Bandolier of a Caucasian. Why are gazyrs needed: the history of national costume
Cherkeska - men's outerwear Caucasian peoples. It is believed that the cut of it was entirely taken by the Cossacks from them. And it came to them from the Khazars. And the first image of the Circassian coat (or its prototype) is displayed on Khazar silver dishes. It is believed that modern name it was given to her by the Russians, who first saw her in the Circassians.
Kaftan with gazirs
It fits tightly around the upper part of the body, has no collar, and from the waist to the bottom the silhouette gradually expanded due to the side wedges cut off at the waist - this is what the Circassian coat looked like in the second half of the 19th century. It has retained essentially the same appearance today.
If not for one detail, it would seem that this is an ordinary swing caftan made of cloth. And this detail is gazyrs sewn on the chest - special pockets for pencil cases, usually made of bone, intercepted with braid. Their name comes from the Arabic word “ready”, which is quite consistent with the purpose. The pencil case contained a measure of gunpowder and a bullet wrapped in a rag, cast for a specific gun. These pencil cases made it possible to load a flintlock or matchlock gun while galloping. Dry wood chips for kindling were stored in the outer pencil cases, located almost under the armpits. After the advent of guns that ignited a charge of gunpowder with a primer, the primers were already stored there. In our time, gazyrs have lost their true purpose and have become simply a characteristic decoration of a costume. If it weren’t for the Gazyrs, the Circassian coat would probably have remained a caftan forever.
However, the outfit of Caucasians of earlier times was very different from that described. The question even arises: can those ancient mountain clothes that literally look like a “bag” with a length of up to half the thigh be called Circassian? And what are these long narrow sleeves with triangular protrusions covering the back of the arm? Or flap sleeves that are not sewn from armpit to elbow? Stand-up collar and chest ties? It seems that this cannot have anything in common with the modern look of the Circassian coat. However, it is these models that are considered its ancestors. Unfortunately, as Science magazine reported back in 1989, practically no images of them have survived. But there are some descriptions.
Caucasian studies specialist Leonid Petrovich Semenov in one of the above-ground crypts discovered men's outerwear made of silk or woolen fabric, which he calls a robe and dates back to the 16th-18th centuries. The Grozny Museum houses a man's robe from around the same time. It is made of imported Asian striped silk fabric, lined with white canvas, the “robe” has a Circassian cut, but with a wider (albeit with undercuts at the waist) back. Sewn-in short sleeves (27 cm), belt made of the same fabric. It is unclear whether this clothing was outerwear or underwear. However, Semenov speaks of silk robes, long, below the knees and with long sleeves, as outerwear, under which a shorter quilted one was worn. He does not give an exact dating, but notes “later burials with woolen Circassians and Gazyrs,” dating them to the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century century.
Some idea of evolution is also given by the works made by the artist Grigory Grigorievich Gagarin. Together with Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov in 1840, he went to the Caucasus, where he took part in hostilities (he was even awarded an order for bravery in battle) and painted many portraits, landscapes, military scenes, and sketches of ancient monuments.
Looking at these works, you are surprised by the variety of styles and colors of Circassian dresses - the Kabardian has it orange, the Circassian has it gray, knee-length and with bright green gazyrs, the Natukhai has the bottom of the dress as if “torn by dogs”, and the Azerbaijani has the sleeves cut to shoulders and hang along the body. In the drawing by Jan Pototsky, the Ossetian is depicted in a short Circassian coat without a cutout on the chest, its sides are tied with three pairs of ties. We see an Ingush wearing a Circassian coat with a stand-up collar. In the album published in Paris in 1813, Chechens are depicted in short, knee-length Circassian shorts with narrow sleeves, and some in a fur coat, with a gazyrnitsa hanging on a belt (it was not immediately that the gazyrs were placed on the chest). But all these images are from the 19th century, and in the clothes one can easily notice the familiar features of the modern Circassian woman.
Innovations are a complete protest
In 1861, the Circassian coat was approved as a regimental uniform for the Caucasian Cossacks, its name was introduced into the Cossack language drill regulations. This official name strengthened the authority of this clothing among the mountaineers themselves.
Circassian coats were summer and winter, quilted and fur-lined. Short and long. IN different time– blue, green, brown, light gray and black. Repeatedly the highest orders were given to approve this or that color and style. And they also canceled it... The Cossacks had a hard time accepting any regulation. And if it still had no practical meaning, and even more so introduced waste, then they completely protested the innovations. Here the free spirit came out.
However, the evolution of the Circassian dog took its course. And after Russo-Japanese War, despite the commission’s conclusions about the need to abolish it as a form, the Terek Cossacks could not imagine themselves without the Circassian coat. It has become truly folk clothing.
