Artistic ceramics of Tatarstan. Golden hands of masters: folk crafts of the Tatars. What distinguishes our masters at traveling exhibitions

Tatars (self-name, Tatar. Tatars, tatar, pl. Tatarlar, tatarlar) - a Turkic people living in the central regions of the European part of Russia, in the Volga region, the Urals, in Siberia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Xinjiang, Afghanistan and the Far East .

They are the second largest people in the Russian Federation after the Russians. They are divided into three main ethno-territorial groups: the Volga-Ural, Siberian and Astrakhan, sometimes Polish-Lithuanian Tatars are also distinguished. Tatars make up more than half of the population of the Republic of Tatarstan (53.15% according to the 2010 census). The Tatar language belongs to the Kypchak subgroup of the Turkic group of the Altai family of languages ​​and is divided into three dialects: western (Mishar), middle (Kazan-Tatar) and eastern (Siberian-Tatar). Believing Tatars (with the exception of a small group of Kryashens who profess Orthodoxy) are Sunni Muslims.

Kazan Tatars. Lithograph G.-F. H. Pauli

Family and household traditions and rituals

Family and kinship relations of the Tatars have gone through a difficult path of development. By the XVIII century, large families began to disappear, there was a tendency to form small families. However, extensive mutual assistance continued to be practiced between relatives in household affairs during weddings and on holidays on the occasion of the birth of children. Traditionally, the family based on patriarchal principles with some elements of female seclusion dominated.

The most significant family events among the Tatars, as well as among other peoples, were the wedding and the birth of a child.

There were three types of marriages. Either the girl was wooed, or she went to her beloved without the permission of her parents, or she was kidnapped without her consent. The most common was marriage by matchmaking.

The groom's parents were engaged in the choice of the bride, then the matchmaker was sent. After the agreement, the bride's relatives began to prepare for the wedding. The day before the wedding, the groom's parents sent a ransom and gifts to the bride. During the marriage and at the wedding dinner, the bride and groom were not present, they were represented by their fathers. The wedding ended with the serving of sherbet to the groom's relatives, which served as a sign of collecting money for the bride.

Among the Tatars, the wedding was always preceded by a conspiracy, in which the groom's side was represented by the matchmaker and one of the older relatives. If the bride's parents agreed to the marriage, during the conspiracy, questions were resolved about the size of the kalym and the bride's dowry, the time of the wedding and the number of invited guests were discussed. After that, the bride was already called a betrothed girl. Young people whose parents decided to marry their children often could only meet for the first time at their own wedding.

Wedding costume of a townswoman. Late XIX - early XX century.

Preparations for the wedding lasted 3-5 weeks. At this time, the groom collected bride price, bought gifts for the bride, her parents and relatives, and the bride completed the preparation of the dowry, which she began to collect from the age of 12-14. Usually it consisted of homespun dresses, underwear, as well as gift clothes for the groom. These were embroidered shirts, trousers, woolen socks, etc. Relatives on both sides were busy organizing the upcoming wedding.

The wedding ceremony itself and the first wedding feast were held in the bride's house. Guests and close relatives of the bride and groom gathered at noon. The groom at that time was in the house of his parents, and the bride, surrounded by her friends, spent the day in the so-called house of the newlyweds, which was arranged either in the summer house of the girl's family, or in the house of her closest relatives.

In the wedding meeting, the mullah performed the ritual of marriage, which opened with a prayer appropriate for the occasion. After that, the marriage was considered concluded.

At this time, the bride saw off her friends and sisters, after which the ceremony of consecrating the bed of the newlyweds was performed. Guests from the bride's side came to the wedding house, and each of them had to touch the feather bed with their hands or sit on the edge of the bed, and some even allowed themselves to lie down. The guests threw some coins into a special saucer. After the guests left, the bride stayed in the house with one of the older women, who taught her how to receive the groom.

In the evening, the smartly dressed groom, accompanied by his friends, went to the place of marriage. The groom and his entourage were greeted with ritual rallies. The bride's side tested the groom for modesty, sharpness of mind and other qualities. After the ritual treat of the groom, the guests escorted him to the bride, but before entering her house, the groom had to pay a ransom.

The next morning, the newlyweds were invited to the bath, then the groom's parents went there. In the afternoon, a rite of caress on the back was performed. The bride was invited to the hut, where there were only women, and they sat her on her knees with her face in the corner. The girl sang sad songs about resignation to fate. The mother of the groom, her sisters, the elder sister of the groom approached the bride in turn, stroked her on the back, spoke kind words and instructed how to behave with her husband. After that, they gave the bride gifts or money.

In the evening, the guests went home, before that, members of the intermarried families exchanged gifts. The bride's relatives gave headscarves and other small items to the guests, and in return the guests were given money.

But this is only the first stage of the wedding. The groom lived with the bride for a week, after which he returned to his parents' house, and the young wife continued to live with her relatives, and her husband came to her every night. This could go on from several months to several years. During this time, the young husband had to pay the full amount of bride price if he could not do it before the wedding, or build a house for his family. It often happened that by the time they moved to a new home, the couple already had several children.

When the young wife moved into a new house, a second wedding feast was held. On the appointed day, the groom sent for the bride a cart with horses, decorated with ribbons and bells. A dowry was put into this wagon, a young wife, children (if they already were), younger brothers or children of relatives sat here. The parents of the young, then the matchmakers and matchmakers, sat in other dressed up carts, and the motorcade went to the new home of the young.

Here the spouses and their guests were met by relatives and parents of the husband. His older sister and mother held a freshly baked loaf and a cup of honey in their hands. One of the men brought a calf to the wagon, symbolizing prosperity. A pillow was placed on the ground. The daughter-in-law descended from the cart, leaning on the calf, and stood on the pillow. Then she would break off a piece of loaf and, dipping it in honey, would eat it. Sometimes the mother of her husband fed the girl with honey from a spoon. This tradition expressed a good attitude towards the daughter-in-law and wishes for a prosperous life for the young family. Then the young wife performed the ritual of consecrating the dwelling, sprinkling the corners and foundation of her new home. It was believed that after that she would get along well with new relatives.

And finally, the wedding feast began, at which the young husband served the invited men, and the young wife served the women.

The birth of a child was a joyful event for the family. At the feast on the occasion of the birth of a baby, men and women were invited separately. The Tatar educator and historian Kayum Nasyri describes this ceremony as follows: “When all the invitees are assembled, the child is brought on a pillow to the mullah. He asks the parents what to name the child. The mullah puts the child with his feet towards the Kaaba and reads a prayer, then says three times: "Let your precious name be such and such." Each of the guests is brought honey and butter. While eating, the invitee puts as much money on the tray as he can.

To this day, wedding ceremonies remain bright and interesting in some families: receiving a ransom for the bride (kalym), a dowry of the bride herself (birne), a religious ceremony of marriage (nikah) and other rites.

