Traditional culture of the peoples of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Interesting traditions and customs of the people of Yakutia Yakut culture

Yakuts- This is the indigenous population of Yakutia (Sakha Republic). Statistics from the latest census are as follows:
Number of people: 959,689 people.
Language – Turkic group of languages ​​(Yakut)
Religion: Orthodox and traditional faith.
Race - Mongoloid
Related peoples include Dolgans, Tuvinians, Kyrgyz, Altaians, Khakassians, Shors
Ethnicity – Dolgans
Descended from the Turkic-Mongolian people.

History: the origin of the Yakut people.

The first mentions of the ancestors of this people were found in the fourteenth century. In Transbaikalia lived a nomadic tribe of Kurykans. Scientists suggest that from the 12th-14th centuries the Yakuts migrated from Baikal to Lena, Aldan and Vailyuy, where they settled and displaced the Tungus and Oduls. The Yakut people were considered excellent cattle breeders from ancient times. Breeding cows and horses. Yakuts are hunters by nature. They were excellent at fishing, versed in military affairs, and were famous for their blacksmithing. Archaeologists believe that the Yakut people appeared as a result of the addition of trick-tongued settlers from the local tribes of the Lena basin to their settlement. In 1620, the Yakut people joined the Russian state - this accelerated the development of the people.

Religion

This people have their own tradition; before joining the Russian state, they professed “Aar Aiyy”. This religion presupposes the belief that the Yakuts are the children of Tanar - God and Relatives of the Twelve White Aiyy. Even from conception, the child is surrounded by spirits or, as the Yakuts call them, “Ichchi,” and there are also celestial beings who also surround the newly born child. Religion is documented in the department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Yakutia. In the 18th century, Yakutia underwent universal Christianity, but the people approached this with the hope of certain religions from the Russian state.
Sakhalyar
Sakhalyar is a mixture of races between Yakuts and European people. This term appeared after the annexation of Yakutia to Russia. The distinctive features of mestizos are their similarity to the Slavic race; sometimes you don’t even recognize their Yakut roots.

Traditions of the Yakut people

1. Mandatory traditional ritual - Blessing of Aiyy during celebrations, holidays and in nature. Blessings are prayers.
2. The ritual of air burial is the suspension of the body of a dead person in the air. The ritual of imparting air, spirit, light, wood to the deceased.
3. The holiday "Ysyakh", a day praising the White Aiyy, is the most important holiday.
4. “Bayanai” - the spirit of hunting and good luck. He is cajoled when hunting or fishing.
5. People get married from 16 to 25 years old. A bride price is paid for the bride. If the family is not rich, then the bride can be kidnapped, and then she can work for her by helping the future wife’s family.
6. Singing, which the Yakuts call “olonkho” and resembles opera singing since 2005, is considered a UNESCO heritage.
7. All Yakut people revere trees as the spirit of the mistress of the land Aan Dar-khan Khotun lives there.
8. When climbing through the mountains, the Yakuts traditionally sacrificed fish and animals to the forest spirits.

Yakut national jumps

a sport that is performed on the national holiday “Ysyakh”. The International Children of Asia Games are divided into:
“Kylyy” - eleven jumps without stopping, the jump starts on one leg, and the landing must be on both legs.
“Ystakha” - eleven alternate jumps from foot to foot and you need to land on both feet.
“Quobach” - eleven jumps without stopping, pushing off with two legs at once from a place or landing on two legs from a run.
It is important to know about the rules. Because if the third competition is not completed, the results are canceled.

Yakut cuisine

The traditions of the Yakut people are also connected with their cuisine. For example, cooking crucian carp. The fish is not gutted, only the scales are removed, a small incision is made on the side, part of the intestine is cut off, and the gall bladder is removed. In this form, the fish is boiled or fried. Potrash soup is popular among people. This waste-free preparation applies to all dishes. Be it beef or horse meat.

From the very beginning of the “origin of the Yakut people,” traditions have been accumulating. These northern rituals are interesting and mysterious and have accumulated over centuries of their history. For other peoples, their life is so inaccessible and incomprehensible, but for the Yakuts it is the memory of their ancestors, a small tribute in honor of their existence.

Faces of Russia. “Living together while remaining different”

The multimedia project “Faces of Russia” has existed since 2006, telling about Russian civilization, the most important feature of which is the ability to live together while remaining different - this motto is especially relevant for countries throughout the post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, as part of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of different Russian ethnic groups. Also, 2 cycles of radio programs “Music and Songs of the Peoples of Russia” were created - more than 40 programs. Illustrated almanacs were published to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a snapshot that will allow the residents of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a legacy for posterity with a picture of what they were like.

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"Faces of Russia". Yakuts. "Yakutia - Siberia of Siberia", 2011

General information

YAK'UTS(from the Evenki Yakoltsy), Sakha (self-name), one of the northernmost Turkic peoples, a people in the Russian Federation (380.2 thousand people), the indigenous population of Yakutia (365.2 thousand people). According to the 2002 Census, the number of Yakuts living in Russia is 443 thousand 852 people; the 2010 census recorded more than 478 thousand 85 people speaking the Yakut language.

The Yakuts live in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as in the Irkutsk and Magadan regions, Khabarovsk and Krasnoyarsk territories. In Taimyr and the Evenki Autonomous Okrug. Yakuts make up approximately 45 percent of the population of the Sakha Republic.

The main groups of Yakuts are Amginsky-Lena (between the Lena, lower Aldan and Amga, as well as on the adjacent left bank of the Lena), Vilyuisky (in the Vilyui basin), Olekma (in the Olekma basin), northern (in the tundra zone of the Anabar, Olenyok, Kolyma river basins , Yana, Indigirka). They speak the Yakut language of the Turkic group of the Altai family, which has groups of dialects: Central, Vilyui, Northwestern, Taimyr. Believers are Orthodox.
Both the Tungus population of taiga Siberia and the Turkic-Mongolian tribes that settled in Siberia in the 10th-13th centuries and assimilated the local population took part in the ethnogenesis of the Yakuts. The ethnogenesis of the Yakuts was completed by the 17th century.

By the beginning of contacts with the Russians (1620s), the Yakuts were divided into 35-40 exogamous “tribes” (Dyon, Aymakh, Russian “volosts”), the largest - Kangalas and Namtsy on the left bank of the Lena, Megintsy, Borogontsy, Betuntsy, Baturustsy - between Lena and Amga, numbering up to 2-5 thousand people.

According to archaeological and ethnographic data, the Yakuts were formed as a result of the absorption of local tribes from the middle reaches of the Lena River by southern Turkic-speaking settlers. It is believed that the last wave of the southern ancestors of the Yakuts penetrated the Middle Lena in the 14th-15th centuries. In the process of resettlement to Eastern Siberia, the Yakuts mastered the basins of the northern rivers Anabar, Olenka, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma. The Yakuts modified the Tungus reindeer herding and created the Tungus-Yakut type of harness reindeer herding.

