Before the revolution of 1917, the name of the people common in the Russian environment was “Altai Tatars”, it was used along with the name “Altaians”.
Number
During the 2002 census, 67,239 people identified themselves as Altaians: in the Altai Republic - 62,192 people, in the Altai Territory - 1,880 people. The indigenous Turkic population of the Kemerovo region, which in Soviet time also counted as Altaians, now identifies itself as Teleuts and Shors. In 1989, 689 Altaians lived in Kazakhstan, and 191 Altaians lived in Uzbekistan.
Ethnic and ethnographic groups
There are two ethnographic groups of Altaians: Southern Altaians (Altai-Kizhi), speaking the Southern Altai language (called Oirot language until 1948) and Northern Altaians, speaking the Northern Altai language. Southern Altaians live in the Katun River basin and its tributaries. There are Teleuts, Telengits and Teleses, who according to the 2002 census were counted as separate peoples. Among the northern Altaians, the Kumandins (the middle reaches of the Biya River), the Chelkans (the Lebed River basin) and the Tubalars (the left bank of the Biya River and the northwestern coast of Lake Teletskoye) stand out, who were counted as separate peoples according to the 2002 census. In pre-revolutionary literature, the Northern Altaians are known as Chernev Tatars. The literary Altai language was formed on the basis of the Southern Altai language (in two variants - Altai proper and Teleut), and Tubalar is also being developed for the Northern Altaians.
Altaians (early 20th century)
Traditional clothing
In the clothes of the Altai people, along with general features, there were a number of regional differences. Among the southern Altaians, men's and women's clothing was characterized by a long shirt with wide sleeves and an open collar and wide trousers, which were usually made from purchased fabric, sometimes from leather. On top was put on a loose sheepskin coat down to the toes (fur inside) with a large smell on the right side - tone. The fur coat was belted with a wide piece of fabric and was worn not only in winter, but also in summer. Sometimes in the summer, instead of a fur coat, they wore a cloth or fabric robe similar in cut to it with a large turn-down collar made of colored fabric. Over a fur coat or robe, women wore a long, swinging sleeveless vest-chegedek, usually trimmed with bright fabric or braid. Shoes were high soft boots without heels. On the head they wore a soft cylindrical or round hat made of colored fabric, lined with black lamb fur, with a fur band.
Man in traditional clothes
The clothing of the northern Altaians differed in both material and cut. Northern Altaians knew weaving and knew how to make canvas from hemp and nettle threads. From it they sewed long canvas shirts and trousers, and put on a loose robe-like shirt on top. The collar, sleeves and hem of the shirt were decorated with colored threads. Women tied scarves around their heads. The commercial hunting costume differed from the everyday one: hunters wore a felt jacket and fur pants.
Woman in traditional clothes
At the beginning of the 20th century. Following Russian fabrics, individual elements of Russian peasant and urban clothing began to penetrate into the costume of the Altaians, and in areas of close proximity to Russians, the wealthy population began to completely adopt Russian peasant costume.
Traditional settlements and dwellings
Altai settlements were small scattered villages, in which there were several residential buildings located at a considerable distance from each other. Such villages were located, as a rule, in river valleys. Different dwellings were typical for different groups of the population. The type of housing depended on specific natural conditions, in which the group lived, its degree of settlement, the economic status of the family. The southern Altaians had a felt-lattice yurt and a tent-like dwelling, covered with strips of birch bark or larch bark - alanchik. Among the Chelkans and Tubalars, the dwelling - aylu (chailu) - was a square structure built from logs, boards and poles, placed almost vertically with a slight inclination inward. It was covered with bark. In the center of it, like in a yurt, there was an open fireplace, the smoke from which came out into the hole in the roof. There were also log polygonal yurts, covered with birch bark, bark or planks, which became widespread in the second half of the 19th century. Changes in the field of economy that occurred by the beginning of the 20th century affected the nature of settlements and dwellings. Log buildings became increasingly common. Dwellings appear similar to a Russian hut with a floor, windows and a stove; The local rich even had two-story log houses roofed with iron. Wealthy cattle owners began to build outbuildings outbuildings and premises for keeping livestock. Sometimes they were combined with residential buildings and thus an estate was created that was previously unknown to the Altai people.
