Nogai men are what they are. Nogais. Part of Russia since the 18th century

Turkic-Tatar states of Eastern Europe through the eyes of Europeans. Part 1

Yaroslav Pilipchuk continues the series of articles devoted to the key stages of Turkic history. Today " Real time» publishes the first article in the series of Turkic-Tatar states of Eastern Europe through the eyes of Europeans. It is dedicated to the Nogais.

Three nations in Western sources

One of the most interesting aspects of the history of Eastern Europe is the history of the Turkic-Tatar states (Nogais, Kazan and Astrakhan Tatars). Coverage of the history of the Crimean Khanate in Western European sources requires a separate essay. The history of Astrakhan, Kazan and the Nogais is known mainly thanks to Russian and Eastern sources. Meanwhile, descriptions of the history of the Nogais, Kazan and Astrakhan Tatars are also in European sources.

Mikhalon Litvin (Ventslav Nikolaevich) considered the Nogais to be one of the Tatar hordes - the Nagai ( outdated). Alexander Gvanini (1538-1614) pointed out that the Nogai live closest to the Kazan Khanate and live on the Volga and Yaik rivers. The Nogai Horde consists of three hordes - Sharai, Yaik, Kamma. The Nogais are a free and cruel people, not knowledgeable of the law and giving supremacy to the strong. The leader over them is Kazlimurza, but they do not always listen to him.

They are not farmers, and their wealth is measured by the number of livestock. A person may have several hundred sheep, several dozen horses and about a dozen camels. They drink mare's milk and eat the meat of horses and sheep. Nogais dry and cure meat. They are constantly moving and do not have permanent homes. They fight against Moscow, and when they are defeated and their property is taken by the Muscovites, a great famine begins among them.

Holy Roman diplomat Sigismund von Herberstein, in his map of Muscovy published in 1549, places the Nogai Tatars (Nagayske Tartare) in the lower reaches of the Volga on both banks (see right bottom corner cards). Photo: baarnhielm.net

The information of Alexander Gvanini in itself does not represent any historical value, however, it was correctly noted that the khans did not rule the Nogais, and the horde itself was divided into a number of uluses. Regarding the attacks of the Nogais on the Russians, this applied to the Little Nogai Horde, as well as those Nogais who were in opposition to Ismail and his descendants. The Great Nogai Horde has long been an ally, not an enemy, of the Russians.

The reason for the Russians asserting the hostility of the Nogais was that the Nogais sent the Nogai Mirza Akhpolbey to the Mari. Since Gvanini’s book was published in 1582, it is obvious that the activities of Urusbiy came into the chronicler’s field of view, although he did not mention such a Nogai leader. Maciej Miechowski (1457-1523) called the Nogais Nogai Tatars or Okkassians. Okkas is a twisted name of the biy Vakkas. The Nogais were considered a recently emerging horde. According to the Polish historian and geographer, it arose in 1447 near the Saray castle. Maciej Miechowski noted that the Nogais were the most numerous and powerful in his time, that they were ruled by the sons and grandsons of Okkas. They do not use coins and exchange slaves and livestock for various things. On the eastern side they adjoin Muscovy and often attack them. It must be said that in the work of the Polish historian and geographer the Nogais were described according to a template, and their description was copied from the Tatars. Speaking about the attack of the Nogais on the Russians, they meant attacks on the Russian lands by the Nogais as part of the troops of the Great Horde. In addition, the Nogais, led by the Tyumen Khan, raided Kazan, which was then a vassal of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

“The Duke of the Muscovites keeps cavalry detachments in Astrakhan, Kazan and Vyatka”

Sigismund Herberstein (1486-1566) identified the Nogais as one of the Tatar hordes and considered them Muslims. Pavel Joviy (1483-1552) noted that behind the Shiban Horde (nomadic Uzbeks) there is the Nogai Horde, which is famous for its wealth and military prowess. It is governed by wise elders and brave men. To the south of them live the Zhagatai (Timurids). There are anachronisms in his message. By the time Pavel Jovius wrote his treatise, nomadic Uzbeks had already settled in Central Asia, having migrated from Desht-i Kipchak. The Timurids had by that time gone to Afghanistan and India. Alberto Campenze (Dutch by birth, but worked in Italy, 1490-1542) noted that the Russian possessions were devastated by the constant attacks of the Kazan Tatars and Nagai. That is, the campaigns of Sahib-Girey and Safa-Girey came into the writer’s field of view. The Nogais mentioned by him are not the Nogai Horde, but the Nogais who were subjects of Mehmed-Girey and Sahib-Girey. With a greater degree of probability, it can be argued that Alberto Campenze had in mind the campaign of 1521 and the participation in it of the Nogais Alchagir and Agish, who were expelled to the west by the Kazakhs for some time.

Nogais in Astrakhan, engraving from the book by A. Olearius “Description of a Journey to Muscovy,” 1634. Photo istoriia.ru

Francesco Tiepolo (XVI century) pointed out that the Duke of the Muscovites kept cavalry detachments in Tsitrakan (Astrakhan), Kassan (Kazan) and Vyatkan (Vyatka) to prevent raids by the Nogais and Tatars. It was reported that during the war in Livonia, the Nogai attacked the Muscovites and with great booty and many prisoners came to the Volga, not content with this, they invaded again with a large army and were defeated by the Duke of Moscow, who lured them into an ambush. It is obvious that Francesco Tiepolo wrote according to the template set earlier in European sources. Until the 70s of the 16th century, the Nogai Horde, and then the Great Nogai Horde, were friendly to the Russians. The Little Nogai Horde and the Crimean Nogais took a hostile position. Considering that his work was written around 1560, the only real reason for this statement could be information about Akhpolbey. However, Biys Ismail and Yusuf did not support the rebel Tatars and Mari in the First Cheremis War. Everything was limited to a small contingent of volunteers. However, the history of the Volga region in Europe was not known in such detail. The presence of Russian detachments in Kazan, Astrakhan and Vyatka was aimed primarily at maintaining control over these territories. The troops in Vyatka could respond to attacks by the Mari and Mansi, as well as the Tyumen khans. Marco Foscarino noted that the Nogai Tatars are rich and have a large army. They do not have a single ruler, but are ruled by experienced men, as in Venice. They are civilized and they have fortresses. Obviously, information leaked to the West that the conditional capital of the Nogai Horde was Saraichik, and also that they were ruled by the Mirzas and Biys. At the time of writing the work of Marco Foscarino, the Nogai Horde was at the apogee of its power and this explains the data on its wealth. Emidio Dortelli d'Ascoli (late 16th - first half of the 17th century) described the Nogais as opposed to the Crimean Tatars. He described the Nogais as Mongoloids, and the Crimean Tatars as Caucasians. The Crimean Tatars live sedentary lives, and the Nogais are nomads, however, they also have palaces with settlements. The Nogais can endure hunger for a long time, but when they have food, they engage in gluttony. The Italian described the activities of Cantemir Mirza and his confrontation with the Crimean khans, we will talk about this in more detail in another article. In general, Emidio Dortelli d “Ascoli described the Nogais of Budzhak and Crimea as part of the Crimean Khanate. The Mongoloid nature of the Nogais and their nomadic lifestyle were correctly noted. Emidio Dortelli d'Ascoli was an eyewitness to the events. Jean de Luc (Giovanni da Luca, 17th century. ) noted that the Nogais put 50 thousand warriors in the field, of which 15 thousand are the Budzhak Horde, which borders Wallachia and where the main city is Akkerman.

Enmity between Nogais and Kalmaks over pastures

The Dutchman Isaac Massa (1586-1643) reported that during the capture of Hadji-Tarkhan by the Russians, two princes from Nagai (Nogai Horde) Ediger and Kaibula, sons of one of the powerful Nogai Akkubek, arrived. They wanted to convert to Christianity. The Dutch rightly noted the move of some of the Nogai aristocrats to Russia and their allied relations. Nicholas Witsen (1641-1717) wrote that the lands of Nagaya are located east from the Volga to the Yaik River, and they also live on the other side of the Volga to the Nipper (Dnieper) and Tanais (Don) rivers. They can gather 50 thousand horsemen. The Nogais are Muslims, but they do not know the laws and do not follow them. They eat meat and drink kumiss. The Nogais move from place to place and when they stop, they protect themselves and their livestock from Circassians and Crimeans, as well as predators. They usually camp on the banks of rivers. The Nogais have a lot of livestock, they have no coins, and they conduct barter trade, exchanging livestock for fabrics and trinkets. In addition, they trade in slaves and oil. The Dutchman depicts the Nogais as Mongoloids and notes their ugly appearance.

Nogai Tatars. Christian Geisler. 1804. Photo nogaici.ru

Judgment is administered by their leader. They don't kill for crimes. An exception is made only for murders. The Nogais are divided into Small and Big Nagaya. Those who live near Crimea are considered the bravest. In 1595, Greater Nagaya was divided between three brothers. Sheidak owned Saraichik. Kossum is the land between the Volga, Kama and Yaik. Their clothes are animal skins and cotton shirts. A ransom is paid for the bride. There is enmity between the Nogais and Kalmaks over pastures. The Pyatigorsk Nogais were ruled by Prince Bulat, the Nogais near the Cherkassy Mountains were ruled by Prince Shefkal. The Nogais are engaged in gardening and are beginning to settle down. In 1690, the Kalmyk prince Monshak kept part of the Nogais under his control. Maly Nogai is a desert area between Astrokan (Astrakhan) and Tyumen (Caucasian Tyumen). This country borders Cherkassy and Azov. Greater Nagaia is a desert region between Astrokan (Astrakhan) and Siberia. Nicholas Witsen generally correctly described the life, anthropological type and division into hordes of the Nogais. However, their chronology is confused, and they also had an incompletely adequate idea of ​​the Nogais in the 17th century. The Pyatigorsk Nogais became subject to the Kabardians, another group was subject to the Kumyk Shamkhal, and the third was subject to the Kalmyk Taishi. The hordes living near Crimea are not several hordes of Nogais, but Crimean Nogais. In general, the formal recognition of the Greater Nogai Horde of its vassalage from the Russians, and the Lesser Nogai Horde of the Crimean Khanate, is correctly reflected. True, for a long time their vassalage was nominal. However, the lands of the Great Nogai Horde before the Kalmyk invasion and during this process are confused.

Richard Chancellor (1521-1556) wrote that Ivan Vasilyevich held 60 thousand cavalry against the Nogai Tatars. This is a very big exaggeration, since the large army of Ivan IV Vasilyevich on the campaign against Livonia amounted to 20-25 thousand, and the entire army during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich hardly exceeded 60 thousand people. Information about the danger from the Nogais was probably due to the fact that the Nogais sent Mirza Akhpolbey to restore the Kazan Khanate to the Mari, and also to the fact that Gazi Urakov took an anti-Russian position. It is worth noting that he was in Russia in 1553-1556, however detailed description left no events. Anthony Jenkinson (1529-1610) reported that the land on the left bank of the Volga - from the Kama to Astrakhan and along the coast of the Caspian Sea to the Turkmen Tatars - is called Mangat and belongs to the Nogais. When the Englishman was in Astrakhan in 1558, a pestilence engulfed these lands and 100 thousand people died. The Russians are fighting the Nogais. After the pestilence, the country of the Nogais turned out to be uninhabited, to the delight of the Russians. The Nogais were led by a Murza, and they consist of hordes, each led by a different Murza. They have no cities or houses and lived in the fields. During their migrations, their home is tents on carts. The Nogais are Muslims and have four or five wives. The Nogais are a rebellious people and prone to murder. They do not use coins and exchange livestock for clothes. They eat meat and drink kumiss, which they use to get drunk. They are experienced in military affairs and despise fortresses. In general, the Englishman correctly characterized the Nogais. In the history of the Nogai Horde there were three great unrest. They were and remained nomads, they fought in the field and did not take fortresses, they were ruled by the Mirzas. Regarding the war with the Russians, this, as indicated above, was more relevant to the Little Nogai Horde, since the work of Anthony Jenkinson was written already in 1562. Giles Fletcher (1548-1611) wrote that the Nogais were similar in their way of life, appearance and governance to the Crimean Tatars, but differ only in name. John Parry spoke about the Kuban Nogais, mentioning the Kaban Tatars. They are proportionally built and similar to other Tatars. They live to the west of the Volga and constantly attack Russian lands, burn settlements, take the population captive and take away livestock. John Parry (Englishman, 18th century) spoke about the Kuban Nogais, who were led by the serasker Bakhty-Girey in 1715-1718. In most cases, the territories of the suburban Cossack regiments were devastated, and 1717 was marked by the so-called Kuban pogrom, when the Nogais invaded deep into the Middle Volga region and inflicted heavy losses on the Russians. The Moldavian Grigore Ureche (1592-1647) mentioned that there is a Nogai Horde in Desert Tartaria. It is located near the Caspian Sea and the Volga and Yaik rivers.