Tsar Nicholas II understood that the Circassian coat was not just a uniform, it was a philosophy, a way of life. He stood up for the Circassian woman. The Emperor loved it, knew how to wear it, and often appeared in public wearing it alone and with Tsarevich Alexei. When he returned from the Caucasian front and visited Vladikavkaz and Ekaterinodar, the capitals of the Terek and Kuban armies, wanting to emphasize his favor towards the Cossacks, Nicholas II wore their military marching Circassian coat. By order of the sovereign, Circassian coats made of black cloth were restored in these troops.
The First World War forced a rush to introduce protective clothing into combat units. By order of the military department of October 18, 1915, the quartermasters were ordered “to the Caucasian Cossack troops to issue protective cloth for Circassians”, for beshmets - protective moleskin or thin woolen fabrics of protective or gray, “let go of the gymnasts infantry model", gray infantry hats. Thus, uniforms were simplified.
However, in the villages the Circassian coat, like folk clothing, continued to maintain its authority until the beginning of repression.
The Cossacks' attitude towards weapons and uniforms has always been especially respectful. The Cossacks religiously observed the commandment “Like the uniform, like the soldier.” We see well-groomed appearance, dashing appearance, daring and natural relaxedness in wearing a Circassian coat in every old photo.
“I really love the Cossack uniform and I keep looking closely at who and how the Circassian coat is sitting, so that I can dress accordingly,” said Baron Wrangel. - I still understand very little about Circassian - I tried to find out about this wisdom from the natural Caucasian Cossack Podesaul F.I. Eliseeva".
The design (style) of the Circassian coat reached perfection by 1913. In all the images of this time, one can only see the difference in the level of qualifications of the village and capital tailors, in their taste and in the material wealth of the Cossacks. The appearance of the Circassian coat also depended on fashion trends, on the import of this or that cloth into the village. But one thing was invariably observed: it was sewn to fit the figure in such a way as to emphasize the Cossack's appearance and not degrade its functional qualities.
Wherever the Circassian was born, it appealed to the taste of the mountain peoples of the Caucasus, and then the Cossacks from Khopr, Don, Kuban, Terek, linear and Black Sea modified it to their liking. The design combines practicality, simplicity, elegance and, of course, chic. The Cossack cannot live without him!
Special cut
The Circassian coat was sewn from various cloth or thick woolen suiting fabric. One-piece back with a wedge at the back and two front one-piece shelves. Plus four wedges from the waist. There are seven wedges in total. Above the waist - well-fitted, with a beautiful cutout on the chest, often in the form of a semi-ellipse pointed towards the bottom (tailcoat neckline).
This cut was much more common than the wedge cut. Its depth, as a rule, was 35 cm, and the width in the middle was 17-18 cm. The bottom did not reach the waist by 22-24 cm. From this deep neckline one could see a beshmet - an undershirt. The top of the neckline on the shoulders fit tightly to his stand-up collar, encircling it in a semicircle and rising 1-2 cm.
This appearance not only made the Cossack feel more dashing, but also allowed him to cool down faster after exercise. If necessary, the neckline was securely covered with long blades of the bashlyk, crossed over the chest and tied at the back or around the neck.
In one of the old photographs I saw a Circassian woman with her chest covered. Her stand-up collar is trimmed with a fur strip that continues down the center of the chest to the waist. There is also fur trim on the sleeves. This option first appeared in the cadet hundred of the Nikolaev Cavalry School. It was brought to the Caucasus by the former cadet of the school, Terek Cossack Bekir Turshiev.
The sleeve of the Circassian coat is set-in, single-seam, length to the middle thumb, without cuffs. It was cut with a small head, it could also be wide, straight, about 25 cm or more near the wrist, if a warm quilted beshmet was worn under the bottom. The sleeve had a bright lining, since its lapel was a kind of decoration of the costume.
It was sewn at right angles. This cut was very comfortable, because when you raise your arm to shoulder level, the sleeve does not pull on the skirts of the Circassian coat and does not impede movement.
The narrower the sleeve is at the shoulder, the freer the movement of the arm - this truth is irrefutable. But direct attachment of the sleeve to the Circassian hat inevitably leads to the formation of folds at the shoulder when the arm is lowered. And they put up with it - convenience trumps folds. The capital's tailors sewed a wedge on the front flange, and it went into the sleeve. It's more difficult, but it's more comfortable for the shoulder.
The waist-length floors were fastened end-to-end with deep-set metal hooks and loops (usually seven of them), from the chest to the waist. The left floor of the Circassian coat has a hem of 7 cm or more, both one-piece and sewn on. The floors were fastened so tightly that neither the hooks nor the lining were visible. Brass hooks were preferable; they did not rust. Below the waist, the floors overlapped, preventing prying eyes from seeing the pants and beshmet, maintaining a single image of the costume.