Food
The most common and traditional food for the Altai people is meat and dairy food, which represented various stages of processing sour and curdled milk. Dairy foods were consumed with barley oatmeal (talkan) or cereals and roots of edible plants. The most common types of dairy foods were cheeses: sour - kurut and unleavened - pyshtak and fermented milk - chegen (ayran). Kumis was made from mare's milk. Meat was consumed mainly boiled; meat soups were prepared - kyocho from various cereals, mainly pearl barley. They ate the entrails of sheep and horses, from which they prepared various dishes that were eaten boiled - dergom, kazy, karta.
Social organization
Among the Altaians at the beginning of the 20th century. signs of class stratification were clearly defined. Formally, the land, pasture and hay lands were in the use of the neighboring community (ail, ulus), but ordinary community members, who had a small number of livestock, actually owned only a smaller and worse part of the ail land, since large and best part it was captured by large cattle owners, the patriarchal-feudal aristocracy (zaisans, bashlyks) and kulaks. Ordinary community members were assigned to certain zaisan families, who represented the community before the tsarist administration. Some of the community members did not have lambing or their own farms at all, but lived as house slaves (kuls) in rich families.
Cattle farming has given rise to a unique hidden form of exploitation of ordinary pastoralists by the rich. The owner of the lambing temporarily transferred his cattle to a poor shepherd, who, according to the terms of the transfer, could use the milk of the cattle transferred to him for a certain period of time, but had to graze, guard and return it to the owner with offspring. In addition, he was obliged to come to the haymaking when called by the owner and help with the household chores. This form of relationship among the Altaians was called polysh (help). IN late XIX V. among the Altai people a category of hired shepherds, day laborers, and farm laborers appeared. At the same time, there is an increase in the marketability of large-scale farming and the emergence of the first enterprises for processing agricultural products, which used hired labor.
Patriarchal-feudal and capitalist relations among the Altaians were combined with archaic tribal ties. All tribal and territorial groups were divided into clans - seoks (“bones”). Within the clan, kinship was traced along the paternal side, and the births were exogamous. The strongest ancestral ties were preserved among the northern Altaians, where there were remnants of ancestral ownership of hunting grounds. All groups of Altaians were characterized by ideas about tribal solidarity, mutual assistance, and certain remnants of tribal cults (cult of mountains, cult of fire). Remnants of tribal alienation include the form of marriage through the abduction of the bride with the subsequent payment of kalym by the groom’s relatives. In the event of the death of her husband, the woman remained in his clan and passed to one of his relatives. The family, with rare exceptions, was monogamous.
In many ways, they have been preserved by modern bearers of ethnic culture. They are inseparable from each other and are directly related to the spiritual culture and beliefs of people. Altai carefully preserves them, changing and improving them, nourishing the spiritual life of the peoples living here until the present day. All the peoples of the Altai Mountains have their own and unique ethnic culture, have a special view of the world, nature and their place in this world.
The spiritual culture of the Altai people, descendants of the ancient Turkic ethnic group, occupies a worthy and fundamental place among the traditional cultures represented in Altai. In the course of long historical development, it absorbed many of the spiritual and moral traditions of the peoples of Central Asia.
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The cult of Altai occupies one of the central places in the worldview of the Altai people.
According to this worldview, there is an eezi (master) of Altai. The Master of Altai is a deity who patronizes all those living in Altai. He lives on sacred mountain Uch-Sumer and has the image of an old man in white clothes. Seeing it in a dream is considered a harbinger of good luck for a person. During prayers one can know or feel his invisible presence. He has the right to give life on earth, preserving and developing it. Ask an Altai “Who is your god” and he will answer “Mening kudayim agashtash, ar-butken, Altai”, which means “My god is stone, tree, nature, Altai.” The veneration of the eezi of Altai is manifested through the ritual “kyira buular” - tying ribbons at passes, oboo and pronouncing good wishes (alkyshi) for one’s family, a safe road, protection from illnesses and misfortunes. Alkysh have protective and magical powers.
