A papakha is not just a hat. The Caucasian papakha in the Caucasus is more than a headdress

Papakha in the North Caucasus is a 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 Tkhagapsh, 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.

Not just a hat
A papakha is not just a hat. Neither in the Caucasus, where she comes from, nor among the Cossacks, a papakha is considered an ordinary headdress, the purpose of which is only to keep warm. If you look at the sayings and proverbs about papakha, you can already understand a lot about its significance. In the Caucasus they say: “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat.” The Cossacks even have a saying that the two most important things for a Cossack are a saber and a hat.
Removing your hat is allowed only in special cases. In the Caucasus - almost never. You cannot take off your hat when someone is asked for something, the only exception is when they ask for forgiveness of blood feud. The specificity of a hat is that it does not allow you to walk with your head down. It’s as if she herself is “educating” a person, forcing him “not to bend his back.”

In Dagestan there was also a tradition of proposing with a papakha. When a young man wanted to get married, but was afraid to do it openly, he could throw his hat out the girl’s window. If the hat did not fly back for a long time, then the young man could count on a favorable outcome.
Knocking your hat off your head was considered a serious insult. If, in the heat of an argument, one of the opponents threw his hat to the ground, this meant that he was ready to stand until his death. The only way to lose a hat was with your head. That is why valuables and even jewelry were often worn in hats.

Fun fact: The famous Lezgin composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, going to the theater, bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.
Makhmud Esambaev was the only deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR who was allowed to sit at meetings wearing a headdress. They say that Leonid Brezhnev, looking around the hall before his speech, saw Esambaev’s hat and said: “Makhmud is in place, we can start.”

Types of hats

Kubanka, klobuk, trukhmenka
The word papakha itself is of Turkic origin; Vasmer’s dictionary clarifies that it is Azerbaijani. The literal translation is a hat. In Rus', the word papakha took root only in the 19th century; before that, hats of a similar cut were called hoods. During the period of the Caucasian wars, the word papakha migrated into the Russian language, but at the same time, other names derived from ethnonyms were also used in relation to the high fur hat. The Kabardinka (Kabardian papakha) later became the Kubanka (its difference from the papakha is, first of all, in height). In the Don troops, the papakha was called a trukhmenka for a long time.

Papakha with a cuff
We all know the expression: "Punch." Tumak was a wedge-shaped cap sewn to a hat, which was common among the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks in the 16th and 17th centuries. Before the battle, it was customary to insert metal plates into the cuff, which protected the Cossack from checker attacks. In the heat of battle, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, with a hat and a cuff it was quite possible to fight back and “cuff” the enemy.

Astrakhan
The most expensive and honorable hats are considered to be astrakhan hats, which are also called “Bukhara”. The word Karakul comes from the name of one of the oases located on the Zerashvan River, which flows in Uzbekistan. Karakul was the name given to the skins of lambs of the Karakul breed, taken a few days after the birth of the lamb.
General's hats were made exclusively from astrakhan fur.

The return of the hat
After the revolution, restrictions were introduced for Cossacks in wearing national clothing. Hats replaced budenovkas, but already in 1936, hats returned again as an element of clothing. Cossacks were allowed to wear low black hats. Two stripes were sewn on the cloth in the form of a cross, gold for officers, black for ordinary Cossacks. On the front of the hats, of course, was a red star.
Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks received the right to serve in the Red Army, and Cossack troops were also present at the parade in 1937.
Since 1940, the hat became an attribute of the military uniform of the entire senior command staff of the Red Army, and after Stalin’s death, hats became fashionable among members of the Politburo.

Papakha (from the Turkic papakha), the name of a men's fur headdress, common among the peoples of the Caucasus. The shape is varied: hemispherical, with a flat bottom, etc. Russians have a papakha - a high (less often low) cylindrical hat made of fur with a fabric bottom. In the Russian army from the mid-19th century. The papakha was the headdress of the troops of the Caucasian Corps and all Cossack troops, since 1875 - also of units stationed in Siberia, and since 1913 - the winter headdress of the entire army. In the Soviet Army, colonels, generals and marshals wear papakhas in winter.

Highlanders never take off their hats. The Koran prescribes covering the head. But not only and not so much believers, but also “secular” Muslims and atheists treated the papakha with special respect. This is an older tradition not associated with religion. From an early age in the Caucasus, it was not allowed to touch a boy’s head; it was not even allowed to stroke him in a fatherly way. Even the hats were not allowed to be touched by anyone except the owner or with his permission. The very wearing of headwear from childhood developed a special posture and manner of holding oneself, which did not allow one to bow one’s head, much less bow. The dignity of a man, they believe in the Caucasus, is not in his trousers, but in his hat.

