Where do the Adyghe people live? Adyghe people

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 the countries of the entire post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, within the framework of the project, we have 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. In support of the first series of films, illustrated almanacs were released. Now we are halfway to the creation of a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a snapshot that will allow the people of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a legacy of what they were like for their descendants.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Faces of Russia". Adyghe people. More Than Cheese, 2008

General information

ADYGEANS- the people living in Russia, the indigenous population of the Republic of Adygea (124 thousand 835 people - according to the 2010 census). Adygeis also live in some areas of the Krasnodar Territory (more than fifteen thousand). Some live in Turkey and the Middle East. The Adyghes speak the Adyghe language of the Abkhaz-Adyg group of the North Caucasian family. The Russian language is widespread. Writing on a Cyrillic graphic basis. The believers are Sunni Muslims.

In the distant past, the Adyghe people were pagans. Trees, groves, forests were revered. The Adyghe people paid special attention to the god Tha. He occupied the main place in all pagan religions. This god created the Universe, in his hands are the fate of all living things.

As an ethnos, the Adyghe people were formed in the XIII-XIV centuries. The social development of the Adyghe people was uneven and very dramatic. Russia actually conquered Adygea. But it took several decades. A new and much freer life began for the Adyghe people in 1922 in connection with the formation of the Adyghe Autonomous Region (part of the Krasnodar Territory). In 1991, this region was renamed the Republic of Adygea.

Adyghe people attach special importance to human upbringing. The concept of "Adygean" and "cultured person" is perceived by them as one and the same. If someone behaves in an inappropriate manner or does not show due respect, they ask him: "Are you an Abygeba?" Which means "Aren't you an Adygean?"

Essays

If you take an oath, then in the name of the mother

Adyghe people can be recognized by their traditional dress. It is common to the entire North Caucasus. For men - a undershirt, beshmet, Circassian coat, a belt belt with a silver set, trousers, felt cloak, hat, hood, narrow felt or leather leggings. Women wear harem pants, a bottom shirt, a tight caftan, a long swing dress with a silver belt and long arm blades-pendants, a high cap trimmed with silver or gold lace and, of course, a scarf.

Adyghe folk wisdom says that the most beautiful clothes are modesty. One can only agree with this. We carefully read the proverbs of the Adyghe people and drew attention to the fact that many sayings are not outdated to this day.

And some wise phrases can still be regarded as a guide to action.

Judge for yourself: Better to give away everything than to bargain.
Whoever has many guests, the children do not go hungry.
When the raven had eyes made, she requested eyebrows.
There is something ancient, pagan, and in such a difficult proverb: "In an unopened business, a snake sits."

If you want to get down to something, then first of all, drive out the snake. And then everything will go like clockwork.

God Tha created the universe

In the distant past, the Adyghe people were pagans. Trees, groves, forests were revered. The Adyghe people paid special attention to the god Tha. He occupied the main place in all pagan religions. This god created the universe, in his hands are the fate of all living things. The Adyghe people ascribed to him, as the supreme god, the following attributes: merciful, merciful, all-forgiving, giving health and judging. These attributes have a connotation of monotheism. It should be noted that the Adyghe people in parallel believed in the existence of other, smaller gods. That is, gods of the second degree, for example, such as the lightning god Shible, whom the god Tha set to educate people. Indeed, with the help of lightning, that is, the god of lightning, you can cultivate many positive character traits in a person.

Adyghe people also believed in heaven, hell, the existence of the soul, angels, Satan, djinn and in life after death.

The way of life is determined by customs

The Adygeis are a people living in Russia, the indigenous population of the Republic of Adygea (108,115 people). Adygeis also live in some areas of the Krasnodar Territory (more than fifteen thousand). Some live in Turkey and the Middle East. The Adyghes speak the Adyghe language of the Abkhaz-Adyg group of the North Caucasian family. The Russian language is widespread. Writing on a Cyrillic graphic basis. The believers are Sunni Muslims.

The history of the Adyghe people is rooted in the distant past. As an ethnos, they formed in the XIII-XIV centuries. The social development of the Adyghe people was uneven and very dramatic. Russia actually conquered Adygea. But it took several decades. A new and much freer life began for the Adyghe people in 1922 in connection with the formation of the Adyghe Autonomous Region (part of the Krasnodar Territory). In 1991, this region was renamed the Republic of Adygea.

The family and everyday life of the Adyghe people was determined by patriarchal customs and norms. However, in general, the position of women in the Adyghe society was quite high, it has been preserved at the present time.

What is pleasant for the soul is also beautiful for the eyes.

