What do Buryats look like in national costumes? Mongolian-style clothing from a Buryat designer is a success in China

On the territory of modern Buryatia, people have lived since the Paleolithic, archaeological finds testify to this. That is, even 20-30 thousand years before our era, people knew how to save life in difficult natural conditions. The national costume also contributed to this to a large extent. From the beginning of the centuries, the Buryats used for clothing what they had in everyday life: animal skins, their wool, and a little later - natural fabrics.

Costume history

Different tribes lived on both sides of Lake Baikal, which had their own ethnographic features. There were many Mongolian-speaking clans, Yakuts, Tungus, Tofalars and other nationalities. The Buryats as a people took shape only from the middle of the 17th century after joining the Russian Empire. Everything that has been preserved in museums and private collections belongs to this time. Retained its original appearance The Buryats were mainly engaged in cattle breeding, they wandered a lot. The skills associated with hunting and processing skins have been passed down from generation to generation.

All this is reflected in the costume: not only ancient woolen robes and leather shoes were found, but also silver and gold women's jewelry, whose age is calculated for centuries.

Women's and men's clothing

By the type of costume, you can immediately determine who the clothes are intended for - a man or a woman. In addition, for each period of life there were differences. Boys and girls, boys and girls, married women and old people wore clothes in completely different ways. Combines all types of suits with maximum comfort and excellent protection from the cold.

Buryats - Indigenous Their costume was greatly influenced by the climate. The basis is tanned skins, fur, wool, horsehair. Later, with the emergence of trade relations with China and Asia, silk, brocade, flax, and velvet were added. In some areas, precious metal threads were used. People living in these parts will tell everything about the owner of the national costume. The Buryats know how to accurately and concisely indicate the main circumstances of a person's life.

Men's suit

Buryat clothing for both men and women is intended primarily for nomadic life in the saddle. The features of the cut adapted the products so that they could spend many hours on horseback without fatigue and, if necessary, spend the night in the open.

A shirt made of natural fabric (most often made of cotton) and tight pants made of rough leather are put on directly on the body. In these pants, any road is not terrible. Shoes were made of foal skin - for winter, and for summer they were woven from horsehair, and the leather sole was simply sewn on.

A winter (degel) or summer (terlig) dressing gown was worn on top. Degel was sewn from sheepskin, it was possible to decorate it with velvet or other fabric. The summer dressing gown was made of any natural fabric.

Features of the degal cut

The dressing gown should be close to the body so as not to leave room for cold air. The sizes of the bathrobe are individual, but there are mandatory parts:

  • back;
  • sides;
  • front;
  • top floor;
  • bottom floor.

The body is completely covered with a dressing gown, and the floors can be used as a bed: lie on one and hide on the other. This makes the life of the national costume easier. The Buryats are a very practical people, and every detail of the costume has been tested for centuries. Be sure to wear a belt. A belted robe formed a pocket in which they carried a bowl in order to always have personal tableware at hand. The bowl was worn in a fabric case, smoking accessories were hung on the belt.

What does the national costume of the Buryats look like for women

The type of costume depends entirely on the age for which it is intended. Girls wear a long one-piece dressing gown, gird it. This emphasizes the flexibility of the girl's figure. With the onset of a real girlish age - about 15 years - the cut of the dressing gown changes. The dressing gown is cut along the waist line, a beautiful sash is put on, and a mandatory item of women's clothing appears on top - a sleeveless jacket.

The sleeveless jacket has a different look for married and unmarried women. A short sleeveless jacket was required to be worn by all women in the presence of men. A covered back is one of the main signs of decency for women.

A girl's puberty was indicated by a silver heart in her headpiece. Girls who wanted to get married wore two round silver plates on their belts. Self-care devices were attached to these plates - knives, scissors, earwigs.

The feminine dignity of the Buryats is always emphasized here: a woman in a national costume looks great. So, a married woman dressed in a pleated skirt and jacket. Such a suit made it possible to look good during pregnancy and lactation.

Clothes for the elderly

The main thing in these suits is convenience and practicality, as well as excellent protection from the cold. They wore everything the same, only the cut was looser, and the number of decorations decreased. Buryat also included custom-tailored shoes. Two types of shoes were used: stocking-like and shoe-like. Uggs that came into fashion not so long ago are stylized folk shoes, which in the original were intended for old people whose feet were cold.

Shoes were complemented with stockings to the knees, knitted from sheep's wool.

The hat was an obligatory part of the costume, it was sewn from natural fur, most often otters. The preferred shape is conical, although researchers have identified more than 50 varieties.

