Antique women's headdress. Women's and girls' headdresses in Rus' What the headdresses of ancient Rus' look like

How could one easily and quickly understand the status of an unfamiliar girl at a time when communication between opposite sexes was strictly regulated?

By headdress

In Rus', a headdress was not only protection from the sun, cold and everything else, but also served as an indicator of status. Unmarried girls could walk bareheaded or with a headdress that left the top of their head exposed (sometimes even in church). Since everything about the girl was hidden by multi-layered clothes, the open “crown” was designed to emphasize her beauty, to the delight of the good fellows. After the girl got married, her head was covered with women's clothing. In the 10th-11th centuries, a married woman’s dress was called a “warrior” and resembled a head towel. In the XV-XVI centuries. women began to wear “ubrus” - an embroidered white or red cloth, the ends of which were richly decorated with pearls and descended to the shoulders, chest and back.

Crowns in Rus' were worn exclusively by girls, so the crown is a symbol of girlhood. The crown was a hoop made of leather or birch bark, covered with fabric and richly decorated (with beads, bones, plates, embroidery, river pearls and stones). Sometimes the crown could have three or four teeth and a removable front part, which was called the ochele. When getting married, the girl said goodbye to her crown or it was kidnapped by the groom. The word “crown” itself comes from the Russian “venit”, that is, “to engage in the harvest.” The harvest is the eternal concern of grain growers, and therefore the person getting married received a helper “for the harvest” (“for the harvest”), for which he had to pay a ransom to the parents, since they were deprived of their helper. Hence the participation of the wreath in the wedding ceremony.

By earrings

In Rus' there was a tradition associated with wearing earrings: for girls and married women they differed in shape and size. The daughter received her first earrings from her father as a gift at the age of five; women kept these earrings all their lives. Unmarried women wore elongated earrings of a simple shape, with virtually no decoration. A married woman's earrings were more expensive, more complex, and richer in status.

As soon as a girl in Rus' reached a certain age, she began to wear a strictly defined hairstyle - a braid, usually woven from three strands. The first braid is a new adult life. Along with the scythe, other clothing was worn, not for children, but for women. The braid, a girl's beauty, was considered the main external advantage of a girl. Good, thick hair was highly valued as it spoke of strength and health. Those who could not grow a thick braid resorted to vile deception - they wove hair from ponytails into their braids. If a girl wore one braid, it meant that she was “actively searching.” If a ribbon appeared in a girl’s braid, then the girl’s status meant “marriageable.” As soon as she had a fiancé, and had already received a blessing for marriage from her parents, then instead of one ribbon, two appeared, and they were woven not from the base of the braid, but from its middle.

This was a signal to the other suitors that their further efforts were in vain, since the girl and her family had already decided on a candidate for husband.

On special occasions, girls of marriageable age wore their hair loose. The girl walked to communion in church, to a holiday, or down the aisle as a “cosmach.” In such cases, hair perm was encouraged in wealthy families.

Before the wedding, friends wept and unraveled the bride's hair, and she said goodbye to her usual hairstyle as a symbol of carefree girlhood. Upon marriage, the girl had two braids braided, which were then placed around her head like a crown - a hint of her new, higher family status. A covered head is a document about marriage. Now no one except her husband could see her hair and remove her headdress.

If a girl cut her braid on her own, then most likely she was mourning her deceased groom, and cutting her hair was for her an expression of deep grief and reluctance to get married.

Old maids did not have the right to wear the clothes of married women. They braided their hair like girls and covered their heads with a scarf. They were forbidden to wear a kokoshnik, a magpie, a warrior, or a ponyova. They could only walk in a white shirt, a dark sundress, and a bib.