Nogai Horde on the map. Photo cont.ws

“The most terrible warriors were the Black Nogais”

The Frenchman Jacques Margeret (1550s, after 1614) noted that the Turks besieged Astrakhan with Tatars called Nogai and Pyatigorsk Cherkasy (whom he considered Georgians). These Nogais were the Crimean Nogais and the Little Nogai Horde. Guillaume de Levasseur de Beauplan (1595-1673) described the Budjak Tatars (Nogais) as Mongoloids, similar to the American Indians-Caribs. He also noted that they were taught archery from childhood. The Tatars are divided into Nogais and Crimeans. The Nogais are divided into the Greater and Lesser Hordes, which roam between the Don and Kuban. Small Nogais are subjects of the Crimean Khan, and large Nogais are subjects of Russians. Crimean Tatars live on the Crimean peninsula and the Nogais are not as noble as the Crimeans, and the Crimeans are not as brave as the Budzhaks. The Frenchman generally correctly characterized the citizenship of the small and large Nogais, as well as the territory of their settlement during the Kalmyk expansion. The Mongoloid type of Nogais has been noted, which has been confirmed in our time by archaeological research.

In the work of Aubrey de la Motre (1674-1743) it is said that Nogais lived near Akkerman, Ochakov and Azov. They are described as Muslims and nomads, living in tents and traveling in carts. They drank boza and ate chorba. They were led by Mirzas and judged by qadis. In fact, the Frenchman left a description of the life and customs of the Nogais. Ferran (almost nothing is known about him) noted that the Nogais paid a tribute to the khan of 2 thousand rams and sent the four main Murzas to the khan on the holiday of Great Bayram. They give him horses and a pair of birds of prey. He gives them expensive clothes. The Nogais have no settlements and live in tents. They eat chorba (millet in water) and horse meat. They drink buza and carry out trials of criminals themselves. They are obliged to send 40 thousand soldiers to war, but usually they send 60 thousand. However, every thirteenth year is considered unlucky for them, and in this year they do not want to fight.

The Nogais raided Cossackia and took people prisoner. The Muscovite king complained to the khan about this, and the Crimean ruler ordered the prisoners to be returned to the king. However, the Nogais pointed out that they had no other crafts other than war, and although they respect the khan, they could not return the full. The most terrible warriors were the Black Nogais, and the least warlike people were the Circassians. In general, the dependent status of the Nogais and their belligerence are correctly characterized. The country of Cossacks mentioned in the source was the lands of the Don Army. The nomadic life is correctly described.

​Yaroslav Pilipchuk

Reference

Yaroslav Pilipchuk graduated from the National Pedagogical University them. M.P. Drahomanov in Kyiv in 2006, majoring in History and Law. In 2010, at the Institute of Oriental Studies. A.Yu. Crimean National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine defended his dissertation in the specialty “World History. Mongol conquest of Desht-i-Kipchak in the 13th century.”

Nogais are a Turkic people of the North Caucasus. There are approximately 110,000 people living in the world. The ancestors of the Nogais are nomadic medieval Mongol-speaking and Turkic tribes.

The first state formation of the people - the Nogai Horde - was formed after the collapse of the last of the great nomadic powers of the Golden Horde. The Nogai Horde took an important part in political, trade and intermediary affairs with neighboring states, collecting tribute from the Kazan Tatars, some Siberian tribes, and Bashkirs. At the beginning of the 16th century it could field about 300,000 soldiers. A good military organization allowed the Nogai Horde to successfully defend and defend its borders, provide assistance to neighboring khanates, warriors, and the Russian state. Moscow provided her with economic and military assistance.

Where live

The people live in the North Caucasus in Dagestan, Nogai, Babayurt, Kizlyar, Tarumovsky districts, Makhachkala, Kizlyar, Stavropol Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia, Astrakhan Region, Chechen Republic, Khanty-Mansiysk, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. A small number of Nogais live in Bulgaria, Romania, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

Name

The ethnonym “Nogai” is associated with the military-political Golden Horde figure Nogai, who lived in the 13th century. He consolidated his supporters from different ethnic groups of the Proto-Nogais, who received their name from the name of their ancestor. Nogai paid main attention to the clans of the Uzo-Pecheneg, Kipchak-Polovtsian, Alan-As circle, since the bulk of the Mongols went over to the side of Toktai. The earliest appearance of the ethnonym “Nogai” in the Golden Age was in 1436. Other names of the people: Nogai, Crimean steppe Tatars, Nogai Tatars. Self-names: nogai, nogaylar.

Language

Nogai language belongs to the Turkic language language group Altai language family. As a result of the widespread geographical settlement of the people, 3 dialects were formed:

1. Karanogai
2. Nogai
3. Aknogai

Literary Nogai was created on the basis of the Nogai dialect and the Karanogai dialect. It publishes newspapers and broadcasts radio programs. The graphic basis of Nogai writing changed several times. Until 1298 it was based on the Arabic script, from 1928 to 1938 - on the Latin alphabet, from 1938 to the present - on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Religion

The bulk of the Nogais are Muslims and profess Sunni Hanafi Islam. Islam gradually began to penetrate into the territories inhabited by the Nogai ancestors in the 10th-11th centuries. In 1312, after the official introduction of Islam by Uzbek Khan, mass Islamization began in the Golden Horde. To this day, people have preserved to some extent ancient pagan beliefs about the spirit masters of the elements. With Islam came the image of the spirit of the genie. Among the Nogais of the Great Nogai Horde, the teachings of the Yasawiyya brotherhood (also Yasawiyya) were widespread. In other groups, Naqshbandi teachings predominated.

During the time of the Nogai Horde, people were very sensitive to the graves of prominent people, mostly rulers. The burials were entire architectural structures that were erected above the burial site.

The Nogais had two types of mosques:

1. Open, in the warm season they were hosted in the steppes by nomadic Nogais, who prayed in yurts in winter. They were cleared areas where all believing communities gathered and prayed;
2. Stationary covered ones, built in settled villages and winter huts.

The Soviet government caused great damage to the religious life of the people. All mosques were destroyed, the bulk of the mullahs, qadis, akhons, imams, effendis, and muezzins were repressed. Those who remained to live in their homeland were forced to stop their activities. At the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, only 2-3 mullahs remained in the Nogai steppe. A small number of Nogais from the older generation performed namaz, but since there were no mosques, everything was carried out individually. There was not even religious home schooling. The people tried to follow the rules of their religion, did not eat pork, and performed circumcision. Over the past few years, religious life has gradually begun to resume. Mosques are being built, imams and muezzins have appeared, and religious ceremonies are being held. Nogais celebrate the holiday of Mawlid - the birthday of the Prophet, the main Muslim holidays - Kurban Bayram, Eid al-Adha. Mektabs and madrassas are opened at mosques. Some Nogais profess Shafi'i Islam and Wahhabism.

Food

The cuisine of the people used to be dominated by meat and dairy dishes. Today, the Nogai diet has been significantly enriched by borrowing from neighboring peoples. They are prepared from horse meat, lamb, and various sausages are made. They bake flatbreads from flour, cook dumplings called inkal, dumplings, fry Turkish delight, bake brushwood, and katlama. Delicious, hearty porridges are prepared from cereals, and meat is added to them. Corn, wheat, and beans are used. It is customary to serve Nogai cheese Auyrsha with porridge. Soups occupy a special place in the kitchen; they are prepared with chicken noodles, meat, and dough products. Fermented milk and cheese soups are popular. Of the sweets, the most popular is soyk, which is made from millet and sour cream. Other Nogai delicacies:

• baked pumpkin with raisins, cinnamon;
• cow's colostrum casserole with honey;
• sweet rice with ice cream and raisins.

The main national drink is kumiss; in addition to it, they drink ayran, the intoxicating drink buza, honey sherbet, and specially prepared Nogai tea. First, tea leaves are boiled in water, filtered, cream, homemade sour cream, salt, and black pepper are added. The drink is served in bowls with honey, butter, and cheese. It is believed that people have at least five types of tea.

Special dishes are prepared for weddings: boiled lamb brisket, baursak. Women in labor are fed chicken broth and poultry neck. For funerals, soups and meat dishes are always prepared. For guests they make an unusual dish “tuzlangan-koy bash” - boiled lamb head, pre-soaked in brine.

Appearance

Cloth

The traditional clothing of the Nogais is the ethnocultural historical heritage of the people, distinguished by its unique originality and beauty. The costume is based on elements of clothing of ancient nomads. Men spent a lot of time riding horses, which was reflected in their clothing. The boots had high tops and wide-cut trousers for comfortable riding. Shepkens and captals were sewn with a wraparound, open chest.

Men wore an undershirt (ishki koylek) to the knees. It was tucked into trousers and worn to graduation. A sleeveless jacket was put on top; it was usually worn while doing housework. A captal was worn as outer summer clothing. Some people call it beshmet. All men, regardless of age, wore long captals. Another piece of outerwear was the shepken. In bad weather and heat they wore a burka.

An important attribute of a man’s suit was the “belbau” waist belt - narrow, with belt pendants, a metal buckle, and plates with engravings made of gold and niello. The sash is an equally important detail of the costume; it was a folded or rolled strip of silk, 2 meters long.

The Black Sea Nogais wore three types of headdress:

• fur hat kulak bork;
• sleeping cap yat bork;
• ritual hat adetli bork.

They also wore a round-topped hat made of ram skin, covered with cloth, and sometimes they wore a small “arakshyn” cap under it. Shoes worn were dudes, bapish with leather stockings, a kind of bast shoes - ydyryk, boots made of ox, camel, cow leather, with a curved toe, high-heeled leather boots, shoes, soft leather shoes, soft morocco boots without heels with galoshes. The man’s clothing was supplemented with savyt weapons and military armor. The nomad was armed with the following:

• bow with arrows
• battle ax
• a spear
• beautifully finished arrow quiver
• case for a combat bow with ornament

Women wore pants tapered at the ankles, a tunic-like shirt, an undershirt, a short silk caftan that fitted the figure tightly, often without sleeves to make it easier to work. They wore a swinging long dress, a captal decorated on the chest with 10 patterned prismatic silver patterns. An apron used for housework was worn with outerwear. Women never go bareheaded. Traditional headdresses:

• oka bork, covered with a scarf
• hat made of thick fabric, trimmed with fur
• Kyrym Bork cap
• Kundyz Bork
• headscarves

Life

For a long time, the main occupation of the people was nomadic and transhumance livestock raising; horses, camels, sheep, and cattle were bred. Agriculture occupied an insignificant place in life; they grew oats, millet, wheat, and were engaged in melon growing, gardening, and beekeeping. Divorced poultry: geese, chickens, ducks. Hunting and fishing are ancient occupations of the Nogais. They went hunting with trained birds of prey: hawks, falcons, golden eagles, and also dogs.

Among the crafts, the processing of leather, sheepskin, and wood was developed; felt and cloth were produced, burkas, hats, boots, and arbabash carpets were made. Pillows, blankets, feather beds were made from goose down, and goose feathers were used for writing. The most important trade routes of the Caucasus passed through the Nogai steppes, including the Great Silk Road. Thanks to this, the people engaged in trade and sold their goods.

Housing

In Circassia, Nogais have been living in houses for a long time. The courtyards are surrounded by a wattle fence, stone fence, coated with clay. The house (uh) is built from mud bricks. The walls outside and inside are whitened with lime and chalk. The roof is mainly made of tiles. The home has a guest room and a cooking area where the whole family spends most of their time. All the houses stand sideways to the street, many have windows facing only the courtyard. Instead of ancient hearths, many installed stoves. Previously, they slept on adobe beds covered with felts. They are still found among the Karanogais. Today the decoration in houses is modern. The villages have electricity and radio.