National jewelry of Buryat women

They are varied and multi-layered. They were made of silver with numerous inserts of precious stones. The ancient Buryats believed that the souls of children, dead ancestors and animals settled in jewelry.

Ornaments were the amulets of the family. They wore pendants fixed at the temples, descending to the chest and neck. Mandatory were numerous rings on all fingers, except for the middle one.

For braids there were "cases" - various combinations of metal plates and fabric. It was believed that the magical power of women's hair is preserved in this way.

Outerwear (both men's and women's): Outerwear (both men's and women's) National clothing consists of a degel rod caftan made of dressed sheepskins, which has a triangular notch on the top of the chest, pubescent, as well as sleeves tightly clasping a hand tassel , fur, sometimes very valuable.


In summer, the degel could be replaced by a cloth caftan of the same cut. In Transbaikalia, dressing gowns were often used in the summer, the poor had paper ones, and the rich had silk ones. In rainy times, a saba, a kind of overcoat with a long coat, was worn over the degel in Transbaikalia. In the cold season, especially on the road dokha, a kind of wide dressing gown, sewn from dressed skins, with wool outward. (Example of a silk robe)




Lower clothing and footwear: Lower clothing and footwear: Narrow and long trousers were made of rough-dressed leather (rovduga); a shirt, usually made of blue cloth. Shoes in winter high boots made from the skin of the legs of foals, or boots with a pointed toe. In summer they wore shoes knitted from horsehair with leather soles. Narrow and long trousers were made of roughly dressed leather (rovduga); a shirt, usually made of blue cloth. Shoes in winter high boots made from the skin of the legs of foals, or boots with a pointed toe. In summer they wore shoes knitted from horsehair with leather soles.


Hats: Hats: Men and women wore round hats with small brim and with a red tassel (zala) at the top. All the details, the color of the headdress have their own symbolism, their own meaning. The pointed top of the hat symbolizes prosperity, well-being. Silver denze with red coral at the top of the cap as a sign of the sun, illuminating the entire Universe with its rays. The brushes (zala seseg) represent the rays of the sun. An invincible spirit, a happy fate is symbolized by the one that develops at the top of the hall's cap. Sompi knot means strength, strength. The favorite color of the Buryats is blue, which symbolizes the blue sky, the eternal sky. Men and women wore small-brimmed round hats with a red tassel (zala) at the top. All the details, the color of the headdress have their own symbolism, their own meaning. The pointed top of the hat symbolizes prosperity, well-being. Silver denze with red coral at the top of the cap as a sign of the sun, illuminating the entire Universe with its rays. The brushes (zala seseg) represent the rays of the sun. An invincible spirit, a happy fate is symbolized by the one that develops at the top of the hall's cap. Sompi knot means strength, strength. The favorite color of the Buryats is blue, which symbolizes the blue sky, the eternal sky.




What is the difference between men's and women's suits? Women's clothing differed from men's in decorations, embroidery and a little color scheme. For women, the degel is turned around with colored cloth, embroidery in the form of a square is made with cloth on the top of the back, and copper and silver jewelry made of buttons and coins are sewn onto clothes. In Transbaikalia, women's dressing gowns consist of a short jacket sewn to a skirt.


Jewelry: Jewelry: Jewelry Girls wore 10 to 20 braids, decorated with many coins. Around their necks, women wore corals, silver and gold coins, etc.; in the ears are huge earrings supported by a cord thrown over the head, and behind the ears are "ports" (pendants); on the hands are silver or copper bugaks (a kind of bracelets in the form of hoops) and other jewelry. Jewelry The girls wore from 10 to 20 braids, decorated with many coins. Around their necks, women wore corals, silver and gold coins, etc.; in the ears are huge earrings supported by a cord thrown over the head, and behind the ears are "ports" (pendants); on the hands are silver or copper bugaks (a kind of bracelets in the form of hoops) and other jewelry.




But also... But also... Men's suits do not differ by age categories. They differ due to the time of year, social and financial situation, holiday rituals, and, of course, because of religious beliefs. And women differ not only in these parameters. Unlike men's, the age category played an important role in the attire of the female.


Girls' clothes Girls' clothes Before the period of maturity, a girl was considered as a pure (aryuuhan) being, which was considered a man, so all the elements of a man's costume were preserved in her costume. Girls wore long terligs or winter degels, girded with cloth sashes that emphasized a thin, flexible waist.







Girls' clothes Girls' clothes Girls' clothes (booth degel) in combination with hairdos and adornments differed from the clothes of married women. The girl's clothes depended on her age, she changed with the transition from one age period to another, with a change in social status. Previously, clothing before marriage retained the cut of men's clothing: tunic-shaped, with one-piece sleeves, the waist was not cut off, on the chest part of the upper floor there was a decorative enger.