The required size of the wedges ensured an unhindered fit into the saddle. This was also facilitated by the smell from right to left, since the Cossack mounted his horse from the left. Left leg inserted it into the stirrup, and threw the right one into the saddle, grabbing the upper right half. When mounted on a horse, the Circassian horse reliably covered and protected from precipitation very expensive thing- Cossack saddle. In the rain, the water did not get into the boots and partially covered the fighting friend - the horse.
In the saddle, in good weather, the skirts of the Circassian coat were tucked into the back of the belt. Otherwise, both the Cossack and the horse will have a bath! Almost on the sides, slightly shifted back, between the front and rear wedges at the bottom of the Circassian coat, short (up to 18 cm) cuts were made so that the fabric would not break when the rider was in the saddle.
It was considered correct for the Circassian to wear like its own skin. This was possible if it was well sewn and fit like a glove. The best masters cut the Circassian coat “at one glance.” This skill was undoubtedly facilitated by a certain standard of cut, perfection born of time patterns and their repeated replication by a tailor for the Cossacks of the village, as well as the very slender figure of the Cossack himself.
And another important element is pockets. On modern Circassian coats they remain in demand today. Deep, up to 30 cm, pockets will securely hide your mobile phone and car keys.
By shape
Only two troops, Terek (blue) and Kuban (red), could wear a Circassian coat with a beshmet of the assigned color. The color of the Circassian coat, according to the orders of 1904 and 1905, for officers and Cossacks was black. As already mentioned, during the First World War it changed towards protective shades: it could be brown, brown-gray (tobacco color), blue-gray and even khaki. White Circassian coats were worn only out of formation by officers or old men; gazyrs could be black.
According to Circular of the General Staff No. 223 of 1896, the Circassian coat was supposed to have gazyrs made of silver (white metal). It was allowed to wear gazyrs made of other metals, white bone, with or without various engravings. Their number on one side of the chest reached 9, but only in odd numbers. Gazyrs were not trimmed with any braid. Galoon decorations were only in the form of clothing of the Emperor's Convoy. The Circassian coat did not have a cut at the back.
The modern uniform of the Terek Cossacks is regulated by the Decree of the President of Russia of February 9, 2010. It provides general subjects uniforms and their features for different troops. So, for example, for all Cossack generals and colonels, the hat should be made of black sheepskin with a top color established for a particular army, with lining above the band and along the seams with cross-shaped silver braid of special weaving, and for senior and main ranks - with lining only along seams.
The list of items related to the general uniform of the Cossacks consists of 34 items. Among them: a cap, a hood, a removable sheepskin collar, a woolen coat, an overcoat, a jacket, a uniform and a jacket in established colors, bloomers and trousers, a shirt, a tie, a muffler, boots, socks, gloves, a cape and a number of other useful things.
The same decree stipulates the specifics of the uniform for Terets and Kuban residents, who must wear “a woolen cap, a woolen Circassian coat, a woolen jacket, a demi-season jacket, woolen trousers, woolen trousers, woolen trousers with boots, a tie and muffler - black, a woolen beshmet, The insulated beshmet is red, the shirt is light blue.” And further: “The cap, the top of the hat, the band and piping on woolen caps, buttonholes and piping on woolen jackets, buttonholes on demi-season jackets, piping on woolen trousers, woolen trousers and woolen trousers in boots: for members of the Kuban Military Cossack Society - red ; for members of the Terek Military Cossack Society - light blue. The stripes and piping on woolen trousers, woolen trousers and woolen trousers in the boots of Cossack generals are in established colors.”
The Circassian coat still remains the main subject of the uniform of the Terek Cossacks - their philosophy and way of life.
To the question: What is this on the Cossacks’ uniform, on the chest, a cigarette case or bandolier, what is it for? given by the author Caucasian the best answer is gazyri (from the Circassian “khazyr” - “ready”), special pockets for pencil cases, often made of bone, intercepted with braid. The pencil case contained a measure of gunpowder and a bullet wrapped in a rag, cast for a specific gun.
Irina Kustova
Sage
(13040)
clear.. thanks for the clarification
Answer from Aiding[guru]
and then there were show-offs...
Answer from *M a r t* @@@Tonyan@@@[active]
for cartridges and cigarette case
Answer from Find out[guru]
Then, when all this appeared, there were no cigarettes or cartridges. Instead of cartridges there was a powder flask made of horn.
In short, it’s just a show-off piece of crap, maybe someone used it for cartridges or something else, but that was much later than its appearance!