The territory of the Altai Mountains is replete with rivers, lakes, and springs. According to the traditional worldview, spirits live in mountains, water sources, valleys and forests. Perfume water sources, like mountains, can be deities of celestial origin. If special rules of behavior around these sources are not observed, they can pose a threat to human life. The water of Gorny Altai has truly healing properties cure many diseases. Mainly, healing springs – arzhans – are endowed with such properties. According to indigenous people, the water in such springs is sacred and can bestow immortality. You cannot go to the source without a guide who not only knows the way to it, but also has experience in healing practice. The timing of visiting Arzhan is important. According to the beliefs of the Altai people, mountain lakes are the favorite place of mountain spirits. People can rarely enter there, and therefore it is clean. 
Each clan has its own sacred mountain. The mountain is considered as a kind of repository of life substance, the sacred center of the clan. Women are forbidden to be near the revered ancestral mountains with their heads naked or barefoot, to climb it and to say its name out loud. It should be noted that women have a special status in Altai culture. According to ancient ideas, a woman is a precious vessel, thanks to which the family grows. This implies the extent of a man’s responsibility for a woman. A man is a hunter, a warrior, and a woman is a keeper of the hearth, a mother and a teacher. 
The manifestation of the sacredness of the surrounding world today can also be seen in relation to objects of the material world, in family and marriage rituals, ethics and morality of the Altai people. This served to create taboos in behavior, customs and traditions. Violation of such a prohibition brings punishment to a person. Feature traditional culture Altaians have a deep understanding of many phenomena. The housing space is also organized in accordance with the laws of space. The Altai ail is strictly divided into female (right) and male (left) halves. In accordance with this, certain rules have been established for receiving guests in the village. A certain place is occupied by a distinguished guest, women and youth. The center of the yurt is considered to be a hearth - a container for fire. Altai people treat fire with special respect and regularly “feed” it. They sprinkle milk and araka, throw in pieces of meat, fat, etc. It is completely unacceptable to step over the fire, throw garbage into it, or spit into the fire. 
The Altai people observe their own customs at the birth of a child, marriage, and others. The birth of a child is celebrated festively in the family. Large young animals are slaughtered cattle or sheep. The wedding ceremony takes place according to special canons. The newlyweds pour fat into the fire, throw in a pinch of tea and dedicate the first drops of araki to the fire. Above the village where the first wedding day on the groom’s side takes place, you can still see the branches of the iconic birch tree. The second day of the wedding is held on the bride's side, and is called Belkenchek - bride's day. Altaians perform two rituals at a wedding: traditional and official, secular. 
Altaians are very hospitable and welcoming
By tradition, rules of behavior in everyday life, receiving guests, and observing family relationships are passed down. For example, how to serve arrack in a bowl to a guest, smoking pipe. There is a custom to welcome a guest kindly, serve him milk or chegen (fermented milk), and invite him to tea. The father is considered the head of the family. Boys in an Altai family are always with their father. He teaches them how to care for livestock, do yard work, and teach them how to hunt, as well as the ability to cut up prey. Boy with early childhood the father gives his son a horse. The horse becomes not only a means of transportation, but a member of the family, an assistant in the household and a friend of the owner. In the old days, in Altai villages they asked, “Who saw the owner of this horse?” At the same time, only the color of the horse was called, and not the name of the owner. According to tradition, the youngest son must live with his parents and accompany them on their last journey. Girls learn to do housework, cook food from dairy products, sew, and knit. They comprehend the canons of ritual and ritual culture, the guardian and creator of the future family. The ethics of communication have also been developed over centuries. Children are taught to address everyone as “you.” This is due to the Altai belief that a person has two patron spirits: Heavenly Spirit, he is associated with Heaven, and the second is the spirit of the ancestor, associated with the Lower World. 
Legends and heroic tales were transmitted orally in the spiritual culture of the Altai by storytellers (kaichi). Epic legends are narrated in a special way, through throat singing (kai). The execution could take several days, which indicates the unusual power and abilities of the kaichi voice. Kai for the Altai people is a prayer, a sacred action. And the storytellers enjoy enormous authority. In Altai there is a tradition of kaichi competitions; they are also invited to various holidays and weddings. 
For the Altai people, Altai is alive, it feeds and clothes, gives life and happiness. It is an inexhaustible source of human well-being, it is the strength and beauty of the Earth. Modern residents of Altai have preserved a considerable part of the traditions of their ancestors. This concerns, first of all, rural residents. Many traditions are currently being revived.