In recent decades, girlish degals have become detachable at the waist, while the sleeves have retained their former cover. When sewing clothes for girls, the same fabrics are used as in a women's suit. When reaching maturity in years, the cut of the dress and hairstyle change. The dress is sewn with a cut-off along the waistline, a decorative braid of the ace closes the seam line around the waist (front and back).








The wedding clothes were complemented by silver chest guu, shoulder guu, temporal-chest h iihe, side bele -h anzhuurga. All these women's jewelry gave the bride solemnity. Ermeg gutal shoes were smart, and the bride put them on for a more appropriate occasion. In such a dress, the bride performed the rituals of worshiping fire, the deities of the groom's family, who supposedly guarded the well-being of the family. After performing these rites, the bride was put on a long-brimmed sleeveless jacket over her clothes (uta uzha, morin uzha), which symbolized her transition to the category of married women, and therefore to another clan, her husband's family (hari kun bolot).




Funeral clothes Funeral clothes The Buryats did not have any specially made funeral clothes. Mourning in clothes was almost not reflected in any way. The dead were buried in the best festive traditional clothes with all the decorations, if the person had any, in the absence of them - in everyday clothes. The deceased was also "provided" with everything necessary - a pipe, a cup, since, according to the concepts of the Buryats, he needed them in the afterlife.


Shaman costume Shaman costume Shamans had a robe or cloak made of suede (rovduga) with a straight slit in the front, the floors came together end-to-end, tied or fastened with buttons. Straight sleeves were sewn to a straight camp. Clothing abounded with pendants. Plates carved in the form of figures of a wolf, a bear, and numerous tubular pendants made of iron were attached to the front.





Class hour for younger students with a presentation. It acquaints children with the traditions of our peoples, namely with the national costumes of Russians and Buryats. It is colorful, informative and exciting to learn about modern costumes and costumes of our ancestors.

Subject: Traditions of my people. National costumes of Russians and Buryats.

Purpose: to introduce Russian and Buryat national costumes.

Tasks: to promote the formation of a tolerant attitude towards people of different nationalities;

continue to cultivate love and respect for the native land, for the people who live in it;

to develop interest in the culture of another people, to promote the activation of children's creativity;

to encourage respect for the nature of the native land.

Equipment: Multimedia (projector, laptop, screen), national costumes of Russians and Buryats, dolls in national costumes, dictionaries for children, Power Point presentation

The course of the classroom.

    Organizing time.

- Hello guys. Let's all stand up, form a circle and join hands. Hand in hand, we pass on good good energy to each other.

The circle is a symbol of unity. He is like the sun, which is revered by all the peoples of the world. A Russian round dance is dancing in a circle, a Buryat dance is an ehor. We are all now united and become like one big family.

Now guys, take your seats.

    A melody sounds. I read poetry.

Siberian region is my land

Native spaces!

We have rivers and fields,

Lakes, steppes, mountains!

Buryat and Russian

Like one family

Though their language is different...

All daughters and sons

Native land are beautiful!

Guys, did you like the poem? What is it about?

We are lucky to live in a picturesque region where people of different nationalities live side by side. People of what nationalities live next to us?

Each nation has its own language, its own national holidays, its own songs, its own dances, its own customs, its own national dress. And today, at an hour of communication, we will talk about the costumes of Russians and Buryats, how they are similar, how they differ.

    I am a Buryat (a teacher in a national Buryat costume)

The basis of the Buryat folk costume is a robe (degel), which was sewn to the toe.

Guys, what do you think, why this length? (children's statements)

The Buryats used to lead a nomadic life, grazed cattle, hunted. Such a length of the degal protected them from the cold in winter and from the sultry heat in summer.

    - And what is the basis of the Russian folk costume for men?

(is a shirt. Shirts were sewn knee-length. It was necessarily belted with a belt, to which a wallet, comb, pouch (pouch for tobacco) were hung, since there were no pockets.

And the Buryats had a belt (behe) as an obligatory element of the costume. It served not only for beauty, they also hung a knife in a sheath, a snuff box, and a flint in a rag bag on it. According to ancient Buryat customs, the belt could not be thrown to the ground, stepped over it, it is a symbol of the honor and dignity of a man.

Guys, what do Russians and Buryats have in common in this element of costume? What is the difference?

Who remembers the name of the robe in the Buryat language? And the belt? (you can repeat the names in chorus)

Guys, what did Russian women wear in the old days? (show sundress) The complex of clothes included not only a sundress, but also a shirt, and also an apron. The undershirt, it was called - black, the top, elegant - red.

