of the republic. As part of a group or subgroup, they are found among the Anat Enchi, Anatri, as well as in the diaspora (Ulyanovsk, Samara, Orenburg regions, Republic of Bashkortostan, Tatarstan). Education is associated with socio-economic, political changes in the life of the peoples of the Middle Volga region and Russia as a whole in the historical past, and the beginning of the process of emergence dates back to the period of Volga Bulgaria. Viryal differ from the grassroots and middle grassroots by their specific features (dialect - okan, folk oral creativity, costume, musical folklore, etc.). Folk culture, including rituals, ancient beliefs, is closer to the mountainous Mari (of the Republic of Mari El), its basis refers to the Finno-Ugric layer, but at the same time, ancient Suvaro-Bulgarian elements can be traced in it. From the viryal environment back in the 18th century. the scientist and educator E. I. Rozhansky came out, early XIX in. - historian, ethnographer and writer S. M. Mikhailov-Yandush, the first professor from the Chuvash. In the life of the nation folk culture viryal, like anatri and anat enchi, performs with a rich arsenal. Their dialect, being a historical phenomenon in its development, contributes to the enrichment of the literary language. In the second half of the 20th century there is a gradual process of disappearance of the dialect.

2) anatri (grassroots). They differ in their specific features: dialect - ukany, folk costume, musical folklore, oral folk art, rituals, etc. Anatri are settled in the south and southeast of the Chuvash Republic and in the diaspora - various republics and regions of the Russian Federation and the CIS. The main factors in the formation of anatri were socio-economic and political changes both in the Chuvash region and in the Russian Empire. The main reasons were the flight from forced Christianization and the search for fertile lands (16-18 centuries). Among the grassroots there are so-called local (zakamsky) i.e. not subjected to major migration processes. On their territory there are "islands" of viryal, anat enchi, as well as subgroups of anatri. The concept of "anatri" is associated not so much with the geographical division, but with the type of people, their character, variety of culture and history. How the term "anatri" was fixed at the beginning of the 20th century. The Anatri language formed the basis of the Chuvash literary language, developed by the creators of the new Chuvash writing system (, V. A. Belilin, S. N. Timryasov, A. V. Rekeyev, D. F. Filimonov). On the territory of anatri, ancient monuments of the Chuvash runic writing, works of small and monumental sculpture. Among the unbaptized Chuvash of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Ulyanovsk, Samara, Orenburg regions, traditions live to this day ancient religion traces of Zoroastrianism.

3) anat enchi (middle grassroots). Settled in the north and northeast of Chuvashia, they are also found in the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Republic of Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk, Orenburg regions, most of all in the Penza, Samara and Saratov regions. The study of the dialect of the language remains problematic: some believe that the dialect of the middle-low Chuvash is independent, while others believe that it is transitional between the Viryal and Anatri dialects. At the same time, folklore, especially folk art, testifies that the middle-lower Chuvashs have preserved ancient forms of culture: a folk costume dating back to the 18th century, complex breast decorations. Archaeological and historical monuments(tombstones, jewelry, rings) confirm that anat enchi even in the 17-18 centuries. used runic writing and high level stood like that rare view art, like jewelry chasing on non-ferrous metal. The process of erasing the dialect of anat enchi is much faster than the dialect of horsemen. Folk art, musical creativity, folklore, choreography, being the ancient heritage of the people, serve as a rich arsenal for the development of modern culture.

Lit .: Ashmarin N. I. Dictionary Chuvash language. Issue. 1–17. Ch., 1928–1950; Ilyukhin Yu. A. musical culture Chuvashia. Ch., 1961; Sirotkin M. Ya. Chuvash folklore. Ch., 1965; Kakhovsky V. F. The origin of the Chuvash people. Ch., 1965; History of the Chuvash ASSR. T. 1. Ch., 1983; Trofimov A. A. Chuvash folk cult sculpture. Ch., 1993; Culture of the Chuvash region. Part 1. Ch., 1994; Salmin A.K. Chuvash folk rituals. Ch., 1994; Chuvash. Ethnographic research. Ch. 1 and 2. Ch., 1956, 1970; Ethnic history and culture of the Chuvash of the Volga and Ural regions. Ch., 1993; Ivanov V.P. Chuvash. ethnic history and traditional culture. M., 2000.

