Russian Travel Guide

Коллекция Russian Travel Guide. Природа. Лапландский заповедник

Traditional Nogai Costumes

Nowadays representatives of the ancient Turkic Nogai people are scattered across Russia and Europe. The Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia is one of the original homes to this indigenous people, who today are very careful to preserve their traditions. In 2008 in the mountainous republic in southern Russia, the theatre of the national Nogai costume, Suyumbike, was founded. Find out what traditional folk ornaments have been preserved, why trousers are part of women’s dress and how to tell the difference between Nogai girls from Crimean and Astrakhan in RTG’s new programme.

Russian wedding traditions — the ceremonial doll

In Ancient Rus’ dolls served as a type of companion in everyday life. They helped to ensure that peace, health, prosperity and love reigned supreme in every home. Each important event — be it a wedding or the birth of a child — had its own special doll. The Krupenichka doll — named after the Russian word for grain, «krupa» — was considered the most important doll in home. During the harvest it was filled with grain and people believed that if filled to the top, the next year’s harvest was guaranteed to be plentiful. Another doll, the Kubyshka-travnitsa, was made by filling pieces of fabric with yarrow, mint, sage and hops. Such a doll was believed to protect the home and preserve a woman’s beauty and health. The Bird Woman was more of a ceremonial doll. It was made at the end of winter with the goal of encouraging spring’s timely arrival. In village homes there were as many...