The costume of a Buryat woman consisted of a long dress (degel), a long sleeveless jacket (hubaisi), which protected the woman's chest and spine. It still had to be earned, i.e. marry. Unmarried girls wore a short sleeveless jacket (uuzha).

Is this element of the women's costume similar or different?

4. Guys, try to guess the riddle. (first in Buryat, then in Russian) Deere huunab I am sitting on horseback

Ezeee madenaguib I don't know on whom

Tanilaa haraad Meet a friend -

Doshoo buuzha, mendee helenab. I'll jump off - I'll welcome (hat)

A mandatory addition to the costume, both men and women, were headdresses, which received special attention. Buryat hats were the same for men, women and children. It had a conical shape, which ends with a brush (zalaa) of a necessarily red color. Brushes mean the sun's rays, vital energy.

Russian men's hats are not so diverse. Usually caps were worn, young people - hats, in winter - fur hats with earflaps.

The headdresses of Russian girls were varied. They had the form of a hoop, a wreath and were called differently: bandage, headman. Their feature is the open parietal part (showing the headman). The bride before the wedding changed the bandage for a special dress - a coruna, decorated with foil and gems. The most common headdress among Russian women was kokoshniks. The kokoshnik symbolized the flowering of life.

5. - Guys, maybe you know the name of the shoes that were worn in Russia?

The most common footwear among Russians was bast shoes, which were woven from bast (the inner part of the bark of young deciduous trees). A pair of bast shoes was worn for 5-6 days, then became unusable. Therefore, going on a long journey, I had to take 3-4 pairs. Later came boots that only the rich could afford. In the warm season, they walked barefoot, which is very good for health.

Buryat shoes are called gutul. She was light and comfortable. The toe of this shoe was slightly bent up and decorated with patterns. Women's shoes among the Buryats were similar to men's, only more elegant.

Why do you think the toe of the shoe was bent up among the Buryats? (Children's statements)

The Buryats greatly revered the holy land - mother. It was a great sin for them to dig in the ground, to dig a hole, to hurt the earth. And in order not to injure the ground when walking, their toe of the shoe was bent up.

And the shoes of Russian women were called cats. These are thick-soled shoes with heels. Cats were put on several pairs of stockings (up to 8 pairs), so their size was large. These shoes were richly decorated with appliqué. The cats were kept on their feet with the help of laces - oborov.

Guys, did the shoes worn by the Russians differ from the shoes worn by the Buryats?

6. Physical Minute. Today I will introduce you to the Buryat game - the Five Fingers counting rhyme. Baarbadai

Batan tuulai

Toohon tobsho

Toli Baisa

Bishykhan Shagshuudey (children sing a song)

7. We took apart the costume of the Buryat and Russian people. Now you have an idea of ​​what elements they consist of, what material they were sewn from. What can you say about the costumes of Russians and Buryats? (children's statements)

The clothes of the Buryats and Russians are somewhat similar, but the costume of one people still differs from each other. It can be supplemented with some elements that can tell a lot about a person: where he lives, what age, what income.

Each nation sewed its clothes from natural material, treating nature with care and love. And therefore our ancestors were healthy and lived long in harmony with nature.

8. Movie - slide

9. The game "Dress the doll" (children dress the dolls of a boy and a girl in Russian national clothes, then in Buryat national clothes, while correctly naming all the elements of the costume.)

10. Summary of the lesson: From time immemorial, people of different nationalities lived in Siberia together and amicably, passed on their experience, adopted from others, families were created and children were born.

As the legend says,

Three hundred years ago

Met in Siberia

Russian and Buryat

Pas Buryat flock

Somewhere off to the side.

And drove up to him

Russian on horseback.

In Buryat and Mongolian ornaments, geometric ornaments are widely used, the leading motifs of which are: alkhan khe (hammer ornament), sheremel sherdegei khe (drawing of a quilted mattress), ulza (wickerwork), khas (swastika), circle.
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alkhan hee
The ornament with the name "alkhan hee" is called hammer, since in translation from the Buryat and Mongolian languages ​​"alkha" means a hammer. Variations of the hammer ornament are very diverse, but in fact this pattern is identical to the classical Greek meander. "Alkhan hee" among the Mongolian-speaking peoples expresses the idea of ​​perpetual motion. In the old days, only especially valuable items were decorated with hammer ornaments.