Chuvash (Chuvash. Chăvashsem) is a Turkic people, the main population of the Chuvash Republic (Russia). The number is about 1.5 million, of which 1 million 435 thousand in Russia according to the results of the 2010 census. Approximately half of all Chuvash living in Russia live in Chuvashia, the rest live in almost all regions of Russia, and a small part outside the Russian Federation, the largest groups in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
According to latest research, the Chuvashs are divided into three ethnographic groups:
riding Chuvash (viryal or turi) - northwest of Chuvashia;
middle-low Chuvash (anat enchi) - northeast of Chuvashia;
lower Chuvashs (anatri) - south of Chuvashia and beyond;
steppe Chuvashs (khirti) - a subgroup of grassroots Chuvashs identified by some researchers living in the southeast of the republic and in adjacent regions.


Traditional clothing clearly reflects historical development, social and natural conditions of existence, aesthetic preferences, as well as ethno-group and ethno-territorial features of the Chuvash people. The basis of women's and menswear was a white shirt kĕpe.
It was made from one piece of hemp (grained) canvas, folded in half and sewn along the longitudinal line. The sides were closed with straight inserts and wedges, expanding the silhouette of the shirt down. Straight and narrow sleeves 55-60 cm long were sewn in at a right angle and complemented by a square gusset.


Women's shirts had a height of 115-120 cm and a central chest slit. They were ornamented with embroidered patterns on both sides of the chest, along the sleeves, along the longitudinal seams and along the hem. The contour of the patterns was made with black threads, red prevailed in their colors, green, yellow and dark blue were additional. The main patterns were breast rosettes kĕskĕ or rhomboid suntăkh figures (pushtĕr, kÿnchĕk, kĕsle) made of red homespun or chintz ribbons.
Men's shirts had a height of 80 cm and were more modestly ornamented. The right-sided chest incision was distinguished by stripes of an embroidered pattern and red ribbons, as well as a triangular red patch.

AT late XIX century in the lower group of anatri, shirts made of colored homespun canvas ulach in blue or red check spread. They were decorated with chintz stripes on the chest and shoulders, and along the hem - 1-2 frills of colored factory-made fabric or colored homespun canvas. Over the shirt they tied an apron chĕrçitti - ornamented, made of white canvas or colored, made of red, blue, green motley. Riding Chuvashs wore a white sappun apron with a bib, decorated with patterns on the hem.
They girded with 1-2 pizikhkhi belts and covered the back of the figure with pendants different kind: ancient ornaments made of pipes and black fringe hÿre, embroidered accessories sară, on the sides - paired pendants yarkăch. Until the 20th century, the Chuvash had special kind swing ceremonial clothing such as a traditional robe - a white straight-backed shupăr. It was distinguished by long narrow sleeves and rich ornamentation with a combination of embroidery and appliqué at the top, along the sides and along the hem. An obligatory accessory for women's and men's clothing was white yĕm pants with a wide step, ankle-length or higher.


Festive and ritual headdresses are varied and decorative. The girls wore rounded tukhya hats, decorated with beaded embroidery and silver coins. married women they necessarily covered their heads with a surpan - a white strip of thin canvas with ornamented ends that went down to the shoulder and along the back. On ordinary days, a puç tutri (or surpan tutri) headband of a similar shape, but narrower, was tied over the surpan, and on holidays - an elegant khushpu headdress, which was distinguished by a rich coin decoration and the presence of a vertical dorsal part. According to the shape, 5-6 local types of khushpu can be distinguished: cylindrical, hemispherical, rounded with a small top, like a high or low truncated cone, as well as a tight-fitting hoop.

A single ensemble with elegant headdresses was made up of jewelry made of coins, beads, beads, corals and cowrie shells. They had a symbolic, functional and aesthetic significance, differing in women's and girlish, and in terms of location on the figure - into head, neck, shoulder, chest, waist.