In folk poetry, heroic legends are presented under the general name "Nartov epic". These are ancient heroic songs about the struggle against local feudal lords. There are military-historical songs in the folklore of the Adyghe people, hunting, labor, wedding, lullabies, comic songs. And also crying songs.

Historical, heroic and comic songs are performed by men among the Adyghe people. Women sing other songs: lyric, lullabies, healing and crying songs. In proverbs and sayings, the theme of music, singing, euphony is also encountered: Whose cart you sit on, that song and sing.

Whose speech is sweet, he will lure the snake out of the hole. The Adyghe songs are characterized by two voices. It is composed of the parts of the singer and the chorus, accompanying the soloist in unison or having an independent melodic pattern. The Adyghe people also have their own musical instruments. For example, kamyl is a wind instrument like a longitudinal flute. Shichepshin is a bowed instrument, and pkhachich is a percussion instrument. Since the middle of the 19th century, the accordion has entered the musical life of the Adyghe people. And it has also become a very popular tool. Many famous Russian composers were familiar with the Adyghe folk music: Glinka, Alyabyev, Balakirev and Taneyev.

In order for the picture to be complete, a few words about the traditional occupations of the Adyghe people. This is arable farming (millet, barley, corn and wheat), gardening, viticulture, cattle breeding (cattle and small cattle, horse breeding). Domestic crafts - weaving, weaving, burka (from the word "burka) and leather production, stone and wood carving, gold and silver embroidery. The traditional settlements of the Adyghe people consisted of separate farmsteads, estates, were divided into patronymic parts, on the plain - street-quarter planning. The traditional ground-based dwelling, one-cell, to which additional isolated rooms with a separate entrance for married sons were added.
Adyghe people attach special importance to human upbringing. The concept of Adygean and humanity (cultured person) is perceived by them as one and the same. If someone behaves inappropriately or does not show due respect, they ask him: "Are you an Abygeba?" Which means "Aren't you an Adygean?"

All principles of morality, behavior in society, self-education are contained in the oral collection of laws ("Khabze"). This code of laws is considered sacred. And the one who violates it is punished by the council of elders.

It is also known that the Circassians have an oath in the name of their mother (the strongest oath) or in the name of a pedk. Breaking such an oath was considered a disgrace for the whole race. A person has no basis for trust if he has gone through the oath of his mother.

And how should a non-believer who finds himself among the Circassians behave? Show interest in their customs and language. The one who respects the customs and language of the Adyghe people, that is, knows them, is revered as the highest guest, regardless of social status.

ADYGEYS (self-name - Adyge), a people in the Russian Federation (122.9 thousand people), mainly in Adygea (95.4 thousand people). The Adyghe language is the Abkhaz-Adyg group of the North Caucasian family of languages. The believers are Sunni Muslims.

Story

The Adyghes, like other Adygs - Kabardians and Circassians - are the salvages of the autochthonous population of the North-West Caucasus. After the territorial isolation of the Kabardians in the XIII-XIV centuries, ethnic processes among the rest of the population led to the formation of the modern Adyghe. The social development of the Adyghe people was uneven. Shapsugs, Natukhai and Abadzekhs (the so-called democratic tribes) managed to restrict the rights of their nobility, they were ruled by elected elders. The so-called aristocratic tribes (bzhedugs, temirgoevtsy, khatukaevtsy, etc.) were ruled by princes.

Since the 1820s, the Russian government began the systematic conquest of Adygea. The rise of the liberation movement during the years of the Caucasian War stimulated the Islamization of the Adyghes, was accompanied by the internal self-organization of the Adyghe, the foundations of the military-state union of all groups of the Adyghe were formed. The last centers of resistance of the Adyghe people were suppressed by military force in 1864. Several hundred thousand Adyghes were deported in the 1860s and scattered across the countries of the Middle East, a smaller part of the Adyghes moved to the plains.

In 1922, the Adygei Autonomous Region was formed, since 1937 it has been part of the Krasnodar Territory, since 1991 - the Republic of Adygea.

Language

The native language of the Adyghe people is the Adyghe, which belongs to the Iberian-Caucasian family of languages.

Life and activities

Traditional occupations are arable farming, gardening, viticulture, cattle breeding. Domestic crafts - weaving, weaving, drilling and tanning, stone and wood carving, gold and silver embroidery.

Related peoples

• Adyg subgroup
  • Kabardians (Adyghe)

• Abkhaz-Abaz subgroup

Ethnic groups

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Origin

Adyghe (Western Circassians)- a collective term of the Western Circassian subethnos, the indigenous population of Adygea and Krasnodar Territory, including the Black Sea coast from Anapa to Sochi.