By ornament and color of clothing

The pattern on clothing could tell a lot about its owner. For example, in the Vologda region, a tree was depicted on the shirts of pregnant women. Chickens were embroidered on the clothes of married women, and white swans were embroidered on the clothes of unmarried girls. A blue sundress was worn by unmarried girls preparing for a wedding or old women. But, for example, a red sundress was worn by those who had just gotten married. The more time passed after the wedding, the less red the woman used in her clothes. What did the horned frog mean in the apron design? Horns are a symbol of fertility, confirmation that this girl can give birth. And the frog is a symbol of a woman in labor, into which every self-respecting girl of that time strived to get. So, the horned frog indicated that in front of you is a girl who wants her first child.

The basis of a woman's costume was a shirt. It differed from a man's only in length - up to the feet. But walking around in just a shirt was considered indecent; thicker clothes were worn over it. Unmarried girls wore a cuff - a canvas rectangular piece of fabric, folded in half and with a hole on the fold for the head. The cuff was not sewn on the sides; it was shorter than the shirt and was worn over it. The cuff was always belted.
Married women wore a paneva (or ponka) over their shirt - a skirt that was not sewn, but wrapped around the figure and secured around the waist with a cord - a gashnik. Where is the best place to hide? - for the hash! - this is from then on. For the first time, ponka was worn on the wedding day or immediately after. The girl symbolically jumped from the bench into the paneva - this symbolized her consent to the marriage. It was tied by parents or brother. If a girl didn’t get married, she wore a cuff all her life and couldn’t put on a paneva.

By the wedding ring

If it was possible to get close enough to a woman to see if she had a ring on her finger, then they used this proven method. For Orthodox Christians, the wedding ring was placed on the ring finger of the right hand. It was sleek and simple, classic.

K.E. Makovsky “Boyaryshna” 1884 Women’s and girls’ hats in Rus'.

For centuries in Rus', the entire female outfit was “talking” and therefore what a woman’s head was decorated with could be judged about her place of residence, occupation, origin and status.
Each province had its own fashion and decorated the headdress in a special way. By the headdress one could recognize the social status of its owner. Moreover, it was by the headdress that one could tell whether a young lady or a married woman was walking down the street. The headdress also spoke of the wealth of its owner. This was evident because of the techniques and materials used to decorate the headdress of the Russian beauty.

Girl's headdress

Women's and girls' hats in Rus'. Girl's festive costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province Headband, sundress, soul warmer

Headdresses were sewn depending on the status of the woman. It must be said that the girl’s headdress could be quite varied. It was called a crown, a ribbon, a bee, a whisk, a cloth. In addition to these names, there were others.

Women's and girls' hats in Rus'. An ancient girl's headdress - a crown of bangs

Headdresses were made of fabric and brocade, which was folded like a ribbon. The koruna was considered the most solemn headdress. We can call it a crown and its base was made of wire, foil or even simple cardboard. The base was covered with fabric and embroidered with beads, pearls and stones. Mother of pearl, coins and shells were also used... Everything that looked beautiful and harmonious on each specific product.

Girl's festive costume. XIX century. Vologda province Shirt, sundress, bib, headband, shawl

The korunas in the northern provinces were especially beautiful. They were decorated with precious stones. Crowns were worn by marriageable girls until the 20th century.

Headdress for a married woman.

Women's festive costume. XIX century. Nizhny Novgorod province

“Straight-haired,” that is, only a girl could walk without a headdress, and it was impossible in Rus' to meet a bare-haired woman, that is, a married woman - the head of a clan. Most often, the woman wore a kika. Kika could have “horns” into which dense fabric was inserted. These “horns” on the headdress were supposed to protect the woman and give her strength and fertility. The older the woman became, the smaller the horns on the kick became.

Russian: Votyachka. 1838
1838
Source
Russian: Album “Clothes of the Russian State”
English: Album “Clothes Of Russian Country”

Magpie.

Women's Old Believer festive costume. Chernukha village, Nizhny Novgorod province Shirt, sundress, belt, apron-cuff, magpie, chest decoration “beard”, chest decoration – “viteyka”.

The magpie's headdress could be brocade or velvet. The magpie was decorated with pearls and gold embroidery. Young women wore magpies on patronal feast days and treasured them as the most expensive outfit. Magpie was worth more than a thoroughbred horse.

Kokoshnik.