Outerwear and footwear
As demi-season clothes, robes of empty coats, săkhman caftans were used, for winter - fitted fur coats kĕrĕk, for long trips they wore long voluminous sheepskin coats or straight-backed cloth chapan. Men's hats did not differ in variety: there were cloth hats with fields, fur hats çĕlĕk.

Bast shoes (çăpata) woven from linden bast, which riding Chuvash wore with black cloth onuchs, and grassroots - with white woolen or cloth stockings (tăla chălha), were everyday shoes. Festive shoes were leather boots or shoes, in the riding group - high boots in an accordion. From the end of the 19th century, high lace-up leather boots for women began to appear. White, gray and black felt boots served as winter shoes.
Like most peoples of the Volga region, children's clothing was similar to adult clothing, but did not have rich ornamentation and iconic decorations.



Since the 1930s, traditional clothing has been replaced by urban clothing everywhere. However, in the rural environment, national complexes are preserved to this day almost everywhere, especially in remote areas. They are mainly used as festive and ceremonial clothing, as well as in folklore and stage activities. Traditions folk costume develop in the work of many folk craftsmen and artists, in the work of enterprises of folk art crafts.

Modern fashion designers do not reconstruct the traditional outfit, but create image costumes based on associative representations and the study of museum originals. They strive to understand the origin and meaning of patterns, to preserve the value of handicraft and natural materials. The most active and talented ones participate in prestigious contemporary fashion competitions at the regional and Russian levels.

Village craftsmen make holiday costumes for holding national weddings in villages and cities. These "updated" outfits sometimes use authentic khushpu headdresses and jewelry. They still retain their importance as the most important semantic, aesthetic and sacred center of the Chuvash costume.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads.
Official portal of the authorities of the Chuvash Republic
Brief Chuvash Encyclopedia
Ashmarin N. I. Bulgarians and Chuvashs - Kazan: 1902.
Ashmarin N.I. Ancient Bulgarians. - Kazan: 1903.
Braslavsky L. Yu. Orthodox churches Chuvashia - Chuvash book publishing house. Cheboksary, 1995
Dimitriev V. D. Peaceful annexation of Chuvashia to the Russian state of Cheboksary, 2001
Ivanov L. M. Prehistory of the Chuvash people
Ivanov V. P., Nikolaev V. V., Dimitriev V. D. Chuvash: ethnic history and traditional culture Moscow, 2000
Kakhovsky V. F. The origin of the Chuvash people. — 2003.
Nikolaev V. V., Ivanov-Orkov G. N., Ivanov V. P. Chuvash costume: from antiquity to the present / Scientific and artistic edition. - Moscow - Cheboksary - Orenburg, 2002. 400 p. ill.
Nikolsky N.V. Short Course Chuvash ethnography. Cheboksary, 1928.
Nikolsky N.V. Collected Works. - In 4 volumes - Cheboksary: ​​Chuv. book. publishing house, 2007-2010.
The peoples of Russia: a picturesque album, St. Petersburg, printing house of the Association "Public Benefit", December 3, 1877, art. 317
Petrov-Tenekhpi M.P. On the origin of the Chuvash.
Chuvash // Bashkortostan (Atlas). — M.: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010. - 320 p. — ISBN ISBN 5-287-00450-8
Chuvash // Peoples of Russia. Atlas of cultures and religions. — M.: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010. - 320 p. — ISBN 978-5-287-00718-8

Chuvash ( self-name - chăvash, chăvashsem) is the fifth largest people in Russia. According to the 2010 census, 1 million 435 thousand Chuvash live in the country. Their origin, history and peculiar language are considered very ancient.

According to scientists, the roots of this people are found in the most ancient ethnic groups of Altai, China, Central Asia. The closest ancestors of the Chuvash are the Bulgars, whose tribes inhabited a vast territory from the Black Sea to the Urals. After the defeat of the state of Volga Bulgaria (14th century) and the fall of Kazan, part of the Chuvash settled in the forest regions between the Sura, Sviyaga, Volga and Kama rivers, mixing there with the Finno-Ugric tribes.

