 The traditional clothes of northern people, as well as Yakut clothes, have been created in the long run of many centuries through the selection of materials from skin and fur. The choice of clothes depended closely on social, economic, natural and climatic peculiarities of the environment.
In the ancient times north ern people wore fur garments right on the bare body. Earlier the underclothes of Yakuts consisted of short skin trousers (sialcia), which were used by the end of the XVII and the beginning of the XIX centuries by both sexes. Such pants were accompanied by fur band on the abdomen, and leather leggings from be low. Shirt (irbiahi) and underwear appeared later as a result of the Russian influence. Shirts were made from coarse calico or any other material. The cut of shirt was the same for both men and women, but differed from Russian shirt in the presence of a turn-down collar. Thus, fur garments became to be worn above the underwear, usual cotton canvas (sackcloth), cloth and wool dresses, and later suits. Having entered inside the housing, outer clothing was taken off like a coat. The most usual upper clothes for both men and women were single-breasted coat. In Yakut it is called "son " ("coat" in English). Son can be worn both in winter and in summer and also between the seasons. Male and female garments were completely the same; however, the difference was observed in the length of material and in the number of decorations. The basic cut of clothes consisted as a following: though two pieces of cloth were equally cut out, the back was cut separately, fitting at the waist owing to a special cut of the back width. The basic cut was divided into variety of ways:
- The slit upwards was made in the middle of the back and of the skirt.
- Two rectangular lines of different color cloth rather then the color of an
up part clothes were sewed on to the edges of the slit.
- Rectangular wedge filled up from the outside in the form of lap, was
sewed into slit.
- One of such laps was made on the slit and two flanks were formed owing
to the special cut of the back and flank widths. The sleeves of the garments with
very wide armhole were taken together in deep laps on the shoulders, and narrowed to the lapel. The collar was turn-down and sometimes its size was very
big. It was always made from the most expensive material in comparison with
one that went to the clothes. The collar of the cloth caftan was made from velveteen (plush); the collar of fur coats was made from the best fur. The collar of clothes sewed from the horse and cow hide was made of the pieces of the same hide but of black color.
Before the end of the XIX century fur coat was covered with reindeer suede, but later with any other cloth. Summer son was sewed from the cloth, but poor people had it made from horse or calf skin hair-side-in (tarbiyakh son). The cut of Yakut son consisted of: four similar lines in the shape of wedges, which were sewed together; additional small insets beginning with the waist of the coat; narrowed downwards sleeves with puffs on the shoulders.
Taking into account the form of clothes of northern people, including the Yakuts, it can be worn open (unfastened) with the cut on the fronts, or done up, without the cut and can be dressed over the head. Clothes can be of two sorts: fur-lined with straight back or long and short with the back fitting at the waist; or clothes with wedge back.
Cutting the clothes, Yakuts took into account the conditions of their life. For example, male coat ("son" in Yakut) and caftan as well as female had a cut on the backs, which was convenient for ridding (onolokh son).
Usual or everyday clothes; working clothes; travel clothes; holiday or ritual clothes could be distinguished. Everyday clothes were the basic and initial form of clothes. Earlier it was used as an outer clothing and underwear at the same time. Taking into account the shape and the cut, working clothes was a kind of everyday clothes. The material and colors depended on application. White fur was intended for the hunting on the snow; colored cloth done up clothes corre sponded to protective coloration of the autumn foliage in taiga. Sometimes working clothes could keep the form of not in use old outer clothes.
Winter travel clothes of better-off Yakuts consisted of great number of warm garments. They were: a hat "chompoi" - fur-bearing animals hat (tiiulekh son); big fur-lined coat (tiiulekh isteekh ulakhan son); fur clothes dressed on the thighs and tied up to the belt by small braids (suturuo); "torbasa " - top boots made from reindeer hide hair-side-out ("eterbes"); forehead band with ear-flaps (kulgaakhtakh susbayiita); fur band on the nose (murun bayiita) and fur band on the chin (sengiye bayiita); fur scarf (moytoruk); a piece of fur or leather bound over the abdomen (iss batyiita); mittens (utuluk); socks (kulluka) and stockings (kenche). A well-known specialist in the field of clothes of northern people, candidate of technical sciences Rastorgueva L.N. calls such set of Yakut travel clothes as a "Yakut winter travel suit" 1 . We stick to her conception and further name the subjects according to her qualification.