 
Social traditions and rituals

Cuisine, traditions of table etiquette

Interesting and varied is the Tatar national cuisine, which developed not only on the basis of its ethnic traditions. It was greatly influenced by the cuisines of neighboring peoples. Tatar cuisine inherited from the Bulgars katyk, bal-may, kabartma, supplemented by Tatar chak-chak, ech-pochmak, Chinese cuisine gave dumplings and tea, Uzbek - pilaf, Tajik - pakhleva.

Numerous travelers who visited Kazan called the national cuisine hearty and tasty, simple and refined, they were surprised by the variety and rare combination of products, as well as hospitality, which was remembered for a long time. According to the ancient Tatar custom, a festive tablecloth was laid out in honor of the guest and the best treats were put on the table: sweet chak-chak, sherbet, linden honey, and, of course, fragrant tea. Hospitality in the East has always been highly valued. “An inhospitable person is inferior,” Muslims believed. It was customary not only to treat guests, but also to give gifts. As usual, the guest responded in kind. The people said: "Kunak ashy - kara karshi", which means "Guest treat is mutual."

Hospitality was considered one of the main virtues even among the Bulgars. This was fully manifested during the reception of the embassy of the Baghdad caliph, who arrived at the request of the Bulgar king Almush in the summer of 922 to promote the adoption of Islam in the Volga Bulgaria. Even on the way, the king's sons and brothers greeted the guests with bread, meat and millet. Ambassador Susan was especially struck by the cordial official reception in the royal yurt. After a plentiful table, the guests were invited to take the remaining dishes to their homes.

In May 1722, the breadth of Kazan hospitality was experienced by the Russian Tsar Peter I, who was going on a campaign against Prussia. In the house of a wealthy Kazan merchant Ivan Mikhlyaev, Peter celebrated his fiftieth birthday. Many servants with a bow to the king in their belts brought “first cold dishes of meat and fish, then hot, then roast, followed by cakes, then sweets, pies were served in between liquid dishes.”

Islam imposed special norms and rules for eating. According to Sharia, it was forbidden to eat pig meat, as well as some birds, for example, a falcon, a swan - the latter were considered sacred.

In the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, Ramadan, when the Koran was sent down to earth, all Muslims over 12 years old were obliged to keep 29-30 days of post-uraza - complete abstinence from food and drink during daylight hours. Sharia urged to observe moderation in food not only during uraza, but also in everyday life.

One of the main food prohibitions concerned wine and other alcoholic beverages. The Qur'an notes that in wine, as in gambling, there is good and bad, but the first is more. “Wine is the obvious root and source of sins, and whoever drinks it loses his mind. He does not know God, he does not respect anyone ... ”- said the prophet Muhammad.

According to adab - Islamic ethics - any meal began with washing hands. Before the start of the meal, the Muslim said: “Bismillah arra hman arrakhim” (“In the name of Allah, the Merciful and Merciful”), the meal also ended with a prayer. Men and women ate separately. The well-known Tatar educator and encyclopedist Kayum Nasyri, in his book on education, described a number of rules that are mandatory during meals: “Sit down at the table as soon as the food is served, do not keep yourself waiting. Eat with your right hand, if respectable people have gathered at the table, do not pull your hand to food before them - this is bad manners. Moderate eating is of great benefit - you will be healthy in body, clear in mind, strong in memory.

The basis of nutrition was meat and dairy and vegetable food. Lamb was considered the favorite meat of the Tatars, poultry was valued. Popular meat dishes were pilaf and dumplings, which were treated according to the custom of a young son-in-law and his friends.

Milk was used mainly in processed form. After settling, cream was obtained, then butter. A favorite Tatar drink, katyk, was prepared from sour milk, which was used to prepare suzma, Tatar cottage cheese. Another kind of cottage cheese is eremchek, Kort.

Of the variety of dishes, the most characteristic are, firstly, soups and broths (shulpa, tokmach), meat, dairy and lean. Secondly, flour baked goods are common among Tatars - beleshi, peremyachi, bekken, ech-pochmaki, sumsa and others stuffed with meat, potatoes or porridge. Thirdly, the presence of the "Tea table - the soul of the family", as the Tatars say, emphasizes its importance in the table ritual. Tea with baked goods sometimes replaces breakfast or dinner, tea is an indispensable attribute of meeting a guest. Tea was also praised in folk Tatar baits-tales: “In this world, Allah has many different delicious dishes, they cannot be compared, however, with tea, the main medicine. You will not find so many valuable and healing properties, in others it will turn the hungry into well-fed, into the young - old and sick.

Tea was served with sweet dough treats: katlama, kosh-tele, chak-chak - an obligatory treat at the wedding, which was brought by the bride, as well as her parents. With tea willingly drank honey. It was used to prepare an obligatory treat in honor of the birth of a child - alba puree and a wedding delicacy - bal-may. Sherbet - a sweet fruit and honey drink - was also used during the wedding ceremony, the bride sent it to the guests, who, after drinking sherbet, put money on her tray as a gift.

Kazan cuisine, which has absorbed the culinary traditions of the Bulgars, Tatars, Russians, the influence of the East and Europe, is rich in a wide variety of everyday and festive dishes. And to this day, not only wonderful recipes of national cuisine have been preserved, but also the hospitable hospitality of the people that has existed for centuries.

The expression of the emotional and aesthetic life of the people are rituals and holidays. Traditionally, the festive culture of the Tatars included both religious (Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Adha, Ramadan) and secular holidays celebrated at certain times of the year.

The calendar cycle of national holidays and rituals of the Tatar people begins with Nauruz, which was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox (March 21) according to the solar calendar. Shakirds (students of the madrasah) went around the house with songs-wishes of well-being and health and in return received treats from the owners.

Soon after Nauruz, it was time for spring sowing, the most beautiful time of the year, and Sabantuy was celebrated. The history of Sabantuy is as ancient as our people themselves. Already in 921, the ambassador who arrived in the Bulgars from Baghdad, the famous researcher Ibn Fadlan, described this Bulgarian holiday in his works. Already two weeks before the holiday, the collection of gifts for the winners began, preparations for the holiday. “The horse senses the approach of Sabantuy in advance,” says a Tatar proverb. The culmination of the holiday was Maidan - competitions in running, jumping, national wrestling (keresh), and, of course, horse racing, glorified in poems and songs, causing admiration and delight - the decoration of the Tatar holiday.

At the beginning of summer, it was time for special holidays to meet relatives - Jiens, who came the day before and stayed for 3-4 days. In the evening, youth festivities were held with songs and dances, round dances and fun games, acquaintances of boys and girls were made, future marriage couples were planned.

Muslim holidays were considered especially revered. The most significant of these is Eid al-Adha. Kurban Bayram, or, as it is also called, Eid al-Adha (Sacrifice) is one of the most important Muslim holidays. This is a day of remembrance of the mercy of Allah, when he held the hand of Ibrahim at the throat of his own son, whom he was about to sacrifice to the Creator.

Rembrandt. Abraham's sacrifice

Instead of a son, Ibrahim sacrificed a lamb to the Creator. This sacrifice became the basis of the holiday. On holidays, all believers focus their thoughts and aspirations on the idea of ​​self-sacrifice, which is expressed in the ritual of slaughtering a sacrificial animal.

