Gerber script in Russian. How is the national Udmurt Gerber holiday celebrated? Why didn’t they pick flowers before Gerber?

Udmurt holiday Gerbers

The concept of the holiday was discussed on March 9 at the Ministry of National Policy of Udmurtia. Now the organizers are thinking over the concept, direction and design of the plow festival.

The name Gerber comes from the Votyak words “gery” - plow, and “bere” - after, behind, which already makes it clear in what period of time this festival was held. The Udmurts were mainly engaged in arable farming and attached very great importance to the plowing procedure - so much so that they dedicated one of their holidays - Gerber - to it. The Gerber 2017 festival will be held on June 17 in the Mozhginsky district of the republic.

The main theme of “Gerbera 2017” will be the horse, reports the press service of the House of Friendship of the Peoples of Udmurtia.

“Horses” is a common motif in medieval Udmurt art, they explain. The horse can be found on ridges, pendants, and copings. Researchers note that the image of the Udmurt horse is associated with the solar cult. According to one version, the Vala (Valoshur) river, originating in the Mozhginsky region, is translated as “horse river”.

According to Udmurt legends, winged fiery horses emerge from the Vala River. Today the Mozhginsk land is famous for horse breeding. Among them are such breeds as Vyatka, Kabardian, Oryol, and Russian draft.

In the old days, Gerber was celebrated in the spring, immediately after plowing and sowing; it did not have a strict date.

Local residents had a belief that the land after cultivation was pregnant, and it should not be wounded before its term with either a hoe or a plow. These days, the tiller had a short rest before haymaking, which was dedicated to celebrations and sacred events.

Previously in different areas In Udmurtia, the holiday was called differently. He was called Gyron Bydton, and Kuarsur, and Guzhom Yuon, and 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 kuriskon - they prayed to the creator god Inmar and his deputy for fertility, Kylchyn, for a rich harvest. After this, they made a sacrifice - they slaughtered a well-fed calf in the field and made a ritual kulesh with its meat from different types grains

The people began to dance, sing, choose brides and organize various entertainments. The girls dressed up, and the guys organized competitions, wanting to find their favor. The fun was greatly enhanced by the fact that each housewife was obliged to bring a flask of local homemade vodka-kumyshka to the festivities. This item in the festival program was given great importance. It is known that when Mother Catherine the Great introduced a state monopoly on vodka and prohibited private distillation, an exception was made for the Votyaks in their tearful petition for the sake of the holiday.

Gradually, the celebration of Gerber moved to a more convenient time for mass celebrations - the end of the summer solstice.

It is known that at the end of the 19th century it was clearly associated with Peter’s Day, Orthodox priests appeared at the festival, and Christ and the saints were already mentioned in the texts of the kuriskons. Probably, there was a characteristic of pagan traditions linking them to Christian holidays.

After the revolution, the tradition of celebrating Gerbers was interrupted. Only in 1992 did the celebration resume. True, there are no longer any religious motives in ceremonial events.

Several thousand people gather for the holiday, guests come from different regions of Russia and from abroad. They taste local cuisine, attend master classes on straw weaving and making Udmurt national whistles, and learn traditional clay modeling.

The holiday does not have a fixed date. On one of the June weekends, competitions for the best national costume and exhibitions of folk art are held in the meadow at the Ludorvai ethnographic museum-reserve. Products made from birch bark are especially abundantly represented - the Udmurts are masters of this. Ritual porridge is still cooked in huge cauldrons over fires.

Let us remind you that the Republican “Gerber” will take place on June 17. It is planned that “Gerber” will take place in Moscow on July 1.

2017-03-13T16:25:33+05:00 Anya HardikainenEthnic studies and ethnography Udmurtia Izhevsk, people, holiday, Udmurtia, Udmurts, ethnographyUdmurt Gerber Holiday The concept of the holiday was discussed on March 9 at the Ministry of National Policy of Udmurtia. Now the organizers are thinking over the concept, direction and design of the plow festival. The name Gerber comes from the Votyak words “gery” - plow, and “bere” - after, behind, which already makes it clear in what period of time this festival was held. The Udmurts were mainly engaged in arable land...Anya Hardikainen

Gerber Holiday: bright photos and videos, detailed description and reviews of the Gerber Festival event in 2019.

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Russia is a multinational and multicultural country. Only, unfortunately, some people forget about this. And if many have at least heard about such a Bashkir-Tatar-Chuvash holiday as Sabantuy, then when asked what “Gerber” is, most of the respondents first scratched their heads, and then answered in a drawn-out manner, “such a flower, a daisy.”

Gerber or gyron bydton (udm. “end of plowing”) - traditional Udmurt holiday, dedicated to the harmonious union of nature and man. However, recently it has been considered a celebration of the end of spring field work. The modern Gerber holiday may be of interest to both Udmurts and tourists who want to join the culture of this people.