The most famous headdress is perhaps the kokoshnik. Today it is mistakenly confused with a girl’s headdress - a comb and a crown. But the kokoshnik is a purely female headdress!
To make a kokoshnik, they took quilted or glued canvas, which was covered with fabric with embroidery. Often the fabric was embroidered with beads and stones.
The edges of the kokoshnik were decorated with pearl threads - ryasny. In front there was a net of pearls. On the kokoshnik one could wear silk or woolen scarves - ubrus. Nowadays, women also wear hats, but now it is almost impossible to determine where the beauty came from and whether she is married. There was no such confusion in Rus'.
Today you can see real modern headdresses in Moscow in Gostiny Dvor at the address: Gostiny Dvor entrance from Varvarka, building 3, entrance 15. In Gostiny Dvor there is a representative office of the Russian fashion designer Valentina Averyanova, who continues to preserve the life of Russian headdresses. Today you can buy or order a kokoshnik, kiku, crown, koruna or other headdress corresponding to your status in order to continue the traditions of Rus' in the modern world.

Where to go wearing such a headdress today? You ask. It depends on your type of activity, lifestyle and courage. Today, Russian women's or girls' headdresses are purchased for important celebrations such as weddings or public holidays, meetings with heads of state, or for themed parties and balls. And someone wears a Russian headdress to church services...

The choice is yours!

Russian headdress - bandage

Koruna - wedding headdress of Anastasia Averyanova

crown in Russian style

Women's and girls' headdresses in Rus': The traditional modern headdress is the crown.

Women's and girls' headdresses in Rus' Modern headdress - bandage.

Women's and girls' hats in Rus'. Modern crown

Wedding crown, mantle and armband

Women's and girls' hats in Rus'. Modern headband

Linen embroidery, glass embroidery

Boyar dress and crown from Valentina Averyanova

Head accessory: modern headband

Women's and girls' headdresses in Rus': a modern crown

crown in Russian style

crown and lace warmer with hood

Hats and their parts are usually listed as part of the dowry. In 1668, in the city of Shuya, three volosniks were described: “A volosnik with edging, edging with nizan grains (pearls - M.R.) in half with stones and with emeralds and with yakhonta and with grains; gold hairline with trim, trim sewn with bit gold trimmed; golden hairline, stitching embroidered with drawn gold from grain; double chain lining.” In the same city in 1684, apparently, the family of the feudal lord was given three dowries kokoshnik: “kokoshnik nissan on worm-shaped satin; kokoshnik embroidered with gold on taffeta; taffeta kokoshnik with silver braid.” In 1646, among the property of the townsman - Shuyanin, there were, by the way, “8 forty embroidered with gold... the kitch is expensive green, the headband is embroidered with gold.” In 1690, a Moscow will mentioned a “nizana kokoshnik with a yakhonta with an emerald.” In 1694, in the city of Murom, among the dowry of a girl from the Suvorov family - “a lowered kokoshnik, 5 sewn kokoshniks with braid, 5 satin and damask linings, lowered trim, chain trim.” In 1695, A.M. Kvashnin gave his daughter 11 kokoshniks - 3 ceremonial ones and 8 simpler ones. The daughter of A. Tverkova from the city of Kashin also received the kokoshnik as a dowry. In 1696, guest I.F. Nesterov gave his daughter a “pearl kokoshnik with a stone.” The differences here are more likely social than territorial: magpie and kika are among the townspeople, kokoshnik among the feudal lords and the upper class of merchants. If we remember that in the middle of the 17th century. Meyerberg depicted a Moscow peasant woman in a kitsch-shaped (widening upward) headdress, it can be assumed that in the central Russian lands - the former Moscow and Vladimir principalities - at least in the 17th century. was women's kitty headdress. Kokoshniks They were also part of the toilet of noble and rich women everywhere. We said earlier that in the northern Russian lands some kind of headdress on a rigid basis existed until the 13th century. But Kika and the parts of the headdress that accompanied it, which were mentioned above, were probably more widespread and therefore even in the 16th century. entered into such an all-Russian guide to the organization of family life, which was Domostroy. So, a traditional, very complex headdress, which was not removed even at home, was characteristic of the entire period we are considering and was retained by some social strata also much later, for almost another two centuries. When going out into the street, a woman put on a scarf or (for the wealthy) a cap or hat over this headdress. Sources know, in addition to the general name cap and hat, also special terms that denoted women's street hats of various styles: kaptur, triukh, stolbunets and even cap. Women hats They were round, with small brims, richly decorated with cords of pearl and gold threads, and sometimes with precious stones. Hats They were made of fur, mostly with a fabric top. The stolbunets hat was tall and resembled a man's gorlat hat, but it tapered towards the top and had an additional fur trim at the back of the head. The Kaptur was round, with blades that covered the back of the head and cheeks, the triukha resembled modern earflaps and had a top made of expensive fabrics. Sometimes a scarf - a veil - was tied over a fur hat, so that its corner hung down the back.