Throat singing Kai
The song culture of the Altai people goes back to ancient times. The songs of the Altai people are tales about heroes and their exploits, stories telling about hunting and meetings with spirits. The longest kai can last several days. Singing can be accompanied by playing the topshur or yatakana - national musical instruments. Kai is considered a masculine art. 
Altai komus is a type of jew's harp, a reed musical instrument. Under different names A similar instrument is found among many peoples of the world. In Russia, this instrument is found in Yakutia and Tuva (khomus), Bashkiria (kubyz) and Altai (komus). When playing, the komus is pressed to the lips, and oral cavity serves as a resonator. Using a variety of breathing techniques and articulation, you can change the nature of the sound, creating magical melodies. The comus is considered a women's instrument.
Currently, komus is a popular Altai souvenir. 
From time immemorial, on passes and near springs, as a sign of worship to Altaidyn eezi - the owner of Altai, kyira (dyalama) - white ribbons - are tied. White ribbons fluttering on the trees and stones stacked in slides - oboo tash - always attracted the attention of guests. And if a guest wants to tie a ribbon to a tree or place stones on a pass, he must know why and how this is done.
The ritual of tying a kyir or dialam (depending on how the inhabitants of a particular area are used to calling them) is one of the most ancient rituals. Kyira (dyalama) is tied at passes, near springs, in places where archyn (juniper) grows.
There are certain rules that every kira (dyalama) tyer must follow. A person must be clean. This means that there should be no deceased among his relatives and family members during the year. The kyira (dyalama) can be tied in the same place once a year. The kyira ribbon should only be made of new fabric, 4-5 cm wide, 80 cm to 1 meter long and should be tied in pairs. The kyira is tied to a tree branch on the eastern side. The tree can be birch, larch, cedar. It is prohibited to tie it to a pine or spruce tree. 
They usually tie a white ribbon. But you can have blue, yellow, pink, green. At the same time, ribbons of all colors are tied at prayers. Each color of kyir has its own purpose. White color– the color of Arzhan Suu – healing springs, the color of white milk that nourished the human race. Yellow- symbol of the sun, moon. Pink color is a symbol of fire. Blue color is a symbol of the sky and stars. Green color– the color of nature, sacred plants archyn (juniper) and cedar.
A person mentally turns to nature, to the Burkans through alkyshi-good wishes and asks for peace, health, prosperity for his children, relatives and the people as a whole. On passes, mainly where there are no trees, you can put stones on the oboo tash as a sign of worship to Altai. A traveler passing through the pass asks the Master of Altai for a blessing and a happy journey. 
Preserved to this day in many areas of the Altai Mountains traditional ways farming and the basics of the way of life make Altai attractive from the point of view of cultural and ethnographic tourism. Living in close proximity to the territory of several ethnic groups with diverse and colorful cultures contributes to the formation of a rich mosaic of traditional cultural landscapes in Altai. 
This fact, along with the unique natural diversity and aesthetic appeal is the most important factor determining the attractiveness of Gorny Altai for tourists. Here you can still see in a “living environment” solid five-walled huts, polygonal ails and felt yurts, crane wells and chaka hitching posts.
The ethnographic direction of tourism becomes especially relevant in Lately, which is facilitated by the revival of traditions, including those associated with shamanistic customs and Burkhanist rituals. In 1988, the biennial theatrical and play festival “El-Oyyn” was established, attracting a huge number of participants and spectators from all over the republic and from beyond its borders, including from far abroad. 
If you are seriously interested in the traditions and culture of the Altai people, then you should definitely visit the village of Mendur-Sokkon, where the collector of Altai antiquities I. Shadoev lives, and there is a unique museum created by his hands.
Cuisine of the peoples of Altai
The main occupation of the population of Altai was cattle breeding. In the summer, people grazed their herds in the foothills and alpine meadows, and in the winter they went to the mountain valleys. Horse breeding was of primary importance. They also bred sheep, in smaller numbers cows, goats, yaks, poultry. Hunting was also an important industry. Therefore, it is not surprising that meat and milk occupy a preferred place in the national Altai cuisine. In addition to soup - kocho and boiled meat, Altaians make dorgom - sausage from lamb intestines, kerzech, kan (blood sausage) and other dishes.
Altai people cook from milk big variety dishes, including moonshine made from milk - araku. Sour cheese - kurut, is also made from milk and can be tasted among the Altai people.