History paragraph

The ancient Gerber holiday was once celebrated in every village of Udmurtia annually at the end of spring. However, after the revolution, this significant event for every Udmurt involved in agriculture began to take place in the summer. In 1992, Gerber was recognized by the government of Udmurtia as a national holiday.

Where does it take place?

Interestingly, Gerber did not have a permanent venue until recently (2010). Every year guests were welcomed in different parts of the Udmurt Republic. Since 2010, the holiday has been held on the territory of the Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve “Ludorvai”.

How to get there

From Izhevsk you can get to Ludorvai by bus No. 109 from the “Yuzhnaya Avtostanciya” stop or by bus No. 151 from the “Ulitsa Gagarina” stop.

What's interestnig

There was always something to do on Gerbera. For example, you can try delicious national cuisine: crispy peppers and crumbly porridge prepared according to an old recipe. Moreover, local grandmothers treat everyone for free. Numerous concert programs are held, at which creative groups and solo artists of many genres perform - from folk songs to modern dances.

There is an exhibition and sale of souvenirs, where everyone can purchase a piece of Udmurt culture. Competition lovers are invited to take part in one of the traditional competitions. The selection of the strongest couple and all kinds of children's programs are carried out. In a word, no one will be bored at Gerbera.

If you want to join the culture of one of the most ancient peoples of our country or just want to have a good time and are nearby, then this event is definitely worth visiting.

Gerber... hmm... what is Gerber? Come on, let's roll this word around on the tongue - ger-ber! Like pebbles rattling. And what comes to mind is either a herbarium, or a gerbera with Herbalife, or the generally terrible Kerber, and to whom human rights activist Alla Gerber, who is no better than Kerber). 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, let's get to the point...

Many centuries ago, when the survival of human communities directly depended on how zealously they sowed, plowed or cast nets, human holidays were increasingly tied to the agricultural calendar. The Udmurt or Votyak people, who lived comfortably in the Kama region and the Urals, were no exception. Like many other surrounding 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 - Gerber - to it.

The name Gerber comes from the Votyak words “gery” - 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 plowing and sowing; it did not have a strict date. Local residents had a belief that the land after cultivation was pregnant, and it should not be wounded before its term with either a hoe or a plow. These days, the tiller had a very short rest before haymaking, which was dedicated to celebrations and sacred events.

In the old days, in different regions of Udmurtia the holiday was called differently. He was called Gyron Bydton, and Kuarsur, and Guzhom Yuon, and even, God forgive me, Pinal Mudor. But in all places the action was approximately the same - community members, under the rites of the local pagan clergyman, walked around the fields in a crowd and performed kuriskon - they prayed to the creator god Inmar and his deputy for fertility, Kylchyn, for a rich harvest. After which they made a sacrifice - they slaughtered a well-fed calf in the field and made a ritual multi-grain kulesh from different types of grains with its meat.

After the sacred snack, the people began to dance, sing, choose brides and organize various entertainments. The girls dressed up, and the guys organized competitions, wanting to find their favor. The fun was greatly enhanced by the fact that each housewife was obliged to bring a flask of local homemade vodka-kumyshka to the festivities. This item in the festival program was given great importance. It is even known that when Mother Catherine the Great introduced a state monopoly on vodka and prohibited 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 time more convenient for mass celebrations - the end summer solstice. Ethnographic scientists still do not have a common opinion on how and when spring holiday became summer, there is a version that there were originally two Gerbers - an early large one and a late small one. It is only known that at the end of the 19th century it was clearly associated with Peter’s Day, Orthodox priests appeared at the festival, and Christ and the saints were already mentioned in the texts of the kuriskons. Probably, there was a characteristic of pagan traditions linking them to Christian holidays.

After the revolution, the tradition of celebrating Gerbers, of course, was interrupted - it did not fit into the new ideology. And only in 1992 the celebration resumed. True, there are no longer any religious motives in ceremonial 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 at the Ludorvai ethnographic museum-reserve. Products made from birch bark are especially abundantly represented - the Udmurts are great masters at them. Ritual porridge is still cooked in huge cauldrons over fires. During the ceremonial meeting, the best grain growers are awarded.

The President of Udmurtia personally attends the festival and visits all the craft shops, never leaving without making a purchase. On this day, the local population has a rare opportunity to directly communicate 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 on making Udmurt national whistles and straw weaving, and learns national dances and artistic clay modeling. People walking are delighted by folk song and dance ensembles. An ancient folk custom continues to live a new life...

“After the plow” (gery - plow, bere - after) - this is how Gerber is translated from the Udmurt language. From the moment when the last tiller left the field, the land was considered pregnant and it was impossible to injure it with a plow or shovel. It did not have a specific date, but it always took place on last days summer solstice, when very little time remains before haymaking and the peasant can take a short break to turn to the gods with a prayer for a good harvest.

