The Chechen national culture is original and peculiar, and it is also universal, because it is in close interaction with the cultures of other Caucasian peoples, developing in symbiosis with them. One of its characteristic and inalienable elements is the national costume of the Chechens, which reflects the character and customs, lifestyle, principles and ideology of this proud and rebellious people. Like all mountain dwellers, Chechens have a freedom-loving character, and their traditional attire is as bright, a little solemn, as the people wearing it themselves. One of the distinguishing features is that all elements of clothing are made from natural local raw materials: sheepskin, cloth, leather, felt, etc.
Chechen folk costume: history
The formation of the traditional attire of one or another people, of course, is influenced by living conditions, climate, geographical features, adherence to one or another religion, as well as its socio-economic situation. The costume of the Chechen people is no exception. Let's take a short excursion into the past of this mountain people. Chechens are true mountain dwellers, as proud and freedom-loving as the eagles that circle above their villages located high below the very sky. For many centuries they were engaged in sheep farming, and therefore, processing and spinning of wool. This material was taken as the basis for the creation of their traditional clothing. In addition to wool and sheepskin, such natural raw materials as leather and fur were also used. Chechens learned to make felt and felt for a long time, and then skillful local craftsmen sewed certain elements from them, which included Chechen national clothes.
As you know, in the Caucasus Christian and Muslim religions coexist side by side. In addition to mosques and Orthodox churches, you can also find a synagogue here, which indicates the tolerance of the peoples living here. Culturologists, ethnographers and anthropologists have long noticed that a national costume depends not only on climate and geographical conditions, but also on the mentality and faith of a particular nation. In clothes, as in a mirror, all these features are displayed. So, if the national ornament tells us about the level of artistic development of the people, then the color scheme and cut give an idea of the moral values of the representatives of this ethnic group. For example, a Chechen women's costume is an example of restraint and chastity. Even today, Chechens do not call themselves to wear revealing neckline, mini or skin-tight dresses. It is also not accepted to open the navel.
Features
If you carefully observe the attire of these mountain people, you will notice that its distinguishing feature is its numerous functional and decorative details and accessories, and it is in them that the features of the life of Chechens are reflected. So, for example, in the wardrobe of the representatives of this people a special place is occupied by scarves. A married Chechen woman will never allow herself to enter society with her head open. For men, a hat is an obligatory Chechen headdress. In general, head coverings are not just elements of clothing, accessories, but symbols that mean courage for the stronger sex, and chastity for women, that is, the preservation of sacred purity. If someone with his hand touches the hat placed on the man’s head, he will inflict a mortal insult on her master. Even in battle, a man did not take off his hat before an opponent, and a soldier who lost it lost honor and dignity. Knowing this, the enemy certainly wanted to knock the symbol of his honor from the head of the Chechen. But the strength of the handkerchief had a different effect. A Chechen woman could intervene in a bloody battle and throw her scarf between the fighters, which meant ending the fight. And woe to that man who would not respect such a woman’s will. The national costume of the Chechens had several options: male, female, festive, military and wedding. As for children's outfits, they were repeated by adults with minor changes. So, for example, boys under 14 did not wear a dagger. And his appearance on the belt spoke of a transition to a different age category. Dagger is a city and a mandatory attribute of a young man.
Chechen costume for men
The national clothes of the stronger sex consisted of two parts: a half-caftan, which is called beshmet, and pants, tapering downwards, so that they were conveniently placed in boots. Both the first and the second were made of soft materials so that the wearer was comfortable and the suit did not constrain movements. Beshmet was considered both a home and a weekend suit. He fastened with buttons that were made of laces, folded into knots. This piece of clothing was 10 centimeters above the knee. The beshmet's sleeves narrowed to the wrist, and the cuffs were fastened with the same buttons as on the chest. At the waist, the caftan narrows and expands to the knees. For older men, beshmet was made from warmer materials and had a length below the knees. The color scheme of men's clothing is rather dark than light, shades of gray, brown, brown, etc. are used. However, beshmet, in particular for young men, was often sewn of colored fabric, thus standing out as a bright spot against a general dark background. By the way, the Chechen combat suit also consists of beshmet - half-caftan. White clothing, especially Circassian, could afford only rich Chechens.
Clothing for celebrations
A festive Chechen costume was made of bright and shiny fabric. On special occasions on top of the beshmet, a Circassian was put on, the cut of which coincided with the cut of the caftan. Circassian, as a rule, was sewn from the highest quality cloth. She had no collar and fastened exclusively at the waist, emphasizing the harmony of the camp. The sleeves were quite long, below the brush, so they were bent around. On Cherkessk on both sides of the chest, gas boxes were sewn. These are small pockets that were designed to store tubes of wood with charges for weapons. Over time, they lost their destiny. However, they remained on the costume as a tribute to the traditions of the Chechen people. Circassia was never worn unbuttoned. She was belted in a narrow belt, on which a weapon hung - a dagger, a saber or a pistol.