Men's hats also underwent in the XIII-XVII centuries. significant changes. The hairstyle itself has also changed. In the 13th century. Loose hair cut just above the shoulders was in fashion. In the XIV-XV centuries. in the north of Rus', at least in the Novgorod land, men wore long hair, braiding it in braids. B XV-XVII centuries hair was cut “in a circle”, “in a bracket” or cut very short. The latter, apparently, was associated with wearing at home a small round cap that covered only the top of the head, like an eastern skullcap - tafya or skufya. The habit of wearing such a hat already dates back to the 16th century. was so strong that Ivan the Terrible, for example, refused to take off his taffe even in church, despite the demands of Metropolitan Philip himself. Tafya or skufya could be simple dark (for monks) or richly embroidered with silks and pearls. Perhaps the most common form of the cap itself was cap or kalpak- tall, tapering at the top (sometimes so that the top curled and sagged). At the bottom of the cap there were narrow flaps with one or two holes, to which decorations were attached - buttons, cufflinks, fur trim. Caps were extremely widespread. They were knitted and sewn from different materials (from linen and paper to expensive woolen fabrics) - bedroom, indoor, street and front. In the will of the early 16th century. An interesting story is revealed about how the Russian prince Ivan took various family jewels from his mother, the Volotsk princess, “for temporary use” - including earrings from his sister’s dowry - and sewed them onto his cap, but never gave them back. This cap must have been a very elegant headdress for a dandy. A century later, among the property of Boris Godunov, a “fat cap” was mentioned; it has 8 cuffs and 5 buttons in the hole.” Kolpak or, as it was called then, hood was widespread in Rus' in ancient times. A type of cap was in the 17th century. nauruz (the word itself is of Iranian origin), which, unlike the cap, had small brims and was also decorated with buttons and tassels. The margins of the nauruz were sometimes curved upward, forming sharp corners, which miniaturists of the 16th century liked to depict. G.G. Gromov believes that the Tatar cap also had a pointed top, while the Russian headdress was rounded at the top.

Men's hats had round brims (“brim”) and were sometimes felted, like later peasant hats. Such a hat with a rounded crown and small, curved brim, which apparently belonged to an ordinary citizen, was found in the city of Oreshka in the 14th century layer. Among the wealthy segments of the population in the 17th century. Murmolki were common - tall hats with a flat crown, tapering upward, like a truncated cone, and with fur flaps in the form of blades, fastened to the crown with two buttons. Murmolki were sewn from silk, velvet, brocade and additionally decorated with metal agraphs.

Warm men's hats were fur hats. Sources call three or malachai — hat with earflaps, the same as for women. The most ceremonial was the throated hat, which was made from the neck of the fur of rare animals. It was tall, widening at the top, with a flat crown. Along with gorlat hats, worm hats are also mentioned, that is, made from fur taken from the belly of the animal. Just as it was customary to put on one piece of clothing on top of another during formal exits (for example, a zipun - caftan - a single-row jacket or a fur coat), they also put on several hats: tafya, a cap on it, and a gorlat hat on top of it. Clerics of various ranks wore special headdresses (various types of hoods). The prince's hat remained an important regalia of the rulers.