The word "Muslim" means one who submits. This word was first used by Ibrahim, he called himself surrendered to the will of Allah. And the word "Islam" comes from "aslyama" - "submit". All professing Islam is completely subordinate and obedient to the Divine will.

Animals prepared for sacrifice are usually decorated with bells and necklaces, sometimes painted. This is done so that on the Day of Judgment every Muslim recognizes the animal that he personally sacrificed. The road to paradise, as Islam teaches, leads through a bridge over the abyss - a siraat, it is thinner than a woman's hair, sharper than a sword blade and hotter than a flame. You can cross it only on sacrificial animals that will stand by the bridge, and every Muslim will quickly find his animal by color and decoration.

Sacrificial animals must be without the slightest flaw: a camel must be at least five years old, an ox or a goat - one year old, a sheep - seven months old. After the sacrificial animal is slaughtered, it is imperative to feed the poor and hungry. No guest should leave on this day without refreshments.

There are a number of rules for performing the ceremony:
You can not sharpen knives near the sacrificial animal, they should be prepared in advance.
The eyes of the animal must be tied with a handkerchief, put henna on its head, and a lollipop in its mouth.
You can not cut one animal in the presence of others, they must stand as far away as possible.

The meat of sacrificial animals is not washed, it is carefully cleaned and cut into small pieces. The meat is boiled in water, where onion and salt are supposed to be added.

During three festive days, the family can eat only a third of the meat, treating neighbors and guests, the rest is supposed to be distributed to the poor. The more meat is distributed on this holiday, the easier it will be for a Muslim to cross the bridge over the abyss.

Before the holiday, fairs are held in almost all cities where you can buy a sacrificial animal. In some Muslim countries, more than a million heads of cattle are slaughtered.

Eid al Adha

This is the holiday of breaking the fast after the end of the fast in the month of Ramadan. The fast lasts 30 days. During fasting all day until sunset, you can’t eat or drink, entertainment is strictly prohibited, you can’t dip your head in water. During Ramadan, the gates of paradise are open for everyone, and if the faithful strictly observed the fast, then all his sins are burned.

The beginning of Ramadan is announced in different ways in different countries: by firing a cannon, by drumming, by raising flags over minarets. After the signal, Muslims must go to the mosque for prayer. During the entire fast, each believer should repeat the following words: “I set out to fast the fast of the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset, solely for the sake of Allah!”

During the fast, you can not slander and do unholy deeds. Fasting for Muslims is a favorable time for reconciliation. Forgetting insults, you can invite a person with whom you have quarreled for a long time to visit and make peace with him. It is essential to make peace with those whom you have offended.

Eid al-Fitr begins on the first day of the month following Ramadan - Shawwala. The holiday lasts 3-4 days, which are non-working in Muslim countries. These days, the prophet bequeathed to distribute alms to the poor, to treat them. Sweets are an obligatory holiday treat: dates, sweet fruits, etc. On the eve of Eid al-Fitr, believers try to gather all family members together and not let them out of the house anywhere. It is believed that on this day the souls of the dead ancestors visit the house.

On the day the fast ends, after visiting the mosque, people go to the cemetery, and the men of the village or quarter visit the families of those whose relatives died during the year to express their condolences again.

The rest of the festive day is dedicated to fun: music sounds everywhere, everyone sings and dances, fairs are organized. The holiday lasts until late at night.

The theme of national holidays is widely covered in folklore, legends and baits, in the works of Tatar writers, composers and artists.

Since 1992, the two religious holidays Eid al-Adha (Muslim) and Christmas (Christian) have been included in the official holiday calendar of the Republic of Tatarstan. To this day, the tradition of celebrating Sabantuy is alive. Traditional folk holidays were enriched with new ones, which reflected social and political changes in society. The main one was Republic Day, August 30. It was on this day in 1990 that Tatarstan adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty. Republic Day reflects both ancient traditions and modernity. This is the memory of the past and the aspiration to the future. On this day, the cities and villages of the republic flourish, the entire multinational people of Tatarstan gather to see a festive theatrical performance in the open air with historical customs and traditions, horse racing, national wrestling, performances of ensembles of ancient instruments and folklore groups.

Embroidery, weaving

Embroidery is one of the oldest and most popular types of women's fine arts. The development of this type of art was associated with the seclusion of women who rarely left the house and used their leisure time for needlework. Unlike Russians, Ukrainians, Mari and other peoples, the Tatars did not use embroidery in their clothes, but decorated household items: towels, napkins, tablecloths, bedspreads and window curtains, namazlyks (prayer rugs). Most of these things are related to the interior design of the home.

The furnishings and decoration of the Tatar house had a number of features. It was not customary to divide the house into rooms, as well as load it with extra furniture, so skillfully embroidered curtains and curtains appeared. The most valuable of the embroidered works were kept for years at the bottom of the chests, taken out on the occasion of major holidays.

The house became especially colorful during wedding celebrations - everything was decorated with embroidered and woven products of the bride and groom. This custom, which demonstrates the diligence and skill of the bride, is still alive in some rural areas.

The traditions of folk embroidery are also preserved in the village in connection with the Sabantuy holiday - young daughters-in-law give their products to the winners of sports competitions and games.

Embroidery also plays an important role in the ritual that marks the birth of the first child: a young mother gives towels to her relatives and neighbors.

Embroidery was usually done on bright saturated material - green, yellow, purple, burgundy. Embroidered with twisted silk, gilded or silver-plated cord, beads, pearls. Great importance was given to the ornament, which consisted of geometric and floral motifs. One could recognize red poppies and yellow-eyed daisies, tulips and pansies in the composition of the blooming garden created by the craftswomen.

Golden embroidery on velvet

Kazan towels, embroidered with tambour with silver-gold thread on white silk, were famous for their special beauty; they were known far beyond the borders of the region.
Patterned weaving was also widespread, which was also associated with everyday life and had the character of a home craft. The ornament reveals similarities with Central Asian and Azerbaijani carpet products, while the color structure (the predominance of red and its various shades) has no analogies. Most of the Tatar women mastered the technique of weaving, but fabrics with complex and multi-colored patterns were usually made by special craftsmen available in every village.

Calf friezes. Velvet, gold threads. 19th century

Gold-embroidered towels - "Kazan solge". 19th century

patterned towels

The Muslim religion, with a more abstract concept of God, did not cultivate his image and in this respect differed, for example, from the Christian or Buddhist. According to the prohibition of the Prophet Muhammad, it was also impossible to depict any living creature: a person, a bird, an animal. In this regard, the Muslims developed a calligraphic ornament, as well as a shamail.

Shamail is a picture depicting the holy places of Islam, containing, along with suras (chapters from the Koran), philosophical sayings, aphorisms, quotations from the poetic masterpieces of the East, made in beautiful Arabic script. Shamails were painted with blue, blue, green paints on glass or paper with decorative velvet or foil inserts.