In ancient times, when our pagan ancestors celebrated Gerber, several actions were obligatory: walking around the field, sacrifice and kuriskon - collective prayer by the entire community. The Udmurts asked Inmar and Kyldysin for a good harvest: “so that thirty ears grow from one grain, so that the squirrel cannot harm our field.” The pagans sacrificed a bull, purchased with donations from the entire community. The priests slaughtered it not far from the grain field, and then the meat was added to ritual porridge, cooked from all types of grain: barley and oats, millet and buckwheat. Ritual porridge is still cooked on Gerbera, and everyone is treated to it.

Well, after the meal, songs, dances, games, round dances, horse competitions, swimming in the river and riding on swings began. The guys on Gerbera were looking for brides, demonstrating dexterity and strength, and the girls were trying to show off their beauty and best outfits. During Gerber, weddings were held somewhere, young women who got married last winter were bathed somewhere - this ritual was called salty. Young women had to pay off - with a towel or wine, otherwise they were thrown into the river with jokes and jokes.

Later, in the 18th century, Gerber, like other pagan rituals, began to be influenced by Christianity, and even later it began to coincide with the days church holidays. Gerber began to be celebrated on Peter's Day, July 12. Priests were present at the rituals, and sacrifices were made in their presence. The priests served prayer services in the open field, and included in the texts of the kuriskons the names of Christian saints - Elijah the Prophet, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Christ himself.

Today Gerber is far from religious holiday. Tatars and Maris, Russians and Bashkirs, and Perm neighbors willingly come to visit the Udmurts. Rainbow of colors national costumes The entire huge meadow is in color, songs are flowing like an endless river, round dances are circling. Anyone who has ever visited Gerbera will never forget how people can have fun, what melodic songs they make, what beautiful things they can do with their own hands...

Russia Day

Russia Day or Russian Independence Day, as this holiday was called until 2002, is one of the “youngest” public holidays in the country. In 1994, the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, by his decree, gave June 12 national significance - the Day of Adoption of the Declaration of state sovereignty Russia. Russia Day is a holiday of freedom, civil peace and good harmony of all people based on law and justice. This holiday is a symbol of national unity and shared responsibility for the present and future of our Motherland.

But Russia was and will be

Nikolay Rachkov

Her enemy judges her from above,
Presenting a fatal bill.
But Russia was and will be,
But Russia will not be lost.

They will lead you into a remote swamp
And they will show her a false ford.
An entire company died there
But Russia will not be lost.

Good! - and they take envy.
The passage will come through the black,
They will rob Russia to the skin.
But Russia will not be lost.

The world, like a bomb, will explode in evil,
It's going to be hot in hell for everyone.
And Russia itself will save itself
And he will lend his shoulder to the enemy.

My little homeland is Udmurtia

My little homeland is Udmurtia!

Dear, dear lands - Udmurtia!

Villages, villages, cities - Udmurtia!

Together we are with you forever, Udmurtia!

Time rushes towards fate,

I'll sing this song about you.

Live and flourish year after year

Our favorite spring region, Udmurtia!

Born from fairy tales and legends, Udmurtia!

Italmas golden bouquet - Udmurtia!

Pearls of dewdrops on the grass - Udmurtia!

An ear leaning towards the ground - Udmurtia!

The land of crystal clear springs - Udmurtia!

You are proud of the courage of your sons, Udmurtia!

You give blue-eyed daughters, Udmurtia!

Everyone needs your tenderness, Udmurtia!

Diana Chaynikova

The national Udmurt holiday Gerber was once celebrated in every corner of Udmurtia. Since 1992, it has acquired the status of an all-republican 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 various narrow local traditions of the Udmurts, Galina Glukhova, deputy director for academic affairs at the Institute of Udmurt Philology, Finno-Ugric Studies and Journalism of Udmurt State University, told IA Udmurtia. If for the northern Udmurts it is Gerber, then for the southern ones it is Gershid. Among the southern Udmurts it lasted several days - almost a week, and each day was dedicated to praying to some deity, while among the northern ones it was combined with haymaking, and the celebration took place over the course of one day. Beautifully and smartly dressed Udmurts went out into the meadows with a scythe. They chose a person who was “easy on hand,” for whom everything was going smoothly, and he started mowing. They mowed just a little, and then the common meal began.

udmdunne.ru

How did Gerber originate and when was it celebrated?

According to 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 their neighbors.

