June 21st, 2015 , 04:10 pm
On Saturday, another massive national holiday in Udmurtia - Gerber. Gerber is translated from the Udmurt language - "after the plow". In other words, this is a holiday associated with the end of spring arable work in the fields. Today we will see how this beautiful national holiday is celebrated in his homeland in Udmurtia.
Gerber has been officially held in Udmurtia since 1992. Before the main republican holiday, small gerberas are still held at the level of villages and regional centers of Udmurtia. The main holiday falls at the end of June and gathers a huge number of people from all over Udmurtia and even Russia. Every year the main Gerber is organized in different places in Udmurtia. This year it is the Kezsky district. From Izhevsk to Kez about 170 km. and I left early in the morning to catch the beginning of the holiday.
Before starting the report, I want to make a small digression.
Although I have been living in Udmurtia since birth, I am not familiar with national traditions, because. my parents do not have Udmurt roots and came to Izhevsk under the Soviet distribution system after their studies. So please forgive me for some inaccuracies.
1. The first meeting with the holiday was already waiting for me at the entrance to the village of Kez, a few kilometers before the main site of the holiday. At the entrance, all guests are met by the hosts of the holiday in national clothes, which sets the appropriate mood:
3. Gerber is celebrated this year in an open field near the village of Yuski, a few kilometers from the village of Kez. A small area runs along a dirt road. It was very nice to see a machine that poured water on the primer. Thereby preventing the rise of dust:
4. Parking for guest cars is also organized in an open field:
5. A huge number of guests came to the holiday:
6. Gerber is somewhat reminiscent of the Tatar Sabantuy, or vice versa. But there is definitely something in common. Open field with a slight slope for a better view. The main stage is set at the bottom of the slope:
7. I arrived just in time for the opening of the holiday:
9. The beginning of the holiday resembles a demonstration or the opening of the Olympic Games. First, small groups of representatives of the regions of Udmurtia pass by the audience:
10. At first glance, this may seem pretentious, but we must not forget that it is the village and the village that feed the whole of Udmurtia:
11. National costumes create a special color. As far as I know, they have their own characteristics in each region:
13. Everyone is met and accompanied by applause:
14. The Izhevsk group completes the representatives of Udmurtia:
15. I can not help but mention this lady. Pay attention to manicure, jewelry and glasses. I think the wig looks so good. We'll see her later:
16. Udmurtia is followed by representatives of other regions where Udmurts also live. The fact is that the total population of Udmurts in the Russian Federation is 552 thousand people, 410 of them live in the territory of Udmurtia, the rest in other regions. The most numerous are presented on Gerbera:
18. Well, actually closes the column - Moscow:
19. In the meantime, the performance of various groups begins on the stage:
20. The sound is not bad, but rolling. With the annual holding of such large-scale holidays in Udmurtia, it would be time to buy your own device, and not "feed" the distributors. This is the inner voice of a person who is directly involved in professional sound equipment in Izhevsk speaking in me:
21. Well, we continue:
22. Artists change on stage:
23. Everything is fun and provocative. Guests love:
24. Near the stage there is a prize for the winner in the competition for the best worker in the village. By the way, I saw the same tractor two weeks ago at the pavilion of the Republic of Belarus on:
Here he is:
25. Let's see how the guests are entertained besides the stage. Along the perimeter of the entire field, you can find a lot of entertainment for both adults and children:
26. For example, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia offers to take part in the competition:
27. Two participants must put on combat equipment for a while and hit the target with a jet from a fire hose:
28. Kids also have something to do next to the fire truck:
29. In general, a lot has been done for children on Gerber. Various attractions, games:
30. Swing:
31. Throughout the territory of Gerber there are such signs. The truth is in the Udmurt language, because the holiday is Udmurt. In general, it seems to me that I was the only guest at this holiday who did not speak the Udmurt language, and this did not bother me at all:
32. A lot of entertainment was also provided for adults:
34. National Udmurt fun - who will throw a huge log further. Let me tell you, it's impressive. They throw an average of 4-5 meters:
35. Learning to play on a special whistle-pipe:
36. Weaving masters:
Diana Chaynikova
The national Udmurt holiday Gerber was once celebrated in every corner of Udmurtia. Since 1992, it has acquired the status of a nationwide event, which attracts not only residents of the region, but also guests from neighboring regions and from all over the country.