Shamails simultaneously served as a source of information about the philosophical foundations of Sharia and the universal rules of life, expressed folk ideas about beauty and spirituality, and contained folk wisdom along with religious instructions.

The aphorism accepted in the East: “The beauty of a person is in the beauty of his writing, and even better if it is with the wise” represented the ethical basis of this unique phenomenon of fine art known only among the Kazan Tatars.

Calligrapher Ali Mahmudov. Shamail. Lithograph from a handwritten original. 1851

The traditions of building houses of the Kazan Tatars have evolved over the centuries under the influence of the religious, aesthetic and cultural characteristics of the population of the region. Most often, residential buildings from the front side were fenced. The houses were 2 meters away from the red line of the street. On the one hand, such an arrangement was associated with the influence of Islam and the seclusion of women, and on the other hand, this tradition goes back to the Bulgar times, when the deep location of buildings came from defensive tasks. A characteristic feature was also the division of the dwelling into male and female halves.

Fronton niche of a rural house

The decorative decoration of the Tatar house differs from the traditional decoration of Russian dwellings. Russian masters used mainly woodcarving, the Tatars, on the contrary, used mainly a rich palette of colors. The historian of Kazan M. Khudyakov wrote in his “Essays on the History of the Kazan Khanate” in the 20s of the XX century: “Color is the main element of Tatar art, and in this use of decorative coloring, the kinship of the Tatars with the East is most pronounced. Tatars pay special attention to the coloring of the gate. Nowhere is the difference in decorative decoration between Russians and Tatars more pronounced than in the color of the gates, which the Russians are decorated with only wooden carvings ... ”The main gamut of colors is almost always the same: green, blue, white and yellow. All colors were taken clean, without halftones, which is why the painting of the gate became juicy and bright.

However, not only color, but also patterned carving was an important element of home decoration. Images of the sun and geometric signs, birds, flowers and mythological symbols can still be seen on old houses and gates.

The interior of a rural house. Late XIX - early XX century.

The interior of the house was also original. The decoration of the walls with fabric decorations with bright colors, woven and embroidered towels, curtains, tablecloths, napkins, namazlyks (prayer rugs), shamails gave a special picturesqueness to the interior of the dwelling. Sleeping places were fenced off with a curtain (charshau), canopy (chybyldyk). According to ethnographers, the main features of the Tatar interior bear the imprint of a distant nomadic past.

The middle of the 18th century marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of Tatar architecture. His characteristic feature was coming into close contact with Russian culture and, as a result, the perception of elements of Western European culture. The architecture of the Tatar bay houses and mosques acquired the stylistic characteristics of baroque and classicism, while retaining the traditional features of the layout and form of the Bulgar architecture.

The music of the Tatar people, like other art forms, has gone through a centuries-old path of historical development. Lado-intonation (pentatonic) and rhythmic features have common features with the musical traditions of the Turkic and Finno-Ugric peoples of the Volga region, which makes it possible to assume a connection between the lyrical Tatar melodies and the historical musical epic of the pagan era.

All the variety of Tatar musical folklore can be divided into song art and instrumental music. It was in the song that the emotional life of the people, their sorrows and joys, holidays and customs, way of life and historical development were clearly reflected. Song creativity of the Tatars includes ritual (calendar, wedding), historical (baits) and lyrical songs. In folk musical art, only solo singing, traditionally monophonic, developed.

In the old songs and folklore dances of girls with their plasticity and grace, shy movements, there is no hint of scope, expanse or revelry. Monotonous movements with small steps almost in one place in the Tatar folk dance, as well as lingering sad songs, eloquently speak of the modest reclusive life of Muslim girls.

The most common instruments of Tatar musical folklore are the accordion-talyanka, kurai (like a flute), kubyz (violin), surnay (oriental musical instrument).

Sacred music was a part of musical culture. Islam as the official religion influenced not only culture in general, but also the development of musical art. There is no direct prohibition of music in the Koran, therefore it is present in the Muslim cult, helping believers to comprehend the content of this holy book, which was read in a singsong voice. The tunes of the recitations of suras (parts of the Koran) were orally passed down from generation to generation within the walls of religious educational institutions.

The formation of professional Tatar music and the school of composers takes place by the middle of our century. It was then that such names as S. Saidashev, N. Zhiganov, M. Muzafarov, D. Fayzi and others appeared. They managed to create a new original style that creatively combines folk traditions with the forms and genres of European professional music.

The Republic of Tatarstan has the richest historical and cultural heritage. The combination of at least four types of cultural mutual influences (Turkic, Finno-Ugric, Bulgarian and Slavic-Russian), as well as two religions (Islam and Christianity), determines the uniqueness of these places, the originality of art, as well as cultural and historical values.

The art and cultural heritage of the people, like in a mirror, reflected the life and way of life of our ancestors, national characteristics, ideals of beauty and religion, changing socio-economic conditions and contacts with other peoples.

Speaking about the historical heritage and culture, it should be borne in mind that along with common cultural traditions, there are various ethnic groups of Tatars with their own characteristics. Kazan is the spiritual center of the main ethnic group of the Tatar people - the Kazan Tatars, who became the basis in the formation of the Tatar nation.

Historical aspects

The bright original art and culture of the Tatars inherits the traditions of the state of the Volga Bulgaria, the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate. The influence of Islam, adopted in 922, was also significant. The runic writing that existed among the people was replaced by Arabic, which gave impetus to the development of science, philosophy and literature. Islam created and strengthened the main traditions of the Tatar-Bulgarian culture. Muslim spiritual kinship allowed the Volga Bulgars to maintain trade and diplomatic relations with the vast world of Islam, opened the way to the east: to Holy Mecca, Egypt, Turkey, Iran. The images of pre-Islamic pagan mythology - the image of birds, animals and humans are replaced by floral, floral and geometric ornaments, which become dominant. At this time in Rus', biblical-Christian pictorial motifs were established in art, and in Bulgarian decorative art, as in the countries of the East, patterning and decorativeness became an aesthetic and artistic principle. The amazing works of the Bulgar masters have survived to our time - examples of jewelry, work on bronze, silver and gold.

A new stage in the development of culture and art is associated with the inclusion of Bulgaria into the Golden Horde in 1236, whose imperial culture was a symbiosis of Turkic, Mongolian and Central Asian cultural traditions with their characteristic splendor of ornament and richness of decor, using various precious metals, stones and gems. Of particular importance is the creation of items related to the decoration of a horse and the equipment of a warrior, the production of weapons and other artistic products inherent in the Turkic nomadic environment.

The town-planning traditions of the Volga Bulgaria continue to develop. Travelers and wealthy merchants, diplomats and politicians were struck by the beauty of the majestic khan's palaces, cathedral mosques with high minarets, mausoleums decorated with white and blue tiles covered with glass glaze and gold leaf. The city of Bulgar in the XII-XIV centuries was a huge urban complex for that time, from which even in 1722, the time of Peter the Great's visit, about 70 white-stone buildings were preserved. Then the king ordered by his decree to protect them as historical and architectural monuments. The area of ​​the second largest city in Bulgaria, Bilyar, reached 530 hectares (Kyiv at that time occupied 150, Paris - 439).