Series of audio lectures “Peoples of Russia” - Yakuts

The tribes often fought among themselves and were divided into smaller clan groups - “paternal clans” (aga-uusa) and “maternal clans” (ie-uusa), i.e., apparently, going back to different wives of the ancestor. There were customs of blood feud, usually replaced by ransom, military initiation of boys, collective fishing (in the north - catching geese), hospitality, and exchange of gifts (beleh). A military aristocracy emerged - the toyons, who ruled the clan with the help of elders and acted as military leaders. They owned slaves (kulut, bokan), 1-3, rarely up to 20 people in a family. Slaves had families, often lived in separate yurts, men often served in the military squad of the toyon. Professional traders appeared - the so-called gorodchiki (i.e. people who went to the city). Livestock was privately owned; hunting, pasture lands, hayfields, etc. were mostly communal property. The Russian administration sought to slow down the development of private land ownership. Under Russian rule, the Yakuts were divided into “clans” (aga-uusa), ruled by elected “princes” (kinees) and united into naslegs. The nasleg was headed by an elected “grand prince” (ulakhan kinees) and a “tribal administration” of tribal elders. Community members gathered for ancestral and inheritance gatherings (munnyakh). Naslegs were united into uluses, headed by an elected ulus head and a “foreign council”. These associations went back to other tribes: Meginsky, Borogonsky, Baturussky, Namsky, West and East Kangalassky uluses, Betyunsky, Batulinsky, Ospetsky naslegs, etc.

The traditional culture is most fully represented by the Amga-Lena and Vilyui Yakuts. The northern Yakuts are close in culture to the Evenks and Yukagirs, the Olekminsky are strongly acculturated by the Russians.

The inclusion of the Yakuts into the Russian state in the 1620-1630s accelerated their socio-economic and cultural development. In the 17th-19th centuries, the main occupation of the Yakuts was cattle breeding (breeding cattle and horses); from the second half of the 19th century, a significant part began to engage in farming; hunting and fishing played a supporting role.

The main traditional occupations are horse breeding (in Russian documents of the 17th century the Yakuts were called “horse people”) and cattle breeding. Men looked after horses, women looked after cattle. In the north, deer were bred. Cattle were kept on pasture in the summer and in barns (khotons) in the winter. Haymaking was known before the arrival of the Russians. Yakut cattle breeds were distinguished by their endurance, but were unproductive.

Fishing was also developed. We fished mainly in the summer, but also in the ice hole in the winter; In the fall, a collective seine was organized with the division of the spoils between all participants. For poor people who did not have livestock, fishing was the main occupation (in documents of the 17th century, the term “fisherman” - balyksyt - is used in the meaning of “poor man”), some tribes also specialized in it - the so-called “foot Yakuts” - Osekui, Ontul, Kokui , Kirikians, Kyrgydians, Orgots and others.

Hunting was especially widespread in the north, constituting the main source of food here (arctic fox, hare, reindeer, elk, poultry). In the taiga, before the arrival of the Russians, both meat and fur hunting (bear, elk, squirrel, fox, hare, bird, etc.) were known; later, due to the decrease in the number of animals, its importance fell. Specific hunting techniques are characteristic: with a bull (the hunter sneaks up on the prey, hiding behind the bull), horse chasing the animal along the trail, sometimes with dogs.

There was gathering - the collection of pine and larch sapwood (the inner layer of bark), which was stored in dried form for the winter, roots (saran, mint, etc.), greens (wild onions, horseradish, sorrel), raspberries, which were considered unclean, were not consumed from the berries.

Agriculture (barley, to a lesser extent wheat) was borrowed from the Russians at the end of the 17th century, and was very poorly developed until the mid-19th century; Its spread (especially in the Olekminsky district) was facilitated by Russian exiled settlers.

Wood processing was developed (artistic carving, painting with alder decoction), birch bark, fur, leather; dishes were made from leather, rugs were made from horse and cow skins sewn in a checkerboard pattern, blankets were made from hare fur, etc.; cords were hand-twisted from horsehair, woven, and embroidered. There was no spinning, weaving or felting of felt. The production of molded ceramics, which distinguished the Yakuts from other peoples of Siberia, has been preserved. Melting and forging of iron, which had commercial value, smelting and minting of silver, copper, etc., were developed, and from the 19th century - carving on mammoth bone.

They moved mainly on horseback, and carried loads in packs. There were skis lined with horse camus, sleighs (silis syarga, later - sleighs of the Russian wood type), usually harnessed to oxen, and in the north - straight-hoofed reindeer sledges; types of boats are common with the Evenks - birch bark (tyy) or flat-bottomed from boards; sailing karbass ships were borrowed from the Russians.

Winter settlements (kystyk) were located near the meadows, consisting of 1-3 yurts, summer settlements - near pastures, numbering up to 10 yurts. The winter yurt (booth, diie) had sloping walls made of standing thin logs on a rectangular log frame and a low gable roof. The walls were coated on the outside with clay and manure, the roof was covered with bark and earth on top of the log flooring. The house was placed in the cardinal directions, the entrance was located in the east, the windows were in the south and west, the roof was oriented from north to south. To the right of the entrance, in the north-eastern corner, there was a fireplace (osoh) - a pipe made of poles coated with clay, going out through the roof. Plank bunks (oron) were arranged along the walls. The most honorable was the southwestern corner. The master's place was located near the western wall. The bunks to the left of the entrance were intended for male youth and workers, and to the right, by the hearth, for women. A table (ostuol) and stools were placed in the front corner. On the northern side of the yurt a stable (khoton) was attached, often under the same roof as the living quarters; the door to it from the yurt was located behind the fireplace. A canopy or canopy was installed in front of the entrance to the yurt. The yurt was surrounded by a low embankment, often with a fence. A hitching post was placed near the house, often decorated with carvings. Summer yurts differed little from winter ones. Instead of a hoton, a stable for calves (titik), sheds, etc. were placed at a distance. There was a conical structure made of poles covered with birch bark (urasa), and in the north - with turf (kalyman, holuman). Since the end of the 18th century, polygonal log yurts with a pyramidal roof have been known. From the 2nd half of the 18th century, Russian huts spread.

Traditional men's and women's clothing - short leather trousers, fur belly, leather leggings, single-breasted caftan (sleep), in winter - fur, in summer - from horse or cow hide with the hair inside, for the rich - from fabric. Later, fabric shirts with a turn-down collar (yrbakhy) appeared. Men girded themselves with a leather belt with a knife and a flint; for the rich, with silver and copper plaques. A typical women's wedding fur caftan (sangiyakh), embroidered with red and green cloth and gold braid; an elegant women's fur hat made of expensive fur, descending to the back and shoulders, with a high cloth, velvet or brocade top with a silver plaque (tuosakhta) and other decorations sewn onto it. Women's silver and gold jewelry is common. Footwear - winter high boots made of reindeer or horse skins with the hair facing out (eterbes), summer boots made of soft leather (saars) with a boot covered with cloth, for women - with appliqué, long fur stockings.

The main food is dairy, especially in summer: from mare's milk - kumiss, from cow's milk - yogurt (suorat, sora), cream (kuerchekh), butter; they drank butter melted or with kumiss; suorat was prepared frozen for the winter (tar) with the addition of berries, roots, etc.; from it, with the addition of water, flour, roots, pine sapwood, etc., a stew (butugas) was prepared. Fish food played a major role for the poor, and in the northern regions, where there were no livestock, meat was consumed mainly by the rich. Horsemeat was especially prized. In the 19th century, barley flour came into use: unleavened flatbreads, pancakes, and salamat stew were made from it. Vegetables were known in the Olekminsky district.