Chuvash are divided into two main sub ethnic groups in accordance with the course of the Volga: riding (viryal, turi) in the west and northwest of Chuvashia, grassroots(anatari) - in the south, besides them, in the center of the republic, a group is distinguished middle-level (anat enchi). In the past, these groups differed in their way of life and material culture. Now the differences are more and more smoothed out.

The self-name of the Chuvash, according to one version, directly goes back to the ethnonym of a part of the "Bulgarian-speaking" Turks: *čōš → čowaš/čuwaš → čovaš/čuvaš. In particular, the name of the Savir tribe ("Suvar", "Suvaz" or "Suas"), mentioned by Arab authors of the 10th century (Ibn Fadlan), is considered by many researchers to be a Turkic adaptation of the Bulgar name "Suvar".

In Russian sources, the ethnonym "Chuvash" first occurs in 1508. In the 16th century, the Chuvash became part of Russia, at the beginning of the 20th century they received autonomy: since 1920, the Autonomous Region, since 1925, the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Since 1991 - the Republic of Chuvashia as part of the Russian Federation. The capital of the republic is the city of Cheboksary.

Where do the Chuvash live and what language do they speak?

The main part of the Chuvash (814.5 thousand people, 67.7% of the population of the region) lives in the Chuvash Republic. It is located in the east of the East European Plain, mainly on the right bank of the Volga, between its tributaries the Sura and the Sviyaga. In the west, the republic borders on the Nizhny Novgorod region, in the north - on the Republic of Mari El, in the east - on Tatarstan, in the south - on the Ulyanovsk region, in the southwest - on the Republic of Mordovia. Chuvashia is part of the Volga Federal District.

Outside the republic, a significant part of the Chuvash live compactly in Tatarstan(116.3 thousand people), Bashkortostan(107.5 thousand), Ulyanovsk(95 thousand people.) and Samara(84.1 thousand) regions, in Siberia. A small part - outside the Russian Federation,

The Chuvash language belongs to Bulgar group of the Turkic language family and is the only living language of this group. In the Chuvash language, there is a riding ("okaying") and a grassroots ("poking") dialect. On the basis of the latter, literary language. The earliest was the Turkic runic alphabet, replaced in the X-XV centuries. Arabic, and in 1769-1871 - Russian Cyrillic, to which special signs were then added.

Features of the appearance of the Chuvash

From an anthropological point of view, most of the Chuvashs belong to the Caucasoid type with a certain degree of Mongoloidity. Judging by the research materials, Mongoloid traits dominate in 10.3% of the Chuvash. Moreover, about 3.5% of them are relatively pure Mongoloids, 63.5% belong to mixed Mongoloid-European types with a predominance of Caucasoid features, 21.1% represent various Caucasoid types, both dark-colored and fair-haired and light-eyed, and 5.1 % belong to sublaponoid types, with weakly expressed Mongoloid features.

From the point of view of genetics, the Chuvash are also an example of a mixed race - 18% of them carry the Slavic haplogroup R1a1, another 18% - Finno-Ugric N, and 12% - Western European R1b. 6% have a Jewish haplogroup J, most likely from the Khazars. The relative majority - 24% - carries haplogroup I, which is characteristic of northern Europe.

Elena Zaitseva

Chuvash

Chuvash- people of Turkic origin, living in both Chuvashia, where it makes up its main population, and beyond.
Regarding the etymology of the name Chuvash there are eight hypotheses. It is assumed that the self-name Chăvash goes back directly to the ethnonym of a part of the "Bulgarian-speaking" Turks: *čōš → čowaš/čuwaš → čovaš/čuvaš. In particular, the name of the Savir tribe (“Suvar”, “Suvaz” or “Suas”), mentioned by Arab authors of the 10th century. (ibn-Fadlan), it is supposed to be considered the source of the ethnonym Chăvash - "Chuvash": the name is considered simply a Turkic adaptation of the name of the Bulgar "Suvar". According to an alternative theory, chăvash is a derivative of the Turkic jăvaš - "friendly, meek", as opposed to şarmăs - "militant". The name of the ethnic group among neighboring peoples goes back to the self-name of the Chuvash. Tatars and Mordvin-Moksha call Chuvash "Chuash", Mordvin-Erzya - "chuvazh", Bashkirs and Kazakhs - "Syuash", mountain Mari- "suasla mari" - "a person in the Suvaz (Tatar) way." In Russian sources, the ethnonym "Chavash" is first found under 1508.