“If you look into agricultural vocabulary, it is very complex in its composition. There are also Iranian components ( everything related to the horse - editor's note.), Slavic, because many agricultural technologies were borrowed from the Slavs, Turkic components associated with a number of agricultural tools, such as the saban ( plow - editor's note). Hence Sabantuy among the Tatars. This suggests that we were always open to each other and adopted different cultural features, but at the same time, each of us still had something individual. And the Udmurt Gerber became a national holiday from the moment of the formation of ethnic identity,” explained Alexey 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 successful agricultural work, and asking for a good harvest.

Why didn’t they pick flowers before Gerber?

“Previously, Gerbers were counted not according to the calendar, but locally, focusing on the weather, stars, condition of the grass, etc. Today it is celebrated on July 12, but before it could have taken place on another day, the time frame was very unsteady,” says Galina Glukhova.

According to her, it was celebrated around the second week of Invozho - the summer solstice.

Before Gerber, the Udmurts did not break branches in the forest, did not tear leaves or berries from the time when the buds swell until Gerber himself. They prepared firewood in advance so that there would be enough from May to the end of June.

“Because at that time Invozho-muma (the mistress of heavenly moisture in the traditional system of the Udmurt worldview - descended from the heavens - editor's note) and settled in the grass so that it would be filled with juice, and just before Gerber and before going to the hayfield to her it was impossible to touch,” explained the Deputy Director for Academic Affairs of the Institute of Udmurt Philology, Finno-Ugric Studies and Journalism of Udmurt State University.

Why did they “throw eggs” into the first furrow?

Photo: Andrey Krasnov © vk.com

On the day of the Gerber celebration, the Udmurts dressed up in their most festive clothes, prepared national pastries and went out into the fields with hope for the future.

According to Alexei Zagrebin, pagan prayers were dedicated to joy and anticipation of a large harvest.

“Therefore, when they 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 the adult residents of the Udmurt village chose a sacrificial lamb. For those who were suitable, a test was arranged: they threw the animal into the water, and if it shook itself after bathing, it was believed that the victim was accepted by God. They cut it, boiled it in a cauldron, and made barley porridge using this broth.

“Every grain is a derivative of grain. Porridge is the combined desire for a large harvest,” Alexey Zagrebin explained the deep meaning of the traditional dish.

They brought baked goods and loaves of bread with them to the festive meal. Before eating, all dishes must be illuminated. Kumyshka (Udmurt moonshine - editor's note), an alcoholic drink on Gerbera, according to Galina Glukhova, appeared at a later time. Before this, women brewed festive sur (beer).

Young wives put on all available elegant dresses, skirts and hats

In some regions of Udmurtia, a young wife, going out for haymaking (Gerber) for the first time after marriage, put on all her outfits, including all the available hats, which were quite heavy even individually.

“This shows how difficult and difficult the fate of a woman and mother is,” explained Galina Glukhova.

Why were young wives thrown into the river, and who saved them?

“While they were sitting and having a meal, the 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 woman 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 overtones:

“Previously, a wedding was celebrated not only for the sake of, as they say now, two loving hearts uniting. Now the bride and groom dance together with the guests, but previously the newlyweds had to remain silent during the celebration, because in this ritual there was a transition to another status - that 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 deceased person.”

Galina Glukhova explained that from the day of her wedding, the young Udmurt girl was considered a stranger to her family:

“During the bathing of the bride, on the one hand, purification from the now alien family and acceptance into 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 her 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 tightened and the question was repeated.

On Gerbera they sang quietly and danced in circles

Alexey 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 certain reverent fear: so as not to scare them away,” he said.

Galina Glukhova explained that the Udmurts are not characterized by loud chants. In some locations, women sang melodies with interjections; in others, lyrical songs were sung. Singing with strain and changes in tonality is more typical 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. It took place in a rye field, near a pond. In some areas, this was an imitation of the real union of a girl and a boy, who were dressed up like 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, the festively dressed “bride and groom” with their young “guests” sang round dance songs, holding hands. Then they returned to the village, where they walked, without releasing their arms, 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 group, and cook, because in front of Gerber they also prepared cooking, sur.

“Only those who went through the coming of age ceremony took part in the wedding of the field, mostly girls from about 15 years old. Moreover, those who stayed too long as a girl were not accepted to games and gatherings,” added the UdGU employee.

After walking along the street at the end of the village, they organized ritual games, which today are perceived as children’s (for example, “ring”), and round dances.

Alexey 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, the feminine, and the farmer is the man.”

Gerber today

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Alexey Zagrebin explained that in the 21st century Gerber has grown into a form national holiday, which has become interesting to the outside world.

At the festival, Muscovites and guests of the capital will enjoy wedding ceremonies of Udmurtia, master classes on needlework and handicrafts, national dishes and much more.

In addition to the national flavor, guests will also be able to see the industrial and investment potential of Udmurtia: spectators of the drone race and the latest developments of the republic’s entrepreneurs.