The holiday comes from different narrow-local traditions of the Udmurts, Galina Glukhova, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs of the Institute of Udmurt Philology, Finno-Ugric Studies and Journalism of Udmurt State University, told IA "Udmurtia". If among the northern Udmurts it is Gerber, then among the southern Udmurts it is Gershid. Among the southern Udmurts, it lasted several days - almost a week, and every day was dedicated to praying to some deity, while among the northern Udmurts it was combined with haymaking, and the celebration took place within one day. Beautifully and smartly dressed Udmurts went out to the meadows with a scythe. They chose a person, “easy on hand”, for whom everything was arguing, and he began mowing. They mowed down quite a bit, and then a common meal began.
udmdunne.ru
How Gerber was born and when it was celebrated
According to the doctor of historical sciences, professor Alexei Zagrebin, from time immemorial, the inhabitants of Udmurtia were hunters, and the transition to agriculture took place through borrowing actions and vocabulary from neighbors.
“If you look into the agricultural vocabulary, it is very complex in its composition. There are also Iranian components ( everything related to the horse - ed.), Slavic, because many agricultural technologies were borrowed from the Slavs, Turkic components associated with a number of agricultural implements, such as the saban ( plow - ed.). Hence the Sabantuy of the Tatars. This suggests that we were always open to each other and adopted different features of culture, but at the same time, each of us had something individual. And the Udmurt Gerber has become a national holiday since the formation of ethnic identity,” explained Alexei Zagrebin.
According to him, Gerber originated in the 19th century as a celebration of the completion of sowing work. Galina Glukhova also notes that Gerber is an opportunity to turn to God, thanking for the successful agricultural work, and ask for a good harvest.
Why didn't they pick flowers before Gerber
“Previously, Gerber was calculated not according to the calendar, but on the ground, focusing on the weather, stars, the state of the grass, etc. Today it is celebrated on July 12, but before it could pass on another day, the time frame was very unsteady,” says Galina Glukhova.
According to her, it was celebrated approximately after the second week of Invozho - the summer solstice.
Before Gerber, the Udmurts did not break branches in the forest, did not tear leaves, berries from the time when the buds swell until Gerber itself. They prepared firewood in advance so that it would be enough from May to the end of June.
“Because at that time Invozho-muma descended from heaven (the mistress of heavenly moisture in the traditional Udmurt worldview system - ed.) and settled precisely in the grass so that it would be filled with juice, and just before Gerber and before going to hay to her it was impossible to touch it,” explained the deputy director for academic work of the Institute of Udmurt Philology, Finno-Ugric Studies and Journalism of UdGU.
Why did they “throw eggs” into the first furrow
Photo: Andrey Krasnov © vk.com
On the day of the celebration of Gerber, the Udmurts dressed up in their most festive clothes, prepared national pastries and went out into the field with hope for the future.
According to Aleksey Zagrebin, pagan prayers were dedicated to joy and anticipation of a great harvest.
“Therefore, when plowed, eggs were thrown into the first furrow so that the same large grain would be born. Everything was aimed at increasing the fertility of the land,” he said.
Galina Glukhova clarified that the offering to God, buried in the first furrow, could include not only eggs, but also bread and pastries.
Ritual porridge - what it was cooked from and what it symbolized
web-kapiche.ru
According to the stories of Galina Glukhova, at first, adult residents of the Udmurt village chose a sacrificial lamb. For a suitable one, they arranged a test: they threw the animal into the water, and if it was shaken after bathing, it was believed that the sacrifice was accepted by God. They cut it, boiled it in a cauldron, and made porridge from barley on this broth.
“Each grain is a derivative of grain. Porridge is a desire for a big harvest brought together,” Alexei Zagrebin explained the deep meaning of the traditional dish.
They brought pastries and loaves of bread with them to the festive meal. Before eating, be sure to illuminate all the dishes. Kumyshka (Udmurt moonshine - ed.), an alcoholic drink on Gerber, according to Galina Glukhova, appeared at a later time. Prior to this, women brewed festive sur (beer).
Photo: Grigory Fomin © https://site
Young wives put on all the available elegant dresses, skirts and hats.