Small family (kergen, yal). Until the 19th century, polygamy persisted, with wives often living separately and each running their own household. Kalym usually consisted of livestock, part of it (kurum) was intended for the wedding feast. A dowry was given for the bride, the value of which was about half of the bride price - mainly items of clothing and utensils.

In the second half of the 18th century, most of the Yakuts were converted to Christianity, but shamanism also persisted.

In the life of the Yakuts, religion played a leading role. The Yakuts consider themselves children of the good spirit aiyy and believe that they can become spirits. In general, from the very conception, the Yakut is surrounded by spirits and gods, on whom he is dependent. Almost all Yakuts have an idea of ​​the pantheon of gods. A mandatory ritual is feeding the spirit of fire on special occasions or in the lap of nature. Sacred places, mountains, trees, rivers are revered. Blessings (algys) are often actual prayers. The Yakuts celebrate the religious holiday “Ysyakh” every year. The ancient epic “Olonkho”, passed down from generation to generation by storytellers, is included in the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage List. Another well-known original cultural phenomenon is the so-called Yakut knife. There are many regional variations of the Yakut knife, but in the classic version it is a blade with a length of 110 to 170 mm, mounted on a wooden handle made of birch burl with a leather sheath.

Orthodoxy spread in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Christian cult was combined with belief in good and evil spirits, the spirits of deceased shamans, master spirits, etc. Elements of totemism were preserved: the clan had a patron animal, which was forbidden to kill, call by name, etc. The world consisted of several tiers, the head of the upper one was considered Yuryung ayi toyon, the lower one - Ala buurai toyon, etc. The cult of the female fertility deity Aiyysyt was important. Horses were sacrificed to the spirits living in the upper world, and cows in the lower world. The main holiday is the spring-summer koumiss festival (Ysyakh), accompanied by libations of koumiss from large wooden cups (choroon), games, sports competitions, etc. Shamanism was developed. Shamanic drums (dyungyur) are close to Evenki ones. In folklore, the heroic epic (olonkho) was developed, performed in recitative by special storytellers (olonkhosut) in front of a large crowd of people; historical legends, fairy tales, especially tales about animals, proverbs, songs. Traditional musical instruments - jew's harp (khomus), violin (kyryimpa), percussion. Among the dances, round dance osuokhai, play dances, etc. are common.

School education has been conducted in Russian since the 18th century. Writing in the Yakut language since the mid-19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the intelligentsia was formed.

In 1922 the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created, and since 1990 - the Republic of Sakha and Yakutia. Cities are growing in the country, industry and agriculture are developing, and in the 1930s and 40s the Yakuts were settled in new villages. A network of secondary and higher educational institutions emerged. Literature is published in the Yakut language, periodicals are published, and television programs are broadcast.

V.N. Ivanov

YUKAG'IRS, odul, vadul (self-name - “mighty, strong”), etel, etal (Chukchi), omoki (obsolete Russian), people in the Russian Federation. Number of people: 1.1 thousand. They live in the Lower Kolyma (tundra Yukagirs, or vadul) and Verkhnekolymsky (taiga Yukaghir, or odul) regions of Yakutia (about 700 people), as well as the Alaikhovsky and Anadyrsky districts of the Magadan region. According to the 2002 Census, the number of Yukaghirs living in Russia is 1 thousand 509 people, according to the 2010 census. - 1 thousand 603 people.

They speak an isolated Yukaghir language, the dialects are tundra and taiga. Writing since the 1970s on a Russian graphic basis. Russian (considered native by 46% of Yukaghirs), Yakut, Even and Chukchi languages ​​are also widespread. The believers are mostly Orthodox.

Most researchers see the Yukaghirs as the descendants of the ancient population of Eastern Siberia, who also took part in the formation of other Paleo-Asian peoples. The settlement of Tungus (Evenks and Evens) and Turkic (Yakuts) peoples in Eastern Siberia in the 1st-2nd millennia led to a reduction in the ethnic territory of the Yukaghirs and their partial assimilation. By the time the Russians arrived in the mid-17th century, the Yukaghirs occupied the territory from Indigirka to Anadyr, numbered 4.5-5 thousand people and made up several tribal groups (“clans”): Yandins (Yangins), Onondi, Kogime, Omoki, Alai (Alazei ), Shoromba, Olyubentsy, Khomoroi, Anauly, Khodyntsy, Chuvantsy, Omolontsy, etc. Inclusion in Russia, oppression of the Cossack administration (yasak, amanat), military clashes with the Yakuts, Evens, Koryaks, Chukchi, the devastating smallpox epidemics of 1669 and 1690 led to a sharp reduction in the number of Yukaghirs. By the end of the 17th century, the Yukaghirs numbered 2,535 people, in the 1st half of the 18th century - 1,400-1,500 people, in 1897 - 948 people, in 1926-27 - less than 400 people.

The main traditional occupations are semi-nomadic and nomadic hunting for wild deer (tundra Yukaghirs), elk, deer and mountain sheep (taiga Yukaghirs), among the taiga Yukaghirs there is also lake and river fishing, and among the tundra ones - transport reindeer herding. In summer they traveled on reindeer on horseback, in winter - on arc-hoofed sledges. Among the tundra Yukaghirs, straight-hoofed dog sleds were common. They moved on water on birch bark, dugout or plank boats, on snow - on skis lined with kamus, on ice crust - on ice caps.

The ancient dwellings of the Yukaghirs were half-dugout chandalas, the skeletons of which were preserved at the time of the arrival of the Russians, and in some places to the present day. Later, the taiga Yukaghirs lived in conical huts made of thin logs, covered with turf, or in tents covered with bark or rovdug. The chum was heated by a central hearth; one or two transverse poles were placed above it for hanging boilers, drying clothes, and drying fish and meat. Large log yurts, similar to the Yakut ones, were also known in the tundra regions - cylindrical-conical tents borrowed from the Evens. The outbuildings were barns and storage sheds on poles. Most modern Yukaghirs live in log houses in the villages of Andryushkino and Kolymskoye (Verkhnekolymsky region), Nelemnoye and Zyryanka (Nizhnekolymsky region), Markovo (Magadan region), etc.

Traditional clothing is close to Evenki and Even. The main clothing is a knee-length swing caftan with hems tied with ribbons and an internal fold on the back, made of rovduga in summer, and deer skins in winter. Long “tails” made of seal skins were sewn to the back: for men - forked at the back, for women - on the sides. Under the caftan they wore a bib and short trousers, leather in the summer, fur in the winter. Men wore a belt with a knife and pouch over their caftan. In winter, a long scarf of squirrel tails was worn on top. Winter clothing made from rovduga, similar in cut to the Chukchi kamleika and kukhlyanka, was widespread. Summer shoes are made of rovduga, with leggings tied with straps at the hip and ankle, in winter - high torsos made of reindeer camus, stockings made of deer or hare fur. Women's clothing was lighter, made from the multi-colored fur of young deer. Festive clothing was decorated with deer hair embroidery, beads, cloth trims, expensive fur, and appliqué. Silver, copper and iron jewelry - rings, plaques, etc. - were common; A typical decoration of women's bibs is the “chest sun” - a large silver plaque.