Answer from Svetik[guru]
Gazyr (from the Turkic “ready”: Karachay-Balkar - khazyr, Turkish - hazır, Adyghe (Circassian) pronunciation - khazyr) - among the Caucasian peoples - a charger, a hermetically sealed cylindrical pencil case, a container for a pre-measured powder charge or paper cartridge. Gazyrs were worn either in a bag-gazyr, or, more often, attached in one row in chest pockets, acting as a bandoleer. Later this became decorative elements that are an integral part of the national clothing of the Caucasian peoples (XIX - early XX centuries). Gazyrs were usually made of bone, and front ones were made of silver.
They were borrowed by the Cossack units of the Russian army, along with the saber, burka, hat and other details of military culture from the peoples of the Caucasus in the process of conquering these territories. It cannot be said that the chargers were a Caucasian invention (both French musketeers and Moscow archers wore them suspended from a sling). Nevertheless, the chest gazyrs were perfectly adapted to the conditions of combat in the mountains in any weather, preventing the gunpowder from getting wet when the shooter was standing, lying down or on horseback.
Answer from Veteran of the Brownian movement[guru]
Gazyri.
Adopted from the Caucasians along with the Circassian.
In the days of muzzle-loading weapons, to speed up loading, they made cartridges: wooden tubes according to the caliber of the barrel, measured portions of gunpowder into them, hammered wads and a bullet. In battle, they used a ramrod to send it all down the barrel. European musketeers carried these cartridges on straps suspended from a sling over their shoulders - 12 pieces. It is more convenient in pockets and on the chest; in modern uniforms there are pockets here everywhere.
The Kakaz people made gazyrs from metal, ideally from silver. At the same time, they served as decoration and a sign of wealth - that is, military success.
All rights to this article belong to the author Zareta Yuryevna Gatsolaeva
Use of article materials, copying of the article is possible only with a direct link to the author.
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Article published:
Fashion and design: historical experience - new technologies. Proceedings of the 7th international scientific conference / Ed. Kalashnikova N.M. St. Petersburg: SPGUTD, 2004. P.12-18
How I loved my majestic Caucasus,
Your sons have warlike morals.1
Cherkessk and the entire complex accompanying it men's clothing, probably already well known to the reader, if not from scientific sources, then based on the works of art by the classics of Russian literature, who described the highlander costume to the general reader back in the 19th century. The first and earliest works devoted to the description of this costume are the works of European researchers who traveled around the Caucasus, in particular, this information is found in G. Interiano (15th century) and a number of other researchers. In general ethnographic sketches, the description of the costume is given briefly and not clearly. The authors, having in mind the Circassian complex, sometimes limit themselves to the concept of “common mountain costume” when describing the clothing of the peoples of the Caucasus. Important work The study of this costume was carried out by E. N. Studenetskaya. In her book “Clothing of the Peoples of the North Caucasus” she cites detailed description costume of the 18th - 20th centuries, characterizing its individual elements, gives their names among various ethnic groups. The mentioned sources examine the Circassian jacket from the point of view of its function; at the same time, in our opinion, the history of the emergence of this type of clothing is of significant interest. The history of a costume that united tribes of different origins and languages.
Answering the question about the original source, most authors name the center of distribution of the Circassian style and the entire complex of men’s clothing in Kabarda.2
Kabarda was and remains to this day a school for all mountaineers good manners and manners. And in old times, occupying a dominant position in the Caucasus, Kabarda had big influence on the life, customs, and morals of neighboring peoples. Almost all authors emphasized the role of Kabardians as trendsetters in the Caucasus. In addition, the most eloquent confirmation of the role of the Circassians as the primary source is the name itself - “Circassian”.
From the works of European researchers, we can see from the outside the “warlike people of the Circassians,” a single representative of which “can put 20 Tatars to flight, and a handful can put a whole crowd of Scythians to flight,” and at the same time learn that “there is no kinder people in the world than this or more hospitable than a host to foreigners.” We learn that they were mistaken for barbarians bringing human casualties and incorrigibly prone to robbery and robbery, and at the same time we get acquainted with the opinion that the orders that existed among this people led them “to development, moral and intellectual, significantly superior to what has been achieved by modern civilization...”3
The Circassian coat and the whole complex, like no other costume, are inextricably linked with the culture of the Circassians. The uniqueness of the complex is “the strict and modest color scheme, the same severity, clarity and dryness of lines, in cut and ornamentation, the exact localization of places of decoration in the costume - all this gives Kabardian clothing a completely unique look of grace,” notes E.N. Studenetskaya.4
The Adyghe costume consisted of underwear (pants and a shirt made of plain fabric), outer trousers, swinging shoulder clothing (beshmet) and the main element of the costume - a Circassian cap, which was worn on top.