From an anthropological point of view, most of the Chuvashs belong to the Caucasoid type with a certain degree of Mongoloidity. Judging by the research materials, Mongoloid features dominate in 10.3% of the Chuvash, and about 3.5% of them are relatively pure Mongoloids, 63.5% belong to mixed Mongoloid-European types with a predominance of Caucasoid features, 21.1% represent various Caucasoid types, both dark-colored and fair-haired and light-eyed, and 5.1% belong to sublaponoid types, with weakly expressed Mongoloid features.
In terms of genetics Chuvash are also an example of a mixed race - 18% of them are Slavic haplogroup R1a1, another 18% - Finno-Ugric N, and 12% - Western European R1b. 6% have a Jewish haplogroup J, most likely from the Khazars. The relative majority - 24% - carries haplogroup I, which is characteristic of northern Europe.
The Chuvash language is a descendant of the Volga Bulgar language and the only living language of the Bulgar group. It is incomprehensible with other Turkic languages. for example, it is replaced by x, s by e, and z by x, as a result, the word “girl”, which sounds like kyz in all Turkic languages, sounds like crap in Chuvash.


Chuvash They are divided into two ethnic groups: riding (viryal) and grassroots (anatri). They speak different dialects of the Chuvash language and in the past they differed somewhat in their way of life and material culture. Now these differences, which continued to be especially stable in women's clothing are becoming more and more smooth every year. The Viryals occupy mainly the northern and northwestern parts of the Chuvash ASSR, while the Anatri occupy the southeastern part. At the junction of the territory of settlement of the upper and lower Chuvashs, a small group of middle lower Chuvashs (anatenchis) lives. They speak the dialect of the riding Chuvash, and in terms of clothing they are close to the grassroots.

In the past, each group of Chuvash was divided into household features into subgroups, but their differences are now largely obliterated. Only among the lower Chuvashs is the so-called steppe subgroup (Hirti), living in the southeastern part of the Chuvash ASSR, distinguished by some originality; in the life of the Hirti, there are many features that bring them closer to the Tatars, next to whom they live.
. The self-name of the Chuvash, according to one version, goes back to the name of one of the tribes related to the Bulgars - Suvar, or Suvaz, Suas. They are mentioned in Russian sources from 1508.
At the end of 1546, the Chuvash and mountain Mari, who rebelled against the authorities of Kazan, called on Russia for help. In 1547, Russian troops ousted the Tatars from the territory of Chuvashia. In the summer of 1551, during the foundation of the Sviyazhsk fortress by the Russians at the confluence of the Sviyaga into the Volga, the Chuvash of the mountain side became part of the Russian state. In 1552-1557, the Chuvash, who lived on the meadow side, also passed into the citizenship of the Russian Tsar. By the middle of the 18th century Chuvash were mostly converted to Christianity. Part of the Chuvash living outside Chuvash and, having accepted Islam, she fled. In 1917 Chuvash received autonomy: AO from 1920, ASSR from 1925, Chuvash SSR from 1990, Chuvash Republic from 1992.
Main traditional occupation Chuvash- agriculture, in ancient times - slash-and-burn, until the beginning of the 20th century - three-field. The main crops are rye, spelt, oats, barley, less often wheat, buckwheat, and peas were sown. From industrial crops Chuvash cultivated flax and hemp. Hop-growing was developed. Animal husbandry (sheep, cows, pigs, horses) was poorly developed due to the lack of fodder land. long time ago Chuvash engaged in beekeeping. Wood carving was developed (utensils, especially beer ladles, furniture, gate posts, cornices and architraves of houses), pottery, weaving, embroidery, patterned weaving (red-white and multi-color patterns), sewing with beads and coins, handicrafts - mainly woodworking: wheel, cooperage, carpentry, also rope and rope, matting production; there were carpenters, tailors and other artels; at the beginning of the 20th century, small shipbuilding enterprises arose.
Main types of settlements Chuvash- villages and villages (yal). Most early types settlements - river and ravine, planning - cumulus-nesting (in the northern and central regions) and linear (in the south). In the north, the division of the village into ends (kas), usually inhabited by kindred families, is characteristic. Street planning spreads from the 2nd half of the 19th century. From the 2nd half of the 19th century dwellings of the Central Russian type appeared.