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"Ulza" braid (endless knot) is an ancient ornament that symbolizes happiness, prosperity, longevity. This is a very revered and common pattern, it has many options, but the most common is the 10-eye "ulzy". It is depicted as a checkered or curvilinear weave in the center of the decorated object, sometimes braided with floral patterns. This sign can be depicted on any object made of metal, wood, soft material, if the master wants to express the idea of ​​good wishes.
Ulza is considered to be Indian in origin. In Buddhist art - a mystical diagram, one of the eight Buddhist sacrifices, meaning an endless cycle of rebirth in the world of people.
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"Arc hee" circle - has its own symbolic expression in the cultures of all peoples, since the disk of the sun served as the original circle, and everything was built according to this pattern and likeness. The ancient pre-Christian sign of the wheel is the sign of the Sun.

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The circle is the only line that has no beginning or end, and all points are equally distant from the center. The center of the circle is the source of endless rotation in time and space. The circle represents the sky as opposed to the square of the earth.
In the Buryat-Mongolian art, the image of a circle is very often found on metal products - quivers, men's and women's jewelry, on ritual clothes, in furniture painting.
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It's a circle, but with swastikas.

"Khas" swastika. A word made up of two Sanskrit roots: the noun "good" and the verb "to be" or "to consist", i.e. "welfare", "welfare". Another interpretation of the word is the Sanskrit "su" - the sun bird and the deity of the seasons Astika. The ancient solar sign is one of the most archaic signs - an indicator of the apparent movement of the Sun around the Earth and the division of the year into four seasons. Records two solstices: summer and winter-annual movement of the Sun, including the idea of ​​four cardinal directions. This sign, centered around an axis, contains the idea of ​​movement in two directions: clockwise and counterclockwise. Clockwise rotation represents masculine energy, counterclockwise represents feminine energy. At the same time, it has a moral characteristic: movement along the sun is good, against the sun is evil. The right-handed swastika is perceived as a sign of dominance over matter and energy management. In this case, the flow of physical forces is held back, “screwed up” in order to control the lower forces.
The left-sided swastika, on the contrary, means the unwinding of physical and instinctive forces, the creation of an obstacle to the passage of higher forces. Such a swastika is presented as a symbol of black magic and negative energies. As a solar sign, the swastika serves as an emblem of life and light. Sometimes it is identified with another solar sign - a cross in a circle, where the cross is a sign of the daily movement of the Sun.
The swastika was known in different parts of the world as a symbol of the four main forces, the four cardinal points, the elements, the seasons. Another name for the swastika - "gammadion" means it, as consisting of four Greek letters "gamma", the first letter in the name of the goddess of the Earth Gaia. In this case, it is considered not only as a solar symbol, but also as a symbol of the fertility of the Earth. In India, the swastika has traditionally been regarded as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance. In the form of a swastika, there was a wooden tool for getting the sacred fire. It is found wherever there are traces of Buddhist culture, it was carved in many temples, on rocks, stupas, on Buddha statues. With the spread of Buddhism from India, it penetrates into China, Tibet, Japan, Siam. In China, Tibet is used as a sign of all the deities worshiped in the Lotus school. Known in the form of a swastika are two curved mutually truncated fragments of a double helix, expressing the symbolism of the Yin-Yang relationship. In Mongolia, rock and cave paintings dated to the Bronze Age depict khas. Genghis Khan wore on his right hand a ring depicting a swastika, into which a magnificent ruby ​​was set - a sun stone.

The Buryat costume is part of the traditional culture of the people. It reflects religious and magical, ethical and aesthetic ideas, the level of spiritual and material culture, relationships and contacts with other national cultures.

Traditional Buryat men's clothing is a robe without a shoulder seam, winter - degel and summer with a thin lining - terlig. For the Trans-Baikal Buryats, the Mongols are characterized by swing clothes with the smell of the left floor on the right with one-piece sleeves. The deep smell provided warmth for the chest part of the body, which was important during long riding. Winter clothing was made from sheepskin. The edges of the degel were sheathed with plush, velvet or other fabrics. Sometimes degels were covered with cloth: for everyday work - cotton, elegant degels - with silk, brocade, semi-brocade, flaky, velvet, plush. The same fabrics were used when sewing an elegant summer terlig.

The most prestigious and beautiful were considered fabrics woven with gold or silver - Chinese silk azaa magnal - patterns, images of dragons were made of gold and silver threads. In most cases, the dressing gown was sewn from blue fabrics, sometimes the color of the dressing gown could be brown, dark green, or burgundy. The collar of the robe was most often made in the form of a stand, it was bordered around the edges with brocade braid (summer terligi), winter ones - with the skins of lambs, otters, sables.

The main decoration of the robe was on its chest part of the upper floor (enger). The degels of the Aginsk Buryats were characterized by a wide stepped enger, decorated with three rows of successively arranged strips of velvet. If the general tone of the robe was blue, which symbolized the color of the sky, which protects, patronizes a person, then the upper stripe was green - flowering earth, the middle stripe - black velvet - fertile soil that feeds all life on earth, the lower stripe - red, a symbol of fire purifying all that is filthy, dirty.

