Sabantuy-History-Articles
History of the Sabantuy festival, celebration in different countries
Farida Beletskaya
Honored Worker of Culture, director of numerous scripts of sabantuy in Tatarstan
Today, sabantuy has transformed into a grand celebration of all the peoples of the Eurasian continent and Europe.
The origins of the Sabantuy holiday go back to ancient times and are associated with agriculture, for Saban Tuy is translated from the Turkic as the Plough Holiday (saban - plough, tuy - holiday).
Sabantuy was primarily of practical importance as a part of community life. It was held at the beginning of the summer, when the sowing work was completed, and the haymaking had not yet begun. The main purpose of the gathering of a large number of farmers was the exchange of surplus agricultural products, natural goods - hay, hardware, canvas, honey, pickles, utensils, meat, fish, etc.
Sabantuy was accompanied by sports competitions, the main ones of which are still the competitions of Quresh wrestlers and equestrian competitions.
Today, Sabantuy has transformed into a grandiose international holiday, which is held in stages, first in villages, villages, then in district centers and large cities, and everything is crowned with a federal Sabantuy. As before, it is a celebration of harvest and labor.As before, a rich fair is held. And, just as before, on the appointed day, the batyrs-winners of the competitions converge on the main arena of the holiday, where the strongest is determined.
Here everyone can try their hand, talents, and skills. You can participate in folk games - running in bags, running with a yoke and full buckets, running with a spoon in your mouth, in which there is a raw egg, fighting pots, climbing on a vertical log..
And you can show your creativity - knitters, embroiderers, masters of various crafts bring their creations to the holiday.Traditionally, Sabantua has many different shopping shops, a large number of different events and, of course, a concert!
Sabantuy was primarily of practical importance as a part of community life. It was held at the beginning of the summer, when the sowing work was completed, and the haymaking had not yet begun. The main purpose of the gathering of a large number of farmers was the exchange of surplus agricultural products, natural goods - hay, hardware, canvas, honey, pickles, utensils, meat, fish, etc.
Sabantuy was accompanied by sports competitions, the main ones of which are still the competitions of Quresh wrestlers and equestrian competitions.
Today, Sabantuy has transformed into a grandiose international holiday, which is held in stages, first in villages, villages, then in district centers and large cities, and everything is crowned with a federal Sabantuy. As before, it is a celebration of harvest and labor.As before, a rich fair is held. And, just as before, on the appointed day, the batyrs-winners of the competitions converge on the main arena of the holiday, where the strongest is determined.
Here everyone can try their hand, talents, and skills. You can participate in folk games - running in bags, running with a yoke and full buckets, running with a spoon in your mouth, in which there is a raw egg, fighting pots, climbing on a vertical log..
And you can show your creativity - knitters, embroiderers, masters of various crafts bring their creations to the holiday.Traditionally, Sabantua has many different shopping shops, a large number of different events and, of course, a concert!
Marat Kuchkaev
Photographer, member of the Union of Photographers of Tatarstan,
Nizhnekamsk, Kazan, Orenburg
Nizhnekamsk, Kazan, Orenburg
Horse racing began with a fascinating colorful game-Kyz kuu (catch up with the girl)
The celebration of Sabantuy consists of two parts. In ancient Khan times, at the beginning, magical rituals based on Tengrianism were performed, and then-competitions, games and mass amusements.
Now, the first part with a magical action was replaced by honoring the distinguished workers at the sowing campaign, congratulating the anniversaries and newlyweds. The second part is almost unchanged.
The basis of the competition, as a rule, was horse racing and belt wrestling-quresh. The winner in the fight became the main batyr of the holiday and received a live ram as a gift.
Horse racing began with a fascinating colorful game-Kyz kuu (catch up with the girl). The guy and the girl get on the horses and gradually accelerate, while the girl is two lengths ahead of the horseman. To the place indicated by the flag, the horseman must catch up with the girl and rush to kiss and remove the embroidered handkerchief from the girl's sleeve, attached to the girl's sleeve. After the flag, the girl tries to catch up with the dzhigit and, if successful, can jokingly punish him with a kamchi (whip). One of the most fun group competitions on the Maidan of Sabantuy is the Arkan tartysh (tug of war). The competition is held among both men and women.
Now, the first part with a magical action was replaced by honoring the distinguished workers at the sowing campaign, congratulating the anniversaries and newlyweds. The second part is almost unchanged.
The basis of the competition, as a rule, was horse racing and belt wrestling-quresh. The winner in the fight became the main batyr of the holiday and received a live ram as a gift.
Horse racing began with a fascinating colorful game-Kyz kuu (catch up with the girl). The guy and the girl get on the horses and gradually accelerate, while the girl is two lengths ahead of the horseman. To the place indicated by the flag, the horseman must catch up with the girl and rush to kiss and remove the embroidered handkerchief from the girl's sleeve, attached to the girl's sleeve. After the flag, the girl tries to catch up with the dzhigit and, if successful, can jokingly punish him with a kamchi (whip). One of the most fun group competitions on the Maidan of Sabantuy is the Arkan tartysh (tug of war). The competition is held among both men and women.
Farida Beletskaya
Honored Worker of Culture, director of numerous scripts of sabantuy in Tatarstan
On this day, on the eve of Sabantuy, in the morning everyone is in a high mood to prepare for the arrival of "kolgachi" - a group of rural activists with long poles (Kolga), with large baskets or bags.