Underwear was part of underwear only for the wealthy population. The trousers consisted of two legs tapering towards the bottom, between which a large diamond-shaped wedge was sewn. He made pants comfortable for riding, fast walking, and running. These pants are called “wide-leg pants.” They were worn while holding them.
The shirt had a tunic-like cut with a slit on the chest and a soft stand-up collar (2-3 cm), which was fastened with a button.
The upper trousers had the same appearance as the lower ones; they were tucked into leggings, tied under the knee with straps. Sometimes there were no leggings, and the trousers were tucked into leather stockings, over which they put on soft leather shoes with a seam. Dress shoes were made of red morocco, decorated with galloon and tightly fitted to the foot.
Beshmet was the basis of a men's suit. It was sewn to fit the figure at the waist. It had solid shoulders, a straight, smooth, solid back that fit tightly around the waist. Below the waist, the beshmet gradually expanded, which was achieved by sewing wedges on the sides and back (their number reached 7-8). The fronts of the beshmet in the middle part remained solid, this cut emphasized the slimness of the figure, which was emphasized Special attention. The length of the beshmet varied, on average 8-10 cm above the knee. (Long clothes were worn by old people and ministers of religion). The beshmet had a high (4-6 cm) quilted stand-up collar and a long straight slit in the front, which was fastened from collar to waist with small buttons and loops made of thin braid self made. The long sleeves, tapering at the hands, were also fastened with buttons and loops made of braid. The beshmet had sewn pockets on the chest, and on the sides, sewn-in side inner pockets below the waist (various options existed).
Circassian - cloth outerwear was sewn at the waist with a solid back, very narrow at the waist, solid fronts and inserted sides. She had no collar and left her chest exposed. Its length was below the knees from 10 to 20 cm. The Circassian coat was fastened at the waist with 3 to 5 ribbon buttons and loops, had no pockets, and its straight and wide sleeves went down significantly below the hands.
The Circassian coat was distinguished by its grace and peculiar elegance. It fully corresponded to the highlanders’ idea of the beauty of the male figure, emphasizing broad shoulders and a thin waist, revealing harmony, fit, dexterity and strength. Both the cattle breeder, the hunter, the warrior, and the rider felt equally comfortable in clothes that were precisely tailored to the figure and did not restrict movement. It was considered the main panache if the Circassian jacket was well sewn and fit like a glove (the best craftswomen cut the Circassian jacket “at one glance”). The Circassian coat was first sewn for a teenager at the age of 10-12.5 In the peasant environment, the Circassian coat was sewn “for growth.” The peasant's good-quality, but baggy Circassian coat served as an object of ridicule for the dandies - the nobles. It should be noted that in Kabarda there were 11 classes.6 However, clothing (Circassian) did not differ in design between them; position in society was indicated by the quality of the fabric, trim and color. J. A. Longvert writes: “The uniformity of their costume is striking, not only in general, but also in the smallest details and nuances, which, while giving them a resemblance as members of the same family, is at the same time an outward expression of the kinship of their feelings and customs, which in fact, they make them a single family..."7 As for the color of the Circassian, these were the natural colors of the coat: gray, brown, brown, black, beige, white. There was a ban on the white Circassian woman in Kabardian society. Only the upper classes could wear it. In general, such a restrained range and the predominance of dark tones in clothing can be considered characteristic feature color preferences of the Circassians. The very word “motley” in relation to clothing served more as a censure than as a praise.
An important factor shaping the Adyghe costume was the historical environment. The typical form of life for the Caucasian mountaineers was constant raids, guerrilla warfare, because throughout their history, they were forced to defend themselves from attacks on their lands by large neighboring states. Marching, combat life, frequent clashes with external and internal enemies forced the Circassian to always carry weapons with him.
Khan-Girey notes: “There is hardly a people in which every warrior would have as many weapons with him as a Circassian warrior has, he is covered from head to toe and hung with armor. But all this is so well arranged that not a single thing interferes with his agility and agility.”8 Naturally, this left its mark on the suit, militarizing it to one degree or another.
Gazyrnits are an integral part of the Circassian men's costume; they were pockets with small compartments into which round wooden or bone tubes were inserted - gasyrs with a measured measure of gunpowder for rapid loading of weapons. Among the richer Circassians, the caps from the gazyrs were attached to the shoulders with silver chains (F.D. de Monpere).9 Later, with the advent of a five-charge rifle of the 1891 model. They began to put cartridges into the gas cylinders. The number of gazyrs on one side of the Circassian varies from 8 to 10, the sizes of gazyrs and gazyrnits were different. In some cases, under the gas cylinders there were elongated internal pockets for testing with gunpowder (later watches were worn in them).