One-piece sleeves of both summer and winter men's dressing gowns were supplemented with cuffs - "turuun" (hooves). They could be detachable or cut as an extension of the sleeve. In cold weather, they were lowered, replacing mittens. In warm weather, they are raised and serve as decoration. The front part of the cuffs was sewn from velvet, fur, brocade. Cuffs symbolized cattle - the main wealth of nomads. The design of cuffs in the form of hooves meant "the spirit, soul, strength of my cattle is always with me, with me."

From one to three silver, coral, gold buttons were sewn on the collar. The following buttons were sewn on the shoulders, under the arm, and the lowest - at the waist. Buttons were considered sacred.

The top buttons were considered to bring happiness, grace. During prayers, the performance of rituals, the buttons on the collar were unbuttoned so that grace entered the body without obstacles.

The middle buttons regulated the number of offspring, honor and dignity.

The lower buttons were symbols of the fertility of livestock, the material wealth of the owner

The longevity of a person depended, according to the views of the Buryats, Mongols, even on how buttons are fastened.

The canonical scheme of putting on and fastening - from the bottom up - starts from the shoes, then goes to the dressing gown, while the buttons are fastened from the bottom up, the hat is put on last.

Undressing is the reverse process. The right side of the body, clothing is sacred; on the right side, health, wealth, grace enters the body inward, exits - on the left side. The right hand is given, everything is taken, the left hand is the giving hand.

Peculiar rules existed when putting on the sleeve of a robe. Men first put on the left sleeve, then the right, women - on the contrary, first put on the right sleeve, then the left. This was explained by the fact that a man, entering the yurt, goes on the left side to the right (count in relation to the entrance), and a woman - on the right side to the left. This custom was strictly observed during wedding ceremonies. Men's dressing gowns were sewn without pockets; girded, they carried a bowl, a pouch, a pipe and other necessary accessories in their bosoms.

The belt served as a kind of corset, because during long riding, the back and camp received additional support and were protected from colds. Belts could be knitted, woven from sheep's wool in dark colors, they were wide and long in size. By the beginning of the 19th century, such belts were no longer made, but silk and semi-silk factory belts were used, which were bought from Chinese merchants. The most expensive, rare and therefore prestigious was considered a sash made of Chinese silk with a rainbow ornament.

The tradition, according to which the belt was mandatory for men, goes back to the ancient hunting life. A leather belt with a deer's tooth, the claws of a hunted animal was called to help the hunter. Similar belts have been preserved and are found among the taiga Evenks.

The belt that children wore over their clothes was once also associated with an ancient custom and, according to the Buryats, was supposed to protect children from evil spirits. The life of Buryat children from birth was surrounded by protective measures in the form of magical ceremonies and rituals in order to preserve their life and health.

The belt is one of the sacred accessories of the costume, a symbol of male honor and dignity. Nomads have proverbs: "Though a bad man, but a man, even a dull one, but a knife"; "If you lift, support a man - he will be your support, if you crush him - he will become a burden to you." The belt played an important role in rituals. He sometimes became a way of expressing his attitude towards a person.

The ancient custom of exchanging belts was an act of establishing a friendly alliance or twinning, or as part of a developed scenario with ritual actions on the occasion of marriage unions. Those who exchanged belts became friends, sworn brothers or matchmakers. Quite often, brothers became taller than relatives. Often, when establishing twinning, they exchanged not only one belt, but a whole belt set, including a knife in a sheath, a snuff box, sometimes a saddle and even a horse. Considering that these objects were made or decorated with precious stones and metals, their material value was great. The descendants, observing the custom, respected the sworn brothers of their fathers and showed them filial piety and respect.

Certain prohibitions were associated with belts. Having taken off the belt, be sure to tie it in the middle with a knot and then hang it high on a nail or hook. The belt must not be thrown to the ground, stepped over, cut off, or torn off.

A knife and a flint and steel, most often in a pair, were necessarily included in the equipment of men. The knife, along with the scabbard, could be presented as a thank you for a service or act as an exchange of gifts. The primary utilitarian function of the knife - as a tool of defense, as an item necessary for meals with meat dishes - was supplemented over time with a new function - decorative: the knife became the subject of costume decoration.

The Buryats have long had a custom - at the birth of a son, the father ordered a knife for him, which he passed on to his son, so it was passed down from generation to generation. If the belt is considered a symbol of male honor and dignity, then the knife is the repository of his soul, vital energy. It was impossible to transfer the knife to other persons, especially strangers.