Number of

The share of Adygeis by districts in 2010 according to the census:

The emergence and meaning of the term

The history of the creation of the autonomy of the Adyghe people

On July 27, 1922, the Circassian (Adyghe) Autonomous Region was formed with the center in Krasnodar, which was not territorially part of it. From August 24, 1922 to August 13, 1928 - the Adyghe (Circassian) Autonomous Region. From August 2, 1924 to December 28, 1934, as part of the North Caucasian Territory, then until September 13, 1937 - the Azov-Black Sea Territory. With the formation of the Krasnodar Territory on September 13, 1937, the Adygeya Autonomous Okrug was included in its structure, being there until 1990.

On April 10, 1936, the administrative center of the Adyghe Autonomous Okrug was moved to the city of Maikop, which was also included in the AO. On April 28, 1962, the Tula (now Maikop) region of the Krasnodar Territory was annexed to the AO.

On October 5, 1990, the Adyghe Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed, thus separating from the Krasnodar Territory. On July 3, 1991, the President of the Russian Federation signed a decree on the transformation of the ASSR into the SSR of Adygea. Since March 24, 1992 - the Republic of Adygea.

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Literature

• Adygeans // Peoples of Russia. Atlas of Cultures and Religions. - M .: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010 .-- 320 p. - ISBN 978-5-287-00718-8.
• // / Council of Administration of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Public Relations Department; ch. ed. R. G. Rafikov; editorial board: V.P. Krivonogov, R.D. Tsokaev. - 2nd ed., Rev. and add. - Krasnoyarsk: Platinum (PLATINA), 2008 .-- 224 p. - ISBN 978-5-98624-092-3.

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An excerpt characterizing the Adyghe people