The main food is meat and fish - boiled, dried, frozen. The meat was prepared for future use - dried and then smoked and ground into powder. The fish was stored in the form of yukola, crushed into powder-porsa; in winter it was boiled with deer blood or pine sapwood (anil karile); boiled fish was pounded with berries and fat (kulibakha). Fish giblets and caviar were fried, and flat cakes were baked from the caviar. In the summer they ate fermented fish, wrapping it in talnik leaves for a day. They also consumed wild onions, sarana roots, and berries; unlike the Yakuts and Evens, they consumed mushrooms. They used fly agaric as a stimulant, smoked tobacco, thyme leaves, brewed tea and birch growths.

The family is large, mostly matrilocal, patrilineal inheritance. There were customs of levirate and avoidance (taboo on communication between a father and his married son and daughter-in-law, etc.). Since the end of the 19th century, the institution of dowry has spread.

Customs associated with fire played an important role: it was forbidden to transfer fire from the hearth to outsiders, to pass between the hearth and the head of the family, etc. Traditional beliefs - cults of master spirits, the supreme heavenly god Hoyle (merged with the Christian cult), game animals (especially elk), bear cult, fire cult, ancestral spirits. Ideas about dividing the universe into upper, middle and lower worlds ("lands"), connected by a river, and shamanism were developed. The bodies of deceased shamans were dismembered, and the skulls were kept in the house as a shrine. The main holidays are spring (Shahadzibe), weddings, successful hunts, military campaigns, etc. - accompanied by songs, dances, performance of legends, and shamanic rituals. Until the 20th century, pictographic writing on birch bark (tosy, shongar-shorile) was preserved. The main genres of folklore are legends, stories and fairy tales. The main dances are circular (longdol) and pair imitative dances - “Swan”. Christianity has been spreading since the 17th century.

Modern Yukaghirs are engaged in fur trading, fishing, and reindeer herding. The intelligentsia appeared. Tribal communities - "Chaila" ("Dawn") and "Yukaghir" - are being recreated, they are allocated territories traditional for the economic activities of the Yukaghirs, and financial support is provided.

In December 1992, the Council of Elders and the Foundation for the Revival of the Yukaghir People were created.

Yakuts(from Evenki Yakolets), Sakha(self-name)- people in the Russian Federation, the indigenous population of Yakutia. The main groups of Yakuts are Amginsko-Lena (between the Lena, lower Aldan and Amga, as well as on the adjacent left bank of the Lena), Vilyui (in the Vilyui basin), Olekma (in the Olekma basin), northern (in the tundra zone of the Anabar, Olenyok, Kolyma river basins , Yana, Indigirka). They speak the Yakut language of the Turkic group of the Altai family, which has groups of dialects: Central, Vilyui, Northwestern, Taimyr. Believers - Orthodox.

Historical information

Both the Tungus population of taiga Siberia and the Turkic-Mongolian tribes that settled in Siberia in the 10th-13th centuries took part in the ethnogenesis of the Yakuts. and assimilated the local population. The ethnogenesis of the Yakuts was completed by the 17th century.

In the northeast of Siberia, by the time the Russian Cossacks and industrialists arrived there, the most numerous people, occupying a prominent place among other peoples in terms of cultural development, were the Yakuts (Sakha).

The ancestors of the Yakuts lived much further south, in the Baikal region. According to Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences A.P. Derevianko, the movement of the ancestors of the Yakuts to the north began, apparently, in the 8th-9th centuries, when the legendary ancestors of the Yakuts - the Kurykans, Turkic-speaking peoples, information about which was preserved for us by runic Orkhon inscriptions, settled in the Baikal region. The exodus of the Yakuts, pushed to the north by their stronger neighbors, the Mongols - newcomers to the Lena from the Trans-Baikal steppes, intensified in the 12th-13th centuries. and ended around the XIV-XV centuries.

According to legends recorded at the beginning of the 18th century. A member of the government expedition to study Siberia, Jacob Lindenau, a companion of academicians Miller and Gmelin, the last settlers from the south came to Lena at the end of the 16th century. led by Badzhey, the grandfather of the tribal leader (toyon) Tygyn, famous in legends. A.P. Derevianko believes that with such a movement of tribes to the north, representatives of different nationalities, not only Turkic, but also Mongolian, also penetrated there. And over the course of centuries, there was a complex process of merging different cultures, which were also enriched locally with the skills and abilities of the indigenous Tungus and Yukaghir tribes. This is how the modern Yakut people gradually formed.

By the beginning of contacts with the Russians (1620s), the Yakuts were divided into 35-40 exogamous “tribes” (Dyon, Aymakh, Russian “volosts”), the largest - Kangalas and Namtsy on the left bank of the Lena, Megintsy, Borogontsy, Betuntsy, Baturustsy - between Lena and Amga, numbering up to 2000-5000 people.

The tribes often fought among themselves and were divided into smaller clan groups - “paternal clans” (aga-uusa) and “maternal clans” (ie-uusa), i.e., apparently, going back to different wives of the ancestor. There were customs of blood feud, usually replaced by ransom, military initiation of boys, collective fishing (in the north - catching geese), hospitality, and exchange of gifts (beleh). A military aristocracy emerged - the toyons, who ruled the clan with the help of elders and acted as military leaders. They owned slaves (kulut, bokan), 1-3, rarely up to 20 people in a family. Slaves had families, often lived in separate yurts, men often served in the military squad of the toyon. Professional traders appeared - the so-called gorodchiki (i.e. people who went to the city). Livestock was privately owned, hunting lands, pasture lands, hayfields, etc. were mostly communal property. The Russian administration sought to slow down the development of private land ownership. Under Russian rule, the Yakuts were divided into “clans” (aga-uusa), ruled by elected “princes” (kinees) and united into naslegs. The nasleg was headed by an elected “grand prince” (ulakhan kinees) and a “tribal administration” of tribal elders. Community members gathered for ancestral and inheritance gatherings (munnyakh). Naslegs were united into uluses, headed by an elected ulus head and a “foreign council”. These associations went back to other tribes: Meginsky, Borogonsky, Baturussky, Namsky, West - and East Kangalassky uluses, Betyunsky, Batulinsky, Ospetsky naslegs, etc.

Life and economy

The traditional culture is most fully represented by the Amga-Lena and Vilyui Yakuts. The northern Yakuts are close in culture to the Evenks and Yukagirs, the Olekminsky are strongly acculturated by the Russians.

Small family (kergen, yal). Until the 19th century Polygamy remained, and the wives often lived separately and each ran their own household. Kalym usually consisted of livestock, part of it (kurum) was intended for the wedding feast. A dowry was given for the bride, the value of which was about half of the bride price - mainly items of clothing and utensils.

The main traditional occupations are horse breeding (in Russian documents of the 17th century, the Yakuts were called “horse people”) and cattle breeding. Men looked after horses, women looked after cattle. In the north, deer were bred. Cattle were kept on pasture in the summer and in barns (khotons) in the winter. Haymaking was known before the arrival of the Russians. Yakut cattle breeds were distinguished by their endurance, but were unproductive.

Fishing was also developed. We fished mainly in the summer, but also in the ice hole in the winter; In the fall, a collective seine was organized with the division of the spoils between all participants. For the poor people who did not have livestock, fishing was the main occupation (in documents of the 17th century, the term “fisherman” - balyksyt - is used in the meaning of “poor man”), some tribes also specialized in it - the so-called “foot Yakuts” - Osekui, Ontul, Kokui, Kirikians, Kyrgydais, Orgots and others.