Nomadic Nogais lived in tents. There was a fireplace in the center of the dwelling, and felt mats were laid around it for sitting. In the depths of the tent there was sleeping area(ter). To the right of the entrance, things and household utensils were stored; to the left, a fence was installed where the young animals were placed. Harness and clothes were hung on the walls. The rich Nogais had a bed on which they laid their guests. The tent village was called “kup” and consisted of several groups of tents. In one village there were 40-60 such dwellings. They were placed in a circle, with livestock placed between them inside the circle. Once a month, people changed their place of residence, transporting their homes with all their property.

Another type of dwelling for the nomadic Nogais, the yurt, was of two types: collapsible (terme) and non-dismountable (otav). The frame of the dwelling was made of wooden folding bars, fastened at the top with domed wooden poles, in the center they converged into a rim. A lattice-type top was attached to it on top, which served as a window and a chimney. The door consisted of doors that opened outward. In winter it was insulated with pieces of felt. The outside frame of the yurt was covered with felt, the inside was insulated with mats in winter, and the wealthy used carpets. In bad weather, the chimney was covered with a piece of felt (sickle). Felt and carpets were laid on the floor. The hearth was located in the center of the dwelling; food was cooked on it and the yurt was heated in cold weather. On the hearth stood an iron tripod - an important attribute of the life of nomads. Rich Nogais covered the yurt with white felt in several layers and decorated it with red ribbons and braid.

The Nogai yurts stood in rows, each row coming from the same family. In the very center stood the yurt of the eldest relative; he was the head of the entire quarter. Inside the dwelling, the woman’s place was on the eastern side; provisions, dishes, and things were also located there. On north side there was a place of honor, surrounded by pillows. The head of the family slept and sat here. The Nogais had polygamy; the eldest was always served by the other wives. To the right of the husband sit the men, to the left sit all the wives according to seniority.

Culture

Nogai musical instruments:

• dombra
• kobyz
• sybyzgy
• dutar
• karnai
• cabal
• doulbaz
• zurnay

The folklore of the people consists of various genres:

• fairy tales
• epics
• sayings
• proverbs
• puzzles

Traditions

Previously, the people had a blood feud, which disappeared before the revolution. Maternity care was replaced by neighborly care in the 19th century. The custom of hospitality is still widespread; the Nogais very warmly welcome guests and treat them to the most the best dishes, put to bed on best place. It is believed that if a house does not have a guest room, it is a bad house. The first thing the guest is treated to is Nogai tea.

The birth of a child is important. The first 40 days after the birth of a baby are very significant; during this period, the stage of its “humanization” occurs. Before the 40th day, the child is given a name, placed in the cradle for the first time, his hair is shaved, old clothes are taken off, and he is dressed in a special shirt (it koylek). A baby who is more than 40 days old is called “kyrkynan shykkan bala”.

Rituals performed during childbirth open the cycle of human life. These include:

• umbilical cord cutting;
• burial of the placenta;
• washing the newborn;
• feeding;
• naming;
• cutting the bonds when the child gets to his feet.

The baby's body is considered raw so that it hardens quickly; the child is bathed in salted water for 40 days. The ceremony of shaving hair should be performed by the child’s maternal grandfather “nagash atasi”. He doesn’t come on his own; the newborn is brought home to him. The parents give the man a shirt, he gives the child a bull or a ram as a gift. The first hair is called karyn shash, which translates as “uterine hair.” The Nogais believe that if they are not shaved, the child will constantly be sick, he will have an evil eye, and his curses will come true. The boy's shaved hair is wrapped in a scarf or piece of cloth and tied to the horse's tail. This will make the child strong, fast, and as resilient as a horse. The girl’s hair is kept in a chest at home so that she will be a homemaker, hardworking, and economical. People say about boys who don’t live up to expectations: “They probably left his uterine hairs at home.”

The child’s first shirt is called “dog”, it is sewn from the hem of the father-in-law’s undershirt of the newborn’s mother or a venerable old man, so that the baby will accept their wisdom and have a long life. During the ritual of removing the old shirt, three loaves of bread are baked, with holes in the middle. One is given to the dog, the rest to the children. The first shirt is removed and threaded through a hole in the bread, which is tied around the dog's neck. The children chase her so that she will take away everything bad in the baby. After the ceremony, children are treated to sweets and tea. Among the Nogais, it is considered indecent to scold, caress, or feed children in public, especially in front of older relatives.

Every year before Easter, on Friday, children go to the high Maytobe hill for the Tepresh holiday. On this day, eggs are painted and rolled down the hill. People associate eggs with new life, the source of the universe, are widely used to this day as a symbol of fertility.

A wedding is an important event among the people. The guy's wife was chosen by a family council headed by his father. No one asked the groom’s opinion; all issues were decided by the older brothers, men on the father’s side. The chosen one was chosen very carefully, their financial status, appearance, upbringing, and thriftiness were assessed.

When the bride is chosen, matchmaking takes place. Men come to the house, led by a venerable old man who knows all the traditions and rituals. Even if the family and the girl did not like the groom, they always received him with honor. It is not customary to give an answer right away; matchmakers should come one or two more times. At this time, the bride's family learns about the groom and evaluates him. If the parents agree, they give an answer, set the wedding day and the size of the bride price. It is noteworthy that the wedding date is set with the help of astrologers. The Nogais have a large bride price; in addition to it, the groom must also pay money on top. Due to the lack of large funds, sometimes the bride is stolen so that her relatives reduce the size of the bride price.

The bride and her mother prepare a dowry and sew clothes for members of their future family. This takes a lot of time and effort. After the engagement, a small wedding is held, during which the groom gives the bride price and the bride gives gifts to her husband’s relatives. The guests are treated to food, the bride says goodbye to her girlish outfit - a red scarf. Her wedding outfit has already been prepared, a white scarf, which she wears after marriage. Before the wedding, the bride came to the house of her future relatives, which meant an invitation to the celebration.

The wedding takes place in autumn or spring. At the celebration, they not only drink and eat, they also organize horse races, various competitions, and dancing. The newlyweds dance their first dance - Lezginka. During the dance, guests give gifts and money to the newlyweds. This is considered the first capital their new family earned together.

Nogais are scattered across different parts countries and in each federal subject represent a minority. Keeping in small enclaves distant from each other, the Nogais ceased to form a single ethnocultural massif. And since each enclave had its own history over the past two hundred years, mental differences between the Nogais became noticeable.

Fate decreed that the Astrakhan Nogais were recorded and almost became Tatars, the Kuban Nogais living in the mountains absorbed mountain culture, and the Dagestan Nogais, on the contrary, retained their originality to a greater extent. Most of the Chechen Nogais were forced to leave their homeland due to two destructive wars, and the Stavropol Nogais found themselves part of a region that did not provide them with either territorial or cultural autonomy, or even the opportunity to study their native language in schools. Of course, there are also unifying factors: Nogai identity, language, past - but is this enough to maintain unity? What turned out to be stronger: the history that divided the Nogais, or human efforts in the fight against injustice? Are the Nogais a living people or fragments of an already dead people dissolving into other cultures?

There are many scattered and divided peoples in the world: history favors some peoples, while others, on the contrary, are crushed. The history of the Nogais over the past two centuries is the story of the almost complete destruction of the people.

In the second half of the 18th century most of The Nogais lived in the Crimean Khanate, which included, in addition to the peninsula itself, also the territories of modern southern Ukraine, parts of the Rostov region, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. The Nogais were the main ethnic group of the country, led a nomadic lifestyle and formed the basis of the Crimean cavalry. Another, significantly smaller part of the Nogais lived in the Russian Empire on the territory of the modern Astrakhan region and Dagestan.

The tragedy that occurred affected only the Crimean Nogais and did not affect the rest. It all started with the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, as a result of which the Crimean Khanate ceased to be a vassal of the Ottoman Empire and became a vassal of Russia. Although the latter won, the Nogais retained vast steppe nomadic territories, which means that Russia received a disloyal, freedom-loving and warlike population on its southern borders. Something had to be done about this, and the empire decided to settle a less problematic population on the new lands - Christians, mainly Cossacks, and, accordingly, expel the Nogais. They were offered to move across the Ural River (modern western Kazakhstan), but the Nogais refused and decided to fight - this led to catastrophic consequences.

There were several reasons for the huge losses of the Nogais. Firstly, they were inferior to the Russians in military terms - bows and sabers versus cannons and rifles. Secondly, the Nogais had nowhere to retreat, which means they faced a simple choice: victory or death. Thirdly, they were deceived by Suvorov. He offered peace and arranged a feast at which the Nogais got drunk, and he himself ordered the horses' hooves to be wrapped in felt, and at night his soldiers silently attacked the Nogais. Some believe that this is where the expression came from: a bullet is a fool, a bayonet is a good fellow. Fourthly, the Nogais rarely surrendered, therefore, when surrounded by Russians or Kalmyks, they themselves killed their women and children, and then entered into the last battle. In total, as a result of the war, post-war unrest and uprising, 300 thousand Nogais died, and the population of the steppe was halved. The survivors were not allowed to remain on their land. Therefore, the last day of the uprising (October 1, 1783) is considered the day of genocide of the Nogai people, and Suvorov is considered a national enemy. The survivors were divided: some went to Ottoman Empire(modern Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey), others - beyond the Kuban River, along which the Russian border then passed, others accepted Russian citizenship and began to roam within the modern Stavropol Territory. But the suffering of the Nogais did not end there.

The territory of Stavropol region is predominantly fertile black soil, and Russian authorities they did not want nomadic cattle breeding to take place on these lands. Therefore, they were given to the Cossacks, and most of the Nogais were resettled to the territory of southern Ukraine, but soon they were forbidden to roam there either. This time they didn’t kick me out, but simply transferred me to a sedentary lifestyle. Before the Crimean War of 1853-1856 (that is, for about 50 years), the Nogais lived more or less quietly on these lands, there was even a city of Nogaisk (modern Primorsk not far from Berdyansk). But after the war, the Nogais were accused of aiding the enemy and were eventually expelled to the Ottoman Empire. The reasons for the eviction of the Nogais are unclear. Some kind of collaboration on their part did take place, but, firstly, then many were dissatisfied with the war - for example, Russian peasants revolted en masse against the increased oppression. Secondly, the Nogais fought with dignity on the side of Russia, because breaking the oath was considered inappropriate in their military culture. Perhaps the empire that lost the war decided to assert itself at the expense of the Nogais. Be that as it may, southern Ukraine was completely cleared of the indigenous population.

Trans-Kuban Nogais were less fortunate. After the liquidation of the Crimean Khanate and before the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, Transkuban region ( South part modern Krasnodar region) was formally part of the Ottoman Empire, but was actually independent: the Turks controlled only the fortresses Black Sea coast(Anapa, Sudzhuk-Kale, Poti and others). Most of the Trans-Kuban region (from the coast to the Laba River) was inhabited by Circassian tribes, and the Nogais lived between the Kuban and Laba rivers. This was the last fragment of the Crimean Khanate, outliving the Khanate itself by almost half a century. Also, some of the Nogais who survived the Russian defeat settled on the Circassian lands: Nogai villages were all over the left bank of the Kuban and near Anapa - to protect the fortress. Thus, the life of the Nogais became closely connected with the life of the Circassians: their villages were located next to each other, both peoples suffered equally from Cossack raids and together carried out raids on Cossack lands. The result of the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829 was that the Trans-Kuban region went to Russia, but the local residents did not consider themselves subjects of the Ottoman Empire, did not pay tribute to it, and were very surprised that their territories were transferred to another state. The Congress of Circassian Tribes decided not to accept Russian citizenship. Thus began (continued) the war in the Western Caucasus. Since Circassia was not an integral state, but a union of tribes and therefore did not have a single army, but many different armies and detachments, the war in the Western Caucasus became partisan. Russia, in turn, carried out punitive expeditions into enemy territory: it destroyed villages, burned crops and took away livestock. No one then separated the Circassian auls from the Nogais: both were called predators and were mercilessly destroyed - the Nogais shared the suffering of the Circassians. Due to massive resistance and guerrilla tactics, this war lasted for decades (until 1864) and became a disaster for the Circassians, Abazas and Nogais. According to the Russian historian Potto, 400 thousand highlanders died in the war, and another 500 thousand were expelled to the Ottoman Empire (of which 50 thousand were Nogais). For the Circassians, the date of the end of the Caucasian War (May 21, 1864) is the day of genocide. The survivors were not allowed to remain on their land, but were given the choice of moving to the Kuban plains or sailing to the Ottoman Empire. Most chose the latter, but not all made it to the Turkish coast: the ships were small and overcrowded, so they sank in the event of the slightest storm. As a result, the Western Caucasus was practically cleared of the indigenous population: the Circassians survived only in a few villages near Sochi and in the Republic of Adygea, and the Nogais in the Nogai region of Karachay-Cherkessia.