In some regions of Udmurtia, a young wife, going out for the first time to hay (Gerber) after marriage, put on all the outfits, including all the available hats, quite heavy even individually.
“This shows how hard and difficult the fate of a woman and mother is,” Galina Glukhova explained.
Why young wives were thrown into the river, and who saved them
“While we were having a meal, young women who got married this year seemed to be accidentally thrown into the river, and the husband had to save his wife, after which the rescued gave gifts to everyone present,” said Galina Glukhova.
According to her, today throwing young women into the water is perceived as fun, but the action had a sacred ritual connotation:
“Previously, a wedding was played not only for the sake of, as they say now, two loving hearts united. Now the bride and groom are dancing with the guests, and earlier the newlyweds had to be silent during the celebration, because in this ceremony there was a transition to another status - to the status of wife and husband. During the transition period, they were considered temporarily dead. The veil not only protected from the evil eye. It was believed that the girl at that moment was a faceless, familyless, temporarily dead person.
Galina Glukhova explained that from the day of the wedding, the young Udmurt girl was considered a stranger to her family:
“During the bathing of the bride, on the one hand, there was a cleansing from the now alien family and acceptance into a new family. After being rescued by her husband, it was believed that she was now accepted into his family.
She added that young women were not thrown into the water everywhere. For example, in the Malopurginsky district, a young woman was tied to a tree, and one of the new relatives asked her what she would call her mother-in-law, father-in-law and other relatives of her family. If she did not want to answer or answered incorrectly, the rope was pulled tighter and the question was repeated.
On Gerbera they sang softly and danced round dances
Aleksey Zagrebin associates Gerber with a mysterious element of expectation: “how will God perceive our work.”
“Hence all the songs and actions that were performed quietly, with the least noise and with a kind of reverent fear: as if not to frighten,” he said.
Galina Glukhova explained that Udmurts do not tend to chant loudly. In some locations, women sang melodies with interjections, in others lyrical songs were performed. Singing with an anguish and a change in tonality is rather characteristic of performers of Russian folk compositions.
How Udmurt girls proved their readiness to become a bride
Another Gerber tradition is the so-called field wedding. She passed on a rye field, near a reservoir. In some areas, this was an imitation of a real combination of a girl and a boy, who were dressed up as a young couple.
“The main idea of the ceremony is that girls show their coming of age, their readiness to become a bride. When the bride and groom were dressed up, they were given the opportunity to arrange their family in the future, ”explained Galina Glukhova.
According to her story, festively dressed "bride and groom" with young "guests" sang, holding hands, round dance songs. Then they returned to the village, where they walked, without disengaging their hands, the entire width of the street, and the adult population came out and treated them.
Young girls showed their ability to sing, dance, behave in a team, cook, because in front of Gerber they also prepared cooking, sur.
“Only those who went through the rite of majority took part in the wedding of the field, mostly girls from about 15 years old. Moreover, they didn’t accept those who stayed in girlhood for games and gatherings, ”added an employee of the UdSU.
After the promenade along the street at the end of the village, they arranged ritual games, which today are perceived as children's (for example, "ringlet"), and round dances.
Aleksey Zagrebin interprets the wedding ceremony of the field as a meeting of the farmer with the field:
“This is a combination of labor, mind, will and desire of a person and fertile land. The bride is mother earth, feminine, and the farmer is a man.
Photo: Mikhail Shustov © https://site
Gerber today
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Aleksey Zagrebin explained that in the 21st century, Gerber has grown into a form of a national holiday that has become interesting to the outside world.
At the festival for Muscovites and guests of the capital, wedding ceremonies of Udmurtia, master classes in needlework and handicrafts, national dishes and much more.
In addition to the national flavor, guests will also be able to experience the industrial and investment potential of Udmurtia: spectators will be able to race drones and the latest developments of entrepreneurs of the republic.
Gerber… hmm… what is a Gerber? Come on, let's roll this word in the language - ger-ber! How pebbles rattle. And either a herbarium, or a gerbera with herbalife, or even a terrible Kerberos come to mind, and to whom the human rights activist Alla Gerber, which is no better than Kerberos). But don't be alarmed, this is just the name of one of the holidays, very popular in the Udmurt region. And it’s good that we didn’t have to pronounce other words of the Udmurt language, because without skill, many of them are very difficult to pronounce. Well, to the point...
