“For honor, not for warmth” - hats in the North Caucasus. The Caucasian papakha in the Caucasus is more than a headdress

Papakha in the North Caucasus - the whole world and a special myth. In many Caucasian cultures, a man wearing a papakha or, in general, a headdress, is a priori endowed with such qualities as courage, wisdom, and self-esteem. The person who put on the hat seemed to be adapting to it, trying to match the object - after all, the hat did not allow the highlander to bow his head, and therefore to bow to someone in the broad sense.

Not long ago I was in the village of Thagapsh visiting Batmyz Tlif, the chairman of the village “Chile Khase”. We talked a lot about the traditions of aul self-government, preserved by the Black Sea Shapsugs, and before leaving, I asked our hospitable host for permission to photograph him in a ceremonial hat - and Batmyz seemed to look younger before my eyes: immediately a different posture and a different look...

Batmyz Tlif in his ceremonial astrakhan hat. Aul Thagapsh, Lazarevsky district Krasnodar region. May 2012. Photo by the author

“If the head is intact, there should be a hat on it,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat” is an incomplete list of proverbs that exist among many mountain peoples of the Caucasus.

Many mountaineer customs are associated with the papakha - it is not only a headdress that keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer; it is a symbol and a sign. A man should never take off his hat if he asks anyone for anything. With the exception of only one case: the hat can be removed only when they ask for forgiveness of blood feud.

In Dagestan, a young man who was afraid to openly woo the girl he liked once threw his hat at her window. If the hat remained in the house and did not immediately fly back, then you can count on reciprocity.

It was considered an insult if a person's hat was knocked off his head. If a person himself took off his hat and left it somewhere, no one had the right to touch it, understanding that he would have to deal with its owner.

Journalist Milrad Fatulaev recalls in his article a famous case when, going to the theater, the famous Lezgin composer Uzeir Gadzhibekov bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.

Hats were not removed indoors (with the exception of the bashlyk). Sometimes, when taking off the hat, they put on a light cloth cap. There were also special night caps - mainly for old people. The highlanders shaved or cut their heads very short, which also preserved the custom of constantly wearing some kind of headdress.

The oldest form was considered to be tall, shaggy hats with a convex top made of soft felt. They were so high that the top of the cap tilted to the side. Information about such hats was recorded by Evgenia Nikolaevna Studenetskaya, a famous Soviet ethnographer, from old Karachais, Balkars and Chechens, who retained in their memory the stories of their fathers and grandfathers.

There was a special type of papakha - shaggy papakhas. They were made from sheepskin with a long pile facing outwards, lined with sheepskin with sheared wool. These hats were warmer and provided better protection from the rain and snow that flowed into the long fur. For a shepherd, such a shaggy hat often served as a pillow.

For festive papas, they preferred the fine curly fur of young lambs (kurpei) or imported astrakhan fur.

Circassians in hats. The drawing was kindly provided to me by history scientist from Nalchik Timur Dzuganov.

Astrakhan hats were called “Bukhara”. Hats made from the fur of Kalmyk sheep were also prized.

The shape of a fur hat could be varied. In his “Ethnological Studies on Ossetians” V.B. Pfaff wrote: “the papakha is very subject to fashion: sometimes it is sewn very high, an arshin or more in height, and at other times quite low, so that it is only slightly higher than the cap of the Crimean Tatars.”

It was possible to determine the social status of a highlander and his personal preferences by his hat, but “it is impossible to distinguish a Lezgin from a Chechen, a Circassian from a Cossack by his headdress. Everything is quite monotonous,” Milrad Fatullaev subtly noted.

At the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries. fur hats (made from sheepskin with long wool) were worn mainly as shepherd's hats (Chechens, Ingush, Ossetians, Karachais, Balkars).

A high astrakhan fur hat was common in Ossetia, Adygea, flat Chechnya and rarely in the mountainous regions of Chechnya, Ingushetia, Karachay and Balkaria.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, low, almost head-length, tapering caps made of astrakhan fur came into fashion. They were worn mainly in the cities and adjacent areas of flat Ossetia and Adygea.

Papakhas were and are expensive, so rich people had them. Rich people had up to 10-15 dads. Nadir Khachilayev said that he bought a hat of a unique iridescent golden hue in Derbent for one and a half million rubles.