Hunting was especially widespread in the north, constituting the main source of food here (arctic fox, hare, reindeer, elk, poultry). In the taiga, before the arrival of the Russians, both meat and fur hunting (bear, elk, squirrel, fox, hare, bird, etc.) were known; later, due to the decrease in the number of animals, its importance fell. Specific hunting techniques are characteristic: with a bull (the hunter sneaks up on the prey, hiding behind the bull), horse chasing the animal along the trail, sometimes with dogs.

There was gathering - the collection of pine and larch sapwood (the inner layer of bark), which was stored in dried form for the winter, roots (saran, mint, etc.), greens (wild onions, horseradish, sorrel); raspberries, which were considered unclean, were not consumed from the berries.

Agriculture (barley, to a lesser extent wheat) was borrowed from the Russians at the end of the 17th century, until the middle of the 19th century. was very poorly developed; Its spread (especially in the Olekminsky district) was facilitated by Russian exiled settlers.

Wood processing was developed (artistic carving, painting with alder decoction), birch bark, fur, leather; dishes were made from leather, rugs were made from horse and cow skins sewn in a checkerboard pattern, blankets were made from hare fur, etc.; cords were hand-twisted from horsehair, woven, and embroidered. There was no spinning, weaving or felting of felt. The production of molded ceramics, which distinguished the Yakuts from other peoples of Siberia, has been preserved. The smelting and forging of iron, which had commercial value, as well as the smelting and minting of silver, copper, etc., were developed from the 19th century. – carving on mammoth bone.

They moved mainly on horseback, and carried loads in packs. There were known skis lined with horse camus, sleighs (silis syarga, later - sleighs of the Russian wood type), usually harnessed to oxen, and in the north - reindeer straight-hoofed sledges; types of boats common with the Evenks - birch bark (tyy) or flat-bottomed from boards; sailing karbass ships were borrowed from the Russians.

Housing

Winter settlements (kystyk) were located near the meadows, consisting of 1-3 yurts, summer settlements - near pastures, numbering up to 10 yurts. The winter yurt (booth, diie) had sloping walls made of standing thin logs on a rectangular log frame and a low gable roof. The walls were coated on the outside with clay and manure, the roof was covered with bark and earth on top of the log flooring. The house was placed in the cardinal directions, the entrance was located on the east side, the windows were on the south and west, the roof was oriented from north to south. To the right of the entrance, in the north-eastern corner, there was a fireplace (osoh) - a pipe made of poles coated with clay, going out through the roof. Plank bunks (oron) were arranged along the walls. The most honorable was the southwestern corner. The master's place was located near the western wall. The bunks to the left of the entrance were intended for male youth and workers, and to the right, by the fireplace, for women. A table (ostuol) and stools were placed in the front corner. On the northern side of the yurt a stable (khoton) was attached, often under the same roof as the living quarters; the door to it from the yurt was located behind the fireplace. A canopy or canopy was installed in front of the entrance to the yurt. The yurt was surrounded by a low embankment, often with a fence. A hitching post was placed near the house, often decorated with carvings.

Summer yurts differed little from winter ones. Instead of a hoton, a stable for calves (titik), sheds, etc. were placed at a distance. There was a conical structure made of poles covered with birch bark (urasa), in the north - with turf (kalyman, holuman). From the end of the 18th century. polygonal log yurts with a pyramidal roof are known. From the 2nd half of the 18th century. Russian huts spread.

Cloth

Traditional men's and women's clothing - short leather trousers, fur belly, leather leggings, single-breasted caftan (sleep), in winter - fur, in summer - from horse or cow hide with the hair inside, for the rich - from fabric. Later, fabric shirts with a turn-down collar (yrbakhy) appeared. Men girded themselves with a leather belt with a knife and a flint; for the rich, with silver and copper plaques. A typical women's wedding fur caftan (sangiyakh), embroidered with red and green cloth and gold braid; an elegant women's fur hat made of expensive fur, descending to the back and shoulders, with a high cloth, velvet or brocade top with a silver plaque (tuosakhta) and other decorations sewn onto it. Women's silver and gold jewelry is common. Shoes - winter high boots made of deer or horse skins with the hair facing out (eterbes), summer boots made of soft leather (saars) with a boot covered with cloth, for women - with appliqué, long fur stockings.

Food

The main food is dairy, especially in summer: from mare's milk - kumiss, from cow's milk - yogurt (suorat, sora), cream (kuerchekh), butter; they drank butter melted or with kumiss; suorat was prepared frozen for the winter (tar) with the addition of berries, roots, etc.; from it, with the addition of water, flour, roots, pine sapwood, etc., a stew (butugas) was prepared. Fish food played a major role for the poor, and in the northern regions, where there were no livestock, meat was consumed mainly by the rich. Horsemeat was especially prized. In the 19th century Barley flour came into use: unleavened flatbreads, pancakes, and salamat stew were made from it. Vegetables were known in the Olekminsky district.

Religion

Orthodoxy spread in the 18th-19th centuries. The Christian cult was combined with belief in good and evil spirits, the spirits of deceased shamans, master spirits, etc. Elements of totemism were preserved: the clan had a patron animal, which was forbidden to kill, call by name, etc. The world consisted of several tiers, the head of the upper one was considered Yuryung ayi toyon, the lower one - Ala buurai toyon, etc. The cult of the female fertility deity Aiyysyt was important. Horses were sacrificed to the spirits living in the upper world, and cows in the lower world. The main holiday is the spring-summer koumiss festival (Ysyakh), accompanied by libations of koumiss from large wooden cups (choroon), games, sports competitions, etc.

Was developed. Shamanic drums (dyungyur) are close to Evenki ones.

Culture and education

In folklore, the heroic epic (olonkho) was developed, performed in recitative by special storytellers (olonkhosut) in front of a large crowd of people; historical legends, fairy tales, especially tales about animals, proverbs, songs. Traditional musical instruments – harp (khomus), violin (kyryimpa), percussion. Among the dances, round dance osuokhai, play dances, etc. are common.

Schooling has been carried out since the 18th century. in Russian. Writing in the Yakut language since the middle of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century. an intelligentsia is being formed.

Links

1. V.N. Ivanov Yakuts // Peoples of Russia: website.
2. Ancient history of the Yakuts // Dixon: website.

According to archaeological data, the Yakut nationality arose as a result of the union of local tribes living along the middle reaches of the Lena River with southern Turkic-speaking settlers. Over time, the new nationality created was divided into several groups. For example, reindeer herders of the northwest, etc.

Yakuts, description of the people

The Yakuts are considered one of the most numerous Siberian peoples. Their number reaches over 380 thousand people. Yakuts live in the Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and Krasnoyarsk regions, but mainly in the Sakha Republic. The Yakut language belongs to the Turkic dialects, part of the Altai family. The main occupations of the Yakuts are horse and cattle breeding, fishing and hunting. In modern times, the main wealth of the Yakuts is diamonds. The mining industry is very developed. The home of the Yakuts is yurts, which can be small and vice versa, different in height. Yurts are built from wood.

Who did the Yakuts worship since ancient times?

Among the Yakuts, reverence for nature still occupies an important place in their beliefs. All traditions and customs of the Yakuts are closely connected with it. They believe that nature is alive, and all earthly objects have their own spirits and inner strength. For a long time, the owner of the road was considered one of the main ones. Previously, they even made sacrificial offerings to him, leaving horse hair, scraps of cloth, buttons and copper coins at crossroads. Similar actions were performed for the owners of reservoirs, mountains, etc.