“What if I try to“ look ”through you? - suddenly came into my head a completely wild thought.
- How - through me? - Arno was surprised.
- Oh, but that's right! - Stella immediately exclaimed. “I don’t think so myself ?!”
- Well, sometimes, as you can see, something comes to my mind ... - I laughed. - It's not always just for you to invent!
I tried to "get involved" in his thoughts - nothing happened ... I tried with him to "remember" the moment when he "left" ...
- Oh, what a horror! - Stella squeaked. - Look, this is when they captured him !!!
My breathing stopped ... The picture we saw was really not a pleasant one! This was the moment when Arno had just died, and his essence began to rise up the blue channel. And right behind him ... to the same channel, three absolutely nightmarish creatures crept up! .. Two of them were probably lower astral earthly entities, but the third one clearly seemed to be some other, very scary and alien, clearly not earthly ... And all these creatures very purposefully chased the man, apparently trying to get him for some reason ... And he, poor thing, not even suspecting that he was being hunted so "nicely" , unearthly peace, and, eagerly absorbing this peace, rested in his soul, forgetting for a moment the wild earthly pain that destroyed his heart, "thanks" to which he found himself today in this transparent, unfamiliar world ...
At the end of the canal, already at the very entrance to the "floor", two monsters with lightning speed darted after Arno into the same channel and unexpectedly merged into one, and then this "one" quickly flowed into the main, the most vile one, which was probably the most powerful of them. And he attacked ... Rather, he suddenly became completely flat, "spread" almost to a transparent haze, and "enveloping" the unsuspecting Arno, completely swaddled his essence, depriving him of his former "I" and, in general, any "presence" ... And then, laughing terribly, he immediately dragged the already captured essence of poor Arno (the beauty of the approaching upper "floor" just ripening) straight into the lower astral ...
- I don't understand ... - Stella whispered. - How did they capture him, does he seem so strong? .. Well, let's see what happened even earlier?
We again tried to look through the memory of our new acquaintance ... and immediately understood why he was such an easy target for capture ...
In terms of clothing and surroundings, it looked as if it had happened about a hundred years ago. He was standing in the middle of a huge room, where two female bodies were lying on the floor, completely naked ... Or rather, they were a woman and a girl, who could be fifteen years old at the most. Both bodies were terribly beaten, and apparently brutally raped before death. Poor Arno "had no face" ... He stood like a dead man, not moving, and perhaps not even understanding where he was at that moment, as the shock was too severe. If we understood correctly, these were his wife and daughter, over whom someone very brutally abused ... Although, to say "brutally" would be wrong, because no animal will do what it is sometimes capable of Human...
Suddenly Arno screamed like a wounded animal, and fell to the ground, next to the terribly disfigured body of his wife (?) ... In him, as during a storm, wild whirlwinds raged emotions - anger replaced hopelessness, rage obscured melancholy, after growing into inhuman pain, from which there was no escape ... He rolled screaming on the floor, finding no way out for his grief ... until finally, to our horror, he completely fell silent, no longer moving ...
And of course - having discovered such a stormy emotional "flurry", and having died with it, he became at that moment an ideal "target" for capture by any, even the weakest "black" creatures, not to mention those who later so stubbornly pursued behind him, in order to use his powerful energy body as a simple energy "suit" ... to do after, with his help, his terrible, "black" deeds ...
“I don’t want to watch it anymore ...” Stella said in a whisper. - In general, I don’t want to see horror anymore ... Is it human? Well, tell me !!! Is that right ?! We are people !!!
Stella began to have a real hysterics, which was so unexpected that at the first second I was completely at a loss, not finding what to say. Stella was very indignant and even a little angry, which, in this situation, was probably perfectly acceptable and understandable. For others. But it was so, again, not like her, that I just now finally realized how painful and deeply all this endless earthly Evil wounded her kind, affectionate heart, and how much she was probably tired of constantly carrying all this human dirt and cruelty on my fragile, still very childish, shoulders ... I really wanted to hug this sweet, persistent and so sad now, little man! But I knew it would upset her even more. And therefore, trying to keep calm, so as not to touch her already too "disheveled" feelings even deeper, I tried, as best she could, to calm her down.
- But there is good, not only bad! .. Just look around - and your grandmother? .. And the Luminary? .. There Maria generally lived only for others! And how many of them! .. There are a lot of them! You are just very tired and very sad because we have lost good friends. So everything seems to be in "black colors" ... And tomorrow there will be a new day, and you will become yourself again, I promise you! And also, if you want, we will not go to this "floor" anymore? Want?..
- Is the reason in the "floor"? .. - Stella asked bitterly. - Because of this, nothing will change, whether we will come here or not ... It's just life on earth. She's evil ... I don't want to be here anymore ...
I was very scared if Stella was thinking of leaving me and leaving me forever ?! But it was so different from her! .. In any case, it was not at all the Stella, whom I knew so well ... And I really wanted to believe that her exuberant love of life and bright, joyful character would “grind to dust »All today's bitterness and anger, and very soon she will again become the same sunny Stella that she was so recently ...
Therefore, having calmed myself a little, I decided not to make any "far-reaching" conclusions now, and to wait until tomorrow before taking any more serious steps.
- And look, - to my greatest relief, Stella suddenly said very interestedly, - don't you think that this is not an Earthly entity? The one that attacked ... She is too different from the usual "bad earthly" that we saw on this "floor". Maybe that's why she used those two, earthly monsters, that she herself could not get to the earthly "floor"?
As it seemed to me earlier, the "main" monster really did not look like the others that we had to see here during our daily "trips" to the lower "floor". And why not imagine that it came from somewhere far away? .. After all, if the good ones came, like Weya, why couldn't the bad ones come?
“You’re probably right,” I said thoughtfully. - It fought not on the earthly basis. He had some other, not earthly strength.
- Girls, dear, and when are we going somewhere? - suddenly heard a thin childish voice.

Adygeans have always been considered trendsetters: men were called "aristocrats of the mountains", and girls "French women of the Caucasus", since the latter began to wear corsets from a young age. Adyghe women were considered the most beautiful and desirable wives, and men were the best warriors. By the way, even today the personal guard of the King of Jordan consists exclusively of representatives of this brave and proud nation.

Name

There are many myths and controversies around the name "Adyghe", and all because this is actually a name invented in the Soviet years, created to divide the Caucasian peoples on a territorial basis. Since ancient times, a single people lived on the territory of the modern residence of the Adygs, Circassians and Kabardians, which called itself "Adyge". The origin of this word is not fully established, although there is a version that it translates as "children of the sun."
After the October Revolution, the authorities divided the territories of the Circassians into smaller regions in order to weaken the power of a single people by including different sub-ethnic groups in the new regions.

1. The structure of Adygea included the peoples living in the territory of the Kuban, and later the mountainous regions and the city of Maykop.
2. Kabardino-Balkaria was inhabited mainly by Adygs-Kabardians.
3. The Karachay-Cherkess region included the Adygs-Besleneis, who are similar in cultural and linguistic characteristics to the Kabardians.