With the collapse of the Golden Horde, a number of independent Tatar states appeared: the Astrakhan, Kazan, Siberian and Kasimov khanates. The Kazan Khanate played a special role in the fate of the Tatar ethnos, since it was the Kazan Tatars that turned out to be the consolidating core in the process of the formation of the Tatar nation. The capital of the state continues to develop the best traditions of architecture and architecture. Many white-stone and brick structures are being built on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. Prince Andrei Kurbsky, one of the conquerors of Kazan, wrote: "On the mountain there is a fortress, a royal palace and high stone mosques, where their dead kings are laid." Ivan the Terrible was also surprised at the “extraordinary beauty of the castle’s fortress…” Characteristic for that time was the appearance of stone tomb steles with rich carved ornamentation, metal products and jewelry, in which there are features of the “oriental” baroque - a style common in the art of Azerbaijan and Asia.

In the second half of the 16th century, the Kazan Khanate joins the Russian state. The settlers who came to Kazan from Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov and other Russian cities bring some elements of Russian culture, which, in turn, did not remain free from the influence of the culture of the East. This was manifested in the partly changed architecture of churches (decorative techniques, oriental ornamental details), the appearance of lush oriental patterning, polychrome, which was not characteristic of Russian art, but which took root in it as a result of borrowing artistic samples of Tatar culture. The cathedral eight-minaret mosque Kul-Sharif, destroyed on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin in 1552, is a unique work of architecture. The ninth central dome of this temple, towering over the other eight, personified the victory of the cross over the crescent. The architecture of the temple has no analogues in the Russian architecture of that time, but it has much in common with the architecture of the East.

The architecture of one of the Orthodox churches in Kazan - the Peter and Paul Cathedral - also contains not only Russian and European, but also many oriental elements.

A striking example of the historical and cultural interaction between Russia and the Kazan Khanate are the famous “Kazan hat” and “Monomakh's hat” - two surviving crowns of Russian tsars. Both came to the Russian tsars from the Tatar khans and are classic examples of the Tatar arts and crafts, they are richly inlaid with precious stones and gems, decorated with elaborate floral patterns inherent in the Tatar folk ornament. The "Kazan hat", as well as the Khan's throne, brought from Kazan by Ivan the Terrible and called the throne of Boris Godunov, are currently stored in the funds of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.

The Tatar influence was no less noticeable in everyday culture. This refers to the Turkic names of items of Russian clothing. For example, old Russian shoes - chobots, shoes - were borrowed from the Tatars, like caftan, Cossacks, sash, sheepskin coat. Many words related to trade and household use have also passed: altyn, barn, arshin, bazaar, groceries, farce, profit, money, caravan and others. Many well-known names in Russia came from Tatar families: Aksakov, Derzhavin, Karamzin, Turgenev.

The Russians also got acquainted with some foundations of the state culture through the Tatars. The entire population was taken into account through the census. A harmonious system of taxes, duties and taxes was introduced.

By the 19th century, with the advent of manufactory production, decorative art was flourishing. It was then that classic samples of gold embroidery and tambour embroidery with rich ornaments, jewelry with elegant filigree, colorful women's headdresses kalfaki, decorative towels with the finest patterns were created. During this period, a classic Tatar costume was formed, a single national style was formed in the exterior and interior of the dwelling, in ritual and household items.

Today, the original traditions of Tatar folk art acquire a special artistic significance. Research work is being carried out with the organization of expeditions, thanks to which the museums of Kazan and other cities of the republic are replenished with products and exhibits of cultural and historical value. In the form of folk art crafts, there is the production of patterned mosaic shoes (Arsk association) and artistic weaving (Alekseevskaya factory). Professional artists create unique designs that are recognized at the world level (in 1994, at an exhibition in Pakistan, the Tatar artist I. Fazulzyanov received the first prize for a piece of jewelry - hasite). Studying the products of folk art, modern artists create jewelry in the technique of lumpy filigree, tablecloths and towels embroidered with tambour, leather inlaid shoes, national souvenirs and memorable gifts.

Turkic writing has ancient traditions. Already in the 5th-6th centuries, the common Turkic runic graphics were widely used. Samples of ancient Turkic writing are well preserved on stone steles of that time.

In the tenth century, along with Islam, Arabic writing penetrated the Volga Bulgaria. Literacy was taught in the mekteb (elementary school) and madrasah (secondary school). The adoption of the Arabic script contributed to the establishment of close cultural ties with the East, the development of literature and education. As the scientist G. Davletshin notes: “Islam, unlike paganism, was a religion with a developed written culture. Literature, in particular poetry, became a means of disseminating scientific and theological ideas. Often scientific and theological treatises were written in verse. The well-known “Poem about Yusuf” by the great 13th-century Bulgarian poet Kul Gali is also an example of a work that used material taken from the Koran. Recently this poem has been published in Kazan about 80 times. In 1983, by decision of UNESCO, the 800th anniversary of this major representative of oriental poetry was held.

The subsequent centuries of development of literature gave a number of outstanding names and works, such as Saif Sarai's Gulistan Bitturks, Mukhamedyar's Tuhva-i Mardan and Nury Sodur and many others. All these works testify to the high level of development of written literature and spiritual life in general, being the most valuable monuments of medieval oriental poetry and philosophy.

If in the first seven centuries of its existence, Tatar literature knew only the poetic genre, then since the 18th century, prose has also received great development. The 19th and early 20th centuries were marked by the appearance of a whole galaxy of outstanding writers, such as G. Tukay, K. Nasyiri, G. Kamal, M. Gafuri, G. Iskhaki, F. Amirkhan, G. Ibragimov and others.

The first book in the Tatar language was published in Leipzig (Germany) in 1612, and in Russia the first Tatar book edition appeared in 1722.

Until 1928, the Tatars used the Arabic script. In 1928-1938, writing was introduced based on the Latin alphabet, and since 1938 - on the basis of the Russian alphabet (Cyrillic). Russian graphics do not reflect the full diversity of the phonetics of the Tatar language, so at present there is a question of returning to the Latin script.

Tales, legends, baits (works of an epic nature), songs, riddles, proverbs and sayings are presented in the oral folk art of the Tatars. The epic about Idegei, which is available to many Turkic peoples, has been preserved. It was recently republished after being banned in 1944.

According to the latest population census in 2010, 143,803 Tatars live in the Sverdlovsk region, which is 2.7% of the total number of Tatars living in Russia.

On the territory of the Sverdlovsk region there are:

National-cultural autonomy of the Tatars of the Sverdlovsk region.
Deputy Chairman: Bakirova Saria Hamatkhanovna
620077 Yekaterinburg,
+7 343 377-64-09
fax +7 343 377-53-75
+7 343 377-53-76

Yekaterinburg city Tatar national-cultural autonomy.
Safiullina Eliza Alpautovna
620073 Yekaterinburg, st. Shvartsa, d.6, bldg. 2, apt. 40
st. March 8, 33 a, House of Peoples of the Urals
+7 343 239-69-52
+7 912 68-39-949
This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view.