After the First World War, a low hat (band 5-7 itself) with a flat bottom made of fabric spread in the North Caucasus. The band was made from kurpei or karakul. The bottom, cut from one piece of fabric, was located at the level of the top line of the band and was sewn to it.

Such a hat was called a Kubanka - it was first worn by the Kuban Cossack army. And in Chechnya - with a carabiner, due to its low height. Among young people it replaced other forms of papas, and among the older generation it coexisted with them.

The difference between Cossack hats and mountain hats is their diversity and lack of standards. Mountain hats are standardized, Cossack hats are based on the spirit of improvisation. Each Cossack army in Russia was distinguished by its hats in the quality of fabric and fur, shades of color, shape - hemispherical or flat, dressing, sewing ribbons, seams and, finally, in the manner of wearing those same hats.

People in the Caucasus took great care of hats - they kept them covered with a scarf. When traveling to a city or on a holiday in another village, they took a festive hat with them and put it on only before entering, taking off a simpler cap or felt hat.

Caucasian hats

History and traditions

For a long time, the mountaineers of the Caucasus have been wearing fur hats, which have been improved over many centuries, eventually turning into the same hats that have become widely known since the Caucasian War of the 19th century. The Cossacks, and then the regular Russian troops, immediately appreciated the irreplaceability, practicality and universal qualities of the papakha, which in mountain conditions served not only as a headdress, but also as a pillow. A papakha is an undoubted attribute of the costume of a highlander and a Cossack. Papakha white at Caucasian highlanders was considered part of the ceremonial costume worn on special occasions.

Before the outbreak of World War I, hats such as papakhas were made from bear, ram and wolf fur, since the durable and tough fur helped to withstand saber blows well. To increase this effect, metal plates were placed into the wedge-shaped cap of the hat. The military had not only ordinary, but also ceremonial hats. For example, officer's ones were distinguished by the fact that they were trimmed with centimeter-long silver braid.

The Don, Astrakhan, Semirechensk and other Cossack troops wore cone-shaped hats with short-cropped fur. Beginning in 1915, it was possible to wear gray fur hats, but during combat operations only black ones could be worn. White fur hats were strictly prohibited. The sergeants and cadets had the top of their hats decorated with white braid in the shape of a cross.

The Don hats differed from the others in that they had a red top with a cross. The top of the Kuban Cossacks' papas was also red.

Currently, you can buy a Caucasian hat of any color, shape and type in the store of Caucasian souvenir and gift craftsmen “Caucasian Craftsmen”.

Types and varieties of hats

Hats can be very diverse; they are made from different types of fur and can have different pile lengths, sizes and embroidery. At first, in the mountainous regions, hats were made from fabric, felt, fur, and combinations of fabric and fur. But it is fur hats that have earned great popularity, so today it is almost impossible to find a hat made of any other material other than fur.

Types of hats existing today:

• Karakulevaya. It is the most expensive and most beautiful, covered with uniform smooth, tight and dense curls. In addition, such a hat is very practical and can last for many years.
• Classic. The most common type of headdress in the mountainous part of the Caucasus, this type of hat is characterized by long and thick wool, most often from lamb. This type is often called shepherd's hats.
• Cossack It is also popular in the Caucasus, also common among the Terek and Kuban Cossacks, and has its own name - kubanka. Papakha may have different shapes, both short and long fur.

If you want to buy a hat in Moscow, you should get acquainted with the extensive assortment that is presented in the Caucasian Craftsmen store. There are the most different types papas, which are made exclusively from high-quality materials.

Papakhas also differ in the material they are made from. For example, astrakhan hats are made from astrakhan varieties such as Valek, Pulat and Antika.

Thanks to innovative technologies, the color palette of karakul is very diverse; such unusual colors as platinum, steel, golden, amber, beige, chocolate and many others are available. Astrakhan fur keeps its shape well, so hats made from it can be either ordinary or very tall.

Classic and Cossack hats can be made from:

• goatskin,
• sheep skin,
• lamb skin.

They can be white, black and brown, with very different coat lengths. All modern models are equipped with a special cord that allows you to easily and conveniently adjust the size.

Hat hats made from lamb and sheep skin are good because they are very warm and durable. And if the skin has been pre-treated, then the hat will also be moisture resistant. Hat hats with long pile are most often made from goat skins; they can be in natural colors such as gray, brown and milky, or dyed.

You can always purchase any hat in the store of Caucasian souvenir and gift makers “Caucasian Craftsmen” by going to the website and placing an order, which couriers will deliver at a convenient time, or by visiting the store located in Moscow on Semenovskaya Square.