Many centuries ago, when the survival of human communities directly depended on how zealously they sow, plow or cast nets, human holidays were increasingly tied to the agricultural calendar. The people of the Udmurts, or Votyaks, who comfortably lived in the Kama and Cis-Urals, were no exception. Like many other neighboring ethnic groups, the Udmurts were mainly engaged in arable farming and attached great importance to the plowing procedure - so much so that they dedicated one of their holidays to it - Gerber.
The name Gerber comes from the Votyak words “hery” - a plow, and “bere” - after, behind, which already makes it clear in what period of time this festival was held. In the old days, Gerber was celebrated in the spring, immediately after the end of plowing and sowing, he did not have a strict date. There was a belief among local residents that the land after cultivation is pregnant, and it is impossible to injure it ahead of time with either a hoe or a plow. These days, before the hayfields, the farmer had a very short rest, which was dedicated to celebrations and sacred events.
In the old days, in different regions of Udmurtia, the holiday was called differently. He was also called Gyron Bydton, and Kuarsur, and Guzh Yuon, and even, God forgive me, Pinal Mudor. But in all places, the action was approximately the same - the community members, under the rites of the local pagan clergyman, walked around the fields in a crowd and performed kurisko - they prayed to the creator god Inmar and his deputy for fertility Kylchyn for a rich harvest. After that, they made a sacrifice - they slaughtered a well-fed calf on the field and made a ritual multi-cereal kulesh from different types of grains with its meat.
After the sacred snack, the people began to dance, sing, choose brides and arrange various entertainments. The girls dressed up, and the guys arranged competitions, wanting to find their location. The fact that each housewife of the yard was obliged to bring a flask of local homemade vodka-kumyshka to the festivities contributed a lot to the fun. This point in the program of the festival was given great importance. It is even known that when Mother Catherine the Great introduced a state monopoly on vodka and forbade private distillation, an exception was made for the Votyaks in their tearful petition for the sake of the holiday.
Years passed, and gradually the celebration of Gerber moved to a more convenient time for mass festivities - the end of the summer solstice. Ethnographers still do not have a common opinion on how and when the spring holiday became summer, there is a version that there were originally two Gerbers - an early large and a late small one. It is only known that at the end of the 19th century it was clearly associated with St. Peter's Day, Orthodox priests appeared at the festival, and Christ and the saints were already mentioned in the texts of the curiscons. Probably, there was a characteristic for pagan traditions binding them to Christian holidays.
After the revolution, the tradition of celebrating Gerber, of course, was interrupted - it did not fit into the new ideology in any way. And only in 1992 the celebration resumed. True, no religious motives are observed in solemn events. They do not have a fixed date. On one of the June weekends, competitions for the best national costume and exhibitions of various small folk arts are held in the meadow in the ethnographic museum-reserve Ludorvay. Products from birch bark are especially abundantly presented - the Udmurts are great masters of them. Ritual porridge is still cooked on fires in huge cauldrons. During the solemn meeting-rally, the best grain growers are awarded.
Personally, the President of Udmurtia visits the festival and goes around all the shops of craftsmen, never leaving without a purchase. On this day, the local population has a rare opportunity to communicate directly with their beloved leader and other retinue officials of various ranks. Several thousand people gather for the holiday, guests come from different regions of Russia and from abroad. Everyone willingly tastes local cuisine, attends master classes in making Udmurt national whistles and straw weaving, learns national dances and artistic clay modeling. Walkers are delighted with folklore song and dance ensembles. An old folk custom continues to live a new life ...
On Saturday, another massive national holiday in Udmurtia - Gerber. Gerber is translated from the Udmurt language - "after the plow". In other words, this is a holiday associated with the end of spring arable work in the fields. Today we will see how this beautiful national holiday is celebrated in his homeland in Udmurtia.
Gerber has been officially held in Udmurtia since 1992. Before the main republican holiday, small gerberas are still held at the level of villages and regional centers of Udmurtia. The main holiday falls at the end of June and gathers a huge number of people from all over Udmurtia and even Russia. Every year the main Gerber is organized in different places in Udmurtia. This year it is the Kezsky district. From Izhevsk to Kez about 170 km. and I left early in the morning to catch the beginning of the holiday.