Sverdlovsk Regional Tatar and Bashkir Society. M. Gafuri.
Nadyrov Sufhat Lutfullovich
620085 Yekaterinburg, st. Krestinsky, 23, apt. thirty
st. March 8, 33 a, House of Peoples of the Urals
+7 343 218-49-30
This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view. ">

Public organization "Local National-Cultural Autonomy of the Tatars of Yekaterinburg"

Chairman: Yakhin Vladislav Fidusovich

This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view.

Among the ancestors of the Tatars there were many artisans. Masters lived in almost every village. There were those whose products were worth their weight in gold. Such craftsmen were known far beyond the village.

Alas, the ancestors of the Tatars lost many types of crafts even before the 1917 revolution. By the beginning of the 20th century, they stopped weaving carpets and complex patterned fabrics, stone carving and some jewelry crafts disappeared. Only in some villages, masters continued to embroider with gold on headdresses - skullcaps and kalfaks, felt products from felt, and weave lace. Woodcarving, simple patterned weaving, embroidery, blackening on silver, and the manufacture of leather mosaic shoes lasted the longest.

Where did the artels work?

In the 1920s, Tatar craftsmen united in artels. According to them, one can trace the geography of the existence of folk crafts on the territory of the republic.

• Gold embroidery - Kazan.
• Leather mosaic - Kazan.
• Embroidery - Kazan, Kukmorsky district, Chistopol.
• Patterned shoes - Kazan, Arsky, Laishevsky, Pestrechinsky, Dubyazsky (now Vysokogorsky) regions.
• Weaving - Menzelinsk, Naberezhno-Chelninsky (Sarmanovsky), Alekseevsky, Laishevsky districts.
• Felt carpet weaving - Dubyazi (Vysokogorsky district).
• Woodcarving - Sabinsky, Mamadyshsky districts.
• Lace making - Rybnaya Sloboda.
• Jewelry craft - Kazan, Rybnaya Sloboda.
• Artistic metal - Arsk.
• Ceramics - Laishevsky district.

How looms were dispossessed

In the 1920s, Tatar artisans began to work in artels. It was then that our craftsmen became famous throughout the USSR, as well as in Europe and the world, because their products were exported. In those years, the works of Tatar craftsmen were exhibited in Paris, Monza-Milano, Leipzig, Riga, Prague, and Vienna.

At the All-Union Agricultural and Handicraft-Industrial Exhibition in Moscow in 1923, a whole pavilion of the Tatar Republic was dedicated to their work. Visitors saw tambour embroidery, headdresses embroidered with silver thread, jewelry, ceramic jugs, carved wooden dishes and caskets. And at the exhibition “The Art of the Peoples of the USSR”, the masters presented products in the technique of artistic weaving, gold embroidery, leather mosaics and others.

Everything changed by the early 1930s. Old-timers recalled that in the Tatar villages, which were famous for their artistic crafts, jewelers, weavers, and carpet weavers were considered kulaks. During dispossession, they burned looms and other ancient craft tools and implements. Someone continued to practice the craft secretly, but most preferred not to risk it.

However, in the 1980s, researchers noted that traditional folk art still survived as home crafts. With their own hands they did basically what was needed in everyday life - they wove rugs and rugs, weaved utensils from a wicker, hung carved platbands on the windows. But only single masters were engaged in tambour embroidery, carpet weaving, blackening on silver. But the techniques and patterns used by artisans have changed. What did the Tatar masters prefer in the old days?

Mortgage and warp weaving

On wooden looms, patterned fabrics were woven by hand from multi-colored linen, hemp and woolen threads. Since ancient times, the threads were dyed with vegetable, and later with aniline dyes. Tatar craftswomen used their weaving techniques, they knew how to correctly thread the threads into the loom so that even the most complex weaving pattern was formed. Wide white towels with red patterns were used for various ceremonies, for example, weddings or when meeting guests with bread and salt.

Samples of towels from the beginning of the 20th century from the funds of the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan Photo:

Hand carpet weaving

Probably, many have seen checkered paths in the villages. To make them, craftswomen spent months collecting scraps of fabric, sorting them by color and winding them into balls. In the old days, not only rugs were woven on hand looms, but also bright carpets. Ornaments were usually large, geometric in green-blue and golden-yellow tones. For contrast, the background of the carpet, most often, was dark. Usually several panels were woven, which were then connected and sheathed with a border. By the way, carpets and wall panels were also made from felt.

Woolen handmade carpet. Yelabuga, 1980s Photo:

Tambour embroidery

Embroidery is considered one of the oldest types of artistic creativity of the Tatars. It was decorated with household items, folk costumes. Tambour embroidery was named after the type of stitch used in it, similar to a chain with a simple anchor weave. The contours of the patterns were made with a tambour stitch and large elements - petals, leaves - were filled in. To speed up the process, the craftswomen used not an ordinary needle, but a hook.

Velvet pillow embroidered with chain stitch, 1960s Photo:

Golden sewing

Such embroidery adorned headdresses, dresses and camisoles, bedspreads and hasite - a chest band. Bouquets, golden feathers were embroidered on thin velvet, velor, and sometimes on silk and other fine fabrics, as well as on leather. They used not only metal gold and silver threads, but also a gimp - a thin wire twisted into a spiral. Over time, silver and gold threads were used less and less, usually they were coated copper threads.

Golden embroidery with a thread. Photo: AiF / Nail Nurgaleev

Bulgarian cross stitch

This type of embroidery is a later one, it was also widespread in the 20th century. The Bulgarian cross resembles ordinary cross-stitch, only the crosses are superimposed one on top of the other in such a way that an element is obtained that looks like an eight-pointed snowflake. Cross-stitch used to be embroidered, for example, wedding and other homespun shirts, towels, pillowcases, curtains, tablecloths.

Bobbin lace

The most famous lace makers lived in Rybnaya Sloboda and Pestretsy. Lacy napkins, paths, collars were still woven by serfs, their works were sold even abroad, calling them "Brussels" lace. There were also geometric patterns, floral ornaments, images of animals on the products. In Rybnaya Sloboda, lace products were bordered with a thick thread, which distinguished the products from the works of other masters. At the beginning of the 20th century, Tatar lace makers received a prestigious award at an exhibition in Chicago.

leather mosaic

This ancient craft of the Tatars has received worldwide recognition. Tatar masters mainly made patterned boots - ichigi from multi-colored pieces of leather, collected in a floral, floral ornament. They say that even Torzhok gold-embroiderers, trying to keep up with the Tatar craftsmen, began to decorate shoes with gold embroidery. Later they began to make shoes, pillows, pouches and other products using the technique of leather mosaic. This industry is still alive today.