05.01.2017

In Rus', a headdress was an integral part of a woman's wardrobe. Hair was necessarily braided, and the head was covered depending on social status. The headdress could say a lot about its owner - her marital status, status in society, territorial affiliation.

Girlish outfits

A girl's braid could be tied with a metal hoop attached to the back of the head, with temple rings and various forehead decorations.

But a hoop covered with fabric, decorated with embroidery, plates, beads, pearls and stones was called a crown.

Crowns were usually worn on holidays and at weddings.

The hoop and crown are transformations of the well-known wreath - the oldest maiden decoration in Rus'.

Women's headdress in Rus' was organically connected with the hairstyle and complemented it.

A girl could also decorate her hair with a bandage - a strip of silk, brocade, velvet or wool fabric covering her forehead or crown. The bandage was tied under the braid, and wide embroidered ribbons went down the girl’s back.

The headdress was completed with embroidery, pearls, and flowers. Bandages were worn mainly by peasant women, more often they were worn on holidays, and sometimes at a wedding - instead of a crown.

Married attire

After marriage, women covered their hair completely, and the more multi-layered the headdress was, the more prosperous its owner was considered.

One of these hats was Kika (kichka) - tall women's clothing, consisting of a back of the head - a linen covering the shoulders;

povoinika - fabric twisted around the head;

headband - the front frontal part and headband - pearl mesh or fringe.

The kitties were different in shape, they resembled horns, hooves and even a shovel. The ladies wore "horned" kitties, the front part of which was filled with ornaments, and the headband was trimmed with gold.

Horns in Rus' were considered a talisman for the mother and, according to legend, protected the child from dark forces and the evil eye. The height of such horns sometimes reached 20 cm, so it was customary to walk in a horned kitty with the head thrown back.

To boast is to walk with your head held high.

It is interesting that the name of this decoration can be found in architectural dictionaries; it denotes an elevation on the front of the ship. Subsequently, the kichka was replaced by simpler headdresses - magpie And howl.

Magpie was considered one of the richest headdresses and consisted of a large number of parts, from 8 to 14.

The basis for the attire was the kichka, the back of the head and the magpie itself, which was an elevated crown.

A magpie was called a fathom if it was trimmed with precious stones and winged if ribbons with ties were sewn to its sides.

Artificial flowers, beads and jewelry served as decorations for such decoration.

“If you look at the back of a woman’s head in this headdress, it’s like looking at a sitting bird with its wings tucked in.”, wrote the Penza author Krotkov at the end of the 19th century.

Povoinik- a scarf or towel, which was previously worn under a kichka to cover the head. However, wearing one in public was considered a sign of bad manners.

In Rus', removing a headdress from a married woman was considered a terrible insult. This is where the expression comes from "goof off", that is, to remain with your head uncovered.

However, in the second half of the 19th century, the headdress became an independent item of clothing, displacing the magpie and kick. Most often, the warrior was worn by peasant women to protect their hair from tangling and contamination.

The festive warrior was made of silk, satin or velvet and the necklace was decorated with beads or precious stones.

History of the kokoshnik

The history of the kokoshnik is full of secrets and mysteries, says Dmitry Savitsky. And no one knows the exact time of the appearance of this headdress.

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18 February 2014, 17:06

It is known that according to tradition in Rus', a married woman had to braid her hair in two braids, style it with a crown and certainly cover it with a scarf or headdress. Girls, unlike married women, were allowed to open the top of their heads and braid their hair in one braid. It is clear that there was no fundamental difference, and if so, if you wear a headdress all the time, at least let it be unusual and beautiful...

1. By headdress

In Rus', a headdress was not only protection from the sun, cold and everything else, but also served as an indicator of status.

Unmarried girls could walk bareheaded or with a headdress that left the top of their head exposed (sometimes even in church). Since everything about the girl was hidden by multi-layered clothes, the open “crown” was designed to emphasize her beauty, to the delight of the good fellows.