Where do the numbers live

Since Soviet times, the Adyghe people began to be considered a separate people, which served as a separation from the Circassians and Kabardians. According to the results of the 2010 census, about 123,000 people consider themselves to be Adyghe on the territory of Russia. Of these, 109.7 thousand people live in the Republic of Adygea, 13.8 thousand - in the Krasnodar Territory, mainly in the coastal regions of Sochi and Lazarevsky.

The genocide of the Circassians during the civil war led to a significant migration of representatives of the ethnic group and the formation of large Adyghe diasporas abroad. Among them:

• in Turkey - about 3 million people
• in Syria - 60,000 people
• in Jordan - 40,000 people
• in Germany - 30,000 people
• in the USA - 3,000 people
• in Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Israel - 2-3 national villages

Language

Despite the presence of dialects, all Circassians speak the same language, which belongs to the Abkhaz-Circassian language group. The nation has had a written language since ancient times, as evidenced by the preserved written monuments: the Maikop plate and the Mahoshkushkh petroglyphs dating back to the 9th-8th centuries BC. By the 16th century, it was lost, starting from the 18th century, analogues based on the Arabic script came to replace. The modern alphabet based on the Cyrillic alphabet appeared in 1937, but it was finally established only by 1989.

Story

The ancestors of the Adyghe people were the most ancient population of the Caucasus, which, interacting with neighboring peoples, formed the tribes of Achaeans, Kerkets, Zikhs, Meots, Torets, Sindi, who occupied the Black Sea coast and Krasnodar Territory at the end of the first millennium BC.
At the beginning of the new era, one of the most ancient states in the region, Sindica, was located here. Even the famous king Mithridates was afraid to pass through its territory: he had heard about the fearlessness and courage of the local soldiers. Despite the ensuing feudal fragmentation, the Circassians managed to maintain their independence from the Golden Horde, although their territories were subsequently plundered by Tamerlane.
The Circassians have maintained friendly and partnership relations with the Russians since the 13th century. However, during the Caucasian Wars, the authorities began a policy of capturing and subjugating all peoples living here, which led to numerous clashes and genocide of the Circassian people.

Appearance

The overwhelming majority of representatives of the nationality belong to the Pontic anthropological type of appearance. Some representatives have features of the Caucasian type. The distinctive features of the appearance of the Adyghe people include:

• medium or tall;
• a strong athletic figure with broad shoulders in men;
• a slender figure with a thin waist in women;
• straight and dense hair of dark blond or black color;
• dark eye color;
• significant hair growth;
• a straight nose with a high nose;

Cloth

The national Circassian costume has become a symbol of the people. For men, it consists of a shirt, loose pants and a Circassian coat: a fitted caftan with a diamond-shaped neckline. On the chest on both sides, gazyrs were sewn: special pockets, in which at first they kept the gunpowder measured in quantity for a shot, and then only bullets. This made it possible to quickly reload weapons even while riding.

The older generation had long sleeves, while the younger generation had narrow sleeves so as not to interfere in battle. The color of the outfit was also important: the princes wore white Circassians, the nobles - red, the peasants - gray, black and brown. A beshmet served as a replacement for the Circassian coat: a caftan similar in cut, but without a cutout and with a standing collar. In cold weather, the costume was complemented by a burka - a long sheepskin coat.
Women's outfits were even more colorful. The rich Circassian women specially bought velvet and silk for sewing dresses, the poor were content with woolen fabric. The cut of the dress emphasized the waist: it fitted the upper part of the figure and greatly expanded towards the bottom thanks to the use of gussets. The outfit was decorated with an exquisite leather belt with silver or gold jewelry. They put on a low hat on their heads, and after marriage and the birth of a child, they replaced it with a scarf.

Men

An Adyghe man is, first of all, a brave and fearless warrior. From early childhood, boys were taught to wield a knife, dagger, bow and arrow. Every young man was obliged to breed horses and be able to perfectly keep in the saddle. Since antiquity, Circassian warriors were considered the best, therefore they often acted as mercenaries. The protection of the king and queen of Jordan still consists exclusively of representatives of this nation and continues to wear national costumes in the service.

From childhood, men were taught restraint, modesty in their everyday desires: they had to be able to live in any conditions. It was believed that the best pillow for them was a saddle, and the best blanket was a burka. Therefore, the men did not sit at home: they were always on hikes or doing household chores.
Among other qualities of the Adyghe people, it is worth noting perseverance, determination, firm character, perseverance. They are easily inspired and do everything to achieve their goals. Self-esteem, respect for their land and traditions are acutely developed, therefore, in dealing with them, it is worth showing restraint, tact and respect.