This whole long story is told for a reason. Both peoples - Nogai and Circassian - experienced a national tragedy. Both peoples have a specific commemoration date (October 1 and May 21). Yes, historically the Nogai tragedy lasted for more than long time, and October 1, 1783 does not formally include the subsequent events of the Crimean and Caucasian wars. But this is formal. In fact, both nations have dates on which it is imperative to remember the past. They remember, but they do it in different ways. On May 21, Circassians with national flags in national clothes take to the streets and hold mourning events and processions. You shouldn’t think that this day is politicized, it’s just that for the Circassians in their modern history, the most significant, turning point event was a tragedy, and a real national day is possible only on the basis significant event. Circassians use the day of the tragedy not just to remember the past, but to consolidate society - therefore, funeral processions take place all over the world, and the fragmented Circassian society gains unity.

On October 1, Nogais do not organize any events - usually the victims of the tragedy are commemorated at home. Someone will make a post on the Internet, someone will gather in a small campaign, someone will go to the mosque (they read prayers there and can give out alms), but to go out into the street in national clothes with national flags for a funeral procession, this does not happen . Of course, the question is not about going out into the street and shouting about something, but about the fact that a divided people does not have a national day - the one that would unite all Nogais.

I asked the Nogais why there is no such day, and whether they want it to appear.

"What for? Judge for yourself. Unity occurs, for example, at conferences, at round tables, when some international festivals. Why do we need to go outside? There are so many peoples, and if everyone sticks out themselves like that, it won’t lead to good,” says Rosa, a history teacher from Astrakhan.

“In Astrakhan they don’t pay much attention to this, but they know that this date exists and can read prayers. It’s not customary for the Nogais to wash dirty linen in public,” says Linara.

“On October 1st, young people look at something on the Internet, discuss it, but I myself do nothing,” says singer Magorbi Seitov from Karachay-Cherkessia.

It may seem that Nogais generally avoid mass events, but this is not so. For example, on May 9, Nogais go out into the streets and celebrate the holiday together with the whole country. There is also no need to talk about fear of the authorities - in the Caucasian republics, no one bothers the Circassians to organize funeral processions. Although people still have some concerns. “It turns out nationalistically: a great commander - and suddenly he did such things,” says Magomed Naimanov from Cherkessk.

Some Nogais did not think about the importance of the national day. Others believe that it is needed, but there are no initiatives among the Nogais aimed at its implementation.

“For the Circassians, this developed within the framework of a movement, but we don’t have a movement,” says Eldar Idrisov, leader of the Astrakhan Nogai Birlik society.

“The day of mourning will not be a unifying factor for the Nogais, because we do not have such a unifying force - the Circassians have three republics and the top officials of the republics participate in congresses,” says writer Murat Avezov.

You can hide behind the fact that Nogais do not like to remember bad things; or fear that someone may not like the people’s right to historical memory; or talk about the inappropriateness of street events. But the whole point is the lack of a unifying force - the initiative of ordinary people and the will of political leaders.

The introduction of a national day was discussed in the 90s - then there was a whole galaxy of cult personalities led by Srazhdin Batyrov, an artist and choreographer who revived Nogai dances and created the national ensemble “Ailanai”, which became one of the mouthpieces of the Nogai revival. Narbike Mutallapova, former head of the cultural department of the Nogai region of Dagestan, says: “Srazhdin wanted to declare October 1 a day of Nogai mourning, but did not have time. But no more attempts were made: some died, others fell ill, and others went into power. Now young people are organizing events, but I don’t see any fire to burn for the people. The next generation must give birth to such people, because we are getting old and many have already left. I really hope that a change will come.”

For the Circassians, the memory of tragic events is not limited to funeral processions. The Circassian society calls those events genocide and seeks its recognition at the international level - this is how the Georgian parliament in 2011 recognized the Caucasian War as an act of genocide of the Circassians.

According to ethnologist Akhmet Yarlykapov, the Nogais have no desire to recognize the genocide. Akhmet himself does not really agree with the term “genocide” in relation to those events, he thought about what it would be better to call it, and said: “Recognize it with anything.” Also, according to him, it is important not only to acknowledge the fact, but also to truthfully describe the events. This is also the problem: the Nogai world is too small, it simply does not have so many historians to study this issue. And the Nogai mentality seems to be against this - the reluctance to remember the difficult past cannot be avoided. The world is not interested in the Nogais.

Attitudes towards the Suvorov events vary depending on the region of residence of the Nogais. Thus, among the Astrakhan Nogais, who were not affected by ethnic cleansing and deportation, the attitude towards Suvorov is relatively neutral. Some did not accuse him of anything, because it was a “sovereign decision”, and he was a “bonded man” and simply “followed orders.” Accordingly, “history” and “some circumstances” were to blame. In Astrakhan, I did not hear the term “genocide” from anyone, and I had the feeling that the local Nogais chose to forget the past of their people. The historian Victorin generally stated that the Nogais themselves were to blame for everything: they first accepted Russian citizenship, and then refused to move beyond the Urals; instead they attacked Suvorov, and then got it from him. Nothing new: Russians, of course, are noble, and their enemies, of course, are treacherous. But the Russian historian Victorin is one thing, and the Nogais themselves are another matter.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, on the contrary, I was surprised that people so easily use the term “genocide” - as if it were something generally accepted. This was done by administration workers, rural residents, a waitress in a cafe, and creative people. Thus, designer Asiyat Eslemesova, at the very beginning of the meeting, spoke about “unrecognized genocide,” and the grandmother, with whom we spent the night, reproached Suvorov: “And if they order you to shoot your own mother, will they do the same?”

“Genocide, I think, because the war was conducted incorrectly. This is no longer a war, this is the destruction of the population,” says Magomed Naimanov.

The newspaper “Nogai Davysy” in Cherkessk said that no one prohibits holding mass events, but they must be held if the genocide is recognized, and Russia does not recognize the genocide of the Nogais. Other peoples of the republic are holding mass events, because the Circassian genocide is recognized at the regional level (the republics of Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia), and the Karachay (deportation of 1943) is recognized at the country level.

The Dagestani Nogais are more likely to be in solidarity with the Kuban, although the Suvorov events did not affect them either. But, firstly, in Dagestan there are many descendants of the Kuban Nogais who fled there during the Caucasian War. Secondly, Dagestan is the center of modern Nogai culture and social life, and it simply cannot distance itself from Nogai history.

When asked what unites the Nogais besides language, the answer was often “history.” Therefore, modern Nogais often look to the Nogai Horde and their great rulers Edig and Nogai as symbols of pride and identity. They are like Lincoln for Americans or Garibaldi for Italians. True, the Nogai khans were around too long ago. What do they have to do with modern history and culture is a big question. At the same time, more recent history, albeit tragic, is in no way aimed at consolidating Nogai society.

Despite the fact that the Nogai tragedy is associated with the Russian Empire, the Nogais do not hold a grudge against the Russians. Perhaps this is a rare coincidence, but I have not met a single person who felt even irritation towards the Russians, not to mention hatred. Many were sincerely surprised by my question about negative feelings towards Russians and did not understand why they should exist.

“We have no hatred for Russia. We have the same attitude towards what is happening in the country as the Tambov man,” says Isa Kapaev.

The Soviet era did not affect the attitude of the Nogais towards Russians, although then the Nogais suffered quite a bit (as did other peoples). The Nogais were not spared Stalin's repressions, when the Nogai intelligentsia was expelled and the flower of the nation was destroyed. Then, in 1957, the division of the Nogai steppe took place, as a result of which the people were torn into three parts - Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Chechnya. As a result, the Nogais not only did not receive their own republic or autonomy, unlike most other peoples of the country, but found themselves a minority everywhere.

"In all history Soviet power In Karachay-Cherkessia, only one historian, Ramazan Kereytov, received reservations for graduate school; all the rest were applicants. After Soviet Union collapsed, if you want, go to graduate school, if you want, go to doctoral studies, if you want, write 15 papers,” recalls Aminat Kurmanseitova.

“In Soviet times, the Nogais were treated with disdain due to the fact that people came from villages and knew Russian very poorly. Now everyone is fine with the Russian language. Aggression in society was common in the 90s, but now it is less common. There have been many interethnic marriages, spanning several generations, so everyone is accustomed to eating kainara and Easter with Easter cakes,” says Linara from Astrakhan.

Events recent years also do not lead to anger among the Nogais, despite the growing Islamophobia in the country and the frequent attitude towards Asians as second-class citizens. Nogais note Russian chauvinism in Moscow or the Cossack regions of the country, but treat it with restraint, like old people treating troubled teenagers.

“At school, when some kind of conflict starts, Russian children call Nogai children korsaks - this is an offensive nickname for the Kazakhs. But on the part of the Nogai children there is some kind of confusion, and they do not say any nicknames of an offensive nature towards the Russians - it simply does not exist. Apparently, this comes from colonial times, and great-power chauvinism is still in the blood. Plus, now the TV amplifies everything,” Amir from the Astrakhan region shares his observations.

Some Nogais noted the positive contribution modern Russia in the development of the Nogai world. “Today’s Russia is not to blame for what was done to the Nogais. Today's Russia has allowed us to get acquainted with all archival and museum materials - everything turned out to be accessible. Before this, people lived in darkness for many years. Some people trumpeted about it, some even laid down their heads. And to this day there is a war, if not with Russia, then with its rulers. Personally, I have no resentment towards Russians, there is bitterness, but there is no resentment – ​​how many years ago was that,” says Narbike.

“Those who remained in Russia retained the language, territory, and the name “Nogais.” Those who went to Turkey are written as Turks. In Kazakhstan, Nogais are not called Nogais, there they are Kazakhs. Only in Russia we have survived precisely as Nogais, and this must also be recognized,” says Ismail Cherkesov.

Over the past two hundred years, the life of the Nogais has become closely connected with the life of Russians. And we are not just talking about mixed marriages, economic interaction and neighborly living. “Despite the fact that the Nogai statehood was broken precisely by Russia and the Nogais suffered a lot of evil from it, we remained patriots at all times. We are in fact patriots, because before us so many generations of Nogais fought in Russian wars. Why were Nogais attracted to Lithuania or Poland? Because we were the support of the throne, we constantly served the authorities. This is our way of life,” continues Ismail.

“The Russians and I fought at weddings, but we also acted together and defended our interests. I was a Soviet man, they didn’t call me Nogai, they called me Russian. Where are you going? I don’t have another homeland, they don’t choose it, whether she’s a mother or a stepmother. There are simply more beloved and less beloved children,” says Murat Avezov.

History has firmly tied the Nogais to Russia, so much so that they began to feel like an integral part of it. Once upon a time, the Nogais were forced to accept Russian citizenship. Today they cannot imagine themselves outside of Russian identity. That's why they don't go to Turkey or Kazakhstan. Therefore, they remain patriots of Russia, no matter how foreign it may be to them. And in this, Edige’s descendants are surprisingly united. Are we observing that the Nogai world has ceased to separate “us” from “strangers” and has entered a dying state? Or is this a way of survival for a small people, when the remaining forces are aimed at creation, and wasting time on the negative is an unaffordable luxury? Only time knows the truth.

Nogai writer Murat Avezov

In Karachay-Cherkessia, in the village of Erken-Khalk, there is the “Museum of History and Culture of the Nogai People”. This is an old two-story building with four sections, each of which is dedicated to a specific period in the history of the Nogais, from the Middle Ages to Soviet times. The head of the museum, Svetlana Ramazanova, gave us a personal tour and shared interesting thoughts and her experiences about the Nogai people.