They wore a hat all day long, and the old people did not part with it even in hot weather. Arriving home, they theatrically took it off, carefully clasping it with their palms on each side, and carefully laying it on a flat surface. When putting it on, the owner will brush away the speck from it with his fingertips, cheerfully ruffle it, placing his clenched fists inside, “fluff” it, and only then pull it from his forehead onto his head, grasping the back of the headdress with his index and thumb. All this emphasized the mythologized status of the hat, and in the mundane sense of the action, it simply increased the service life of the headdress. It wore out less. After all, fur is born first of all where it comes into contact. Therefore, they touched the upper back part with their hands - the bald patches were not visible. In the Middle Ages, travelers in Dagestan and Chechnya observed a strange picture for them. A poor mountaineer stands in a worn-out Circassian coat, which has been repaired more than once, and trampled charyks on his bare feet with straw inside instead of socks, but on his proudly set head he flaunts, like someone else’s, a large shaggy hat.

Lovers found an interesting use for the hat. In some Dagestan villages there is a romantic custom. A timid young man in the conditions of harsh mountain morality, seizing the moment so that no one would see him, throws his hat out the window of his chosen one. With the hope of reciprocity. If the hat does not fly back, you can send matchmakers: the girl agrees.

Of course, careful treatment concerned, first of all, the dear astrakhan dads. A hundred years ago, only wealthy people could afford them. Karakul was brought from Central Asia, as they would say today, from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He was and remains dear. Only a special breed of sheep is suitable, or rather three-month-old lambs. Then the scribble on the little ones, alas, straightens up.

It is not known who owns the palm in making fur coats - history is silent about this, but this same history testifies that the best “Caucasian fur coats” were and are still being made in Andi, a high-mountain village in the Botlikh region of Dagestan. Two centuries ago, burkas were taken to Tiflis, the capital of the Caucasian province. The simplicity and practicality of burkas, unpretentious and easy to wear, have long made them the favorite clothing of both shepherds and princes. Rich and poor, regardless of faith and nationality, horsemen and Cossacks ordered burkas and bought them in Derbent, Baku, Tiflis, Stavropol, Essentuki.

There are many legends and traditions associated with burkas. And even more ordinary everyday stories. How can you kidnap a bride without a burqa, or protect yourself from a stabbing blow from a dagger or a slashing swing from a saber? The burka, like a shield, was used to carry the fallen or wounded from the battlefield. A wide “hem” was used to protect both oneself and the horse from the sultry mountain sun and chilly rain on long hikes. Wrapping yourself in a cloak and pulling a shaggy sheepskin hat over your head, you can sleep right in the rain on a mountainside or in an open field: water will not get inside. During the Civil War, Cossacks and Red Army soldiers “treated themselves with a burka”: they covered themselves and their horses with a warm “fur coat,” or even two, and let their fighting friend gallop. After several kilometers of such a race, the rider steamed, as if in a bathhouse. And the leader of the people, Comrade Stalin, who was suspicious of medicines and did not trust doctors, more than once boasted to his comrades about the “Caucasian” method he had invented to get rid of colds: “You drink several cups of hot tea, dress warmly, cover yourself with a cloak and a hat and go to bed. In the morning - like a piece of glass."

Today, burkas have become almost decorative and are disappearing from everyday life. But until now, in some villages of Dagestan, the elderly, unlike the “fickle” youth, do not allow themselves to deviate from customs and appear at any celebration or, conversely, a funeral without a burqa. And the shepherds prefer traditional clothes, despite the fact that today mountaineers are better warmed in winter by down jackets, “Alaskan” and “Canadian” jackets.

Just three years ago, in the village of Rakhata, Botlikh district, there was a burka-making artel, where the famous “Andiyka” were made. The state decided to unite the craftswomen into one farm, despite the fact that all production of burkas is exclusively handmade. During the war in August 1999, the Rakhat artel was bombed. It’s a pity that the unique museum opened at the artel is the only one of its kind: the exhibits were mostly destroyed. For more than three years, the director of the artel, Sakinat Rajandibirova, has been trying to find funds to restore the workshop.

