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RUSSIAN TRADITIONAL HEADDRESS BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA: THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION

I. Stepanova

Abstract

The article is devoted to one of the symbols of the Russian national costume – the headdress «kokoshnik», its forms and origin. Attention is concentrated on the headdress in the form of a high ridge. The history of the kokoshnik is seen from XI-XIII centuries, based on archaeological, iconographic, written and ethnographic sources. In the XVIII-XIX centuries kokoshnik was one of the most widespread types of a headdress in Russia. It was mainly an attire of the married woman though the high festive attire of maidens could be also called as kokoshnik. In a wedding ceremony the kokoshnik which was completely closing hair replaced a maiden open wreath. The elegant headdress had similarity to a crown as a symbol of glorification of the woman. Finds from Old Russian barrows and treasures of XI-XIII centuries prove that a headdress with towering forehead part was often used by rural people of Old Rus'. All archaeological finds of such attires differ both in a form, and on height of forehead part, and on a combination of the materials used for a decor. Probably, the smart headdress of townswomen were the samples for the attires of rural population. They elements were repeating by rural inhabitants rather individually, owing to own ability, aesthetic sense and the available materials. It is confirmed also by one more feature of headdress of rural inhabitants noticed by researchers. Long temporal suspension brackets of a precious attire headdress of the upper class of Old Russian society – «ryasna» – in a headdress of Krivichi, Vyatichy, Radimichy tribes were replaced by the temporal rings which were vertically fastening to a headdress one below another on a tape. Such way of wearing of temporal rings imitating an attire with «ryasna» is fixed in many rural and city burials of the XI-XIII centuries. The sources of formation of Russian traditional headdress with the high blade are in a headdress of the Old Russian period. Headdresses of the XI-XIII centuries were rather individual. The main thing is that in many of them the high forward part which was a diadem or its imitation is allocated. In an Old Russian headdress the towering part was decorated by metal details – metal spirals, plaques. In an attire of the XV-XIX centuries metal gave way to pearls, a glass beads, a semiprecious stone, braid. The surface of a kokoshnik became more mosaic and motley. Kokoshnik became higher, the outline of its steel by more "standard" – semicircular, subtriangular or paliform. The serrated silhouette remained in a wedding attire – «koruna». Embroidery by golden and silver threads, as well as its separate motives, generally flowering, identifying a kokoshnik with a wreath from flowers – it is probable, the first wedding headdress. It remained in the Russian traditional headdress up to the XVIII-XIX centuries.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2015/b31/s9.035

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