Before starting the report, I want to make a small digression.
Although I have been living in Udmurtia since birth, I am not familiar with national traditions, because. my parents do not have Udmurt roots and came to Izhevsk under the Soviet distribution system after their studies. So please forgive me for some inaccuracies.
1. The first meeting with the holiday was already waiting for me at the entrance to the village of Kez, a few kilometers before the main site of the holiday. At the entrance, all guests are met by the hosts of the holiday in national clothes, which sets the appropriate mood:
3. Gerber is celebrated this year in an open field near the village of Yuski, a few kilometers from the village of Kez. A small area runs along a dirt road. It was very nice to see a machine that poured water on the primer. Thereby preventing the rise of dust:
4. Parking for guest cars is also organized in an open field:
5. A huge number of guests came to the holiday:
6. Gerber is somewhat reminiscent of the Tatar Sabantuy, or vice versa. But there is definitely something in common. Open field with a slight slope for a better view. The main stage is set at the bottom of the slope:
7. I arrived just in time for the opening of the holiday:
9. The beginning of the holiday resembles a demonstration or the opening of the Olympic Games. First, small groups of representatives of the regions of Udmurtia pass by the audience:
10. At first glance, this may seem pretentious, but we must not forget that it is the village and the village that feed the whole of Udmurtia:
11. National costumes create a special color. As far as I know, they have their own characteristics in each region:
13. Everyone is met and accompanied by applause:
14. The Izhevsk group completes the representatives of Udmurtia:
15. I can not help but mention this lady. Pay attention to manicure, jewelry and glasses. I think the wig looks so good. We'll see her later:
16. Udmurtia is followed by representatives of other regions where Udmurts also live. The fact is that the total population of Udmurts in the Russian Federation is 552 thousand people, of which 410 thousand live in the territory of Udmurtia, the rest in other regions. The most numerous are presented on Gerber:
18. Well, actually closes the column - Moscow:
19. In the meantime, the performance of various groups begins on the stage:
20. The sound is not bad, but rolling. With the annual holding of such large-scale holidays in Udmurtia, it would be time to buy your own device, and not "feed" the distributors. This is the inner voice of a person who is directly involved in professional sound equipment in Izhevsk speaking in me:
21. Well, we continue:
22. Artists change on stage:
23. Everything is fun and provocative. Guests love:
24. Near the stage there is a prize for the winner in the competition for the best worker in the village. By the way, I saw the same tractor two weeks ago at:
Here he is:
25. Let's see how the guests are entertained besides the stage. Along the perimeter of the entire field, you can find a lot of entertainment for both adults and children:
26. For example, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia offers to take part in the competition:
27. Two participants must put on combat equipment for a while and hit the target with a jet from a fire hose:
28. Kids also have something to do next to the fire truck:
29. In general, a lot has been done for children on Gerber. Various attractions, games:
30. Swing:
31. Throughout the territory of Gerber there are such signs. The truth is in the Udmurt language, because the holiday is Udmurt. In general, it seems to me that I was the only guest at this holiday who did not speak the Udmurt language, and this did not bother me at all:
32. A lot of entertainment was also provided for adults:
34. National Udmurt fun - who will throw a huge log further. Let me tell you, it's impressive. They throw an average of 4-5 meters:
35. Learning to play on a special whistle-pipe:
36. Weaving masters:
37. Artists reminded me:
38. Master classes in national Udmurt dances:
39. A lot of handmade souvenirs are offered. This is not some kind of China for you, as it is sold everywhere in the world:
41. We went to have a bite:
42. And here is our friend, gives an interview to the press:
43. They feed with porridge cooked on a fire in the old Udmurt way:
44. And this is tangyra. An ancient Udmurt percussion instrument, with the help of which the ancestors of modern Udmurts called the people to a holiday or a military campaign:
45. In general, I personally liked the organization of the holiday. Everything is very convenient, clear and accessible:
46. It is worth adding that Gerber 2015 was accompanied by intense heat. The temperature rose to 35 degrees by noon:
47. It did not prevent people from spending this Sabbath day with pleasure:
48. Perhaps I will finish the report with this frame, because, in my opinion, it fully conveys the atmosphere of the Gerber holiday:
That's all!
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