In the Caucasus it has always been an honor to wear a headdress. It’s not for nothing that they say: “If you have a head, then you should have a hat on it.” Of course, times change, and with them morals. Today it is not so often that you meet a person with a beautiful and straight posture, whose head is decorated with Caucasian papakha.

Indeed, a papakha is an adornment and the personification of honor for a man. Some 20-30 years ago, very interesting traditions were widespread in the outskirts of the Caucasus. For example, no one under any circumstances had the right to take off someone else’s hat. This was regarded as an insult to the owner of the headdress and very often led to unpleasant consequences.

But not all traditions that related to wearing a hat were so strict. In the old days, a guy who wanted to show a girl his feelings resorted to two methods - either he told her personally about it in a dance, while holding a Caucasian dagger in his teeth, or he walked under her window and threw his hat. If the girl kept it with her, then it was believed that she accepted the marriage proposal, but if the headdress flew out of the window back to the owner, then the guy understood that his proposal was rejected.

Caucasian papakha - classification by type and quality of material

It is worth noting that hats in the Caucasus were not always the same as we are used to seeing them today. In the 19th century, the following types of hats became most widespread among the male population of the mountain region: fabric, a combination of fabric and fur, fur, felt. Subsequently, it was fur hats and fur hats that supplanted all other types.

Today, hats are classified into the following types:

1. Karakul - considered the most valuable and desirable. Although, there are a lot of pitfalls here too. Finding a hat made from real astrakhan fur is not an easy task. Many people sell fakes under the guise of high-quality scribble. In the article about astrakhan hats and hats, you can read about the types and how to correctly and quickly determine the quality of astrakhan fur. Look interesting video Caucasian headdresses:

2. Classical (shepherd) - the most common type of headdress in the Caucasus, especially in the mountainous part. This headdress is often called the “people's hat” due to the fact that it is not very difficult to make. There are many types and subspecies of such papakhas, many of them are presented in the category “Shepherd papakhas”.

3. Cossack hat - another species that is widespread in the Caucasus, with the exception of national republics. This headdress is especially popular among the Terek and Kuban Cossacks, which is natural.

In addition to the species classification, there is also a division according to the material being manufactured within the species itself. The same astrakhan hats are most often made from natural astrakhan fur of three varieties: Valek, Pulat and Antika. We do not take into account artificial astrakhan or cheap Moldovan ones. Caucasian craftsmen use only natural varieties of astrakhan fur in their work.

Classic (shepherd) hats are made from goat, sheep and lamb skins. Common people classify these hats according to external signs: color (white, black, brown), shaggyness, presence or absence of smell of the skin, length of wool, etc.

An example of a shepherd's hat made of natural white goat skin:

An example of a shepherd's hat made of natural black lamb skin:

Professionals in their practice use completely different criteria (although all of the above are also important): the presence or absence of bald spots, the thickness of the coat, the presence of curls, neatness of tailoring, the presence of a lace for size adjustment.

We tried to take all these nuances into account when choosing a craftsman to make the hats presented in our online store. In 2.5 years, over 2,000 hats have already passed through our hands, and this allows us to assert that when choosing a hat, the main selection criterion should be the quality of the material used and the accuracy of tailoring.

If you typed something like “buy a hat” into a search engine, then rest assured that you have come to the right place where you can choose a Caucasian headdress to suit your taste highest quality. All the hats we present are made by real professionals - folk craftsmen of Dagestan - Salman Rabadanov and Yakub Akhmedov. These are people who have been sewing papakhas for decades and in total have already sewn over 40,000 copies!

Annotation: the genesis and evolution of the hat, its cut, methods and manner of wearing, the cult and ethical culture of the Chechens and Ingush are described.

Usually the Vainakhs have questions about when the papakha finally appeared in the everyday life of the mountaineers and how. My father Mokhmad-Khadzhi from the village. Elistanzhi told me a legend he had heard in his youth associated with this popularly revered headdress and the reason for its cult.

Once upon a time, back in the 7th century, Chechens who wished to convert to Islam went on foot to the holy city of Mecca and met there with the prophet Muhammad (pbuh), so that he would bless them new faith– Islam. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was extremely surprised and saddened by the sight of the wanderers, and especially by their broken, bloody legs from a long journey, and gave them astrakhan skins so that they would wrap their legs with them for the return journey. Having accepted the gift, the Chechens decided that it was unworthy to wrap their feet with such beautiful skins, and even those received from such a great man as Muhammad (pbuh). From them, they decided to sew tall hats that should be worn with pride and dignity. Since then, this type of honorary, beautiful headdress has been worn by the Vainakhs with special reverence.