Women

Since antiquity, not only legends have been written about the beauty of Circassian women, but also poems. For example, in the poem "Cherkeshenka" the poet Konstantin Balmont compares a beautiful girl with a "thin lily", "tender willow weeping", "young poplar" and "Hindu bayadera", but in the end he notes:
“I would like to compare you ... But the game of comparisons is perishable.
For it is too obvious: you are incomparable among women. "

From the age of twelve, the girl began to wear a corset. He ensured the correct posture, flexible waist, thin waist and flat chest: these external qualities were highly valued not only by fellow tribesmen, but also by foreigners. On their wedding night, the groom cut off the corset with a knife; a married lady was not supposed to wear it. Luxurious long hair was also a symbol of beauty: girls braided it in braids or did other hairstyles, and married women had to hide it under a headscarf.
All the peoples of Eurasia strove to have a Circassian wife or concubine. Princess Kucheny, the daughter of the famous prince from the Temryuk dynasty, went down in history: she became the wife of Ivan the Terrible and received the name Maria Temryukovna. During the slave trade, Adyghe women were sold at 2 times more expensive than others: it was prestigious to have them in a harem for their beauty, handicraft skills, pleasant manners of communication and behavior.
From childhood, Adyg girls were taught needlework, the rules of etiquette, modesty, and inspired a sense of their own dignity. Women played an important role in society, they were respected and revered, despite the patriarchal order and the confession of Islam. It was forbidden to smoke, use foul language, quarrel, fight in front of women. Men of all ages stood up at the sight of them, and the riders dismounted. Having met a lady in the field, on the way or just on the street, it was customary to offer her help if she needed it.
There was also a custom of giving gifts: men who returned after a military campaign or a successful hunt gathered for a feast in the house of the most revered or desired woman, where they were obliged to give her a part of what they received in battle. If there was no such woman, the gifts could be presented to any Adyghe woman encountered on the way.

Family way of life

The Adyghe adopted a traditional patriarchal family structure. At the same time, the role of women was much more important and the position more free than that of other Caucasian peoples. Girls, on a par with boys, could participate in festivities, receive young men: for this, they even equipped separate rooms in rich houses.

This made it possible to look closely at the opposite sex and find a mate: the opinion of the bride when choosing a groom was decisive, if it did not contradict the traditions and wishes of the parents. Weddings were rarely conspired or by abduction without consent.
In ancient times, large families were widespread, numbering from 15 to 100 people, in which the head was the elder, the founder of the clan, or the most respected man. Since the XIX-XX centuries, the priority has passed to a small two-generation family. The main thing in solving social issues was the husband, it was impossible to contradict him, to argue with him, especially in public. However, the main woman in the house was a woman: she solved all household issues, was engaged in the upbringing of kids and girls.
In the rich, especially in princely families, atalism was widespread. From an early age, one or more sons from a wealthy family were given to be raised in a less noble, but still influential family. In it, the boy grew up until the age of 16, after which he returned to his father's house. This strengthened the relationship between childbirth and observed the tradition according to which the father was forbidden to become attached to the children and to publicly express his feelings for them.

Dwelling

The traditional dwelling of the poor Adyghe people is a house made of twigs coated with clay. Usually it consisted of one room, in the center of which there was a hearth. According to tradition, it should never have been extinguished, as this promised bad luck to the family. Subsequently, additional rooms were added to the house for the sons, who got married and decided to stay with their parents.
Later, vast estates became popular, in the center of which was the main house, and on the sides there were outbuildings. In wealthy families, separate dwellings on the territory of the courtyard were built for guests. Today this is rare, but every family tries to have a special room to accommodate travelers, relatives and guests.

A life

The traditional occupations of the Adyghe people are cattle breeding and agriculture. They planted mainly millet and barley, later added corn and wheat. Cattle breeding was pasture, goats and sheep, less often cows and yaks, in mountainous areas - donkeys and mules were raised. The subsidiary farm kept birds: chickens, ideas, geese, ducks.

Viticulture, gardening, and beekeeping were widespread. The vineyards were located on the coast, in the areas of modern Sochi and Vardane. There is a version that the name of the famous "Abrau-Dyurso" has Circassian roots and means the name of a lake and a mountain river with clear water.
The crafts of the Adyghes were poorly developed, but in one of them they excelled much better than their neighbors. Since ancient times, the Adyghe tribes knew how to work metal: blacksmithing and making blades flourished in almost every aul.
Women mastered the art of making fabric, and were famous as excellent needlewomen. The skill of embroidery with gold threads with national ornaments, which included solar, plant and zoomorphic motifs, and geometric shapes, was especially appreciated.