One more important element The suit had a belt that was used to tie the Circassian jacket tightly. Khan-Girey writes: “...a belt with silver under niello and gilded, more often iron buckles and buttons. At the belt is a silver, gilded and nielloed or steel grease pot and a steel screwdriver; in the first they carry fat for lubricating weapons, the second is used for unscrewing gun screws."10 Belts were made of various types, weapons were attached to them: a dagger with a dagger knife, a pistol, a saber, etc. The dagger, in general, can be considered among the outer clothing of the Circassians, " ...for they only take off the dagger when they take off their outer dress. The Circassian eats, drinks, talks, always plays with a dagger on his belt and sleeps with it under his head, therefore, he is always armed.”11 Only a boy or a very old man could walk without a dagger.
Khan-Girey also notes that in addition to all kinds of weapons, the Circassian warrior carried with him lassos, small shackles for prisoners, flint, wax candles, an awl, a supply of belts, a razor, etc. He also had with him ready-made funeral clothing - a kind of shroud. This proved that he was ready to die at any moment.
The Circassian is hung with weapons;
He is proud of him, comforted by him,
He is wearing armor, a arquebus, a quiver,
Kuban bow, dagger, lasso,
And a checker, an eternal friend
His works, his leisure.
Nothing bothers him
Nothing will blurt out: on foot, on horseback -
Still the same him, still the same appearance
Invincible adamant.12
These verses in to the fullest show the convenience and dexterity of Circassian weapons and clothing of men. This created a certain ideal of male beauty and prowess, and formed a general smart military style of men's clothing. The consequence was the transformation of weapons into an integral element of the Circassian men's costume, the weapon became its main and only decoration.
An important camping accessory and one of the oldest (according to Interiano)13 elements of costume was the burka, which was a cloak made of felted wool. One could say about a Kabardian that he carries his home on his shoulders. Laying one edge of the burka under him, he covered himself with the other hollow while sleeping; in the heat it protected from the scorching rays of the sun; at any moment a Circassian could build himself a shelter like a hut from a burka; in rain and snow, it covered not only the rider, but also the horse; and when it was not needed, the traveler carefully rolled it up and placed it behind the saddle. The burkas were mostly black, occasionally white ones were sewn to order for high nobility, which were valued much more expensive than black ones.
Hats various shapes, were made mainly from sheepskin, with lamb skin being the most valued. All hats were sewn on a thick quilted lining and could withstand strong saber blows.
A special type of headdress was a bashlyk - a hood in the form of an isosceles triangle with wide, long blades extending from both sides. The bashlyk was worn by any man setting off on horseback or in a cart.
Thus, the Adyghe costume turned out to be the most adapted to the life and activities of a highlander and was a stable complex of a Circassian coat, a beshmet, trousers, a belt, a burka, a bashlyk, a hat (papakha), leggings and soft shoes.
The sense of ensemble characteristic of Kabardians played a very important role here. Khan-Girey noted: “Circassian men’s clothing surpasses in beauty and comfort all the attire known to me, not only in Asia, but also in Europe, where enlightenment flourishes and where everything, it seems, should be better than among the half-wild, cramped people.” prejudices..."14
The Circassian complex of men's clothing became the standard of masculinity, personifying pride and nobility. It turned out to be so consistent with the ideal of men's clothing for the countries of the East that it began to spread intensively among the neighbors of the Kabardians and to end of the XVIII V. established itself among all the peoples of the Caucasus. This spread was facilitated by the dominant position of Kabarda in the North Caucasus. However, it is hardly possible to explain the spread of Circassian in the 19th century in Georgia, Azerbaijan and partly in Armenia by the same reason. Apparently, there was another reason here, namely, the correspondence of this type of clothing to the living conditions and ideals of the peoples of Transcaucasia. “Circassian clothing, currently adopted by all residents of the Caucasus, is light, elegant and the best way adapted for riding and military campaigns,” notes J.-Sh. Bess.15
The convenience of the Circassian coat and the entire men's costume in general is confirmed by the fact that the Terek, and after them the Kuban, Don and Tatar Cossacks adopted it completely. E. Veidenbaum wrote that “all the highlanders of the North Caucasus, and after them the Cossacks, borrowed from Kabarda the uniform of clothing, weapons, horse riding, etc. and closely monitor changes in the capricious Kabardian fashion.”16
Later, in the 40s of the 19th century, this costume was approved as the military uniform of all Cossack troops in the Caucasus. Such official recognition, so to speak, further strengthened the authority and increased the rating of this clothing.
It should be noted that when “conquering” the Caucasus and the Cossacks in the 19th century, the Circassian people began their movement into the depths of the Russian state much earlier.