Sabantuy is not only games, competitions and fun, but it is also a fair of surplus agricultural products. Along the venue, a whole shopping street unfolded, selling everything from sweet "cockerels", roasted seeds, hazelnuts, bunches of fresh radishes to homemade cakes, hardware, grain, hay, chickens and geese. It should be noted that there was no alcohol on the Muslim holiday before, and only in Soviet times these drinks leaked into the villages through a network of state-owned stores. But on the days of the holiday, the villagers themselves removed the drunks from the Maidan, the drinkers received universal condemnation. Sabantuy fell during the summer heat, and on the holiday, two wonderful drinks were taken out to quench thirst - ayran (kefir filled with spring water)and "chochender suy" (beet water). They were taken out in large milk cans, covered with hay and straw to keep cool. Often they were distributed free of charge, anyone who wanted to get up in a live queue to drink plenty of sour ayran or sweet beet water. And the whole village drank from a single aluminum mug, which the distributor happily handed to everyone. That's it! No single cups, no bottled water, no germs! Pure thoughts - a pure environment!
The cart stops at each house, gratefully accepting everything that the hostesses served - a piece of beautiful fabric, a painted handkerchief, towels, pieces of scented soap, wooden spoons, embroidered handkerchiefs, sewn aprons, etc., who can share what
At the end of the last century, so-called "villages" began to be built on the Sabantuy district holidays, that is, each village that was part of the district put its own hut, decorated it, set the table for its fellow villagers, management, amateur artists. Later, this tradition continued in a competitive way - who will make out the most beautiful and feed the best… Such a tradition exists in the regional centers of Tatarstan today.
Such a beautiful custom as collecting gifts on the eve of the holiday - "bulyak zhyu" - also speaks about the national love of the Tatars for their Sabantuy holiday! On this day, on the eve of Sabantuy, in the morning everyone is in a high mood to prepare for the arrival of "kolgachi" - a group of rural activists with long poles (Kolga), with large baskets or bags. And then a ringing song is heard, an accordion is played, bells ring under the arc, and at the end of the street there is a long-awaited elegant cart. The housewives come out of the gates of each house, carefully holding the cherished gift under their apron. The cart stops at each house, gratefully accepting everything that the hostesses served - a piece of beautiful fabric, a painted handkerchief, towels, pieces of scented soap, wooden spoons, embroidered handkerchiefs, sewn aprons, etc., who can share what. Everything will come in handy! After all, all these gifts will go to encourage the winners of various folk competitions. And the eggs are very useful for conducting a fun race with a spoon in your mouth, where they will be put. Try the runs, don't drop or smash!
With a special heartfelt trepidation, I want to say a word about towels. In a person's life, this thing has a sacred meaning. This is the road of your life, as you decorate - so it will go. Therefore, the patterns were embroidered rich with meaning for the harvest, for wealth, for good health. The towel was hanging on the windows - do not enter the evil shaitan in the windows! It was used to wrap bread from the oven, collect a bundle for the road, and lay it on the knees of dear guests. In general, it has quite a lot of functions and the attitude towards it in the village is respectful. But we are talking about Sabantuy!. In the long winter evenings, Tatar women from young to old embroidered towels for themselves. On the day of the holiday, the girls tied their embroidered towels to the horse knots of the guys who participated in horse races, wishing them victory. Interestingly, widows and elderly women presented their beautiful needlework to those riders who came last - no one should be deprived of such a holiday!
Such a beautiful custom as collecting gifts on the eve of the holiday - "bulyak zhyu" - also speaks about the national love of the Tatars for their Sabantuy holiday! On this day, on the eve of Sabantuy, in the morning everyone is in a high mood to prepare for the arrival of "kolgachi" - a group of rural activists with long poles (Kolga), with large baskets or bags. And then a ringing song is heard, an accordion is played, bells ring under the arc, and at the end of the street there is a long-awaited elegant cart. The housewives come out of the gates of each house, carefully holding the cherished gift under their apron. The cart stops at each house, gratefully accepting everything that the hostesses served - a piece of beautiful fabric, a painted handkerchief, towels, pieces of scented soap, wooden spoons, embroidered handkerchiefs, sewn aprons, etc., who can share what. Everything will come in handy! After all, all these gifts will go to encourage the winners of various folk competitions. And the eggs are very useful for conducting a fun race with a spoon in your mouth, where they will be put. Try the runs, don't drop or smash!
With a special heartfelt trepidation, I want to say a word about towels. In a person's life, this thing has a sacred meaning. This is the road of your life, as you decorate - so it will go. Therefore, the patterns were embroidered rich with meaning for the harvest, for wealth, for good health. The towel was hanging on the windows - do not enter the evil shaitan in the windows! It was used to wrap bread from the oven, collect a bundle for the road, and lay it on the knees of dear guests. In general, it has quite a lot of functions and the attitude towards it in the village is respectful. But we are talking about Sabantuy!. In the long winter evenings, Tatar women from young to old embroidered towels for themselves. On the day of the holiday, the girls tied their embroidered towels to the horse knots of the guys who participated in horse races, wishing them victory. Interestingly, widows and elderly women presented their beautiful needlework to those riders who came last - no one should be deprived of such a holiday!