Flint and steel - a pair of items to the knife - a flat leather bag, at the bottom of which is attached a steel armchair. The front side of the flint and flint was decorated with silver applied plaques with chased patterns, among which zoomorphic, floral and geometric patterns predominated. Tinder and flint were stored in a leather purse, with the help of which sparks were cut and fire was made. Therefore, flint as a source of fire is one of the sacred items in men's equipment, they wear it in the same way as a knife, on a belt, forming a triad - belt, knife and flint.

Both older men and women used tobacco. Elderly men and old people smoked fragrant tobacco brought from China, women used snuff, which they kept in snuff boxes. Buryat men's pipes were made of 2 types - with a long shank made of jade, "variegated" wood, which was also delivered from China, and short ones, which were made by local master chasers. Smoking pipes for the Buryats are an item that performs not only a utilitarian function, but is also of great importance in various rituals. Even if a man did not use tobacco, he was obliged to have a pouch with tobacco and a pipe with him, which he could treat to the interlocutor.

The headdress of both men and women was well adapted to the living conditions of nomads, and, in addition, performed symbolic functions. The Buryats wore different headdresses, which clearly showed regional differences. Traditional hats were sewn by hand, and purchased ones were also worn along with them.

In the Irkutsk region, the most common was a hat in the form of a cap made of skins, trimmed along the lower edge with lynx fur. They also wore hats made from otters. The round top was sewn from velvet, the lower cylindrical field from otter skins. Otter fur is expensive, very wearable, so they are sometimes worn today. This hat was considered elegant, festive.

Women put on "bizga" or borgo malgay hats. The top was made from a piece of fabric laid in soft folds. In the center, a circle of cardboard was sewn, sheathed with fabric, the crown was sheathed with a braid. Flowers, leaves made of velvet, silk, brocade, and dyed feathers were sewn on wedding hats instead of a lace.

Several types of hats were most popular.

The most ancient, one-piece, one-piece headdress with earmuffs and a semicircular protrusion covering the neck. They sewed it from black or blue dense cloth.

Traditional among the southern Buryats "32-fingered hat" with a high conical crown and turned-back brim. Mostly blue fabrics were used. On the top of the tulle, the pommel was sewn in the form of a ball made of a piece of cedar covered with cloth, or an “ulza” knot was tied from thick cords of fabric. A red silk tassel made of twisted cords or silk threads was tied to the pommel. The rim of the winter hat was made from the fur of a lynx, otter, fox. The number 32 corresponded to the number 32 of the Sundui deities. There is another explanation for the number of lines 32 - "32 generations of Mongolian-speaking peoples." Such hats with vertical stitches were worn by lamas, old women and boys, if they were going to give them to the datsan.

The headdress of the Khori-Buryats was sewn with 11 horizontal lines - according to the number of 11 clans of the Khori Buryats. There were 8 lines on the headdress of the Agin Buryats - according to the number of 8 Agin clans.

The Tsongol hat is distinguished by a rounded low top of the crown, a relatively wide band, expanding above the middle of the forehead.

A headdress for a Buryat, a Mongol is an object endowed with a special sacredness.

The shape of the dress is hemispherical, repeating the shape of the sky, the surface of the yurt, the outlines of hills and hills, typical for the territory of Buryatia and Mongolia.

The conical shape resembles the contours of mountains - the abode of spirits, masters, deities. The cap is topped with a hemispherical silver pommel with a red bead symbolizing the sun. Red silk tassels flow down from the bottom of the bead - a symbol of life-giving sun rays. Brushes also symbolize life energy. The verbal formula that expresses the full symbolism of the top of the headdress is: "Let my family multiply like the rays of the golden sun, let my life energy not run out and flutter over me."

Symbols of 5 elements are concentrated in the headdress: fire, sun, air, water and earth. Vertically, the symbols of the upper world are the sun, the middle one is the mountains, the lower one is the earth. Therefore, hats could not be thrown to the ground, stepped over them, treated carelessly. Performing various rituals associated with offering treats to the spirits of the area, mountains, rivers, when meeting guests or conducting wedding ceremonies, the Buryats always wore hats.

Children's clothes for girls and boys were the same, because. before the period of maturity, the girl was looked at as a pure being, as a man was considered, therefore, all the elements of a male costume were preserved in her costume. The girls wore long terligs or winter degels, girded with cloth sashes. Upon reaching maturity at the age of 14-15, the cut of the dress and hairstyle changed. The dress became detachable along the waist line, decorative braid closed the seam line around the waist. There was no sleeveless jacket in the girl's suit.