Local residents are skeptical about the possibility of restoring the burok-making enterprise. Even in the best years, when the state was the customer and buyer, women made burkas at home. And today burqas are made only to order - mainly for dance ensembles and as keepsakes for distinguished guests. Burkas, like Mikrakh carpets, Kubachi daggers, Kharbuk pistols, Balkhar jugs, Kizlyar cognacs, are the calling cards of the Land of Mountains. Caucasian fur coats were presented to Fidel Castro and the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Canada William Kashtan, cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolaev and Sergei Stepashin, Viktor Chernomyrdin and Viktor Kazantsev... It’s probably easier to say which of those who visited Dagestan did not try it on.

Having finished her housework, Zukhra Javatkhanova from the village of Rakhata gets down to her usual simple work in a remote room: the work is dusty and requires a separate room. For her and her family of three, this is, although small, still income. Locally, the product costs from 700 to 1000 rubles, depending on the quality; in Makhachkala it is already twice as expensive, in Vladikavkaz - three times. There are few buyers, so there is no need to talk about stable earnings. It’s good if you manage to sell a couple a month. When a wholesale buyer “for ten to twenty pieces” comes to a village, usually a representative of one of the choreographic groups, he has to look into a dozen houses: every second household in the village makes burkas for sale.
"Three Days and Three Women"

The technology for making burkas, known since ancient times, has not changed, except that it has become a little worse. Through simplification. Previously, a broom made of flax stalks was used to comb wool, now they use iron combs, and they tear the wool. The strictness of the rules for making a burqa resembles a recipe for a gourmet dish. Particular attention is paid to the quality of raw materials. The wool of the so-called Mountain Lezgin coarse-wool breed of autumn-sheared sheep is preferred - it is the longest. Lambs are also thin and tender. Black is a classic, basic color, but buyers, as a rule, order white, “gift-dance” ones.

To make a burka, as the Andes say, “it takes three days and three women.” After the wool has been washed and combed on a hand loom, it is divided into long and short to make the upper and lower parts of the burka, respectively. The wool is loosened with a very ordinary bow and string, placed on a carpet, moistened with water, twisted and knocked down. The more times this procedure is done, the better quality - thinner, lighter and stronger - the resulting canvas is obtained, i.e. knocked down, compacted wool. A good burqa, usually weighing about two to three kilograms, should stand straight without sagging when placed on the floor.

The fabric is simultaneously twisted and combed periodically. And so hundreds and hundreds of times over several days. Hard work. The canvas is rolled and beaten with hands, the skin on which turns red, becoming covered with many small wounds, which over time turn into one continuous callus.

To prevent the burka from letting water through, it is boiled for half a day over low heat in special boilers, adding iron sulfate to the water. Then they treat it with casein glue so that “icicles” form on the wool: when it rains, water will flow down them. To do this, several people hold the burka soaked in glue above the water upside down, just like a woman washes her long hair. And the finishing touches - the upper edges of the burqa are sewn together to form shoulders, and the lining is hemmed “so that it does not wear out quickly.”

The fishery will never die, says Abdula Ramazanov, business manager of the Botlikh district administration. “But burkas will go out of everyday life - this is too difficult an occupation. Recently, the Andians have had competitors in other Dagestan villages. Therefore, we have to look for new markets. We take into account the whims of clients: burkas have changed in size - they are made not only for men, but also for children. The production of tiny products that are placed on bottles of champagne or cognac - an exotic gift - became original.

Burkas can be made anywhere, the technology is simple, if only there were the proper raw materials. And this may cause problems. The lack of former mass demand and the termination of the state order for burkas led to a decrease in the number of the Mountain Lezgin coarse-wool breed of sheep. It becomes rare in the mountains. Several years ago in the republic there was serious talk about the threat of extinction of the breed. It is being replaced by the fat-tailed breed of sheep. Three-year-old lamb of this breed, raised in alpine meadows, produces the best kebabs, the demand for which, unlike burkas, is increasing.

Cherke?ska(abh. ak?imzh?s; Lezg. Chukha; cargo. ????; Ingush. chokhi; Kabard.-Cherk. tsey; karach.-balk. Chepken; Osset tsukhaha; Arm. ?????; Chech. Chokhib) is the Russian name for men's outerwear - caftan, which was common in everyday life among many peoples of the Caucasus. The Circassian coat was worn by Adygs (Circassians), Abazas, Abkhazians, Balkars, Armenians, Georgians, Ingush, Karachais, Ossetians, Chechens, peoples of Dagestan and others. Historically, the Terek and Kuban Cossacks borrowed the Circassian coat. Currently, it has practically fallen out of use as everyday clothing, but has retained its status as ceremonial, festive or folk clothing.