“I don’t sleep well because my tongue is missing. After all, if there is no language, then there will be no culture, and if there is no culture, then the people will disappear. Any nation disappears - this is inevitable, and nothing can be done about it: the big swallows the small.

Why are the Nogais dying out? A few reasons:
1) Interethnic marriages;
2) Nogais speak Russian (especially in the North) or Papa’s language, although they continue to consider themselves Nogais;
3) This is a natural process of development of society, it is inevitable;
4) What kind of development can there be when you are small and stewing in your own juice.”

I agree with two of Svetlana’s theses, and I will try to refute two. Although even these refutations are unlikely to change the general conclusion.

Svetlana Ramazanova in the museum

Refutation No. 1.
The danger of interethnic marriages applies to a greater extent to Astrakhan, the North and large cities, in general, to places where Nogais do not live compactly. Due to the more secular and urbanized lifestyle, marriages between Russians and Nogais are more common there. Children in these marriages usually choose their own religion, unless of course there was a clear agreement between the parents, and the choice more often falls on Christianity - the religion of the majority. The Nogai language is also forgotten faster in a big city than in the Caucasus. As a result, children in such families find themselves under greater influence of Russian culture and lose touch with the Nogai world.

If children from Russian-Nogai marriages grow up in a Nogai village, then everything is not so simple. “Our people live together, there are no conflicts, even on a personal basis, because everyone got married. I have two students in my class, a boy and a girl, their fathers are Russian and their mothers are Nogais. The girl considers herself Russian, but at Nogai holidays she reads poetry in Nogai better than anyone else, and her pronunciation is very good. But the boy doesn’t show himself in any way at these holidays; he’s probably more Russian. And so, the mentality is normal, like everyone else,” says Gulnisa, a teacher in the village of Dzhanai, Astrakhan region.

In the Caucasus everything is different. Aminat Kurmanseitova says: “After all, this is the East, in the East nationality is determined by the father. Nationality based on the mother can only exist if the mother divorced her husband and lived with her child. In this case, she can not only change her nationality, but also change her last name. In the East, even a non-Muslim's ancestry goes through the paternal line. Therefore, 99% of the population born from a Circassian is recorded as a Circassian, from a Karachai - as a Karachai, from a Nogai - as a Nogai, from a Russian - as a Russian. If a Nogai woman marries a Russian, she has a Russian child; if she marries a Circassian, she has a Circassian child. Conversations about the mother giving her last name and rewriting it as her nationality are not considered at all. This is not even discussed, and the surname is always the father’s.”

This rule is observed among all eastern peoples, with rare exceptions. Therefore, in the same Astrakhan region, if the father is Nogai and the mother is Kazakh, then the child will be Nogai, and vice versa. The loss of national identity in such marriages is not terrible, unlike marriages with Russians.

“The Circassians say that we are beautiful because we mixed with them. There is some truth in this: the Nogais have Circassian clans, and the Circassians have Nogais. My great-grandmothers are Karachays, and this is not bad, it improves the blood. The Chechens and Karachais had a surge: they accepted everyone into their ranks and greatly renewed their blood in the 19th century. Among the Karachais, 70-80% of the population are newcomers: Abazas, Georgians, Nogais, Circassians. Therefore, they have strong potential, many cultural figures, educators, and writers. But we don’t mix en masse: 10-15% of families are acceptable, even necessary, that’s why we have good development. There is nothing wrong with this, mixing is the path to the best. The blood always needs to be renewed, otherwise degradation will occur,” says Kerim from Cherkessk.

Interethnic marriages in themselves do not threaten the Nogais, but they become a problem for the diaspora. It turns out that to get rid of the problem, you just need to stop mass migration. Stop! Migration! Hmm... is Svetlana so wrong in her thesis?

Agreement No. 1.
The disappearance of small languages ​​is truly an inevitability that unites all Nogais of the country. It’s just that this process goes faster in cities, slower in villages, but in the end everyone will come to a common denominator. It’s like with the Internet: yesterday it was only in the city, but today it is everywhere. Much has been said about the reasons for the disappearance of the language. The measures taken to preserve it will be described in a separate story. The philosophical question I asked the Nogais was: “If the language disappears, what will happen to the people: will it survive or will it also disappear?”

People's opinions were divided, and they were divided approximately equally.

“Colombians are one people. They are Spanish-speaking, but if you look inside ethnically, most of them are local Indians, some are descendants of the Spaniards. There are also many Arabs - the traders in the ports were Arabs. And so they all together became the Colombian people. This is clearly expressed in Marquez; he showed a new community, a new state. This situation will probably happen to us too. Although, because of religion, it will be more difficult to become a united people,” says writer Isa Kapaev.

Magomed Naimanov has a different opinion: “The Nogai people as a people will survive. In statistics. But he will not know his language. Without language, a people can easily be a people. For example, Belarus, where 95% do not know the Belarusian language, nevertheless, the Belarusian people exist.” Moreover, Belarus is not alone in this: the Irish also did not become English, although they all speak English.

At first glance, convincing evidence of resistance to assimilation is that children who do not know Nogai still consider themselves Nogai. But it's not that simple. “If a person does not know his language, does not speak his native language, then he is already an inferior Nogai, it is difficult to call him a 100% Nogai,” Ismail Cherkesov is convinced.

I think Ismail hit the nail on the head. What makes the Nogais more Nogais: their self-name or the opportunity to read Edige’s epic in their native language?

“We don’t speak our native language well, but when you read poems in Nogai, listen to old songs, hear wishes - you just feel melancholy! But we don't live by it. There is a lot of information coming out, but my family is somewhere deep inside. Children have even less of this - that’s why nations are leaving,” notes Svetlana Ramazanova.

Refutation No. 2.

Many Nogais take a philosophical look at the loss of language and assimilation that is happening before their eyes, because they are confident in the inevitability of the disappearance of the ethnic group. Their confidence is based on the theory of ethnogenesis and passionarity of Lev Gumilyov - during the expedition I heard this surname so many times that I got the impression that it had become a mantra for the Nogais. According to Gumilyov, every ethnic group goes through life cycle from birth to death, and the Nogais today are just at the stage of dying. You can write a lot about the fact that this theory, despite its simplicity and seemingly logical nature, has not found support either among domestic or foreign scientists, causes a lot of controversy and is far-fetched at many points, but this is how a person works, that he must -to believe. Svetlana Ramazanova did not say anything new about Gumilyov, she was simply another (5 or 6 in a row) interlocutor in a short period of time, talking about the inevitability of the disappearance of the Nogais.

I allow myself to disagree with both Gumilyov and the Nogais. After all, the “natural process of social development” is equally suitable both for explaining any patterns and for justifying mistakes and inaction. There are peoples older than the Nogais who are currently experiencing a stage of development. For example, the Mongols, who in 1990 got rid of ideology and set a course for building democratic institutions of society and developing modern Buddhist culture. Of course, one can argue that Mongolia is a separate state, and the Nogais are part of a large country, but this only confirms the role of the historical path and the unity of the people in the development of society and refutes the abstract stage of the dying of the ethnic group.

One of the keys to preserving culture is the presence of autonomy, which contributes to the consolidation of society. This does not guarantee the development of the ethnic group (the same Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia, who have their own republics, are rapidly assimilating and choosing Russian identity), but it gives a chance for development. Whether people will use it or not is another question. There are still signs of life in Nogai society: in addition to its own culture, which is manifested even among young people (all these dances, weddings, tamgas) and historical memory, among the Nogais there are many enterprising people who are trying to do something for the people. But only in conditions of autonomy can initiative bring large fruits, otherwise it will not be heard or crushed.

Consent No. 2.

The Nogais find themselves small and scattered, and their society is heavily influenced by four more powerful cultures, each of which weakens the Nogai world.

Russian. The Nogais consider themselves part of Russia, live in a Russian-speaking environment and are strongly influenced by Russian culture. Despite the gradual loss of their native language, the Nogais do not believe that they are in danger of assimilation in Russia; on the contrary, barriers to it are Nogai appearance and religion, and the majority of Nogais live in conditions of a certain cultural autonomy. The threat from the Russian world is more pronounced in the Stavropol Territory and in the North - there the loss of the native language and the loss of culture are stronger. In addition, Russian chauvinism is growing in some regions: in the Stavropol region, for example, the Nogais are considered a diaspora, not an indigenous people, and are perceived unfriendly, which is, in principle, typical for the Cossack regions of the country in relation to the Muslim population (Nogais, Circassians, Meskhetian Turks).

“When they say that the Nogais will become Russian, I have a hard time believing it. One day I went to Orenburg to the archives. What turns of phrase are there: “dear sir” and so on! How beautifully everything is written - I’m telling you, I was brought up in Russian culture and for myself I don’t consider this a grief. I read it and it’s a balm for the soul. My wife scolds me and says that I am turning into a scoop. I have several identities: local – Karagash-Nogai, Astrakhan Nogai; the other is from Astrakhan; the next identity is Nogai, a representative of the Nogai people; and the next one is Russian, there is this identity, I don’t throw it away,” says historian Ramil Ishmukhambetov.

Kazakh. The long-awaited independence from the Russian and Soviet empires led to the national rise of the Kazakhs and the development of their culture, but an independent cultural policy inevitably gives rise to disputes with neighboring peoples. The confrontation with the Nogais occurred due to the proximity of languages, similar culture, the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Kazakhs and the fact that the Nogai Horde was almost entirely located on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Therefore, who should be considered the nomadic poets of the 15-16 centuries - Nogais or Kazakhs? (the poets themselves in their works addressed the Nogais, and not the Kazakhs, but history knows examples when peoples changed their self-name). Are the Nogais a separate people or a subethnic group of Kazakhs? (most Nogais consider themselves to be a separate, albeit related, people - after all, there is a difference in language and in wedding and funeral rites). For the Kazakhs, victory in these disputes means receiving the Nogai inheritance. For the Nogais - that they are an equal people, albeit small in number. It is important to note that disputes take place exclusively on the Internet, so for some it is almost a matter of life, for others it is an abstract, inflated thing that has no relation to reality.

“There is no disdain on the part of the Kazakhs towards the Nogais, although there are disputes on the Internet. I adore Kazakhstan, we are too close, but I would not want to become part of the Kazakh nation. In 1992, we came to Kazakhstan for a symposium, and the singer Kumratova performed epic works in which the Nogais were mentioned. There were many scientists and various figures there, and they say about Kumratova: “She’s ours, she’s Kazakh.” Then they ask who we are. We answer that we are Nogais, and they say: “You are also Kazakhs, we are one tree.” I tell them: “Yes, but don’t forget that we are the roots, and you are the branches and leaves,” recalls Narbike.

“Many young Nogais sing Kazakh songs. When something familiar changes to something related but foreign, I don’t like it,” says Murat Avezov.

“Some say that bringing Kazakh songs to Nogai weddings is wrong, but then give Nogai songs. Because Kazakh songs are suitable in terms of mentality and melody. We have few good composers, so we have to remake Kazakh and Kyrgyz songs. On the one hand, there are no songs because there are no performers. On the other hand, the performers do not appear because there is no broadcast system, no rotation, and this comes down to the fact that there is no autonomy,” says Ismail Cherkesov.

The problem is that the Nogai world is too small to reproduce its own culture, while Kazakhstan offers modern songs and films, literature and science, lullabies and national clothes. If a Nogai does not want to become completely Russified, but tries to preserve elements of the steppe mentality and nomadic culture, then he is simply forced to look towards Kazakhstan.

Tatarskaya. The influence of the Tatars on the Nogais is felt only in the Astrakhan region, where the transitional Tatar-Nogai group (Yurts) lives and where the Nogais were previously recorded as Tatars. The Tatars are the second ethnic group in Russia after the Russians and, like the Kazakhs, are experiencing a national and cultural rise. Tatar organizations are numerous and have money to organize educational and cultural events. Therefore, it is not surprising that, seeing a powerful Tatar movement and a weak Nogai movement, many choose the Tatar identity.

“Our old people sing Tatar songs. My uncle calls himself a Tatar, knowing that he is not a Tatar. I love the Tatar language, it is my second language after Nogai. I can sing something in Tatar, my grandmother is Tatar. But by self-determination I am a Nogai. The Tatars and Kazakhs are most dangerous for us precisely because of their excessive rapprochement. If the feeling of “friend or foe” is lost, then we will disappear,” says historian Ramil Ishmukhambetov (pictured).

