AgroExpedition “Agriculture of Kazakhstan. Day 9. Farewell dinner. Kazakh yurt and family traditions.

Loaded with interesting work and covered with traditional Kazakh hospitality, we do not notice how our AgroExpedition is coming to an end. But, as they say, where one adventure ends, another begins. Yesterday we had a day off, and today, before the farewell dinner, already in Almaty, Baurzhan conducts a tour of the traditional Kazakh yurt.

it turns out that the yurts of the Turkic peoples differ slightly from each other. At the same time, the Kazakh yurt has a cone-shaped shape with a clear proportion and is easier to assemble and transport, and its structure has been so perfected over hundreds of years that there is nothing superfluous in it. Everything is rational, simple and reliable. The assembly and installation of the yurt is carried out by women and teenagers. The entrance to the yurt is made in such a way that any person is forced to bend down. This is due to the fact that when enemies invade, the attacker will lose sight of the owner, who will have time to take up weapons. Also, the low entrance also performs ritual functions, when those who enter, willy-nilly, bow their heads, expressing respect to the owner.

The entrance to the yurt is closed with a door and felt, and prevents the penetration of cold at night in the mountains, or in winter. During the day, it rolls up very quickly and becomes almost invisible.
The right side of the yurt is traditionally considered the male half. Therefore, immediately to the right, near the wall, nomad weapons are placed, in total there are from seven to eleven different types. This allows, without going into the yurt, to grab a weapon and run to the horse, to repel the attack.

The left side is female, there is a bedside table for dishes, a tea table where you can put a samovar, and a real one, on firewood, they are often used by Kazakhs until now. By the way, both men and women chop firewood for a samovar, but only a woman heats a samovar. Nearby there are always cabinets for dishes, on which there are often wooden bowls for koumiss and shubat.

Very often, stoves or even fireplaces are installed on the left in modern yurts, since it is the woman who is the keeper of the hearth. Men are assigned the role of a warrior and breadwinner in the family. Therefore, life in Kazakh families is strictly regulated. Of course, in modern conditions, some urban families already neglect this, but in general, traditions are strong.
There are women's and men's cases. Women's activities include cooking, buying groceries, cleaning the yurt/house. A man will never do it. If anyone finds out about this, then the authority will inevitably be dropped. And not only families, but the whole family, which is the highest shame.

On the other hand, providing the family with finances lies solely with the man, this is his area of ​​​​responsibility, and all the well-being of the family depends on his mind, knowledge and perseverance. Women know this and respect men for it. Therefore, asking where the husband is going and when he will return is not accepted here, you need to believe that these actions are not accidental and are aimed only at the benefit of the family.

Among the Kazakhs, a cat is considered a dirty animal, therefore, to protect against rodents, the skin of a wolf and a fox weighs in each yurt, they say that rodents are afraid of this smell and do not go inside. And sheep wool felt protects against snakes and poisonous insects: scorpions and karakurt, which also cannot stand the smell of sheep, since in the natural environment they have historically been a threat to them.

Often the walls of yurts are decorated with ribbons and carpets with traditional Kazakh patterns that reflect the curve of the horns, because among the Kazakhs the HEAD of a ram with horns symbolizes wisdom. Also, these woven decorations, in addition to the aesthetic function, also serve as additional thermal insulation. .

The design of the yurt is crowned with a round hole, the symbol of which is depicted on the emblems of some Turkic peoples - shanyrak. It is a symbol of the family and a family value, so it is treated very carefully. Shanyrak is covered with a special part of the upholstery of the yurt - a tunic. It is in this way that the temperature is regulated, which makes it possible to live comfortably in a yurt at any time of the year.

The floor is covered with white-gray mats. Behind the hearth, if there is one, there is a dastarkhan - a low table up to 35 centimeters high. The side opposite to the entrance is called ter - or in our opinion the throne. This place is honorable and guests are seated there. There is a special attitude towards guests, the guest is from the Almighty, and every Kazakh should rejoice at such an event. It often happens that people just entered the yurt and were not even asked who they were, fed and even made a bed.

On the right, at the head of the table, the elder sits down - the most adult man, despite the social status - he is in charge here. He may even be a shepherd visiting the president, but his place will be at the head. It seems to us that this is right, after all, there should be respect for age, and let the Kazakhs be an example for us.

You can even say more, in Kazakhstan it is customary that the youngest of the children lives with their parents, cares for them and takes care of them. And in return receives the entire inheritance. Thus, two important issues are immediately resolved, which often cause disputes in society: who is entitled to the inheritance and who will take care of elderly parents. For Kazakhs, everything is simple and without unnecessary troubles with notaries.

After the men sit down according to their age, the women sit down after them. So it turns out that each group has its own table talk, while no one forbids the exchange of opinions between men and women. In general, if the guys are in the same room with the girl until they find out what kind they are, then they are brothers and sisters. If they are not related by 7 generations, they can send matchmakers if they have serious intentions. If there is no man in the house, and the women are alone, then they do not enter the house.
In the modern social world, a woman can combine being and working in her specialty, but at the same time, at home, she should have everything ready for the arrival of her husband.

The culture of Kazakhstan amazed us, we want to come back here more than once to see how the economy of Baurzhan will develop and once again experience all the hospitality of the grateful people.