According to historians, Russia and Kabarda were connected by the trade of merchants in Cafe and others shopping centers back in the 10th – 11th centuries. In the 16th century, as soon as Russia began to straighten its shoulders as a power, the Circassians turned to it, hoping for a close alliance and mutual assistance against Ottoman Empire and its vassal - the Crimean Khanate. In those days, the international position of the Circassians became increasingly aggravated. Turkey fought against Persia for the possession of Transcaucasia, and their armadas passed back and forth through the lands of the Circassians, causing devastation to them along the way; the Crimean raids on Russia were endless and North Caucasus. Under these conditions, relations between the Circassians and Russia developed quite quickly.
In July 1557, the Kabardian embassy, equipped by T. Idarov, arrived in Moscow to conduct negotiations, the result of which was a mutually beneficial military political union between the Russian state and Kabarda.17 In 1561, Ivan the Terrible married the daughter of T. Idarov, which further strengthened Russian-Kabardian relations. Kabarda retained all its local rights, remaining independent, and was bound to the Russian Tsar only by the obligation of military service.18
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Gazyr(from the Turkic "khazir" - "ready") - among the Caucasian peoples - a charger, a hermetically sealed cylindrical pencil case, a container for a pre-measured powder charge or a paper cartridge. Gazyrs were worn either in a bag-gazyr, or, more often, attached in one row in breast pockets, acting as a bandoleer. Later they became a decorative element, an integral part of the national clothing of the Caucasian peoples (XIX - early XX centuries). Gazyrs were usually made of bone, and front ones were made of silver.
They were borrowed by the Cossack units of the Russian army, along with the saber, burka, papakha and other details of military culture from the peoples of the Caucasus in the process of conquering these territories. Chest gazyrs were perfectly adapted to combat conditions in the mountains in any weather, preventing the gunpowder from getting wet when the shooter was standing, lying down or on horseback.
Among other things, fastening gazyrs on the chest was a semblance of chest armor in saber combat - their diagonal arrangement corresponded to the basic cutting techniques in Caucasian checkers.
- The last head of the White movement, Baron Wrangel, since September 1918, bore the nickname “Black Baron” for his traditional everyday dress - a black Cossack Circassian coat with gazyrs. During the Civil War, he preferred the Circassian to another military uniform clothes.
- White Cossack General Grigory Lukyanovich Charnota, a character in Mikhail Bulgakov’s play and the film “Running” based on it, assessed the sale of silver gazyrs from his Circassian coat for betting on cockroach races in Constantinople as the last degree of his fall.
- In the film comedy “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” one of the comic moments is based on the fact that the pseudo-horseman Balbes keeps cigarettes and a lighter in his gas bags, like a car cigarette lighter.
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Excerpt characterizing Gazyr
“La balance y est... [The balance is established...] A German is threshing a loaf of bread on the butt, comme dit le proverbe, [as the proverb says],” Shinshin said, shifting the amber to the other side of his mouth and winked at the count.The Count burst out laughing. Other guests, seeing that Shinshin was talking, came up to listen. Berg, not noticing either ridicule or indifference, continued to talk about how by transferring to the guard he had already won a rank in front of his comrades in the corps, how in wartime a company commander can be killed, and he, remaining senior in the company, can very easily be company commander, and how everyone in the regiment loves him, and how his daddy is pleased with him. Berg apparently enjoyed telling all this, and did not seem to suspect that other people might also have their own interests. But everything he told was so sweetly sedate, the naivety of his young egoism was so obvious that he disarmed his listeners.
- Well, father, you will be in action in both the infantry and the cavalry; “This is what I predict for you,” said Shinshin, patting him on the shoulder and lowering his legs from the ottoman.
Berg smiled happily. The Count, followed by the guests, went into the living room.
There was that time before a dinner party when the assembled guests do not begin a long conversation in anticipation of the call for appetizers, but at the same time consider it necessary to move and not remain silent in order to show that they are not at all impatient to sit down at the table. The owners glance at the door and occasionally glance at each other. From these glances, guests try to guess who or what else they are waiting for: an important relative who is late, or food that is not yet ripe.
Pierre arrived just before dinner and sat awkwardly in the middle of the living room on the first available chair, blocking everyone's path. The Countess wanted to force him to speak, but he naively looked through his glasses around him, as if looking for someone, and answered all the Countess’s questions in monosyllables. He was shy and alone did not notice it. Most of the guests, who knew his story with the bear, looked curiously at this big, fat and humble man, wondering how such a bumpkin and modest man could do such a thing to a policeman.
-Have you arrived recently? - the countess asked him.
“Oui, madame,” he answered, looking around.
-Have you seen my husband?
- Non, madame. [No, madam.] - He smiled completely inappropriately.