Everyone knows about the favorite dish of the Altai people - tea with talkan. But how many people know that preparing talkan a real ritual and that it is prepared exactly as Herodotus described, on stone grain grinders.
You can make the sweet tok-chok from talkan with pine nuts and honey. Talkan, like semolina, gives weight to children, it makes them gain weight, but there are no problems with the child’s reluctance to eat it or diathesis. A child accustomed to a talkan never forgets it. In an Altai home, it is customary to first of all treat the guest to chegen, a drink like kefir.
And of course, anyone who has tried hot kaltyr (flatbread), teertpek (bread baked in ash) and boorsok (balls boiled in fat) will never forget their taste.
Altaians drink tea with salt and milk. Ulagan Altaians (Teleuts, Bayats) also add butter and talkan to their tea. 
Dairy dishes
Chegen
Old chegen - 100 g, milk - 1 liter.
Chegen is sour milk, fermented not from raw milk, but from boiled milk with sourdough - the previous chegen at the rate of 100 g per 1 liter of milk. The initial starter was sapwood (the outer part of the young willow grass), which was dried and allowed to stand in the smoke. Before fermenting, the old chegen is stirred well in a clean bowl, then warm boiled milk is poured in and stirred thoroughly. Prepare and store in a special container with a tight lid - a 30-40 liter barrel, it is thoroughly washed, poured with boiling water and fumigated for 2-2.5 hours. For fumigation, rot of healthy larch and bird cherry branches are used. To ripen, chegen is placed in a warm place for 8-10 hours to prevent peroxidation. Combine the milk, cream and starter, mix thoroughly for 5 minutes, and beat every 2-3 hours. Good chegen has a dense, grain-free consistency and a pleasant, refreshing taste. Chegen itself serves as a semi-finished product for aarcha and kurut.
Aarchi- good chegen, dense, homogeneous, not over-acidified, without grains, put on the fire, bring to a boil. Boil for 1.5-2 hours, cool and filter through a linen bag. The mass in the bag is placed under pressure. The result is a dense, tender mass.
Kurut— the aarchi is taken out of the bag, placed on the table, cut into layers with a thick thread and placed to dry on a special grill over the fire. After 3-4 hours the kurut is ready.
Byshtak— pour chegen into warm whole milk in a 1:2 ratio and bring to a boil. The mass is filtered through a gauze bag, placed under pressure, after 1-2 hours the byshtak is removed from the bag and cut into slices. The product is very nutritious, reminiscent of curd mass. It is especially tasty if you add honey and kaymak (sour cream).
Kaymak- Boil 1 liter of whole milk for 3-4 minutes and place in a cool place without shaking. After a day, skim off the foam and cream - kaymak. The remaining skim milk is used for soups and cooking chegen.
Edigey- for 1 liter of milk 150-200 chegen. They prepare it like byshtak, but the mass is not freed from the liquid part, but is boiled until the liquid has completely evaporated. The resulting grains are golden in color, slightly crunchy, and taste sweet.
Who's dairy- place barley or pearl barley and cook until almost done, then drain the water and add milk. Add salt and bring until done.
Flour dishes
Borsook
3 cups flour, 1 cup chegen, curdled milk or sour cream, 3 eggs, 70 g butter or margarine, 1/2 tsp. soda and salt.
Roll the dough into balls and fry in fat until golden brown. The fat is allowed to drain and poured over with heated honey.
Teertnek - Altai national bread
—
2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp. spoon of sugar, 50 g butter, salt.
Grind the eggs with salt, a tablespoon of sugar, 50 g of butter, knead into a stiff dough and leave for 15-20 minutes, then divide.
Teertnek - Altai national bread (second method)
—
2 cups flour, 2 cups yogurt, butter 1 tbsp. l, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp soda, salt.
Knead a stiff dough by adding yogurt, butter, 1 egg, soda and salt to the flour. The flatbreads are fried in a frying pan in a small amount of fat. Previously, housewives baked them directly on the ground, in hot ashes after a fire, removing only round coals. 
Meat dishes
Kahn
Kan - blood sausage. After careful primary processing the intestines are turned out so that the fat is inside. The blood is stirred well and added to the milk. The blood takes on a soft pink color. Then add garlic, onion, internal lamb fat, and salt to taste. Mix everything well and pour it into the intestine, tie both ends tightly, lower it into water, and cook for 40 minutes. Readiness is determined by piercing with a thin splinter or needle. If liquid appears at the puncture site, you're done. Without allowing it to cool, serve.