People say: “On a highlander, two elements of clothing should attract special attention - a headdress and shoes. The papakha must be of an ideal cut, since a person who respects you looks at your face and sees your headdress accordingly. An insincere person usually looks at your feet, so the shoes should be of high quality and polished to a shine.”

The most important and prestigious part of the complex men's clothing there was a hat in all its forms that existed in the Caucasus. A lot of Chechen and Ingush jokes, folk games, wedding and funeral customs are associated with the hat. At all times, the headdress was the most necessary and most stable element of the mountain costume. It was a symbol of masculinity and the dignity of a highlander was judged by his headdress. This is evidenced by various proverbs and sayings inherent to the Chechens and Ingush, which we recorded during field work. “A man should take care of two things - his hat and his name. The hat will be saved by the one who has a smart head on his shoulders, and the name will be saved by the one whose heart burns with fire in his chest.” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with your dad.” But they also said: “A lush hat does not always decorate smart head" “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” the old people used to say. And therefore, the Vainakh had to have the best one, no expense was spared on the hat, and a self-respecting man would appear in public wearing a hat. She was running around everywhere. It was not customary to take it off even when visiting or indoors, whether it was cold or hot there, or to pass it on to another person to wear.

When a man died, his things were supposed to be distributed to close relatives, but the headdresses of the deceased were not given to anyone - they were worn in the family, if there were sons and brothers, if there were none, they were presented to the most respected man of his type. Following that custom, I wear my late father’s hat. We got used to the hat from childhood. I would like to especially note that for the Vainakhs there was no gift more valuable than a papakha.

Chechens and Ingush traditionally shaved their heads, which also contributed to the custom of constantly wearing a headdress. And women, according to the adat, do not have the right to wear (put on) a man’s headdress other than a felt hat worn during agricultural work in the field. There is also a popular belief that a sister cannot wear her brother’s hat, since in this case the brother may lose his happiness.

According to our field material, no element of clothing had as many varieties as a headdress. He had not only utilitarian, but often sacred meaning. A similar attitude towards the hat arose in the Caucasus in ancient times and persists in our time.

According to field ethnographic materials, the Vainakhs have the following types of headdresses: khakhan, mesal kui - fur hat, kholkhazan, suram kuy - astrakhan hat, zhaunnan kuy - shepherd's hat. The Chechens and Kists called the cap - kuy, the Ingush - kiy, the Georgians - kudi. According to Iv. Javakhishvili, Georgian kudi (hat) and Persian khud are the same word, meaning helmet, i.e. iron hat. This term also meant caps in ancient Persia, he notes.

There is another opinion that Chech. Kui borrowed from Georgian language. We do not share this point of view.

We agree with A.D. Vagapov, who writes that forge a “hat”, generally speaking. (*kau > *keu- // *kou-: Chech. dial. kuy, kuda< *куди, инг. кий, ц.-туш. куд). Источником слова считается груз. kudi «шапка». Однако на почве нахских языков фонетически невозможен переход куд(и) >forge. Therefore, we bring into comparison the I.-E. material: *(s)keu- “to cover, covering”, progerm. *kudhia, Iran. *xauda “hat, helmet”, Pers. xoi, xod "helmet". These facts indicate that the -d- we are interested in is most likely an expander of the root kuv- // kui-, as in I.-e. *(s)neu- “twist”, *(s)noud- “twisted; nodule", pers. ney "reeds", corresponding to Chech. nui "broom", nuida "wicker button". So the question is about borrowing Chech. forge from the cargo. language remains open. As for the name suram: suram-kui “astrakhan hat”, its origin is unclear.

Possibly related to the Taj. sur "variety of karakul" Brown with light golden ends of the hair.” And then here’s how Vagapov explains the origin of the term kholkhaz “karakul”: “Actually Chechen. In the first part - huol - “gray” (Cham. khkholu-), khaal - “skin”, oset. khal – “thin skin”. In the second part there is a basis - haz, corresponding to lezg. haz "fur", tab., tsakh. haz, udin. hez "fur", varnish. haz. "fitch". G. Klimov derives these forms from Azerbaijani, in which khaz also means fur (SKYA 149). However, the latter itself comes from Iranian languages, cf., in particular, Persian. haz "ferret, ferret fur", Kurdish. xez “fur, skin.” Further, the geography of distribution of this basis expands at the expense of Old Russian. хъзъ “fur, leather” hoz “morocco”, Russian. household "tanned goatskin". But sur in the Chechen language also means army. This means that we can assume that suram kuy is a warrior’s hat.