– You, it seems, were recently in Paris? I think it's very interesting.
- Very interesting..
The Countess exchanged glances with Anna Mikhailovna. Anna Mikhailovna realized that she was being asked to occupy this young man, and, sitting down next to him, began to talk about her father; but just like the countess, he answered her only in monosyllables. The guests were all busy with each other. Les Razoumovsky... ca a ete charmant... Vous etes bien bonne... La comtesse Apraksine... [The Razoumovskys... It was amazing... You are very kind... Countess Apraksina...] was heard from all sides. The Countess got up and went into the hall.
Image Caucasian warrior in the Circassian coat it is inextricably linked with the gazyrs located in the breast pockets. A simple imitation of gazyrs on a costume in an amateur theater is enough and the viewer understands who the person dressed up is portraying.
As a child, I had two popular versions of what it is in the photo. You guessed it, the first version is a cigarette/cigar (maybe just because of the theatrical costumes) and the second version is cartridges. Of course, one of the versions practically coincided with reality.
Let's find out more...
Photo 2.
The famous traveler Dubois de Montpereux describes the appearance of the Caucasian warrior as follows:
“On both sides of the chest there are two small pockets or, more often, two rows of small boxes or cartridge cases made of wood, reeds, bone or metal. For the richer people, the lids of bandoliers are attached to the shoulders with silver chains. On his shoulder, the Circassian carries a gun, enclosed in a black felt case, attached to the belt with two red leather rings. The Circassian has a dagger on his belt; In addition, he has attached there a cleaver-screwdriver, a leather pouch where tinder and gun flint are stored... a small box beautifully made of blackened silver with lard, which is used to rub the bullets so that they slide better in the barrel. In his hand the Circassian holds a small stand made of two wooden slats; The barrel of the gun is placed on this stand when firing.”
So, what are gazyrs and how did they appear on Circassian people? Gazyr - from Turkic. “gyazir” - “ready”. It is a hermetically sealed cylindrical pencil case, a container for a pre-measured powder charge or a paper cartridge. Gazyrs do not have to be carried in the breast pocket.
It is impossible to call gazyrs an invention of warriors from the Caucasus, because similar cartridge belts were used by musketeers in France and archers in Rus'. In the Russian military tradition, such a sling (belt) with pencil cases was called a berendeika.
Already in the 16th century, muzzle-loading guns appeared in Spain. The design features of the weapon were such that it was necessary to strictly monitor the amount of gunpowder, otherwise the gun could explode when fired. It was necessary to reload the gun, especially in battle, as quickly as possible. The appearance of special powder flasks, into which carefully measured gunpowder was poured. The need to accurately measure gunpowder led to the appearance of containers with pre-packaged charges, which made it possible to pour gunpowder into the barrel almost without looking. The introduction of special measuring cases into ammunition made handling weapons much easier and safer and was used in different countries. In Russia, such devices were called berendeikas.
The location of these pencil cases on the uniform is related to the specific use of the weapon. In most cases, they hung freely on ropes, allowing for quick handling: picked it up, opened the lid, poured it out, and released it. In turn, the ropes were attached to a shoulder strap - a sling. But the dangling charges on both sides are quite a hindrance in a dynamic battle.
In the Caucasus, in order to securely fix pencil cases-measures, special pockets on clothes were invented there. They were located in places free from constant movements hands during horse riding and saber cutting, that is, on the chest. The containers placed in these pockets were called gasyrs. Indeed, even for a modern foot warrior whose belt is occupied by auxiliary pouches, a chest bandoleer is a good solution.
Photo 7.
The custom of wearing a Circassian coat with gozyrs quickly spread to Russian soldiers. In particular, the Cossacks loved and mastered this attire.
WITH late XIX centuries, the need to constantly carry weapons with oneself gradually began to disappear. And the weapon has a different design. But over a long period of constant presence in Circassia, patronage with the Gazyrs acquired a certain symbolism. A real man always ready to protect an owl's home and family. Therefore, gazyrs became a decorative element, which is an integral part of the national clothing of the Caucasian peoples.
Photo 9.
All gazyrs are based on a tube made of reeds or wood. The tube is closed with a cap made of bone or metal. Later, on ceremonial Circassian coats they began to wear gazyrs with silver, decorated tips, with gold inlay or with niello.
Photo 10.
Nowadays, when gasyri are pure decorative element in Circassian, the tube itself is made of plastic or a wooden stick. But the tip, as in previous times, is given the main importance. The tips are made of silver, brass, cupronickel. They can be gilded, blackened, or inlaid with bone. Sometimes gazyrs are made from fabric. Most often on children's costumes.
Photo 11.
Photo 12.
Photo 13.
And here's how this is reflected in modern fashion.