House Chuvash it is decorated with polychrome painting, carved carving, overhead decorations, the so-called “Russian” gates with a gable roof on 3-4 pillars - bas-relief carving, later painted. There is an ancient log building - elk (originally without a ceiling and windows, with an open hearth), serving as a summer kitchen. Cellars (nukhrep), baths (muncha) are widespread.

men at Chuvash wore a linen shirt (kepe) and trousers (yem). At the heart of traditional clothing for women is a tunic-shaped shirt-kepe, for viryal and anat enchi - made of thin white linen with rich embroidery, narrow, worn with a slouch; until the middle of the 19th - early 20th centuries, anatri wore white shirts flared down, later - from motley with two or three assemblies from a fabric of a different color. Shirts were worn with an apron, among the Viryals it was with a bib, decorated with embroidery and appliqué, among the Anatri - without a bib, sewn from red checkered fabric. Women's festive headdress - a linen linen surpan, over which the anatri and anat enchi put on a cap in the shape of a truncated cone, with headphones fastened under the chin and a long blade at the back (khushpu); viryal fastened with a surpan an embroidered strip of fabric on the crown of the head (masmak). The girl's headdress is a helmet-shaped cap (tukhya). Tukhya and khushpu were richly decorated with beads, beads, silver coins. Chuvash they also wore headscarves, preferably white or light colors. Women's jewelry - back, belt, chest, neck, shoulder straps, rings. The lower Chuvashs are characterized by a bandage (tevet) - a strip of fabric covered with coins, worn over the left shoulder under right hand, for riding Chuvashs - a woven belt with large tassels with stripes of red calf, covered with embroidery and appliqué, and pendants made of beads. Outerwear - a canvas caftan (shupar), in autumn - a cloth undercoat (sakhman), in winter - a fitted sheepskin coat (kerek). Traditional footwear - bast bast shoes, leather boots. Viryal wore bast shoes with black cloth onuchs, anatri - with white woolen (knitted or sewn from cloth) stockings. Men wore onuchi and footcloths in winter, women - all year round. Men's traditional clothing is used only in wedding ceremonies or in folklore performances.
In traditional food Chuvash herbal products predominate. Soups (yashka, shurpe), stews with dumplings, cabbage soup with seasonings from cultivated and wild greens - goutweed, hogweed, nettle, etc., porridges (spelt, buckwheat, millet, lentil), oatmeal, boiled potatoes, jelly oat and pea flour, rye bread (khura sakar), pies with cereals, cabbage, berries (kukal), flat cakes, cheesecakes with potatoes or cottage cheese (puremech). Khuplu, a large round pie stuffed with meat or fish, was less commonly prepared. Dairy products - tours - sour milk, uyran - buttermilk, chakat - curd cheese. Meat (beef, lamb, pork, among the lower Chuvashs - horse meat) was a relatively rare food: seasonal (when slaughtering livestock) and festive. They prepared shartan - sausage from a sheep's stomach stuffed with meat and lard; tultarmash - boiled sausage stuffed with cereals, minced meat or blood. Braga was made from honey, beer (sara) was made from rye or barley malt. Kvass and tea were common in areas of contact with Tatars and Russians.