North Caucasian (mountain). Historically, the nomadic Nogai world and the mountain world belonged to different cultures, although they overlapped with each other. This was especially typical for the Western Caucasus: the Crimean Khanate and Circassia depended on each other. Therefore, the Circassian coat and papakha are elements of clothing for both the Nogais and many mountain peoples. Therefore, in both cultures there was a practice of atalychestvo (when mountain children grew up in Nogai families, and vice versa) and kunakstvo (such close friendship between people that they actually became relatives). But after the Suvorov events and the mass expulsion, the Nogais survived only in a few villages adjacent to the mountain peoples, so the Nogai culture was partially subordinated to the mountain culture and began to develop along with it. Living alongside the highlanders gradually erased cultural differences, but at the same time contributed to resistance to Soviet culture: as a result, the Kuban Nogais retained horses and dog fighting, like other peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia. However, identity, Nogai tea, women's national costume - all this is not a thing of the past; and the Nogai language has not gone away, despite its proximity to the larger and very similar Karachay language. Therefore, at present, the Kuban Nogais are both Nogais and highlanders, no matter how strange it may sound.

Another thing is the Nogai steppe. She lived authentically for a long time and preserved her nomadic culture until the advent of Soviet power. The communists first led the Nogais to a sedentary lifestyle, and then divided the steppe, giving its two parts to Chechnya and Dagestan - so the local Nogais gradually came under the influence of mountain culture. Therefore, Sufism spread among them. Therefore, some people make the Dagestan accent “le”. That’s why all Nogais dance Lezginka.

At the same time, many Dagestani Nogais emphasize that they are not mountaineers. At a meeting of a youth organization in Terekli-Mekteb, the following phrase was heard: “We imitate the mountaineers a little, but we are not the mountaineers.” And this was what Murat Avezov said: “Look at me, what a Dagestani I am. They just took me and sent me to Dagestan - forcibly the groom, forcibly the bride.”

Regarding the Lezginka, opinions are divided: some have a bad attitude towards it and even believe that it needs to be fought, while others consider it as part of modern Nogai culture. “Some people say that this is not our dance and should not be danced. Well, then replace it with other dances, traditional Nogai ones. Now we have Lezginka as a given. In many ways, this is even a Nogai dance, because some elements are purely Nogai. But the mountaineers dance it with jumping, raising their hands - this is not ours,” says Murza, a member of the Revival youth organization.

“I lived in Moscow for 12 years, I had all sorts of friends: Russians, Armenians, Georgians. But for some reason there were no Dagestanis. Here’s a paradox: it’s not because I have a bad attitude towards them, it’s just that our mentality is different. And we get along with the Russians very easily, right away.”

Also, the Dagestan Nogais were influenced by Caucasian Sufism - a mixture of Islam and mountain customs. Sufism became especially popular in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia, so “East Caucasian Islam” differs from “ordinary” Islam characteristic of the Volga region and Western Caucasus. Historically, the Nogais abandoned Sufism back in the 18th century, but in modern Dagestan Sufism has become so widespread that if you are against Sufism, then you are almost a Wahhabi. As a result, some “ordinary” Nogai imams were forced to leave the republic, Sufi imams appeared in Nogai mosques, and Sufism began to gain popularity among the Dagestani Nogais. This led to contradictions between Nogai believers. In general, Sufis are more conservative, and this is striking: in Astrakhan, Nogai women dress in a European style, in Karachay-Cherkessia they wear headscarves (and not all of them), in Dagestan a woman without a headscarf is rare, moreover, many leave Only the face and hands are exposed.

Is it necessary to counteract more powerful cultures or is it already useless? Everyone decides for themselves. Some Nogais say that the main thing is to be a Muslim, and nationality does not matter. This choice is reasonable in conditions of close interaction between the Caucasian peoples. Others believe that Kazakhs and Nogais are one people. In the context of globalization, this is also a good formula for conservation. Still others leave for big cities and marry Russians, which means a separation from the Nogai world, if not for those who left themselves, then certainly for their children. But this is also an inevitability of modern society. However, there is a fourth option - Narbike voiced it best:

“Today, give me the opportunity to choose another nation, even the greatest, I would not be able to. For me, the Nogais are my great people. I always tell aspiring singers: forget the past, live in the present, make your own story. And you praise Edige, the words in the songs are pathetic. The Nogai was speechless, scattered, living in the dark, under pressure. But if we survived then, we cannot disappear now. Although this struggle should be every day. Everyone must remember the components of a people: language, history, culture. If this disappears, then the people will disappear.”

The fragmentation of the Nogais led to the fact that in Soviet times there was minimal communication between regions, and communication with the foreign diaspora did not occur at all. For example, many in Astrakhan did not even know that the Nogais lived somewhere else. In the late 80s, it became possible to create national organizations and free movement around the country - and Nogais from different regions began to gradually interact with each other.

First of all, cultural events and all-Nogai congresses began to be held on a variety of topics: thus, it turned out to be possible not only for the appearance of the Nogai ensemble “Ailanay” in Dagestan, but also for its tours to other regions of the country. Then educational and sporting events were added to them. Despite the limited access to administrative resources, the interaction of the Nogais turned out to be possible thanks to the “initiative from below.” And although all these conferences and congresses meant little to the common man, the Nogai intelligentsia began to represent the interests of the entire people, and not its individual parts.

“When Nogais from other regions came to us for the first time, they went to the cultural center and were amazed that Nogais still live somewhere in Russia and speak their language. They showed a performance, performed dances, told proverbs and sayings. As I remember now, they begin to tell the proverb, and our audience continues - it was so pleasant,” Gulnisa, a teacher from the Astrakhan region, shares her memories.

“But all this is on a voluntary basis. That is, our guys come together, cooperate, and collect money. Often they send us on a shift, hire some kind of car and we go out,” says Aminat Kurmanseitova.

However, regional boundaries were erased for ordinary people as well. There were several reasons. The first, oddly enough, was the difficult economic situation and the subsequent migration to the North: the communities that emerged included all Nogais, regardless of regional affiliation. Likewise, Astrakhan became a place of learning for Nogai youth from all over the country.

The second reason is the Chechen war, because of which 10 thousand Nogais left their native villages. “Many “Chechens” left for Astrakhan, found work, and are engaged in business. Nogais living among other nationalities are more resilient. We are a mononation here, infantile, calm, only the youth have been doing something lately. In Chechnya, life itself taught the Nogais to survive. Entire families moved here because the village there was bombed - there was a tip that militants were hiding there,” says Narbike from Dagestan.

And the third reason is the Internet, which not only strengthened communication, but united the Nogais. His role is especially important for this people, because in Russia there is no TV channel in the Nogai language and a general Nogai newspaper (although there are still two regional ones). Proof of the power of the Internet was the increased number of marriages between Nogais from different regions of the country, which previously happened extremely rarely.

For a long time, the connection between Russian Nogais and the foreign diaspora was completely lost. The Nogais who found themselves in Turkey, due to the similarity of languages ​​and the policies of the authorities, gradually adopted a Turkish identity, and now they can be spoken of more as Turks of Nogai origin. However, from 100 to 300 thousand people in Turkey and another 100 thousand in Europe still consider themselves Nogais. Now they come to Russia for cultural events, “international” marriages have appeared, there was even football between Nogais different countries. Once a Nogai came from Austria - he began to look for his family and ended up in the Astrakhan region. There was also such a case: a “Turkish” family found direct relatives in Dagestan, despite a 150-year gap in communication.

“Our goal is to awaken the population in Crimea, the yurt Nogais. And our task is to conduct educational work in Turkey so that they register as Nogais,” says Kerim from Cherkessk.

However, interstate interaction is complicated by the fact that there is no organization that would unite Nogais from all over the world and represent them in the international arena, such as the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people or the International Circassian Association.

Despite the international level, the Nogai movement often rests on human enthusiasm alone, and therefore suffers from a lack of money. “Now, if you register a public organization, you need a specific mailing address, premises, rental agreement, video materials must be provided monthly. But we do not have the opportunity for this. We have nowhere to hide, so we seem to be in an unofficial position,” says Magomed Naimanov from Cherkessk.

“There is no center in Astrakhan where you can buy a national costume. Therefore, like some kind of interethnic competition at school, everyone goes around looking for costumes, they don’t know where or from whom to find them,” says Linara. “If any holidays pass, we fold. There is no specific fee, everything is as possible - this is how we hold concerts and all events.”

Recently, young people have begun to show greater initiative. “There is a revival, people are interested in books, music, poetry, this did not exist before. A month ago, KVN was held here for the first time in history, then it was held in Karachaevsk. If not for this, I would be depressed,” says Murza from Terekli-Mekteb. In addition to cultural events, youth organizations contributed to the emergence of mobile applications for learning the Nogai language, and translated some cartoons into Nogai, for example, “The Lion King.”

The Dagestan youth organization “Vozrozhdenie” is developing sports among the Nogais, trying to transfer dombra from traditional culture to modern culture, held a KVN, and wants to launch its own newspaper. It is not known whether everything will work out for them, but the very fact that many young people in the village do not sit still is surprising. There is no alcohol or discos in this environment; instead - sports, sushi bar, Sony PlayStation. “I kick, you kick – we help each other.” By the way, children aged about 16, whom we managed to talk to in a local cafe, also said that alcohol is no longer fashionable (although they drank energy drinks instead). Of course, this way of life is not typical for all Nogais, but this is increasingly becoming the rule rather than the exception.

Faces of Russia. “Living together while remaining different”

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

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faces of Russia". Nogais. “How to weave a whip”, 2011

General information

NOGAYTS, Nogyay (self-name), people in the Russian Federation. Number of people: 75 thousand people. The main area of ​​settlement of the Nogais is within the territory of Dagestan (28 thousand), Chechnya (6.9 thousand) and the Stavropol Territory. According to the 2002 Census, the number of Nogais living in Russia is 91 thousand people, according to the 2010 census. - 103 thousand 660 people.

Subethnic groups: Karanogais (Dagestan), Achikulak and Kum Nogais (Stavropol region), Kuban Nogais (Karachay-Cherkessia) and Astrakhan Nogais (Astrakhan region). They also live in Turkey, Romania and other countries. They speak the Nogai language of the Turkic group of the Altai family, which has two dialects: Karanogai and Kuban. Literary language based on the Karanogai dialect and Nogai dialect. Writing from the 18th century to 1928 was based on Arabic script, from 1928 - on Latin, from 1938 - on Russian script. Believing Nogais are Sunni Muslims.

The emergence of the ethnonym “Nogai” and the formation of the core of the Nogai people are associated with the name of the Golden Horde Khan Nogai (13th century). The ethnonym became more widespread under Khan Edigei (late 14th - early 15th centuries) and his successors, when the Nogai Horde was created as an independent state. The first information about the appearance of the Nogais in the North Caucasian steppes, including the lower reaches of the Terek and Sulak, dates back to the end of the 15th century. In the 2nd half of the 16th century, after the collapse of the Nogai Horde and the formation of two uluses - Big and Small Nogai - the North Caucasian steppes became the main habitat of the Nogais. Eastern regions The Northern Caucasus was developed by people from the Lesser Nogai Horde, and the lower reaches of the Sulak and Terek - from the Greater Nogai Horde. At the end of the 17th century, a significant part of the Nogais from the lower reaches of the Terek and Sulak migrated to the Mozdok steppe, giving rise to a group of northeastern Nogais, known as the Karanogais.

After the inclusion of the Nogais into Russia state entities were liquidated. Subsequently, the administrative-territorial affiliation of the Nogai steppe changed repeatedly. Since 1957, it has been divided by administrative-territorial boundaries between Dagestan, Chechnya and the Stavropol Territory.

Series of audio lectures “Peoples of Russia” - Nogais

The traditional occupations of the Nogais are nomadic and transhumance cattle breeding (sheep, goats, cattle), horse breeding, and camel breeding. Along with cattle breeding, the Nogais were to a small extent engaged in agriculture (millet, oats, wheat), melon growing and gardening. They also raised poultry (chickens, geese, ducks). The ancient traditional occupations of the Nogais include hunting and fishing (hares, saigas, foxes, etc.; herring, barbel, sturgeon, salmon, etc.).