Thunder and lightning, in the view of the Yakuts, pursue evil spirits. If a tree splits during a thunderstorm, it is believed to have healing powers. The wind, in the view of the Yakuts, has four spirits who guard earthly peace. The Earth has a female deity - Aan. She monitors the growth and fertility of all living things (plants, animals, people). In the spring, special offerings are made for Aan.

Water has its own owner. Gifts are brought to him in the fall and spring in the form of a birch bark boat with an image of a person carved on it and pieces of cloth attached. Dropping sharp objects into water is considered a sin.

The owner of the fire is a gray-haired old man who drives out evil spirits. This element has always been treated with great respect. The fire was never extinguished and in former times it was carried with us in pots. It is believed that he is the patron of family and home.

The Yakuts call the spirit of the forest Baai Bayanai. He helps in fishing and hunting. In ancient times, it was chosen which could not be killed or eaten. For example, goose, swan, ermine and some others. The eagle was considered the head of all birds. The bear has always been the most revered among all groups of Yakuts. Its claws and other attributes are still used as amulets.

Holidays

Yakut holidays are closely connected with traditions and rituals. The most important one is Ysyakh. It takes place once a year and reflects the worldview and picture of the world. It is celebrated at the very beginning of summer. According to ancient traditions, a hitching post is installed in a clearing surrounded by young birch trees, which symbolizes the World Tree and the axes of the Universe. In modern times, she has also become the personification of the friendship of the peoples living in Yakutia. This holiday is considered a family holiday.

Ysyakh always begins with sprinkling kumiss on the fire and the four cardinal directions. Then follows a request to the Deities to send grace. During the celebration, people wear national clothes and prepare traditional dishes and kumiss. The meal must take place at the same table with all relatives. Then they begin to dance in circles, sports competitions, wrestling, archery and tug-of-war are held.

Yakuts: families

The Yakuts live small until the 19th century, polygamy was common. But they all lived separately, and each had their own household. Yakuts marry between the ages of 16 and 25. During matchmaking, the bride price is paid. If so, the bride can be kidnapped and then served in prison.

Rituals and traditions

The Yakut people have many traditions and rituals, the description of which could even lead to a separate book. They are often associated with magical actions. For example, to protect housing and livestock from evil spirits, the Yakuts use a number of conspiracies. Important components in this case are the ornament on clothes, jewelry and utensils. Rituals are also held for a good harvest, livestock offspring, birth of children, etc.

To this day, the Yakuts retain many traditions and customs. For example, the Sat stone is considered magical, and if a woman looks at it, it loses its power. It is found in the stomachs or livers of animals and birds. Once removed, it is wrapped in birch bark and wrapped in horsehair. It is believed that through certain spells, rain, wind or snow can be caused using Sat.

Many traditions and customs of the Yakuts have been preserved since ancient times. For example, they have But in modern times it has been replaced by ransom. Yakuts are very hospitable and love to exchange gifts. Maternity rites are associated with the goddess Aiyy-syt, who is considered the patroness of children.

Hitching posts

The Yakuts have a lot of different hitching posts. And this is no coincidence, since since ancient times they have been one of the main components of the culture of the people. Beliefs, many rituals, traditions and customs are associated with them. All hitching posts have different patterns, decorations, heights, and shapes.

There are three groups of such pillars in total. The first (outdoor) includes those installed near the home. Horses are tied to them. The second group includes pillars used for various religious rituals. And thirdly - hitching posts, which are installed on the main Yakut holiday Ysyakh.

Yakut yurts

Yakut settlements consist of several houses (yurts), located at a great distance from each other. The Yakut dwelling is created from round standing logs. But only small trees are used in construction, since cutting down large ones is considered a sin. The doors are located on the east side, towards the sun. Inside the yurt there is a fireplace covered with clay. The home has many small windows. Along the walls there are wide sun loungers of different heights. At the entrance - the lowest. Only the owner of the yurt sleeps on the high one. The sun loungers are separated from each other by partitions.

To build a yurt, choose a low place, protected from the winds. In addition, the Yakuts are looking for a “happy place.” Therefore, they do not settle among the mighty trees, since they have already taken all the power of the earth. There are many more such moments, as in Chinese geomancy. When choosing a place to build a yurt, they turn to a shaman. Often yurts are built collapsible so that they can be transported during a nomadic lifestyle.

National clothes

Consists of a single-breasted caftan. Previously, for winter it was made of fur, and for summer - from the skin of a horse or cow. The caftan has 4 additional wedges and a wide belt. The sleeves are wide. Fur socks are also worn on the feet. In modern times, the Yakuts use fabric for sewing clothes. They began to wear shirts with collars, belted around them.

Wedding fur coats for women are sewn long, reaching to the heels. They widen towards the bottom. The sleeves and collar are decorated with brocade, red and green cloth, silver jewelry, and braid. The hem is lined with sable fur. These wedding fur coats are passed down through generations. On the head, instead of a veil, they wear high-topped fur hats made of black or red decorated cloth.

Folklore

When talking about the traditions and customs of the Yakuts, one cannot fail to mention their folklore. The main thing in it is the olonkho epic, which is considered a type of poetry, and when performed is similar to opera. This art has been preserved since ancient times. Olonkho includes many traditional tales. And in 2005, this art was recognized as a UNESCO heritage.

Poems ranging from 10 to 15 thousand lines in length are performed by folk storytellers. Not everyone can become one. Storytellers must have the gift of oratory, be able to improvise, and have acting talent. Speech should be of different tones. Larger olonkhos can be performed over seven nights. The largest and most famous work consists of 36 thousand poetic lines.

The Yakuts are the indigenous population of the Republic of Yakutia (Sakha) and the largest of all the indigenous peoples of Siberia. The ancestors of the Yakuts were first mentioned in the 14th century. The ancestors of modern Yakuts are the nomadic tribe of Kurykans, who lived in Transbaikalia until the 14th century. They came there from across the Yenisei River. The Yakuts are divided into several main groups:

• Amginsko-Lena, live between the Lena River, on the adjacent left bank of the river, between the lower Aldan and Amga;
• Olekma, inhabit territories in the Olekma basin;
• Vilyuiskie, live in the Vilyui basin;
• northern, live in the tundra zone of the Kolyma, Olenyok, Anabar, Indigirka and Yana river basins.

The self-name of the people sounds like Sakha, in plural sugar. There is also an old self-name Uranhai, which is still written uraanhai And uraanghai. These names are still used today in ceremonial speeches, songs and olonkho. Among the Yakuts sakhalyars- mestizos, descendants of mixed marriages between Yakuts and representatives of the Caucasian race. This word should not be confused with the above sugar.

Where live

The main part of the Yakuts live in Yakutia, on the territory of Russia, some live in the Magadan, Irkutsk regions, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories, in Moscow, Buryatia, St. Petersburg and Kamchatka.

Number

As of 2018, the population of the Republic of Yakutia is 964,330 people. Almost half of the total number is in the central part of Yakutia.

