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

Udmurt holiday Gerber

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 decoration of the plow holiday.

The name Gerber comes from the Votyak words “gery” - a 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 to it - Gerber. The holiday "Gerber 2017" will be held on June 17 in the Mozhginsky district of the republic.

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

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

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

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, the farmer had a short rest before the hayfields, which was dedicated to celebrations and sacred events.

Earlier in different areas In Udmurtia, the holiday was called differently. He was also called Gyron Bydton, and Kuarsur, and Guzhom Yuon, and Pinal Mudor. But in all places, the action was approximately the same - community members, under the rites of a 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 that, they made a sacrifice - they slaughtered a well-fed calf on the field and made a ritual kulesh from different types grains.

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 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.

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

It is 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 was interrupted. Only in 1992 did the celebration resume. True, no religious motives are observed in solemn 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 in straw weaving and making Udmurt national whistles, and learn traditional clay modeling.

The holiday has no fixed date. On one of the June weekends, competitions for the best national costume and exhibitions of folk art are held in the meadow in the ethnographic museum-reserve Ludorvay. Products made of birch bark are especially abundantly presented - the Udmurts are masters in this. Ritual porridge is still cooked on fires in huge cauldrons.

Recall that the Republican “Gerber” will be held on June 17. It is planned that "Gerber" in Moscow will be held on July 1.

2017-03-13T16:25:33+05:00 Anja HardikainenFolklore and ethnography Udmurtia Izhevsk, people, holiday, Udmurtia, Udmurts, ethnographyUdmurt holiday Gerber 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 decoration of the plow holiday. 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. The Udmurts were mainly engaged in arable farming...Anja Hardikainen

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

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Russia is a multinational and multicultural country. Unfortunately, some people forget about it. And if many at least heard about such a Bashkir-Tatar-Chuvash holiday as Sabantuy, then when asked what “Gerber” is, most of the respondents first scratch their heads, and then drawlingly answer “such a flower, chamomile.”

Gerber or gyron bydton (udm. "the end of plowing") is a 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 oldest 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 until recently (2010) did not have a permanent venue. Every year guests were met in different parts of the Udmurt Republic. Since 2010, the holiday has been held on the territory of the Ludorvai Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve.

How to get there

From Izhevsk, you can get to Ludorvay by regular bus No. 109 from the Yuzhnaya Avtostanciya stop or by bus No. 151 from the Gagarina Street stop.

What's interestnig

There was always something to do on Gerber. For example, you can try the most delicious dishes of national cuisine: crispy perepechi and crumbly porridge cooked according to an old recipe. Moreover, local grandmothers treat everyone who wants it for free. Numerous concert programs are held, where 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 buy a piece of Udmurt culture. Fans of competitions are invited to take part in one of the traditional competitions. The choice of the strongest couple and all kinds of children's programs are being carried out. In a word, no one will be bored on Gerber.

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 not far away, then this event is definitely worth a visit.

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 summer solstice. Scientists-ethnographers still do not have a common opinion, how and when spring holiday became summer, there is a version that there were originally two Gerbers - early large and late small. 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 ...

“After the plow” (gery - plow, take - 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 a shovel. It did not have a specific date, but it always took place on last days summer solstice, when there is very little time left 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, sacrificing and kuriskon - a collective prayer by the whole community. The Udmurts asked Inmar and Kyldysin for a good harvest: “so that thirty ears of corn grow from one grain, so that the squirrel cannot offend our field.” As a sacrifice, the pagans brought a bull, bought with donations from the entire community. The priests slaughtered it not far from the grain field, and then the meat was added to the ritual porridge, cooked from all kinds of grain: barley and oats, millet and buckwheat. Ritual porridge is cooked on Gerber even now, and everyone is treated to it.

Well, after the meal, songs, dances, games, round dances, equestrian competitions, swimming in the river and riding on a swing began. The guys on the Gerber looked after their brides, demonstrated dexterity and strength, and the girls tried to show their beauty and best outfits. During the Gerber, weddings were played somewhere, somewhere the young women who got married last winter were bathed - this ceremony was called syalty. Young women had to pay off - with a towel or wine, otherwise they would be thrown into the river with jokes and jokes.

Later, in the 18th century, Gerber, like other pagan rites, 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 ceremonies, in their presence sacrifices were made. The priests served prayers in the open field, included in the texts of kuriskons the names of Christian saints - Elijah the Prophet, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Christ himself.

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

Russia Day

Russia Day or Independence Day of Russia, 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, gives state significance to June 12 - the Day of the Declaration on state sovereignty Russia. Russia Day is a holiday of freedom, civil peace and good agreement of all people on the basis of law and justice. This holiday is a symbol of national unity and common responsibility for the present and future of our Motherland.

And Russia was and will be

Nikolai Rachkov

From above her enemy judges,
Presenting a death bill.
And Russia was and will be,
But Russia will not disappear.

Will lead into a deaf swamp
And they will show her a false ford.
A whole company died there,
And Russia will not disappear.

Good! - and take envy.
Through the black passage will come,
They will rob Russia to the bone.
And Russia will not disappear.

The world, like a bomb, will explode in evil,
Everyone will be hot in hell.
And Russia itself will be saved
And lend a shoulder to the enemy.

My little homeland - Udmurtia

My little homeland - Udmurtia!

Dear, dear lands - Udmurtia!

Villages, villages, cities - Udmurtia!

Together we are with you forever, Udmurtia!

Time rushes towards fate

We will sing this song about you.

Year after year live, flourish

Our favorite spring region, Udmurtia!

Born from fairy tales and legends, Udmurtia!

Italmas golden bouquet - Udmurtia!

Pearls of dewdrops on the grass - Udmurtia!

Ear, leaning to 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!

Your tenderness is enough for everyone, Udmurtia!

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 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

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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).

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 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.

Gerber today

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Alexei Zagrebin explained that in the 21st century, Gerber has grown into a form national holiday, which became 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.