Among the crafts, the most developed were the production of cloth, processing of leather, sheepskin, wood, and the production of felt, from which burkas, boots, hats, and arbabash carpets were made. The most important trade routes in the Eastern Caucasus, including the Great Silk Road, passed through the Nogai steppes, which determined the significant role of trade among the Nogais.

The characteristic type of settlements of the Nogais are nomadic auls: spring-summer, summer-autumn (yaylak and yazlav) and winter (kyslav); at the same time, winter roads (among the Kuban Nogais from the 2nd half of the 18th century, among the rest of the Nogais from the mid-19th century) turned into sedentary permanent settlements (yurt, aul, shahar, kaala).

Traditional dwellings are a tent (yurt) and a house (uy), which are adapted respectively to a nomadic and sedentary lifestyle; The more ancient dwelling of the Nogais should be considered yurts.

The Nogai yurt - large (terme) and small, portable (otav) - was a round-shaped tent typical of nomadic peoples. The sedentary Nogais lived in semi-dugouts (erme kazy) and above-ground turluch and adobe houses with a flat gable roof. The house had a kitchen-seni (ayatyuy) and bedrooms (ichyuy); As the sons got married, new rooms were added to the house. An open hearth was used to heat the yurt in cold weather and to cook food; there was also a tripod here. Stationary dwellings had wall-mounted fireplaces; At the beginning of the 20th century, iron stoves appeared.

Traditional men's clothing consisted of a tunic-shaped undershirt, wide-legged trousers, an outer shirt, a sleeveless jacket (kyyspa), a caftan (elen), a beshmet and a cherkeska (for the rich), a burka (jams), shoes made of skins, morocco, chrome , hats, hats made of felt, fabric, fur (bork), waist belt. In winter, they wore fur coats made of sheepskin (poor) or wolf, fox, squirrel and astrakhan skins (rich). Men's clothing complemented by weapons and military armor: bow and arrows, axe, spear, armor, helmet, shield, chain mail, dagger, saber, and from the mid-17th century, firearms: guns and pistols of various types.

The cut of a women's suit is close to that of a man's; it included a shirt dress (ich koylek), various types of dresses (zybyn, kaptal, etc.), fur coats (ton), hats made of fur or fabric, scarves, scarves, shoes made of wool, leather, morocco, as well as belts and various types of decorations. Currently, the young and middle generation of women wear urban clothing, while the older generation, especially rural women, often wear traditional clothing.

Traditional food - meat, dairy, flour and fish dishes: besbarmak (meat with noodles), kuvyrdak (fried meat with onions), shish kebab, kazy, toltyrma (sausages), kazan borek (dumplings), inkal (a type of dumplings), balyk sorpa (ear), porridge, various types of cheeses, pies , scrambled eggs, etc. Drinks consumed: nogai shai (Nogai tea), yourt, kumis, ayran, buza, serbet souv, etc.

In the 19th century, there were two forms of family: large (patriarchal) and small. The life of a large, and to a lesser extent small, family was strictly regulated. The relationship was built on the norms of adat (customary law) and Sharia (the system of Islamic law), which contributed to the preservation of the authoritarian family structure and the lack of rights for women and younger men.

Folklore is developed: heroic poems (Ahmed son of Aisyl, Koplanly batyr, Edige, Mamai, Manasha, Amankhor, etc.), ritual poetry (maternity, wedding, labor and other songs, songs of lament), lyrical destans (Boz yigit, Kozy- Korpesh, Boyan Slu, etc.), Cossack songs (Kazak yyrlary), fairy tales, legends, anecdotes, proverbs, sayings, riddles.

Musical folklore, choreography, as well as folk games and sports (wrestling, horse racing, etc.) received great development. A folk calendar has been developed, ethnoscience and veterinary medicine. Elements of traditional beliefs associated with nature cults were preserved.

M.-R.A. Ibragimov

Essays

Don't have a golden stick, but have a heroic soul

Without a doubt, a wedding is one of the most important moments in the lives of two people. First of all, those two who are getting married. But the wedding is no less important for their parents, as well as for all relatives, both from the groom and from the bride.

What does a Nogai wedding look like? This is what we are going to talk about, but first we will emphasize that the path to the wedding begins... long before the wedding itself.

Among the Nogais, the marriageable age (up to a century and even later) fluctuated within the following limits: for girls - from 13 to 15 years, and for boys - from 15 to 25 years. The age of marriage depended, first of all, on the property status of the family.

Matchmaking of young children was also common: that is, matchmaking in the cradle and even in the womb.

An indispensable condition for marriage was the payment of bride price. The bride price itself was considered as compensation for working hands. It was paid mainly in cattle, and with the development of commodity-money relations, in money. Kalym amounted to 40 heads of cattle.

For a divorced woman or a widow, only half was paid. When a girl was born, fellow villagers, congratulating the head of the family, said the following words: “The price of a girl is 40 bulls, may 40 head of cattle benefit you.”

Over time, the size of the bride price decreased somewhat, and its composition also changed. The size of the dowry largely depended on the social and financial situation of the parties and also on personal qualities brides In addition to the dowry, the groom also had to pay mahar - a certain amount of money.

Never started a conversation with the main thing

The wedding ceremony included several stages. The first stage is matchmaking. The functions of matchmaker were most often performed by the father, as well as the groom's older brother or paternal or maternal uncle. Women usually did not act as matchmakers. An exception was sometimes made for widowed women.

It should be borne in mind that the diplomatic skills of the matchmakers decided a lot, if not everything. Matchmakers never started the conversation with the main thing. They talked peacefully about peaceful things: about the weather, the harvest... The female half was preparing a treat. The girl (the future bride) was sitting in another room at that time and did not show herself.

After the refreshment, the senior matchmaker outlined the purpose of the visit, but did not talk unnecessarily about the merits of the groom. The conversation was usually about the groom's family. If the bride's family members were not sufficiently informed about the groom's family, then the matchmakers could be refused on that day. They could have postponed the message about the results of the matchmaking to another date. And during this time, the girl’s side made inquiries about the groom’s family.

As soon as an agreement was reached between the parties, the amount of the dowry was immediately announced. From that moment on, the girl was considered betrothed, and they said about her: “nyshan salyngan kyz” (marked girl).

What happened next? Matchmakers from the bride's side came to collect the cattle included in the dowry. The resulting bride price usually remained with the bride's father. If the bride was an orphan, then the bride price was received by a relative, and in his absence, by a guardian.

Consent was not given immediately

Even if the bride’s family was ready to respond positively to the matchmakers’ proposal, consent to the marriage was still not given immediately. In this case, the matchmaker was treated to Kalmyk tea and seen off very politely.

After 7-10 days he repeated his visit, but this time he returned with nothing. Only during the third visit, which took place a week later, did the matchmaker receive a positive or negative answer.

The second stage opened with the official engagement. It happened either on Sunday or Wednesday. In both families, the closest relatives to the family gathered. During the engagement, matchmakers brought a gift to the bride, as a rule, a headscarf, less often earrings. The matchmakers had to agree on the size of the bride price, the date of the small wedding and resolve other issues.

From that day on, both sides called each other “kuda” (addressing men), “kudagai” (addressing women).

The third stage consisted of a small wedding. At this time, the bride price was transferred to the bride’s house, as well as gifts for the bride’s female relatives. After the engagement, the groom could visit the bride. These dates were arranged by the wives of the bride's brothers.

Before the wedding, the family sent their daughter-bride, accompanied by her daughter-in-law and friend, to visit relatives. It was like a farewell procedure, during which relatives were invited to a big wedding.

Weddings were most often held in autumn or spring. Before setting a date, the Nogais turned to their astrologers, who, based on the location of the planet “safar-yuldiz,” determined the most prosperous days for marriage. On the appointed day, families (each separately) called their relatives. A new yurt or tent was erected for the newlyweds - a gift from the bride's father.

Happy family journey!

The bride's guests are seated at tables covered with cold appetizers. An old wedding melody sounds, and relatives take the newlyweds out of the house. And the traditional feast begins with the election of the toastmaster, his assistants, toasts, toasts, and wishes.

The toastmaster at the wedding gives the floor to one of the most revered old men. He takes with both hands “serbetsuv” - a bowl of sweet water and literally says the following words: “In this bowl there is sweet water, the Nogais treat those who wish fertility, a rich and sweet life with it. May you, dear newlyweds, be accompanied by at least some of the wishes that were expressed before me and will be expressed after me by those who, like me, held or will hold such a cup in their hands.

Take a sip from this cup! Have a good family journey!” - with these words the speaker brings the cup to the young people.

The groom takes it, takes a sip and passes it to the bride. The complexity of the procedure lies in the fact that several scarves are attached to the sleeves of the groom's suit, and he must not touch anything on the table or soak them in the bowl.

The toastmaster announces the beginning of the wedding dances, but they do not last long. The bride is taken back into the house, placed on a down pillow in one of the rooms, and a bride price is demanded from the groom's relatives. According to a very ancient tradition, this ransom is paid with songs, dances, and poems. If you observe from the outside, it resembles a poetry competition.

What is the meaning of a wedding? Of course, it is important in itself - as a holiday that is remembered for a lifetime. But, perhaps, the main point of a wedding is that a new family is created. And some time after the wedding, children are born. That is, life goes on!

Rituals associated with the birth of a child

The Nogais perceived the birth of a child as a joyful, solemn event.

To give birth, the woman went to her parents' house and remained there until the child was 40 days old. During this time the husband had no right to visit his wife.

A very important moment, accompanied by a number of religious and maternal rituals, was the ceremonial placing of the child in the “besik” cradle. This happened a week after birth.

On this day, close relatives gathered, for whom the owners of the house arranged a rich treat. Guests brought gifts to the child and grandmother. When everyone was gathered, one of the relatives brought the baby to the family dining room and handed him over to the older woman, who ceremoniously placed him in the cradle. And twice intentionally wrong. Performing this ritual, each time she addressed those present: “Am I putting it right?” They answered: “no.” Finally, for the third time, she put the baby down just right.

After this, one of the women, who specially held a small cat in her hands, immediately placed it on the child’s chest. The meaning of this action is that the child should sleep a lot and calmly, like a cat.

At these same celebrations, the child was given a name. This also happened in a solemn manner. The name, previously approved by the family council, was pronounced loudly directly into the ear of the child himself.

Among the Nogais, a young mother did not have the right to rock her child in a cradle or hold him in her arms in front of her elders - these duties were performed by older women or teenage girls. Grandmother usually sang lullabies.

After six months or a year, the child's hair was cut for the first time. To do this, he was taken to his grandfather or his maternal uncle.

Like all professing Islam, the Nogais circumcised their sons. This was usually carried out between the ages of two and eight years. For this procedure, the family invited a mullah.

Children were raised in strictness, unquestioning obedience, and respect for elders. Boys were taught to do housework from an early age. Girls were taught to cut, sew and embroider.

The children did not receive secular education. But in every village there was a mosque school where they taught how to read the Koran. Particular attention was paid to the physical training of boys.

In the evening hours, the children listened to traditional music, usually performed by their grandfather. Grandfather's songs about brave warriors instilled courage in the children.

The character of the people is in proverbs

We already know about the courage of the Nogais, which is cultivated from childhood. What other character traits do they have? To answer this question, you need to read proverbs. What are they good for? First of all, because from them you can learn a lot about the people, about their character, intelligence, and imagination.

Here at first glance is a completely ordinary Nogai proverb: “The beauty of a person is clothes, the beauty of a tree is leaves.”

The direct meaning of the proverb is clear, but there is also a hidden meaning. The proverb contains a hint (indication) that clothes, even the most beautiful ones, are an ephemeral, passing thing. She is like leaves that fall...

The Nogai proverb states, or rather, advises: “In a friend’s house, speak while sitting, and in an enemy’s house, speak while standing.” The question is, why? But the fact is that in a friend’s house a person feels protected, he can relax and unwind. And in the house of an enemy, you have to be on alert all the time, you have to be prepared for various turns of events.

According to the famous historian and ethnographer Ramazan Kereytov, who develops in his works many ideas of ethnographic pedagogy (ethnopedagogy), people are educated not only by small folklore genres (proverbs, sayings, riddles), but also by large ones. For example, the cycle of poems “Forty Nogai Heroes” fosters optimism, pride in the native people and their land, and calls for protecting the homeland.