Kocho (meat soup with cereals)
For 4 servings - 1 kg of lamb shoulder, 300 g of barley, fresh or dried wild onions and garlic to taste, salt.
Chop the meat and bones into large pieces, place in a cauldron or saucepan with a thick bottom, pour cold water to the top. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam. Then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours. Add barley 30 minutes before the end of cooking. Place the greens in the soup that has already been removed from the heat. Add salt to taste. Kocho tastes better if you let it sit for 3-4 hours. Before serving, separate the meat from the bones and cut into medium-sized pieces. Serve the broth with cereal in bowls, and place the heated meat on a dish. Serve kaymak or sour cream separately.
Sweets and tea
Tok-chok
Pine nuts are fried in a cauldron or in a frying pan, the shells burst. Cool, release the nucleoli. The peeled kernels along with crushed barley grains are pounded in a mortar (bowl). Honey is added to the color of the cedar board and the shape of the animals is given. Barley and nut kernels are added 2:1.
Altai style tea
150 g boiling water, 3-5 g dry tea, 30-50 g cream, salt to taste.
Serve either separately - salt, cream are placed on the table and, to taste, placed in bowls with freshly brewed tea; or all the fillings are put into the kettle at the same time, brewed and served.
Tea with talkan
2 tbsp. l. butter, 1/2 tbsp. talkana.
Pour ready-made fresh tea with milk and serve in bowls. Add salt to taste. Previously, bergenia leaves, raspberries, and sorrel berries were used as tea leaves.
Talkan
Talkan is prepared like this: charak is crushed between two stones (basnak) and winnowed through a fan.
Charak
Charak - 1 kg of peeled barley is fried until light brown, pound in a mortar, winnow through a fan, pound again to completely remove scales, winnow again. 
Come to Altai to admire its magical beauty, get acquainted with the culture of the people living in these extraordinary lands and enjoy the national cuisine of the Altai people!
You can learn more about the nature of Altai
Altaians - ethnic group, which includes the following nationalities: Teleuts, Telengits or Teles, Kumandins, Tubalars. The Altai people are divided into 2 groups - southern and northern. Southern Altaians speak the language of the same name, which until 1948 was called Oirat. This language belongs to the Kyrgyz-Kypchat group of Turkic languages. Representatives of the southern Altai are considered to be residents of the Kemerovo region - Teleuts, and people living near Lake Teletskoye - Teles.
Northern Altaians speak the North Altai language. Representatives of this group are the Kumandin residents - people living in the area of the middle reaches of the Biya River, the Chelkans are located near the Swan River basin, and the Tubalars are the indigenous population living on the left bank of the Biya River and on the northwestern shore of Lake Teletskoye.
Culture and life of the Altai people
As mentioned above, the Altai people are divided into northern and southern Altaians. The economy of the southern Altaians depended on the natural wealth of their territory. They lived in mountainous steppe regions, so most of the inhabitants here were engaged in cattle breeding. But the Northern Altaians, living in the mountains and taiga, were excellent hunters. Agriculture was a unifying factor for the southern and northern Altaians. This activity played an important role for both groups.
If we talk about how the Altai people lived in those days, then you won’t notice anything special. They lived in scattered settlements throughout the area. There were only a few buildings on the territory.
The dwelling itself was built depending on the area and social status of the family. Southern Altaians most often built a felt-lattice yurt and alkanchik. Other representatives of the Altai people lived in a wooden square house, the walls of which were directed inward, it was called aylu. And by the beginning of the 20th century, the buildings of the Altai people began to look more and more like traditional Russian huts.
The national clothing of northerners and southerners was also different. Southern Altaians preferred to wear long shirts with wide sleeves, long and also loose pants, and floor-length fur coats, which were covered with fur on the inside. It was customary to girdle a fur coat with a piece of fabric and wear it all year round. If the summer was very hot, the fur coat was replaced by cloth robes with a colored collar. In addition, women wore a sleeveless vest on top. High boots are considered the national footwear. And the national headdress is considered to be colored round hats with shaved ram fur.