Religion

The Adygheans went through three main periods of religious definition: paganism, Christianity and Islam. In ancient times, the Adyghe peoples believed in the unity of man and space, they thought that the earth was round, surrounded by forests, fields and lakes. For them, there were three worlds: the upper one with deities, the middle one, where people lived, and the lower one, where the departed went. The tree connected the worlds, which to this day continues to play a sacred role. So, after the birth of a grandson, in the first year of his life, the grandfather is obliged to plant a tree, which the child will subsequently take care of.

The supreme deity of the Adyghe was Tha, or Thasho, the creator of the world and its laws, governing the course of life of people and everything that exists. In some beliefs, the leading role of the god of lightning, similar to Perun or Zeus, is observed. They also believed in the existence of the souls of their ancestors - Pse, who follow the descendants. That is why it was important throughout life to observe all the laws of honor and conscience. There were also individual patron spirits of fire, water, forest, hunting in the ritual culture.
Christian tradition indicates that Simon the Cananite and Andrew the First-Called preached in the territories of Circassia and Abkhazia. However, Christianity in the Circassian region was established only by the 6th century, dominating here until the fall of Byzantium. Beginning in the 16th century, Islam was spreading under the influence of the Ottoman sultans. By the 18th century, he rallied the entire population under the banners, becoming a national idea during the struggle against the colonialist policy of the Russian Empire during the Caucasian wars. Today the majority of the Adyghe are Sunni Muslim.

The culture

A special role in the Circassian tradition was played by a dance that has existed since ancient times and was considered the soul of the people. A popular pair dance is lyrical Islam, in which a man, like a proud eagle, soars in a circle, and a modest but proud girl responds to his courtship. More rhythmic and simple - ujj, which is usually danced in groups at weddings and during festivities.

Wedding traditions

The wedding traditions of the Adyghe people are largely preserved to this day. Often a girl chose the groom, hinting to him about her desire to start a family with a small gift. Negotiations about a future alliance began with matchmaking: men from the groom's side came to the house of the chosen girl and stood in the place where they chopped firewood. There were at least three such visits: if during the last they were invited to the table, this meant the consent of the bride.
After the family, the girls went to inspect the groom's house in order to assess his material well-being. This was necessary, since it was possible to create a family only with people of their own social stratum. If what they saw suited the visitors, the size of the kalym was discussed: it usually consisted of at least one horse and cattle, the number of heads of which was determined depending on the wealth of the family.

On the wedding day, male relatives of the husband and one girl came to pick up the bride to accompany the young one. On the way, the wedding train was obstructed, and the bride's house could only be entered after a playful battle. The future wife was showered with sweets, a silk path was laid in front of her and must be carried across the threshold so that she would not disturb the ancestral spirits.
Upon arrival at the groom's house, the bride was again showered with sweets and coins, while the future husband left for the whole day, returning only to sunset. During the day, the girl was entertained by her husband's relatives, there was also a playful custom of “grandmother leaving”: once a new mistress came to the house, the old one does not belong here. The bride had to run after her with sweets and persuade her to stay. Then they hugged and returned to the house together.

Birth traditions

Many customs of the Adyghe people are associated with the birth of children. Immediately after the birth, a flag was flown over the house: this meant that everything was fine with both the mother and the child. A monochromatic flag announced the birth of a boy, a variegated one - a girl.
Before giving birth, no dowry was prepared for the child, it was considered a bad omen. After that, the mother's relatives made a cradle from hawthorn wood and brought bed linen. The cat was first placed in the cradle so that the child slept as soundly as she did. Then the baby was put there by the grandmother from the father's side, who had not usually seen the child before. If at the time of the birth of the baby there was a guest in the house, he was given the right to choose a name for the newborn. He received such an honorable right, since the Adyghe believed that any guest was a messenger of God.

When the child began to walk, the First Step ceremony was performed. All friends and relatives gathered in the parents' house, brought gifts to the baby and feasted. The feet of the hero of the occasion were tied with a satin ribbon, which was then cut. The purpose of the ceremony is to give the child strength and agility, so that his further steps in life take place freely and without obstacles.

Funeral traditions

In the era of the early and late Middle Ages, some ethnic groups of the Adyghe had a rite of air burial. The body of the deceased was placed between hollowed out decks, which were fixed on the branches of trees. Usually, after a year, the mummified remains were buried.
In ancient times, more extensive burial practices were used. Often stone crypts were built for the deceased, similar to the dolmens preserved in the Sochi region. Rich people were set up gravesites, where they left household items that the deceased used during his lifetime.