After the girl got married, her head was covered with women's clothing. In the 10th-11th centuries, a married woman’s dress was called a “warrior” and resembled a head towel. In the XV-XVI centuries. women began to wear “ubrus” - an embroidered white or red cloth, the ends of which were richly decorated with pearls and descended to the shoulders, chest and back.

2. Along the crown

Sometimes the crown could have three or four teeth and a removable front part, which was called the ochele. When getting married, the girl said goodbye to her crown or it was kidnapped by the groom.

The word “crown” itself comes from the Russian “venit”, that is, “to engage in the harvest.” The harvest is the eternal concern of grain growers, and therefore the person getting married received a helper “for the harvest” (“for the harvest”), for which he had to pay a ransom to the parents, since they were deprived of their helper. Hence the participation of the wreath in the wedding ceremony.

3. By earrings

Unmarried women wore elongated earrings of a simple shape, with virtually no decoration. A married woman's earrings were more expensive, more complex, and richer in status.

There are a number of signs and superstitions associated with earrings.
Thus, losing an earring has always been considered bad news, an unpleasant event.
If a married woman loses an earring, her husband may be cheating on her.
The one who finds the earring of an unmarried girl will become her husband.

Anyone who finds the earring of a married woman will soon find a heart friend, a lover.
If a newlywed loses an earring at a wedding, then any of the guests can find it, and the married bridesmaid must pick it up.

The bride had to have earrings put in her ears by her happy wife so that she too would be happy.
And if a married woman did not wear earrings, she was destined to become a widow.
Well, it was a sin for a widow to wear earrings.

4. Along the braid

The braid, a girl's beauty, was considered the main external advantage of a girl. Good, thick hair was highly valued as it spoke of strength and health. Those who could not grow a thick braid resorted to vile deception - they wove hair from ponytails into their braids. If a girl wore one braid, it meant that she was “actively searching.”

If a ribbon appeared in a girl’s braid, then the girl’s status meant “marriageable.” As soon as she had a fiancé, and had already received a blessing for marriage from her parents, then instead of one ribbon, two appeared, and they were woven not from the base of the braid, but from its middle.

This was a signal to the other suitors that their further efforts were in vain, since the girl and her family had already decided on a candidate for husband.
On special occasions, girls of marriageable age wore their hair loose. The girl walked to communion in church, to a holiday, or down the aisle as a “cosmach.” In such cases, hair perm was encouraged in wealthy families.

If a girl cut her braid on her own, then most likely she was mourning her deceased groom, and cutting her hair was for her an expression of deep grief and reluctance to get married.

5. By ornament and color of clothing

A blue sundress was worn by unmarried girls preparing for a wedding or old women. But, for example, a red sundress was worn by those who had just gotten married. The more time passed after the wedding, the less red the woman used in her clothes.

What did the horned frog mean in the apron design? Horns are a symbol of fertility, confirmation that this girl can give birth. And the frog is a symbol of a woman in labor, into which every self-respecting girl of that time strived to get. So, the horned frog indicated that in front of you is a girl who wants her first child.

6. Up the skirt

The basis of a woman's costume was a shirt. It differed from a man's only in length - up to the feet. But walking around in just a shirt was considered indecent; thicker clothes were worn over it.

Unmarried girls wore a cuff - a canvas rectangular piece of fabric, folded in half and with a hole on the fold for the head. The cuff was not sewn on the sides; it was shorter than the shirt and was worn over it. The cuff was always belted.

Married women wore a paneva (or ponka) over their shirt - a skirt that was not sewn, but wrapped around the figure and secured around the waist with a cord - a gashnik. Where is the best place to hide? - for the hash! - this is from then on. For the first time, ponka was worn on the wedding day or immediately after. The girl symbolically jumped from the bench into the paneva - this symbolized her consent to the marriage.

It was tied by parents or brother. If a girl didn’t get married, she wore a cuff all her life and couldn’t put on a paneva.

7. By the wedding ring