rural community Chuvash could unite the inhabitants of one or several settlements with a common land allotment. There were ethnically mixed communities, mainly Chuvash-Russian and Chuvash-Russian-Tatar. Forms of kindred and neighborly mutual assistance (nime) were preserved. Family ties were steadily preserved, especially within one end of the village. There was a custom of sororate. After the Christianization of the Chuvash, the custom of polygamy and levirate gradually disappeared. Undivided families were already rare in the 18th century. The main family type in the second half of the 19th century was the small family. The husband was the main owner of the family property, the wife owned her dowry, independently disposed of the income from poultry farming (eggs), animal husbandry (dairy products) and weaving (canvases), in the event of her husband's death she became the head of the family. The daughter had the right to inherit along with her brothers. In economic interests, the early marriage of the son and the relatively late marriage of the daughter were encouraged, and therefore the bride was often several years older than the groom. The tradition of the minority characteristic of the Turkic peoples is preserved, when younger son stays with parents and inherits their property.


Grassroots Chuvashs of the Kazan province, 1869.

Modern Chuvash beliefs combine elements of Orthodoxy and paganism. In some areas of the Volga and Ural regions, villages have been preserved Chuvash-Gentiles. Chuvash revered fire, water, sun, earth, believed in good gods and spirits led by the supreme god Cult Tur (later identified with the Christian God) and evil beings led by Shuitan. They revered household spirits - the "master of the house" (khertsurt) and the "master of the yard" (karta-puse). Each family kept home fetishes - dolls, twigs, etc. Among evil spirits Chuvash kiremet was especially feared and honored (whose cult is preserved to this day). Calendar holidays included a winter holiday asking for a good offspring of livestock, a holiday of honoring the sun (Maslenitsa), a multi-day spring holiday sacrifices to the sun, the god of Tur and the ancestors (which then coincided with Orthodox Easter), the holiday of spring plowing (akatuy), the summer holiday of commemoration of the dead. After sowing, sacrifices were held, a rite of making rain, accompanied by bathing in a reservoir and dousing with water, after harvesting bread - prayers to the guardian spirit of the barn, etc. The youth arranged festivities with round dances in the spring and summer, and gatherings in winter. The main elements of the traditional wedding (groom's train, feast in the bride's house, her removal, feast in the groom's house, dowry redemption, etc.), maternity (cutting the umbilical cord of a boy on an ax handle, girls - on the riser or bottom of the spinning wheel, feeding the baby, now - lubricating the tongue and lips with honey and oil, transferring it under the protection of the guardian spirit of the hearth, etc.) and funeral and memorial rituals. Chuvash- pagans buried the dead in wooden decks or coffins with their heads to the west, with the deceased they laid household items and tools, a temporary monument was erected on the grave - a wooden pillar (for a man - oak, for a woman - linden), in the fall, during a general commemoration in the month of yupa uyikh (“month of the pillar”), a permanent anthropomorphic monument was built from wood or stone (yupa). His removal to the cemetery was accompanied by rituals imitating burial. At the wake, memorial songs were sung, bonfires were lit, and sacrifices were made.


The most developed genre of folklore is songs: youth, recruitment, drinking, memorial, wedding, labor, lyrical, as well as historical songs. Musical instruments - bagpipes, bubble, duda, harp, drum, later - accordion and violin. Legends, fairy tales and traditions are widespread. Chuvash, like many other peoples with ancient culture, in the distant past, they used a peculiar writing system, which developed in the form of runic writing, which was widespread in the pre-Bulgar and Bulgar periods of history.
In the Chuvash runic script, there were 35 (36) characters, which coincides with the number of letters of the ancient classical runic script. According to the location and quantity, styles, phonetic meanings, the presence of a literary form, the signs of the Chuvash monuments are included in common system runic writing of the eastern type, which includes the writings of Central Asia, the Orkhon, the Yenisei, the North Caucasus, the Black Sea region, Bulgaria and Hungary.

In the Volga Bulgaria, Arabic writing was widespread. In the 18th century, writing was created on the basis of Russian graphics of 1769 (Old Chuvash writing). Novochuvash writing and literature were created in the 1870s. The Chuvash national culture is being formed.

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