Outerwear
A characteristic part of the national costume of the Chechens was a cloak - such a special cape made of wool and astrakhan without sleeves, but with emphasized shoulders. It was convenient for riders to put it on their shoulders while riding a horse. She protected the owner from rain, and snow, and cold, and even from heat, however paradoxical it may sound. In the case when you had to spend the night outside the house, the cloak could serve as a blanket.
Headdress and shoes
The national costume of Chechens cannot be without a hat. It has a conical shape and is made of sheepskin. As noted above, no one except the owner dared to touch her, otherwise this could be regarded as an insult. For rich Chechens, hats were made from the skins of Bukhara lambs. In summer, instead of a hat, you could wear a hat made of felt. As shoes, Chechen men wore light leather boots with shafts extending to their knees. Pants sewn from homespun cloth were tucked in. For wealthy men, chuvans were made - soft shoes on a flat sole. Together with them, leather legs were stretched over the calves and knees, which did not have feet and soles.
Women costume
Chechen girls, unlike men, wore more varied in color, material and clothing. By the side you could learn almost everything about the age, social status and position of women in society. The Chechen women’s national costume consisted of 4 elements: a top dress, tunic dress (bottom dress), pants, and a belt. To married women, a shawl was and is an obligatory component of clothing to this day. The tunic or bottom dress is usually very long, down to the ankles. It is sewn from light plain fabric. The tunic has a slit on the chest, and also has a small standing collar that fastens with a button. Under the lower dress, women wear harem pants collected below - a mandatory attribute of Muslim clothes. A pair of tunic-pants, complemented by a scarf, as a headdress, was a perfectly appropriate outfit for everyday wear. By the way, in the festive version, the pants at the bottom were sheathed in tone-on-tone silk with a tunic. The sleeves of the bottom dress were straight and long to cover the hands. The festive women's folk costume of the Chechens had a tunic with very long sleeves reaching the floor. These shirt dresses were decorated with bibs, which were made of precious metals and framed with stones. The top or swing dress was like a robe that was fastened with small hooks at the waist. It was sewn from expensive fabrics, for example, brocade, velvet, satin or cloth. As ornaments, braid, embroidery, folds and frills were used. Dresses of bright colors were worn only by Chechen girls and young women, while mature women preferred dark tones and rarely used jewelry.
Accessories
A mandatory attribute of the Chechen costume for both men and women is the belt. Women's belts, as in costumes of other Caucasian peoples, were jewelry. They were decorated with precious stones, pearls, buckles of various shapes. Some of them were real masterpieces of jewelry art. To this day, the scarf is an indispensable element of the women's outfit. Girls use scarves made of weightless transparent fabric, and women use a dense silk scarf with a fringe, which, according to tradition, was worn over a chukhet (this is a special bag where braids fit). Jewelry - massive rings, brooches, necklaces, temporal pendants, bracelets - can also be called a mandatory part of the traditional Chechen outfit. Depending on the wealth of the family, the jewelry could be made of bronze or silver, but not gold.
Footwear
Chechens put on shoes of various models and made of different materials: leather, morocco, felt, wool, etc. The most popular models were light shoes like leather slippers that were worn both at home and outside. Young Chechens liked to wear shoes without backs with a sole made of hard material and with medium heels, about 5 cm. In cool times, it was customary to wear morocco boots. When they were adorned, fashionistas gave vent to their imagination, embroidered on shafts with gold and silver threads, trimmed with pearls and stones. The boots were of two types - with a heel and on a flat sole. Naturally, the first type was more suitable for girls and young people, the second was in use in middle-aged and elderly women. However, the biggest women of fashion wore leather boots. They were sewn to order and by the standards of several pieces of the highest quality leather.
Modern Chechen costume
Residents of Chechnya highly honor the traditions and customs of their people. Unlike many nations, they have not completely abandoned it and are worn with pleasure today. Young people, of course, wears a national costume only on holidays, and on other days, prefers to dress as is customary in the modern world. Men keep a tribute to tradition and wear hats, combining them even with business suits. In Chechnya, you can meet elderly people dressed in beshmet and even Circassian. Women of the same age category also adhere to national traditions, wear long dresses and harem pants in everyday life, and always walk with their heads covered. Some modern Chechen designers, wanting to embody the inextricable link between the past and the present, create models in the so-called ethnic style, using the features of the ancient national costume of Chechens. So, in fashion collections you can find Caucasian shirts with a stand-up collar on one button, etc. The same applies to women's clothing: there are much more opportunities to bring the national to the modern look.
By the way, recently not only Chechen clothing designers, but also global fashion industry meters have begun to use elements of the Caucasus, in particular, Chechen costume when creating models in the style of “ethnic” or “folk”. A few years ago, the Russian famous fashion designer Ulyana Sergeenko in her collection “The Caucasus, ” the creation of which was inspired by the work of M. Yu. Lermontov (Caucasian period), presented several models of women's clothing that were Circassian, that is, an element not of a woman’s, but a man’s national Chechen costume. Today, Caucasian jewelry and various accessories (belts, pendants, hats or shoes are also in trend. Quite often, modern wedding dresses made by Chechen designers are adapted versions of an old wedding dress. What are their characteristic features?