Circassian is probably of Turkic (Khazar) origin. It was a common type of clothing among the Khazars, from whom it was borrowed by other peoples inhabiting the Caucasus, including the Alans. The first image of a Circassian coat (or its prototype) is displayed on Khazar silver dishes.

The Circassian coat is a single-breasted caftan without a collar. It is made from cloth of non-disguising dark colors: black, brown or gray. Typically slightly below the knees (to keep the rider's knees warm), length may vary. It is cut to the waist, with gatherings and folds, and is girded with a narrow belt; the belt buckle served as a fire-cutting chair. Since everyone was a warrior, this was clothing for battle and should not restrict movement, so the sleeves were wide and short, and only for old people the sleeves were made long - to warm the hands. A distinctive feature and well-recognized element are gazyri (from the Turkic “khazir” - “ready”), special pockets for pencil cases, often made of bone, intercepted with braid. The pencil case contained a measure of gunpowder and a bullet wrapped in a rag, cast for a specific gun. These pencil cases made it possible to load a flintlock or matchlock gun at full gallop. In the outer pencil cases, located almost under the armpits, dry wood chips were stored for kindling. After the advent of guns that ignited a charge of gunpowder with a primer, the primers were stored. On holidays they wore a longer and thinner Circassian coat.

Until relatively recently, a hat was considered to be an integral accessory of proud mountaineers. In this regard, they even said that this headdress should be on the head while it is on the shoulders. Caucasians put much more content into this concept than the usual hat, even comparing it to a wise adviser. The Caucasian papakha has its own history.

Who wears a hat?

Nowadays, it is rare for any of the representatives of modern youth of the Caucasus to appear in society wearing a hat. But just a few decades before this, the Caucasian papakha was associated with courage, dignity and honor. To come with your head uncovered to a Caucasian wedding as an invitee was regarded as an insult to the guests of the celebration.

Once upon a time, the Caucasian hat was loved and respected by everyone - both old and young. It was often possible to find a whole arsenal of papas, as they say, for all occasions: for example, some for everyday wear, others for a wedding, and others for mourning. As a result, the wardrobe consisted of at least ten different hats. The wife of every true mountaineer had a pattern for a Caucasian hat.

Military headdress

In addition to horsemen, Cossacks also wore a hat. For servicemen of the Russian army, a papakha was one of the attributes of the military uniform of some branches of the military. It was different from the one worn by Caucasians - a low fur hat, inside of which there was a fabric lining. In 1913, the low Caucasian papakha became the headdress of the entire tsarist army.

In the Soviet army, according to the regulations, only colonels, generals and marshals were supposed to wear a papakha.

Customs of the Caucasian people

It would be naive to think that the Caucasian hat in the form in which everyone is accustomed to seeing it has not changed over the centuries. In fact, the peak of its development and greatest distribution occurred at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Before this period, the heads of Caucasians were covered with fabric hats. In general, there were several types of hats, which were made from the following materials:

• felt;
• textile;
• combination of fur and fabric.

A little-known fact is that for some time in the 18th century, both sexes wore almost identical headdresses. Cossack hat, Caucasian hat - these hats were valued and occupied an honorable place in the wardrobe of men.

Fur hats are gradually beginning to dominate, replacing other types of this item of clothing. Adygs, also known as Circassians, wore felt hats until the beginning of the 19th century. In addition, pointed hoods made of cloth were common. Turkish turbans also changed over time - now fur hats were wrapped in white narrow pieces of fabric.

The elders treated their hats with care, kept them in almost sterile conditions, and each of them was specially wrapped in clean cloth.

Traditions associated with this headdress

The customs of the peoples of the Caucasus region obliged every man to know how to wear a hat correctly and in what cases to wear one or another of them. There are many examples of the relationship between the Caucasian papakha and folk traditions:

1. Checking whether a girl really loves a guy: I should have tried to throw my hat out of her window. Caucasian dances also served as a way to express sincere feelings towards the fair sex.
2. Romance ended when someone knocked down someone else's hat. Such an act is considered offensive; it could provoke a serious incident with very unpleasant consequences for someone. The Caucasian papakha was respected, and it could not just be torn off one’s head.
3. A person could have forgottenly left his hat somewhere, but God forbid someone touches it!
4. During the argument, the temperamental Caucasian man took off his hat from his head and heatedly threw it on the ground next to him. This could only mean that the man is convinced that he is right and is ready to answer for his words!
5. Almost the only and very effective act that can stop the bloody battle of hot horsemen is a handkerchief of some beauty thrown at their feet.
6. Whatever a man asks for, nothing should force him to take off his hat. An exceptional case is to forgive blood feud.