The northerners' national costume must be made of high-quality material. They often wove the threads, made the fabric, and sewed their own outfits. These were canvas shirts and wide trousers. A shirt was put on over this, more like a robe. The collar and sleeves of the suit were embroidered with colored patterns. The women's heads were covered with scarves.
Traditions and customs of the Altai people
Altaians are very spiritual people, they believe that everything has a soul: stone, water, wood and others inanimate objects. Altaians thank the fireplace for the warmth and delicious food it provides. Women often thank the fire by giving it baked goods and meat. They treat fire with care and respect, so they never burn garbage in it, do not spit or step over it.
Water for the inhabitants of Altai is a source of strength and a healer. People believe that in the depths of the water there is a spirit that can cure any disease and bestow immortality. Arzhans - mountain springs - are considered holy places, and can only be approached when accompanied by a healer.
The wedding ceremony is also interesting. The young people should pour fat into the hearth of the yurt, throw some tea there and throw out some araki, alcoholic drink. Then their marriage will be blessed by natural forces.
Each Altai clan has its own sacred mountain. Spiritual protectors, the ancestors of their family, live there. For women, visiting this mountain is strictly prohibited; it is forbidden to even stand barefoot at the foot of this shrine. At the same time, the attitude towards the Altai woman is very respectful and careful, because she is a vessel, a source of life, which a man must protect.
Traditional religion of the Altaians counts shamanism with features of pantheism. Religious Altai beliefs always exposed to external influences. The strongest of them were Russian Orthodoxy and Mongolian Buddhism (Lamaism).
Altaians divide visible world into three spheres: heavenly, earthly and underground. They represent two main deities: the brother - Ulgen (ruler of the upper world) and Erlik (ruler of the underworld). Good deities and spirits live in the upper world, people and good deities yer-su live on earth, who are closer to people than the heavenly gods - these are the ancestral deities of Tosi and the patron spirits of Ee. In the lower world live monsters, spirits and deities who bring evil to people - ye tekeri, shulmus. The dead also move there.
In addition to ancestral spirits, Altaians revere spirits– masters of localities – ee (eezi): they inhabit mountains, springs, rivers, glaciers and even individual tracts. It was believed that spirits were invisible, but sometimes could take the form of a person or animal. For example, the owner of the Tuu-eezi mountains appears in the form of a woman entering into a love affair with a hunter, or appears in the form of a gray-haired old man.
Altaians They believe that the Gods are receptive and sensitive to human “attention” and should be thanked for their help. Gratitude is considered to be prayer and tying a white ribbon (dialam) on shaman- tree. Otherwise, you will attract troubles and misfortunes. Orthodox religion was perceived by the Altaians as an aggressive religion and often the transition of the Altaians to Orthodoxy at the end of the 19th century. was purely formal. Mongolian Buddhism was closer to the Altaians.
At the beginning of the 20th century. a new religious ideology began to emerge - Burkhanism. It was based on elements of historical myths of the Altai people. Along with the collective image of the ruler in Burkhanism, the connection between religion and the native land and nature has been preserved. Among the Altaians, myth-tradition turns into history, and real story becomes a legend. Burkhanism was called the white faith (ak diang). Shamans, or kamas, have black energy. Many Altaians believe that a doctor is shaman will cure one person at the expense of another. To save one person, the shaman can sacrifice another.
In the 1930s, religious practice, which included stone rituals and public sacrifices, lost its public character. Despite this, even today elderly Altai people wear National costumes, go to pray to the mountain. In days national holidays Altaians in the morning they go to the mountain, serve a prayer service, sing a song.
Today, a certain fusion of legends, beliefs, and rituals has emerged. Therefore, speaking about religion and beliefs of modern Altaians, it is worth keeping this merger in mind.
These people call themselves the people of Altai, but scientific name-Altaians-Kizhi. They live in Russia, mainly in the Altai Territory. Nowadays there are about 80 thousand of them all over the world. They are divided into several ethnic groups and have a great history and valuable culture.
Number
The bulk of the indigenous Altaians live in the Russian Federation (67-79 thousand people) and a small number in Kazakhstan (220-680 people). Among Russian cities this people can be found:
- Altai Republic (62 - 70 thousand);
- Altai Territory (1.8 - 3.1 thousand);
- Kemerovo (530 people - 3.3 thousand);
- Novosibirsk (350 people).