Language

Yakut, along with Russian, is one of the official languages ​​of the Republic of Yakutia. Yakut belongs to the Turkic group of languages, but differs significantly from them in vocabulary of unknown origin, which may be Paleo-Asian. Yakut has many words of Mongolian origin, ancient borrowings and Russian words that appeared in the language after Yakutia became part of Russia.

The Yakut language is used mainly in the everyday life of the Yakuts and their social life. This language is spoken by the Evenks, Evens, Dolgans, Yukaghirs, and the Russian old-timer population: Lena peasants, Yakuts, Podchans and Russian Ustyins. This language is used in Yakutia for office work, cultural events are held in it, newspapers, magazines, books are published, radio and television programs are broadcast, and there are Internet resources in the Yakut language. Performances are staged on it in the city and rural areas. Yakut is the language of the ancient epic Olonkho.

Bilingualism is common among Yakuts; 65% speak Russian fluently. There are several groups of dialects in the Yakut language:

1. Northwestern
2. Vilyuiskaya
3. Central
4. Taimyrskaya

The Yakut language today uses an alphabet based on the Cyrillic alphabet, it contains all Russian letters and 5 additional ones, as well as 2 combinations Дь ь and Ннн, and 4 diphthongs are used. Long vowel sounds in writing are indicated by double vowels.

Character

Yakuts are very hardworking, hardy, organized and persistent people, they have a good ability to adapt to new living conditions, endure difficulties, hardships and hunger.

Appearance

The Yakuts of a pure race have an oval face shape, a wide and smooth, low forehead, black eyes with slightly slanted eyelids. The nose is straight, often with a hump, the mouth is large, the teeth are large, and the cheekbones are moderate. The complexion is dark, bronze or yellow-gray. The hair is straight and coarse, black.

Cloth

The national costume of the Yakuts combines the traditions of different peoples; it is perfectly adapted to the harsh climate in which these people live. This is reflected in the cut and design of clothes. The suit consists of a caftan with a belt, leather pants and fur socks. Yakuts wear a belt around their shirts. In winter they wear boots made of deerskin and fur.

The main ornament of clothing is the lily-syandana flower. The Yakuts try to combine all the colors of the year in their clothes. Black is a symbol of earth and spring, green is summer, brown and red are autumn, silver jewelry symbolizes snow, stars and winter. Yakut patterns always consist of branched continuous lines, which mean that the lineage should not stop. The more branches such a line has, the more children the person who owns the clothing has.

Various furs, jacquard silk, cloth, leather and rovduga are used in tailoring outerwear. The costume is decorated with beads, ornamental inserts, metal pendants and decorations.

The poor sewed underwear and summer clothes from thin suede leather, the rich wore shirts made from Chinese cotton fabric, which was expensive and could only be obtained through in-kind exchange.

Festive clothing of the Yakuts has a more complex cut. The waist is widened at the bottom, and the sleeves have a gathered edge. These sleeves are called buuktaah. Lightweight caftans had an asymmetrical fastener and were generously decorated with beaded embroidery, a narrow strip of expensive fur and metal elements. Only the wealthy wore such clothes.

One of the wardrobe items of the Yakuts are robe-like items, sewn from daba fabric with one-piece sleeves. Women wore it in the summer. The Yakut hat looks like a fireplace. A hole was usually made at the top so that the moon and sun could peer in. The ears on the hat represent a connection with the cosmos. Today they are usually decorated with beads.

Religion

Before Yakutia became part of Russia, the people professed the Aar Aiyy religion, which implied the belief that all Yakuts are the children of Tanar - a god and relative of the 12 White Aiyys. They believed that from the moment of conception the child was surrounded by icchi spirits and celestial beings, they believed in evil and good spirits, master spirits and the spirits of deceased shamans. Each clan had a patron animal that could not be called by name or killed.

The Yakuts believed that the world consists of several tiers, the upper one is Yuryung Aiyy Toyon, the lower one is Ala Buura Toyon. Horses were sacrificed to the spirits who live in the upper world, cows were sacrificed to those who live in the lower world. The cult of the female fertility deity Aiyysyt occupied an important place.

In the 18th century, Christianity came to Yakutia, and most of the indigenous population became Orthodox Christians. But mass Christianization for the most part was formal; the Yakuts often accepted it because of the benefits that they were entitled to in return, and for a long time they treated this religion superficially. Today, the majority of Yakuts are Christians, but traditional faith, pantheism, and agnosticism are also common. There are still shamans in Yakutia, although there are very few of them.

Housing

The Yakuts lived in uras and log booths, which were also called Yakut yurts. Since the 20th century, huts began to be built. The Yakut settlements consisted of several yurts, which were located at a great distance from each other.

Yurts were built from standing round logs. Only small trees were used for construction; cutting down large ones is a sin. The building site should be low and protected from the wind. Yakuts are always looking for a “happy place” and do not settle among large trees, because they believe that they have already taken all the power from the earth. When choosing a place to build a yurt, the Yakuts turned to a shaman. Dwellings were often built collapsible to make them easy to transport during a nomadic lifestyle.

The doors to the home are located on the east side, towards the sun. The roof was covered with birch bark, and many small windows were made for lighting in the yurt. Inside there is a fireplace coated with clay, along the walls there were wide lounge chairs of various shapes, separated from each other by partitions. The lowest one is located at the entrance. The owner of the home sleeps on a high lounger.

Life

The main occupations of the Yakuts were horse breeding and cattle breeding. The men looked after the horses, the women looked after the cattle. The Yakuts living in the north raised reindeer. Yakut cattle were unproductive, but very hardy. Haymaking has long been known among the Yakuts; even before the arrival of the Russians, fishing was also developed. Fish were caught mainly in the summer; in winter, holes were made in the ice. In the autumn, the Yakuts organized a collective seine hunt, and the spoils were divided among all participants. The poor people, who did not have livestock, lived mainly on fish. The foot Yakuts also specialized in this activity: Kokuls, Ontuis, Osekuis, Orgots, Krikians and Kyrgydais.

Hunting was especially common in the north and was the main source of food in these regions. The Yakuts hunted hare, arctic fox, poultry, elk and reindeer. With the arrival of the Russians, fur and meat hunting for bear, squirrel, and fox began to spread in the taiga, but later, due to a decrease in the number of animals, it became less popular. The Yakuts hunted with a bull, behind which they hid, sneaking up on the prey. They followed the trail of animals on horses, sometimes with dogs.

The Yakuts also engaged in gathering, collecting the inner layer of larch and pine bark and drying it for the winter. They collected minted and saran roots, greens: onions, sorrel and horseradish, and collected berries, but did not eat raspberries, since they considered them unclean.

The Yakuts borrowed agriculture from the Russians in the 17th century, and until the 19th century this area of ​​the economy was very poorly developed. They grew barley, rarely wheat. Exiled Russian settlers contributed to the wide spread of agriculture among these people, especially in the Olemkinsky district.

Wood processing was well developed; the Yakuts were engaged in artistic carving and painted products with a decoction of alder. Birch bark, leather and fur were also processed. Dishes were made from leather, rugs were made from cow and horse skins, and blankets were made from hare fur. Horsehair was used in sewing, weaving and embroidery, and hand-twisted into cords. The Yakuts were engaged in molded ceramics, which distinguished them from other Siberian peoples. The people developed the smelting and forging of iron, smelting and minting of silver, copper and other metals. Since the 19th century, the Yakuts began to engage in bone carving.