The headgear in such suit consisted of double fur hat or head-scarf and hat. The fur coat or "doha" (fur coat with fur on both sides) made out of wolf, fox, lynx or reindeer fur, was worn over the fur coat. Also people wore underwear chest clothes (a shirt) made of cloth or suede. Clothes down the waist were rep resented by trousers or short fur trousers and leggings hair-side-out; laps of trousers and suturuo were tucked into the "torbasa". The sole of feet were warmed by hare-lined, calf-lined and dog-lined stockings and socks of the same material. The insoles from dry grass (ugunnya) were put inside the torbasa. Big-sized travel mittens were produced from bear, reindeer or any other fur with long pile and with palm part made of suede. Mittens for work were small-sized made out of hare or squirrel fur covered with suede, leather or cloth with the cuts near the wrist in order to pull out the hand. The forehead band with ear-flaps, wanned band on the nose and chin, which are unfamiliar to modern generation, were taken to the travel. These things were hare-lined and were covered with the cloth and had braids to tie up. There was fur scarf-boa {moytoruk) made out of squirrel and fox tails or any other fur. It could be wrapped about the neck two or three times. The belt dressed over the coat was the necessary item of Yakut clothes. In the coldest weather people were dressing band on abdomen wanned by wide belt worn under the coat.
I want to draw special attention to one simple thing. This thing is forgotten or underestimated by modern generation. It is used with boots to keep the feet warm. This is insole made of dry grass (ugunnya). In particular, famous explorer of Yakutia V.L.Seroshevsky wrote: "Going to the travel the Yakut at first would change the insoles from dry grass in his boots; then he. would dress the stockings from hare or calf skin with the pile downwards on his feet bare; above them would be small shoes of the same fur with the pile outwards; then he would pull on the boots: sara or torbasa. The lower part of the trousers would be always tucked into the top of the boots, and over them - travel fur suturuo pulled on with the pile outwards. Fur suturuo would be often tightened under the knee and tied up to the copper rings of the trousers from above. They would go to the groin and claps the thigh, which would let in to the underwear neither snow and rain nor wind, because the Yakut would always try to keep his underwear dry as possible. When the Yakut arrived at home he took the suturuo off at first. V.Seroshevsky emphasized that Yakuts preferred suturuo made out of wolf paws rather than the suturuo from reindeer, mare or polar fox paws.
The Yakut outer winter garments (son) represented a long dress. It was hare-lined, fox-lined or wadded coat, covered with suede, velveteen or any other cloth before the knees. Poor people wore son made out of mare, cow or calf skin, but not without the pile. It was close-fitting in the shoulders, but wider down wards, that ended by rather loose skirt. The Yakut son always had turn-down collar and puffs formed by gathers, the size of which depended on the wealth and foppery of the owner. As V.Seroshevsky noted, honored and wealthy ducks and their wives had such puffs and insets in the form of wings near the hips, which sometimes reached too ugly forms. Cloth armyak (so called "suppun" from the Russian word "zipun" - homespun coat) was worn over the son. Armyak was sewed from white, yellow or grey cloth. The collars, edges of coat-breasts, fe male skirt were bordered by plush (velveteen) or red cloth. The armyak had a cut from the back for horse riding.
According to the archives from the 24 th of January, 1905, the wealthiest Yakuts and Evens wore fur coats made out of the skin of the best reindeers, which were slaughtered between the 15 th and the 20 th of July. Such fur coats were bordered by the skin of Siberian marmot or dog skin from below and from flanks. Such kind of fur coats was decorated by the fur of different colors and by silver adornments.
"Saqinnyakh-doha " was an outer travel dress of Yakuts. This was unique fur garb both in cut and in origin, one of the most famous suits. V.L.Seroshevsky described attire saqinnyakhs, which were embroidered by silk, beads and silver from the flanks and on the back. Coats were bordered by the fur of beaver, lynx, silver fox, and Siberian marmot or were made out from the fur of one piece. Then he emphasized about cold-protective qualities of Yakut coats and saqin-nyakh: "While using the coat, its forms turned out to be expedient. Puffs on the shoulders perfectly protected humeral joints from cold and wet, which most of all, during the horse-riding, subjected to the influence of bad weather." Insets in the form of wings protected thighs, belly and buttocks of the rider that provided laps not to fly away.. .".
The belt and the abdominal band were used in order to keep the loins and belly in warmth. Male outer clothes were usually belted by leather girdle, which commonly had wealthy people. The girdle was covered by silver or copper embossed plates with ornament at a full length. A sheathed knife and fire-kindling steel (khatat) were hung up on the belt. The belts with silver round badge and wide silk girdles were popular at that time 3 .
Fur scarf (boa), in Yakut "moytoruk" was worn during hard frosts. This piece of clothes was described in the works of researchers as a following: "While they traveled they were hiding their chin, mouth and nose inside the over-neck thus the air, which went through the mouth was moderated little by little when it was severe cold. The breath made the scarf so wet that it became unpleasant to touch. Thus, it had been turned in another side and wet side was getting dry on frosty air and the hoar was completely shaken off".
Written by I.P. Doktorov, "Yakut Handicraft".
Translated by Ekaterina Prozenko
Handicraft by Avgustina Philippova.
Photo by Evgenia Arbugaeva.
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