The Nogai heroic poem “Edige” carries a significant educational load. Let us recall that Edige is historical figure, founder and head of the Nogai state - the Nogai Horde. In the poem he is described as follows: “Edige is such a person: all his clothes are white, but he never gets his white clothes dirty. Without putting something under him, he will not sit on the ground. If he doesn’t have anything, he will put his whip or scourge under himself... He is so clean.”

In the Nogai poem (destan) “Shora Batyr,” its main character, Shora, before leaving home, consults first of all with his father Narik, and then with the rest of the family. The most important thing for Shora is her father’s blessing.

Fairy tales actively educate a person. Without moralizing, without boring advice, the fairy tale teaches the most important thing: how to navigate correctly in this world, which is not always kind. Let's listen to one Nogai fairy tale. And then we’ll decide whether we should screw it up.

The lame leg is not to blame

Once upon a time there lived a poor old man in the world. He had four sons. The old man died, and his four sons inherited an inheritance - a little white goat. It was a nice little goat, but it somehow limped on its back leg. The brothers took pity on him, smeared his leg with ointment and bandaged it with a cloth.

But any inheritance must be divided. The brothers began to share among themselves. It was decided to give the healthy hind leg to the eldest, the two front legs to the two middle ones, and the lame hind leg to the younger brother. They divided the kid and began to raise it. They fed us grass, gave us fresh water and ayran to drink, and in the evenings we put them to bed in the warmth of the fireplace.

One day, when a little white goat was lying by the fireplace, a coal fell out. A rag on the kid's leg caught fire. The kid jumped up in pain, thrashed around, ran out of the hut and galloped into the field.

“And there were haystacks in the field, and the little goat, jumping around them, set the haystacks on fire.

The haystacks belonged to the khan. The Khan got angry. He ordered to find out who set fire to the hay, appointed a trial and called all four brothers to him.

- Compensate me for the losses, otherwise I will throw you in prison.

“Yes, yes, pay, otherwise you will all be thrown into prison,” the khan’s judges echoed in one voice.

“We don’t have to pay for these haystacks, dear Khan,” answered the three older brothers. - True, we all inherited the kid from our father. But we have already divided it among ourselves. The hind leg on which the rag caught fire is the property of the younger brother. And pay him!

“I don’t care who pays,” the khan agreed. - Let the younger one pay.

And all the Khan’s judges nodded their heads in agreement:

Let the younger one pay. The wise khan doesn't care!

“How can I, a poor man, compete with the khan! - thought the younger brother. “Obviously, we’ll have to pay.” And without saying another word, he left the Khan’s palace. On the way he met an old beggar.

Where are you going, my son, and why are you so sad? - asked the old man.

The younger brother told about the misfortune that unexpectedly fell on his head.

Eh, son! You shouldn't have agreed to pay! The main defendant is not you, but your three older brothers. Why? I will answer you... If your kid had only one leg - a lame one, the owner of which you are considered to be, the kid would not be able to gallop into the field and you would put out the fire with a rag. The kid was led to the khan's stacks by three healthy legs. And their owners are your older brothers.

The younger brother returned, beside himself with joy, to the Khan's palace and shouted:

Oh, my khan! The trial was wrong! That's right, your haystacks caught fire because of our kid's lame leg. But this leg didn’t come to the field on its own? Three healthy legs brought her! And the owners of these three legs are my older brothers.

The khan convened his judges again and ordered them to judge again. And the older brothers had to pay their share equally with the younger ones. The lame leg is not to blame.

A wonderful fairy tale: both funny and instructive. Everyone who listens to it will definitely gain wisdom.

The Nogai people also have proverbs called “akyl uyretuv” (edifications). If ordinary proverbs allow for some kind of dispute or doubt, then you just need to listen to the edifications, you need to follow them. They won't let you down.

This is what the wise Nogais advise to do.

Believe not what is said, but what comes to mind. (In Nogai: “Aitkanga ynynma, akylyna kelse ynyn.”)

If your golden saddle rubs your horse's back, then take it off the horse and throw it into the fire.

And finally, the last thing: “Consult not with the one who cries, but with the one who laughs.”

The meaning, again, is absolutely clear: if a person knows how to properly enjoy life, then he will not give bad advice!

: 22 006 (2010)

• Neftekumsky district: 12,267 (trans. 2002)
• Mineralovodsky district 2,929 (per. 2002)
• Stepnovsky district 1,567 (trans. 2002)
• Neftekumsk: 648 (trans. 2002)

Karachay-Cherkessia: 15 654 (2010)

Astrakhan region: 7 589 (2010)

Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug: 5 323 (2010)

Chechnya: 3,444 (2010)

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug: 3 479 (2010)

Ukraine: 385 (2001 census)

Language Religion Racial type Included in Related peoples Origin

Nogais(self-name - kick, plural - nogaylar listen)) are a Turkic-speaking people in the North Caucasus and the Volga region. They speak Nogai, which belongs to the Kipchak group (Kypchak-Nogai subgroup) of Turkic languages. The literary language was created on the basis of the Karanogai dialect and the Nogai dialect. The writing is related to the ancient Turkic, Uighur-Naiman scripts; from the 18th century Until 1928, the Nogai alphabet was based on Arabic script, from 1928-1938. - in Latin script. Since 1938, the Cyrillic alphabet has been used.

The number in the Russian Federation is 103.7 thousand people. ().

Political history

In the middle of the 16th century, Gazi (son of Urak, great-grandson of Musa) took part of the Nogais who wandered in the Volga region to the North Caucasus, where there were traditional old nomadic Mangyts, founding Small Nogai.

The Nogai Horde between the Volga and Emba fell into decline as a result of the expansion of the Moscow state in the Volga region and wars with neighbors, of which the most destructive was the war with the Kalmyks. The descendants of the Nogais who did not move to Malye Nogai disappeared among the Bashkirs, Kazakhs and Tatars.

Anthropology

Anthropologically, the Nogais belong to the South Siberian small race, transitional between the large Mongoloid and Caucasian races

Resettlement

Currently, the Nogais live mainly in the North Caucasus and Southern Russia - in Dagestan (Nogaisky, Tarumovsky, Kizlyarsky and Babayurtsky districts), in the Stavropol Territory (Neftekumsky district), Karachay-Cherkessia (Nogaisky district), Chechnya (northern Shelkovsky district) and Astrakhan region. From the name of the people comes the name Nogai Steppe - an area of ​​compact settlement of Nogais on the territory of Dagestan, the Stavropol Territory and the Chechen Republic.

Over the past decades, large Nogai diasporas have formed in other regions of Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.

Language

IN cultural heritage Nogaev, the main place is occupied by musical and poetic art. There is a rich heroic epic (including the poem “Edige”)

Religion

Nogai girls in national costumes. Beginning of the 20th century.

Cloth

Housing

Story

The Nogais are one of the few peoples of modern Russia that have centuries-old traditions of statehood in the past. Tribes from state associations of the Great Steppe of the 7th century took part in the long process of Nogai ethnogenesis. BC e. - XIII century n. e. (Sakas, Sarmatians, Huns, Usuns, Kanglys, Keneges, Ases, Kipchaks, Uighurs, Argyns, Kytai, Naimans, Kereits, Kungrats, Mangyts, etc.).

The final formation of the Nogai community with the supra-tribal name Nogai (Nogaily) occurred in the 14th century as part of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde). In the subsequent period, the Nogais ended up in different states formed after the collapse of the Golden Horde - Astrakhan, Kazan, Kazakh, Crimean, Siberian Khanates and the Nogai Horde.

Nogai ambassadors first arrived in Moscow in 1489. For the Nogai embassy, ​​the Nogai courtyard was allocated beyond the Moscow River not far from the Kremlin in a meadow opposite the Simonov Monastery. A place was also allocated in Kazan for the Nogai embassy, ​​called the “Mangyt place”. The Nogai Horde received tribute from the Kazan Tatars, Bashkirs, and some Siberian tribes, and played a political and trade-intermediary role in the affairs of neighboring states. In the 1st half of the 16th century. The Nogai Horde could field more than 300 thousand warriors. The military organization allowed the Nogai Horde to successfully defend its borders, help the warriors and neighboring khanates, and the Russian state. In turn, the Nogai Horde received military and economic assistance from Moscow. In 1549, an embassy from the Turkish Sultan Suleiman arrived in the Nogai Horde. The main caravan road connecting Eastern Europe with Central Asia passed through its capital, the city of Saraichik. In the first half of the 16th century. Moscow moved towards further rapprochement with the Nogai Horde. Trade exchange has increased. The Nogais supplied horses, sheep, livestock products, and in return received cloth, ready-made clothing, fabrics, iron, lead, copper, tin, walrus ivory, and writing paper. The Nogais, fulfilling the agreement, carried out cordon service in the south of Russia. In the Livonian War, on the side of the Russian troops, Nogai cavalry regiments under the command of the Murzas - Takhtar, Temir, Bukhat, Bebezyak, Urazly and others acted. Looking ahead, we recall that in the Patriotic War of 1812, in the army of General Platov there was a Nogai cavalry regiment that reached Paris, about what A. Pavlov wrote.

Crimean period XVII-XVIII centuries.

After the fall of the Golden Horde, the Nogais wandered in the lower Volga region, but the movement of Kalmyks from the east in the 17th century led to the migration of the Nogais to the North Caucasian borders of the Crimean Khanate).

As part of Russia since the 18th century.

The Nogais scattered in scattered groups throughout the Trans-Kuban region near Anapa and throughout North Caucasus up to the Caspian steppes and the lower reaches of the Volga. About 700 thousand Nogais went to the Ottoman Empire.

By 1812, the entire Northern Black Sea region finally became part of Russia. The remnants of the Nogai hordes were settled in the north of the Tauride province (modern Kherson region) and in the Kuban, and were forcibly transferred to a sedentary lifestyle.

Nogaevists

Notes

1. Official website of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census. Information materials on the final results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census
2. All-Russian Population Census 2010. National composition of the population of the Russian Federation 2010
3. All-Russian population census 2010. National composition of Russian regions
4. Ethnic composition of the population of Dagestan. 2002
5. Ethnic composition of the population of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. 2002
6. Ethnic composition of the population of Chechnya. 2002
7. All-Ukrainian Population Census 2001. Russian version. Results. Nationality and native language.
8. Minahan James One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. - Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. - P. 493–494. - ISBN 978-0313309847
9. Peoples of the world. Historical and ethnographic reference book. Ch. ed. Yu.V. Bromley. Moscow " Soviet encyclopedia" 1988. Article "Nogais", author N.G. Volkova, p. 335.
10. KavkazWeb: 94% of respondents are in favor of creating the Nogai district in Karachay-Cherkessia - referendum results
11. Nogai district was officially created in Karachay-Cherkessia
12. Nogai district was created in Karachay-Cherkessia
13. The Nogai district was created in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic
14. Esperanto news: Conference on the future of the Nogai people
15. Traditional clothing and uniform of Terek, Kuban Cossacks
16. Nogais
17. Nogais
18. Russian military and diplomats on the status of Crimea during the reign of Shagin-Girey
19. Vadim GEGEL. Exploring the Wild West in Ukrainian
20. V. B. Vinogradov. Middle Kuban. Countrymen and neighbors. NOGAI

see also

Links

• IslamNGY - Blog of the group "Nogais in Islam". Islamic analysis of the history of the Nogais, the call of Nogai preachers, articles, poems, books, videos and audio about Islam and the Nogais.
• Nogaitsy.ru - Information site dedicated to the Nogais. History, Information, Forum, Chat, Video, Music, Radio, E-books, Poems, and much more related to the Nogais.

• V. B. Vinogradov. Middle Kuban. Countrymen and neighbors. Nogais
• Vladimir Gutakov. Russian path to the south (myths and reality). Part two
• K. N. Kazalieva. Interethnic relations of the Nogais in southern Russia

Literature

• Yarlykapov, Akhmet A. Islam among the steppe Nogais. M., Inst. ethnology and anthropology, 2008.
• Nogais // Peoples of Russia. Atlas of cultures and religions. - M.: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010. - 320 p. - ISBN 978-5-287-00718-8
• Peoples of Russia: pictorial album, St. Petersburg, printing house of the Public Benefit Partnership, December 3, 1877, Art. 374