The Yakuts moved mainly on horseback, and transported cargo in packs. They made skis, which were padded with horse skins, and sleighs, which were harnessed to bulls and deer. To move on the water, they made birch bark boats called tyy, made flat-bottomed boards, and sailing ships-carbass, which they borrowed from the Russians.

In ancient times, indigenous peoples living in the north of Yakutia developed the Yakut Laika dog breed. The breed of large Yakut courtyard dogs, which is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, is also widespread.

The Yakuts have a lot of hitching posts; since ancient times they have been the main components of the people; traditions, customs, beliefs and rituals are associated with them. All hitching posts have different heights, shapes, decorations and patterns. There are 3 groups of such structures:

• outhouse, it includes those hitching posts that are installed near the home. Horses are tied to them;
• pillars for religious ceremonies;
• hitching posts installed on the main holiday Ysyakh.

Food

The national cuisine of the Yakuts is slightly similar to the cuisine of the Mongols, Buryats, northern peoples and Russians. Dishes are prepared by boiling, fermenting and freezing. For meat, the Yakuts eat horse meat, venison and beef, game, blood and offal. The preparation of dishes from Siberian fish is widespread in the cuisine of this people: broadleaf, sturgeon, omul, muksun, peled, grayling, nelma and taimen.

The Yakuts make maximum use of all components of the original product. For example, when cooking crucian carp in Yakut style, the fish remains with the head and is practically not gutted. The scales are cleaned off, the gall bladder and part of the colon are removed through a small incision, and the swim bladder is pierced. The fish is fried or boiled.

All offal products are used quite actively; giblet soup, blood delicacies, horse and beef liver, which is filled with a mixture of blood and milk, are very popular. Meat from beef and horse ribs is called oyogos in Yakutia. Eat it frozen or raw. Stroganina is made from frozen fish and meat, which is eaten with spicy seasoning. Khaan blood sausage is made from horse and beef blood.

In traditional Yakut cuisine, vegetables, mushrooms and fruits are not used; only some berries are consumed. Drinks include kumys and the stronger koyuurgen; instead of tea, they drink hot fruit juice. From cow's milk they prepare curdled milk suorat, whipped cream kerchekh, thick cream from butter churned with milk, which is called kober, chokhoon - milk and butter churned with berries, cottage cheese iedegey, cheese suumekh. A thick mass of salamat is cooked from a mixture of dairy products and flour. Burduk is made from a fermented solution of barley or rye flour.

Folklore

The ancient epic Olonkho is passed down from generation to generation and is similar in performance to opera. This is the oldest epic art of the Yakuts, which occupies the most important place in the folklore of the people. Olonkho denotes an epic tradition and serves as the name of individual tales. Poems 10,000-15,000 lines long are performed by folk storytellers, which not everyone can become. The narrator must have oratory and acting talent, and be able to improvise. Large olonkhos can take 7 nights to complete. The largest such work consists of 36,000 poetic characters. In 2005, Olonkho was declared by UNESCO “a masterpiece of the intangible and oral heritage of humanity.”

Yakut folk singers use the dyeretii yrya type of throat singing. This is an unusual singing technique whose articulation is based in the larynx or pharynx.

The most famous of the Yakut musical instruments is the khomus - a Yakut type of harp and a bowed string instrument. They play it with their lips and tongue.

Traditions

The Yakuts have always strived to live in harmony with themselves, faith and nature; they honor traditions and are not afraid of change. This people has so many traditions and rituals that one could write a separate book about it.

The Yakuts protect their homes and livestock from evil spirits, using many conspiracies, and conduct rituals for the offspring of livestock, a good harvest and the birth of children. To this day, the Yakuts have a blood feud, but it was gradually replaced by ransom.

Among these people, the Sat stone is considered magical; women cannot look at it, otherwise it will lose its power. These stones are found in the stomachs of birds and animals, wrapped in birch bark and wrapped in horsehair. It is believed that with the help of certain spells and this stone one can cause snow, rain and wind.

Yakuts are very hospitable people and love to give each other gifts. Their maternity rites are associated with the goddess Aiyysyt, who is considered the patroness of children. According to myths, Aiyy only accepts sacrifices of plant origin and dairy products. In the modern everyday language of the Yakuts there is a word “anyyy”, the meaning of which is translated as “impossible”.

Yakuts marry from 16 to 25 years old; if the groom’s family is not rich and there is no bride price, you can steal the bride, and then help the wife’s family and thereby earn the bride price.

Until the 19th century, polygamy was common in Yakutia, but wives lived separately from their husbands, and each ran her own household. There was a dowry, which consisted of livestock. Part of the bride price - kurum - was intended for the wedding celebration. The bride had a dowry, which in its value was equal to half the bride price. These were mainly clothes and utensils. The modern bride price was replaced with money.

A mandatory traditional rite among the Yakuts is the Blessing of Aiyy at celebrations and holidays in nature. Blessings are prayers. The most important holiday is Ysyakh, the day of praise of the White Aiyy. When hunting and fishing, a ritual is performed to appease the spirit of hunting and good luck Bayanai.

The dead were subjected to an air burial ceremony, where the body was suspended in the air. The ritual meant surrendering the deceased to light, air, spirit and wood.

All Yakuts revere trees and believe that the spirit of the mistress of the land Aan Darkhan Khotun lives in them. When climbing the mountains, fish and animals were traditionally sacrificed to the forest spirits.

During the national holiday Ysyakh, national Yakut jumping and international games “Children of Asia” are held, which are divided into the following stages:

1. Kylyy, 11 jumps without stopping, the jump begins on one leg, you need to land on both legs;
2. Ystanga, 11 jumps in turn from foot to foot. You need to land on both feet;
3. Kuobah, 11 jumps without stopping, while jumping from a place you need to push off with both legs at once or land with a run on both legs.

The national sport of the Yakuts is mas-wrestling, during which the opponent must snatch the stick from the opponent’s hands. This sport was introduced in 2003. Another sport is hapsagai, a very ancient form of wrestling among the Yakuts.

A wedding in Yakutia is a special phenomenon. With the birth of a girl in the family, the parents, according to a sacred ancient tradition, look for a groom for her and for many years monitor his life, manners and behavior. Usually a boy is chosen from a family where the fathers are distinguished by good health, endurance and strength, are good at working with their hands, building yurts, and getting food. If the boy's father does not pass on all his skills to him, he is no longer considered as a groom. Some parents are able to quickly find a groom for their daughter, while for others this process takes many years.

Matchmaking is one of the customs and traditions of the Yakuts. On the appointed day, the parents go to the house of the prospective groom, and the girl is not allowed to leave the house. The parents talk with the guy’s parents, describing their daughter and her merits in all colors. If the guy's parents are not against the wedding, the size of the bride price is discussed. The girl is prepared for the wedding by her mother, prepares her dowry, sews outfits. The bride chooses the time of the wedding.

Previously, wedding dresses were made only from natural materials. Today this is not necessary, it is only important that the outfit be snow-white and equipped with a tight belt. The bride should wear amulets to protect the new family from disease and evil.

The bride and groom sit in different yurts, the shaman, mother of the groom or father of the bride fumigates them with smoke, cleansing them of everything bad. Only after this the bride and groom meet, they are declared husband and wife, and the celebration begins with a feast, dancing and songs. After marriage, a girl should walk only with her head covered, and only her husband should see her hair.