Ichigi. Photo: AiF / Maria Zvereva

Ceramics

It was common among the Kazan Tatars until the 16th century, and was revived only in the middle of the 20th century. In the old days, craftsmen made not only dishes for everyday use - jugs, dishes, and more, but also glazed facing tiles with geometric and floral patterns and decorative bricks with bows, which were used for decoration in construction. For beauty, the jugs were covered with white, red or gray clay, stripes were applied, with the help of which a pattern was created. Each master branded his work, by this sign one could recognize the hand of the craftsman.

Glazed earthenware, 1960s Photo:

Artistic metal processing

From copper, bronze, silver, the ancestors of the Tatars made household utensils, decorations for clothes, weapons, horse harness. Various techniques were used - casting, chasing, embossing, stamping, metal engraving. From the 16th century, craftsmen switched to making various vessels, trays, and forged chests. Coppersmiths, as the masters of artistic metal processing were called, were in every Tatar village. Most of them minted kumgans - a jug with a narrow neck, a spout, a handle and a lid. The spouts of kumgans were made, for example, in the form of heads of animals and birds.

Engraved copper tray and bowl, 1980s Photo:

jewelry craft

The ancestors of the Tatars perfectly mastered the techniques of blackening, casting, engraving, chasing, stamping, inlaying with gems, engraving on gems, cutting precious stones. The finest work went to the filigree makers. They made decorations, for example, in the technique of tuberculate filigree - when gold and silver wires ended in several curls combined into a cone. Kazan was the center for the production of such complex jewelry. They made bracelets blackened with silver, laced hair ornaments - chulpas, which were woven into braids. In each product, the hand of the master was so noticeable that the jewelers did not even put their mark, they say, so everyone will know. Ancient rings, rings, earrings in Tatar families are kept as relics. In the Kryashen villages, women's breastplates made of minted coins and plaques have been preserved.

Women's breast jewelry with filigree. Photo: AIF-Kazan / Ruslan Ishmukhametov

Carving and painting on wood

Craftsmen made household utensils from wood - chests, dishes, spinning wheels, horse arches, carts. Used oak, birch, maple, linden, aspen, pine. These products were characterized by elegant carved ornaments and bright color painting. At the beginning of the 20th century, many craftsmen traded with painted wooden spoons with floral patterns. In the Soviet years, such a thing as "Tatar Khokhloma" appeared. Souvenir products under Khokhloma were produced in workshops at timber industry enterprises. In fact, the ancestors of the Tatars did not use the black background characteristic of Khokhloma in painting on wood. Black color was rarely used in painting on wood, only to separate elements. More often they took bright red, orange, gold paints.

Woodcarving. Photo: AIF-Kazan / Ruslan Ishmukhametov

In May 2010 Tatarstan will celebrate its anniversary. For 90 years now, the people of our republic have been worthily creating the history of their native land and keeping the traditions of their fathers. In the last decade, special attention has been paid to the revival of folk crafts.

In Kazan every year more and more masters and lovers of embroidery, beadwork, leatherwork are revealed. For their unification and legal support, the Chamber of Crafts of the Republic of Tatarstan was established in 2002. The initiator of its creation and director, Nuri Mustafayev, shares his memories.

In 1998, as Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Tatarstan and director of the department of small and medium-sized businesses, I noticed that some business representatives were engaged in the production of souvenirs. Factories and combines that previously produced products of traditional crafts went bankrupt in the 1990s. Purchasing power has declined, markets have been destroyed, state support has been lost. However, enthusiasts remained. Then the working group and I turned to the government of the Republic of Tatarstan with a request to establish an Artistic Council and prepare a program for state support of folk crafts and crafts. The government has come to meet us. The Artistic Council included Zilya Valeeva, Guzel Suleymanova, leading experts from the Ministry of Culture and Museums. We developed the program jointly, it was adopted on December 30, 1999. It provided for the creation of an infrastructure for state support of folk crafts. After all, the artist had nowhere to turn to present his product for examination, get advice, enlist the support of the state, at least in the form of material assistance to pay for exhibition events. The Chamber of Crafts is one of the steps in the implementation of this program.

- Nuri Amdievich, how did you look for masters?

For manufactured products, for publications in the media, they urged them to contact the Department of Entrepreneurship Support. Initially, the Chamber consisted of 43 people. To date, there are 380 members-craftsmen, artists, artisans of various directions. They made their works using Tatar and Russian traditional ornaments, forms that clearly testify: this is a product of the Republic of Tatarstan, it was made by our people.

The first serious step was the publication of the book "Tatar Folk Ornament". The book has become a base for many masters, it represents the history of the Tatar folk ornament from archaic times to the present day. Then a catalog was published with photographs of the first masters, their names. There are about 22 people in total: tanners, jewelers, wicker makers, etc. Two years later, the newly published catalog already spoke about 180 masters.

- At what exhibitions did you have a chance to show our Tatarstan products?

In 2002, our exposition first went to France, to Dijon. This exhibition was a discovery not so much for us as for the French. They saw that in Russia there are not only nesting dolls, balalaikas, trays and samovars. Russia is also rich in alternative crafts! We presented an oriental ornament. The people poured into the "Days of Tatarstan". I remember it now: I was standing on the stage and I saw how the policeman lowered the barrier and said: there are no seats! And standing! Then exhibitions became regular: Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Spain. Masters used to make products right at the exhibition. Embroidered with gold, knitted. It was difficult for our interpreter to run 30 meters there, 30 meters back. We aroused keen interest. Suffice it to say that after three or four days we saw our skullcaps in cafes, at discos among young people! By the way, in December last year we were awarded an international prize for improving business and service in the nomination "Populists".

- What other activities are planned to spread culture among the masses?

After the formation of the Chamber of Crafts, the State Center for Folk Artistic Crafts was established. In the summer it is planned to travel to places of compact residence of Tatars: Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Tobol, the cities of the Volga region and Central Russia. On April 1, the School of Crafts opened. And the Chamber of Crafts makes films about crafts.

BEADING IN THE TATAR TRADITIONS

Lomonosov brought beads to Russia from Egypt. The technique of weaving jewelry was strictly kept secret by every girl. Later, beadwork took root among the Tatars, initially not being their folk craft. Gradually, it absorbed the Tatar traditions. In Tatarstan, beaded jewelry bears traces of both Orthodox and Muslim cultures at the same time. Beaded works of art today can be found at any Kazan fair dedicated to folk crafts. Over the past month, exhibitions have been held at the Art Gallery, the Center for Russian Folklore, and the National Exhibition Center.

Modern craftsmen say that the craze for beads in Kazan began 12 years ago. Hippie-style baubles came into fashion. For many lovers of weaving from beads, it all started with them. Threads were more accessible than beads. Then there was no literature, no good beads. Czech beads are considered the best, now they are freely sold in special stores. Beads from Taiwan are also in demand.

Inna Chernyaeva - master of the Republic of Tatarstan in beading, member of the Chamber of Crafts. She herself comes from Ryazan, has been living in Kazan for about nine years. Her works, among others, represented Tatarstan at international events. Inna's main job is a teacher at the Azino Children's Art Center. In addition, she conducts master classes for adults.