Like other peoples of the Caucasus, Chechens and Ingush headdresses were typologically divided according to two characteristics - material and shape. Hats various shapes, made entirely of fur, belong to the first type, and to the second - hats with a fur band and a head made of cloth or velvet, both types of these hats are called papakha.

On this occasion E.N. Studenetskaya writes: “The material for making hats was sheep skins of varying quality, and sometimes the skins of goats of a special breed. Warm winter hats, as well as shepherd's ones, were made from sheepskin with long pile facing outwards, often lined with sheepskin with trimmed wool. Such hats were warmer and better protected from rain and snow flowing from long fur. For a shepherd, a shaggy hat often served as a pillow.

Long-haired papakhas were also made from the skins of a special breed of sheep with silky, long and curly hair or Angora goat skins. They were expensive and rare; they were considered ceremonial.

In general, for festive papas they preferred the fine curly fur of young lambs (kurpei) or imported astrakhan fur. Astrakhan hats were called “Bukhara”. Hats made from the fur of Kalmyk sheep were also prized. “He has five hats, all made from Kalmyk lamb, and he wears them out bowing to guests.” This praise is not only for hospitality, but also for wealth.”

In Chechnya, hats were made quite high, widened at the top, with a band protruding above the velvet or cloth bottom. In Ingushetia, the height of the hat is slightly lower than the Chechen one. This is apparently due to the influence of the cut of hats in neighboring Ossetia. According to the authors A.G. Bulatova, S.Sh. Gadzhieva, G.A. Sergeeva, in the 20s of the 20th century, hats with a slightly expanded top were distributed throughout Dagestan (the height of the band, for example, 19 cm, the width of the base - 20, the top - 26 cm), They are sewn from merlushka or astrakhan wool with a fabric top. All the peoples of Dagestan call this papakha “Bukhara” (meaning that astrakhan fur, from which it was mostly sewn, is brought from Central Asia). The head of such hats was made of cloth or velvet in bright colors. A hat made of golden Bukhara astrakhan fur was especially prized.

The Avars of Salatavia and the Lezgins considered this hat to be Chechen, the Kumyks and Dargins called it “Ossetian,” and the Laks called it “Tsudaharskaya” (probably because the hatmakers were mainly Tsudaharians). Perhaps she entered Dagestan with North Caucasus. This type of hat was a ceremonial form of headdress; it was worn more often by young people, who sometimes had several covers made of multi-colored fabric for the bottom and changed them often. Such a hat consisted of two parts: a cloth cap quilted with cotton wool, sewn to the shape of the head, and attached to it with outside(in the lower part) high (16-18 cm) and wide towards the top (27 cm) fur band.

The Caucasian astrakhan hat with a slightly widened band at the top (its height gradually increased over time) was and remains the most favorite headdress of Chechen and Ingush elders. They also wore a sheepskin hat, which the Russians called a papakha. Its shape changed different periods and had its own differences from the hats of other nations.

Since ancient times, there has been a cult of headdress for both women and men in Chechnya. For example, a Chechen guarding an object could leave his hat and go home to have lunch - no one touched it, because he understood that he would have to deal with the owner. Taking off someone's hat meant a deadly quarrel; if a highlander took off his hat and hit it on the ground, it meant that he was ready to do anything. “Tearing off or knocking a hat off someone’s head was considered a great insult, the same as cutting off the sleeve of a woman’s dress,” said my father Magomed-Khadzhi Garsaev.

If a person took off his hat and asked for something, it was considered indecent to refuse his request, but the one who approached in this way enjoyed a bad reputation among the people. “Kera kui bittina hilla tseran iza” - “They got it by beating their caps,” they said about such people.

Even during fiery, expressive, fast dance a Chechen should not have dropped his headdress. Another amazing custom Chechens, associated with a headdress: its owner’s papakha could replace it during a date with a girl. How? If a Chechen guy, for some reason, could not get a date with a girl, he would send his close friend there, giving him his headdress. In this case, the hat reminded the girl of her beloved, she felt his presence, and she perceived her friend’s conversation as a very pleasant conversation with her fiancé.