Tradition of hospitality

The tradition of hospitality has passed through the life of the Adyghe people through the centuries. Any traveler, even an enemy who asked for shelter, had to be accommodated in the house. He was accommodated in the best room, cattle were slaughtered especially for him and the best dishes were prepared and presented with gifts. At first, the guest was not asked about the purpose of the visit, and it was not allowed to expel him if he did not violate the traditions and rules of the house.

Food

The traditional Adyghe cuisine consists of dairy, flour and meat products. In everyday life, they ate boiled lamb with broth. The national dish of poultry meat, libzhe, was necessarily served with a spicy shyps sauce made on the basis of garlic and hot pepper.

Milk was used to make cottage cheese, to which fruits or herbs were added, and hard and soft cheeses were prepared. After the Moscow Olympics in 1980, the Adyghe cheese became famous all over the world, which was specially branded and placed on the shelves for foreign guests. According to legend, Amysh, the god of cattle breeding, told the Circassian girl the cheese recipe for saving a lost herd of sheep during a storm.

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Adyghe people are a people in the Russian Federation. The number in the Russian Federation is 122,908 people. They speak the Adyghe language of the Abkhaz-Adyghe group of the North Caucasian family.

Adyghe, Adyge (self-name) - the people in Russia, the indigenous population of Adygea. They also live in the neighboring districts of the Krasnodar Territory. Some live in Turkey and the Middle East. Until the 20th century, there were sub-ethnic groups: Abadzekhs, Besleneis, Bzhedugs, Zhaneevs, Jaegerukhais, Mamkhegs, Makhoshevtsy, Natukhai, Temirgoevs, Khatukais, Shapsugs, Khakuchi.

They speak the Adyghe language of the Abkhaz-Adyghe group of the North Caucasian family, dialects: Temirgoevsky (which is the basis of the literary language), Abadzekh, Bzhedug, Shapsug. The Russian language is widespread. Writing on the Russian graphic basis.

The believers are Sunni Muslims. Traditional beliefs are characterized by an extensive pantheon, reverence for trees, groves, forests, etc.

The Adyghes, like other Adygs - Kabardians and Circassians - are the salvages of the autochthonous population of the North-West Caucasus. After the territorial isolation of the Kabardians in the XIII-XIV centuries, ethnic processes among the rest of the population led to the formation of the modern Adyghe. The social development of the Adyghe people was uneven. Shapsugs, Natukhai and Abadzekhs (the so-called democratic tribes) managed to restrict the rights of their nobility, they were ruled by elected elders. The so-called aristocratic tribes (bzhedugs, temirgoevtsy, khatukaevtsy, etc.) were ruled by princes.

Since the 1820s, the Russian government began the systematic conquest of Adygea. The rise of the liberation movement during the years of the Caucasian War stimulated the Islamization of the Adyghes, was accompanied by the internal self-organization of the Adyghe, the foundations of a military-state union of all groups of the Adyghe were formed. The last centers of resistance of the Adyghe people were suppressed by military force in 1864. Several hundred thousand Adyghes were deported in the 1860s and scattered across the countries of the Middle East, a smaller part of the Adyghes moved to the plains.

In 1922, the Adygei Autonomous Region was formed, since 1937 it has been part of the Krasnodar Territory, since 1991 - the Republic of Adygea.

Traditional occupations are arable farming, gardening, viticulture, cattle breeding. Domestic crafts - plaiting, weaving, drilling and tanning, stone and wood carving, gold and silver embroidery.

Clothes of the common North Caucasian type. For men - a undershirt, beshmet, Circassian coat, a belt belt with a silver set, trousers, felt cloak, hat, hood, narrow felt or leather leggings. Women wear harem pants, a bottom shirt, a tight-fitting caftan, a long swing dress with a silver belt and long arm blades-pendants, a high hat trimmed with silver or gold lace, a scarf.

Traditional settlements consisted of separate farmsteads, estates, were divided into patronymic parts, on the plain - street-quarter planning. The traditional dwelling is turluchnoye, one-chamber, to which additional isolated rooms with a separate entrance for married sons were added.

At the beginning of the 20th century, during the transformation of small families, large-family communities (up to several dozen people) remained. Family and everyday life was determined by patriarchal customs and norms. However, in general, the position of women was quite high. Atalism was widespread.

In food, cereals, meat, dairy products are used, vegetables are widely used. Adyghe cheeses and flour products are especially famous and popular.

Folklore includes the Nart epic, a variety of songs - heroic, lyrical, everyday and others. Folk dances are widespread.