The hairstyle was varied, which always served as a sign of a person's belonging to a certain age period. The girls wore one braid on the top of their head, part of the hair on the back of the head was shaved off. At 13-15 years old, the braid on the crown remained, the rest of the hair grew and braided two braids at the temples. On the back of the head, 1-3 braids were braided from the remaining hair. Such a hairstyle meant the transition of the girl to the next age level and was the first sign that distinguished her from the boys. At the age of 14-16, a heart-shaped metal plate was strengthened on the crown of the head. Matchmakers could be sent to a girl with such a sign. At the wedding, the girl changed her hair and braided two braids.

Women's clothing had its own characteristics. By the costume of women, their belonging to the genus can be traced. Women's wedding attire was worn over the dress, leaving the front open, the hem at the back had a slit. They sewed an outfit from cloth, brocade. If in the men's dressing gown the age periods were emphasized by the color of the fabric, and the design remained the same for all ages, then in the women's dressing gown all age periods were clearly distinguished by the cut and design of the dressing gown, hair. There is a proverb among the Buryats: "The beauty of a woman is in front, the beauty of a house is behind." This proverb did not appear by chance and is connected with the fact that the front of the women's costume was sewn from expensive, elegant fabrics, and the back from less expensive ones. This was most likely caused by a shortage of expensive fabrics.

The outerwear of married women was cut off at the waist. An elongated bodice with deep armholes reaching the waist, a simple shape of the bodice cutout, a not very deep smell of the left floor to the right, a direct connection of the bodice and hem was characteristic of the Khori-Buryat clothes. Summer women's dressing gowns were most often sewn from blue fleece, the seam line was closed only in the front part with decorative braid.

In the clothes of a woman - the keeper of the hearth, the successor of the family, rounded shapes predominate: on the shoulders of the sleeves - puffs, a hem sumptuously gathered at the waist. When decorating, golden yellow materials played an important role - various shades of smoky fur, sheepskin, skins.

The clothes of older women were distinguished by the simplification of forms and decorations. Older women sewed everyday robes from cheaper fabrics and dark shades, the sleeves became less complicated. The sleeveless jacket as an addition to the costume was preserved.

A sleeveless jacket was an obligatory addition to the costume of a married woman in all areas where Buryat clans and tribes lived. The hem of the sleeveless jacket was wide, the floors overlapped each other. Along the edge of the front, around the neck, the armholes were sewn with coins. Their dignity and quantity depended on the material well-being of the wearer. Sometimes, instead of coins, round mother-of-pearl buttons or round metal plaques were sewn on. Sleeveless jackets were worn over dresses and fastened with one button at the collar. Sleeveless jackets performed the most ancient magical function of protecting the mammary glands and spine. The same was the role of a woman in the family as the guardian of the hearth, the continuer of the clan. The absence of a sleeveless jacket in a girl's costume is explained by the fact that while she is in her parents' house, she does not perform these functions. And only wedding and post-wedding ceremonies transfer her to another age category - mistresses of the house, mothers.

The main purpose of a woman in the Buryat family and in society was the birth and upbringing of children. Only with the creation of a family leading to the appearance of children is it possible to fulfill this role.

On holidays, a woman's costume was complemented by a large number of jewelry. Coral earrings were put into the ears of a newborn girl, which, according to legend, served as a talisman against dark forces. The older she got, the more jewelry complemented her outfit, but after the wedding, their number waned, and by old age the dress of the Buryat woman became quite modest.

Interesting coral hats-kokoshniks. Their base was cut out of birch bark, covered with velvet or silk, corals were sewn onto the front side, often supplemented with amber and lapis lazuli. Several low corals hung down around the circumference of the kokoshnik, and long bundles of coral threads fell from its temporal parts onto the girl's shoulders. Numerous women's braided ornaments. Figured plates with a bright red coral in the center were tied at the ends of the braids. For these purposes, Russian, Chinese, Japanese silver coins were often used, which were neatly set into a silver ring decorated with a notch.

Amulet holders are among the common types of breast decoration for women. They contained miniature leaflets with the text of a Buddhist prayer, conspiracies against illness and accidents, as well as images of Buddhas and lamas.

Buryat shoes differed from European ones in their cut, in addition, they also performed symbolic functions. The sole of the Buryat boots has a smooth shape, and their toes are bent up. This was done so that when walking a person could not disturb the Mother Earth or damage the living creatures that lived in it.

Currently, the Buryats mostly wear European costume. But on holidays, family celebrations, divine services, they sometimes put on a national costume. Recently, motifs and elements of national clothes are increasingly used in clothes sewn by local craftsmen. National clothes are also sewn for sale as souvenirs, as well as for giving to guests. Most often these are hats and robes, sashes and other attributes.