Among the diasporas, there are a small number of representatives of the people in the following countries (from data from the latest population censuses):
- Uzbekistan (190 people);
- Kyrgyzstan (115 people);
- Tajikistan (60 people);
- Ukraine (40 people);
- Belarus (30 people);
- Turkmenistan and Georgia (25 people each);
- Moldova and Lithuania (20 people each);
- Azerbaijan (15 people);
- Latvia, Estonia, Armenia (isolated cases).
Description of the nationality
These people belong to the Mongoloid race, therefore they have external characteristics that correspond to it. In addition, the inhabitants of the Altai lands are mostly fair-haired. Altaians know the secret of longevity and almost all live long.
Altai region Language groups
This people belongs to the Turkic-speaking people language groups Kipchak branch and Altai family. They have similarities with the Kyrgyz. Altaians can speak Russian or Altai. The latter comes in 2 varieties: North Altai and South Altai. What dialect is spoken depends only on the ethnic group, so in Kemerovo the Teleut language took hold, and in the Altai Territory - Kumandin. Also among the dialects there is Tubalar in the Choysky district, Telengit and Altai. Based on the latter, formed literary language. But, unfortunately, not all Altaians support the culture that was formed for a long time and only 85% of the entire population consider Altai their native language. As for writing, it is based on the Russian language.
Ethnic classification
Among the Altai ethnic groups there are:
- Tubalars;
- teleses (telengits);
- Teleuts;
- Tubalars.
All representatives of the ethnic group are divided into 2 categories, each with its own traditions and language:
- southern Altaians;
- black Tatars.
The latter include the Tubalars, Kumandins, Lebedins, and Chelkans. TO southern representatives include Telengits, Teleuts and Teles.
Origin
There are many opinions and hypotheses about the origin of the Altaians. The formation of modern peoples was influenced by the following communities, tribes and nationalities (general list):
- Uighurs;
- Yenisei Kirghiz;
- rumps;
- Sarmatians;
- Scythians;
- Huns;
- Kimak-Kypchaks;
- Mongols;
- Kyrgyz;
- Turks;
- Samoyeds;
- Ugric people;
- Dzungars;
- chum salmon;
- tukyu;
- body;
It is believed that some tribes lived on these lands, like the Tyukyu, while others came, either as conquerors or as settlers. All nationalities mixed, and this is how the Altai people were formed.
They share family ties with the Khakass and Kyrgyz, Siberian Tatars and Shors, as well as the Yakuts.
Religiosity
A third of the entire population (about 34%) are Christians. The rest of the population is shamanism and Burkhanism. Burkhanism is a local religion with elements of shamanism and Lamaism, considered a variety of the latter. Burhan is the spirit Altai mountains, hence the name.
Kitchen
Historically, Altai people consumed a lot of milk and food that could be made from milk. For example, milk porridges are prepared from cereals or rhizomes of certain plants. Pyshtak, surut, ayran and kaymak became national dishes. Kumis is made from horse milk. Meat is consumed only in winter time. Popular delicacies include honey and pine nuts. To modern national dishes include kan (blood milk) and kocho (soup), and drinks include tea and arachka (something like warm milk liqueur).
Cloth
The way of dressing differed significantly between the southern and northern Altaians. The first ones wore long shirts and always a sheepskin vest. But the northern settlement was more developed and they knew how to sew their own clothes from hemp and nettle threads. Only to this day their culture has been little preserved; even traditional costumes are very similar to Russian folk ones.
Dwellings
Each ethnic group had its own secrets and skills in building houses. So the southern Altaians live in yurts or Alanchiks, but the Tubalars live in chaila. Since the 20th century, Altaians have been using log buildings.
Traditions
To this day, Altai people are engaged in cattle breeding, fishing, and also collecting pine nuts and berries.
Altaians believe that every object has its own soul. Special treatment to the fire, they believe that it is endowed with power, they bring gifts (meat or baked goods) to the fire. You cannot litter near a fire, burn garbage in fires, and especially spit or step over it. Water is also valued; it is believed that it can protect and cure many diseases. Even arzhans (mountain springs) are only allowed to be approached with a healer.
Husbands value their spouses very much and protect them, because they are a whole treasure for them. Also, each family has its own sacred mountain. Women are not allowed to get up or even just walk nearby.
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