The Chechens had a hat and, to tell the truth, still remains a symbol of honor, dignity or “cult”.

This is confirmed by some tragic incidents from the life of the Vainakhs during their stay in exile in Central Asia. Prepared by the absurd information of the NKVD employees that the Chechens and Ingush deported to the territory of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were horned cannibals, representatives of the local population, out of curiosity, sometimes tried to tear off the high hats from the special settlers and discover the notorious horns under them. Such incidents ended with either a brutal fight or murder, because The Vainakhs did not understand the actions of the Kazakhs and considered it an attack on their honor.

In this regard, it is permissible to cite here one tragic case for the Chechens. During the celebration of Eid al-Adha by the Chechens in the city of Alga, Kazakhstan, the commandant of the city, a Kazakh by nationality, appeared at this event and began making provocative speeches towards the Chechens: “Are you celebrating Eid al-Adha? Are you Muslims? Traitors, murderers. You have horns under your hats! Come on, show them to me! - and began to tear off the hats from the heads of the respected elders. Elistanzhin resident Janaraliev Jalavdi tried to besiege him, warning that if he touched his headdress, he would be sacrificed in the name of Allah in honor of the holiday. Ignoring what was said, the commandant rushed to his hat, but was knocked down with a powerful blow from his fist. Then the unthinkable happened: driven to despair by the commandant’s most humiliating action for him, Zhalavdi stabbed him to death. For this he received 25 years in prison.

How many Chechens and Ingush were imprisoned then, trying to defend their dignity!

Today we all see how Chechen leaders of all ranks wear hats without taking them off, which symbolizes national honor and pride. Before last day wore his hat proudly great dancer Makhmud Esambaev, and even now, driving through the new third ring road in Moscow, you can see a monument over his grave, where he is immortalized, of course, in his hat.

NOTES

1. Javakhishvili I.A. Materials for history material culture of the Georgian people - Tbilisi, 1962. III - IU. P. 129.

2. Vagapov A.D. Etymological dictionary Chechen language // Lingua–universum – Nazran, 2009. P. 32.

3. Studenetskaya E.N. Clothing // Culture and life of the peoples of the North Caucasus - M., 1968. P. 113.

4. Bulatova A.G., Gadzhieva S.Sh., Sergeeva G.A. Clothing of the peoples of Dagestan-Pushchino, 2001.P.86

5. Arsaliev Sh. M-Kh. Ethnopedagogy of Chechens - M., 2007. P. 243.

... He had only six classes behind him high school, but was born a dancer by inclination and talent - and became an artist against the will of his father, who considered his son’s choice unworthy of a real man. In 1939-1941, Esambaev studied at the Grozny Choreographic School, and then began dancing in the Chechen-Ingush State Song and Dance Ensemble. During the Great Patriotic War he performed for soldiers on the front line and in hospitals with the front-line concert brigade. In 1944-1956, Mahmud danced in opera house city ​​of Frunze. The expression of his gesture and eagle appearance were useful for the Evil Genius, Girey, Taras in Taras Bulba and the fairy Carabosse, the negative heroine of The Sleeping Beauty. Later he will create a unique monotheater of dance miniatures and travel around the world with the program “Dances of the Peoples of the World”. He choreographed many of the compositions himself, using one hundred and fifty percent of his naturally phenomenal stride, his penchant for the grotesque and his masculine grace of a rare scale. Performing alone, Esambaev easily dominated any stage and masterfully knew how to attract attention and keep it. He created an original dance theater in which the artist had and still has no competitors. Knowing the laws of the stage, Esambaev checked his effects using a stopwatch - and at the same time captured incredible strength ecstasy. All his numbers became hits. In 1959, Esambaev performed his program in Moscow, then as part of the Stars troupe Soviet ballet» toured France, South America. Close to worldwide famous ballerinas it was a triumphant success. And wherever the tour took place, Esambaev, like a keen collector, collected dances different nations. He learned them with lightning speed and performed them in the same country that gave them to him. Esambaev was repeatedly elected as a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, RSFSR, and USSR. With his active support, a new drama theater and circus building were built in the Chechen capital Grozny. He National artist USSR and eight republics. The great dancer has died Makhmud Alisultanovich Esambaev January 7, 2000 in Moscow.