Inna breaks stereotypes that bead weaving is the occupation of elementary school girls and pensioners. She is a young woman who wants to open her own bead shop in the spring. Inna Chernyaeva does not include Russian or Tatar ornaments in her works. Her main focus is jewelry. She spoke about the Tatar traditions in beadwork as an observer.

There are products among my works, which in Tatarstan are traditionally considered their own. Although, to be honest, I spied them on the Irish. Tatarstan residents also define works with malazite and green beads as their own. In our republic, Tatars love jewelry that covers the neck and chest. Leaving for Moscow on Sabantuy, I noticed that there representatives of the Tatar diaspora prefer long beads.

- How do our masters stand out at traveling exhibitions?

Our masters are very original. They wear national costumes. In addition, the vast majority of them do not go as far as to bring products made in China to the exhibition. Our artists do everything with their own hands. Kazan line can be traced in all products. For example, the jeweler Irina Vasilyeva exports only what the Kazan Tatars wore. And, of course, Tatarstan products have richer patterns and bright colors.

There are several schools of bead weaving: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Western... If there were a Kazan school, what would be its distinguishing feature?

First, embroidery (including beads) on velvet in traditional colors: blue, burgundy, green. Secondly, jewelry covering the chest and neck.

The soul of the people lives in dances, songs and, undoubtedly, in works of art made by one's own hands. National culture is alive as long as it is passed from mouth to mouth, from hand to hand, from generation to generation.

I am glad that in Tatarstan they do not forget about maintaining the spiritual and cultural heritage. We are stepping over the ninety-year milestone without losing our originality, our face.

MARIA MAKSIMOVA, IT

FOLK ART AND ART CRAFTS OF THE PRIKAMIE TATARS.
In the south districts of Perm. region - Bardymsky, Kungursky, Osinsky, Ordinsky, Oktyabrsky - a large group of so-called. Bartymsky or Gaininsky Tatars, leading their origin from the Kazan Tatars, who settled here to the end. 16th century
Nars were developed in the Tatar villages. crafts and crafts: weaving and embroidery, making headdresses and shoes, wood carving and pottery, jewelry craft.
One of the most common types of home craft among the Tatars from time immemorial was weaving. Women wove tablecloths, curtains, towels (tastomals) with ornamented ends. On a red-brown background, pairs of large stepped rosettes were woven using the flooring technique. Bright patterned and striped rugs were woven using the traditional embedding technique. The traditions of weaving festive tastomals and rugs have been preserved to this day.
Embroidery occupied a significant place in the needlework of Tatar women. They embroidered mainly household items: towels, tablecloths, bedspreads, special rugs (namazlyk) curtains, wedding shoes. They embroidered most often with chain stitch, less often with satin stitch. Currently, of all types of bunks. the art of embroidery is the most developed. In everyday life of Tatar families - embroidered pillowcases, curtains, valances, napkins, etc. The most common technique is satin stitch, floral ornament is popular.
Women were engaged in embroidery with gold and silver thread, thread, pearls and beads, which were used to embroider women's hats (kalfak, skullcap, scarves, tastar), velvet shoes (shoe), men's skullcaps (kelepush), etc.
Traditional for the Tatar masters was the manufacture of the so-called. Asian shoes. Men's and women's ichegs were sewn from pieces of multicolored thin leather (morocco), the seams of which were embroidered with silk. Characteristic skin colors for Ichegs are yellow, dark red, green, blue, blue. The manufacture of patterned felt boots with an ornamented top was popular.
Tatar craftsmen were engaged in jewelry craft, creating jewelry that was the details of a dress or headgear (buttons, clasps) and jewelry for an independent purpose (bracelets, braids). Tatar jewelry was made of metal, precious stones and fabric. Most often used silver, owned the technique of gilding. Jewelry was made using the technique of casting, embossing, and filigree was widely used. The masters decorated the works with engraving, inlay, and notch. Most often, a floral ornament was applied, less often - a geometric one. The ornament of Tatar jewelry was archaic, fixed for centuries, the motifs and details of the ornament were passed from one master to another. A significant place in the decoration of the costume was occupied by coins, which were used as pendants or sewn to jewelry.

Traditional crafts of all peoples were passed down from generation to generation. There were many artisans among the Tatars, almost every village had its own masters. Unfortunately, many types of crafts were lost forever: we stopped weaving carpets and complex patterned fabrics, stone carving and some jewelry crafts disappeared. But there are craftsmen who continue to embroider with gold on headdresses - skullcaps and kalfaks, felt products from felt, weave lace, cut wood, embroider and weave, are engaged in jewelry work, including blackening on silver, and make leather mosaic shoes. Crafts such as gold embroidery, leather mosaic, national embroidery, patterned footwear, weaving, felt carpet weaving, wood carving, lace weaving, jewelry, and ceramics have been preserved.

Tatar masters on wooden looms manually wove patterned fabrics from multi-colored linen, hemp and woolen threads. Each craftswoman had her own weaving techniques, each needlewoman knew how to correctly thread the threads into the loom to get a complex pattern. On manual looms, craftswomen wove not only fabrics, but also rugs and bright carpets. On the carpets, the ornaments were usually large, geometric in green-blue and golden-yellow tones. For contrast, the background of the carpet, most often, tried to make it dark. Usually several panels were woven, which were then connected and sheathed with a border. Carpets and wall panels were also made from felt.

Embroidery is considered one of the most ancient types of needlework of the Tatars. She decorated household items and clothes. Headdresses, dresses and camisoles, bedspreads and hasite (chest strap) were decorated with gold embroidery. When sewing, not only metal gold and silver threads were used, but also a gimp - a thin wire twisted into a spiral. Over time, silver and gold threads became less common, and coated copper threads were used for embroidery.

Lace weaving was widespread. Lace napkins, paths, collars were made.

One of the ancient Tatar crafts, which has received worldwide recognition, is a leather mosaic. Basically, craftsmen made patterned boots (ichigi) from multi-colored pieces of leather, collected in a floral or floral ornament. Later they began to make shoes, pillows, pouches and other products using the technique of leather mosaic.

The Tatars also developed ceramic craft. Craftsmen made dishes for everyday use, as well as glazed facing tiles with geometric and floral patterns and decorative bricks, which were used for decoration in construction. The dishes were usually covered with white, red or gray clay, applied with stripes, with the help of which a pattern was created. Each master branded his work, by this sign one could recognize the hand of the craftsman.

Tatar masters are also famous for artistic metalworking. From copper, bronze, silver they made household utensils, decorations for clothes, weapons, horse harness. The craftsmen used different techniques: casting, chasing, embossing, stamping, metal engraving.

Jewelry craft was also well developed among the Tatar artisans. Many masters perfectly mastered the techniques of blackening, casting, engraving, chasing, stamping, inlaying with gems, engraving on gems, and cutting precious stones.

Tatar craftsmen did not disregard such material as wood. Therefore, wood carving was developed. Craftsmen made household utensils from wood: chests, dishes, spinning wheels, horse arcs, carts. These products were characterized by elegant carved ornaments and bright color painting.