Caucasian papakha today

The tradition of wearing a Caucasian hat has faded into oblivion over the years. Now we will have to go to some mountain village to make sure that it is not completely forgotten. Maybe you’ll be lucky to see it on the head of a local young man who decided to show it off.

And among the Soviet intelligentsia there were representatives of the Caucasian peoples who honored the traditions and customs of their fathers and grandfathers. A striking example is the Chechen Makhmud Esambaev - People's Artist of the USSR, famous choreographer, choreographer and actor. Wherever he was, even at receptions with the country's leaders, the proud Caucasian was seen wearing his crown hat. There is either a fact or a legend, allegedly General Secretary L.I. Brezhnev began a meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR only after he spotted Mahmud’s hat among the delegates.

You can have different attitudes towards wearing a Caucasian hat. But, without any doubt, the following truth must remain unshakable. This headdress of peoples is closely connected with the history of proud Caucasians, the traditions and customs of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, which every contemporary should sacredly honor and respect! The Caucasian papakha in the Caucasus is more than a headdress!

Not just a hat
A papakha is not just a hat. Neither in the Caucasus, where she comes from, nor among the Cossacks, a papakha is considered an ordinary headdress, the purpose of which is only to keep warm. If you look at the sayings and proverbs about papakha, you can already understand a lot about its significance. In the Caucasus they say: “If the head is intact, it should be wearing a hat,” “A hat is worn not for warmth, but for honor,” “If you have no one to consult with, consult with a hat.” The Cossacks even have a saying that the two most important things for a Cossack are a saber and a hat.
Removing your hat is allowed only in special cases. In the Caucasus - almost never. You cannot take off your hat when someone is asked for something, the only exception is when they ask for forgiveness of blood feud. The specificity of a hat is that it does not allow you to walk with your head down. It’s as if she herself is “educating” a person, forcing him “not to bend his back.”

In Dagestan there was also a tradition of proposing with a papakha. When a young man wanted to get married, but was afraid to do it openly, he could throw his hat out the girl’s window. If the hat did not fly back for a long time, then the young man could count on a favorable outcome.
Knocking your hat off your head was considered a serious insult. If, in the heat of an argument, one of the opponents threw his hat to the ground, this meant that he was ready to stand until his death. The only way to lose a hat was with your head. That is why valuables and even jewelry were often worn in hats.

Fun fact: The famous Lezgin composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, going to the theater, bought two tickets: one for himself, the second for his hat.
Makhmud Esambaev was the only deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR who was allowed to sit at meetings wearing a headdress. They say that Leonid Brezhnev, looking around the hall before his speech, saw Esambaev’s hat and said: “Makhmud is in place, we can start.”

Types of hats

Kubanka, klobuk, trukhmenka
The word papakha itself is of Turkic origin; Vasmer’s dictionary clarifies that it is Azerbaijani. The literal translation is a hat. In Rus', the word papakha took root only in the 19th century; before that, hats of a similar cut were called hoods. During the period of the Caucasian wars, the word papakha migrated into the Russian language, but at the same time, other names derived from ethnonyms were also used in relation to the high fur hat. The Kabardinka (Kabardian papakha) later became the Kubanka (its difference from the papakha is, first of all, in height). In the Don troops, the papakha was called a trukhmenka for a long time.

Papakha with a cuff
We all know the expression: "Punch." Tumak was a wedge-shaped cap sewn to a hat, which was common among the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks in the 16th and 17th centuries. Before the battle, it was customary to insert metal plates into the cuff, which protected the Cossack from checker attacks. In the heat of battle, when it came to hand-to-hand combat, with a hat and a cuff it was quite possible to fight back and “cuff” the enemy.

Astrakhan
The most expensive and honorable hats are considered to be astrakhan hats, which are also called “Bukhara”. The word Karakul comes from the name of one of the oases located on the Zerashvan River, which flows in Uzbekistan. Karakul was the name given to the skins of lambs of the Karakul breed, taken a few days after the birth of the lamb.
General's hats were made exclusively from astrakhan fur.

The return of the hat
After the revolution, restrictions were introduced for Cossacks in wearing national clothing. Hats replaced budenovkas, but already in 1936, hats returned again as an element of clothing. Cossacks were allowed to wear low black hats. Two stripes were sewn on the cloth in the form of a cross, gold for officers, black for ordinary Cossacks. On the front of the hats, of course, was a red star.
Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks received the right to serve in the Red Army, and Cossack troops were also present at the parade in 1937.
Since 1940, the hat became an attribute of the military uniform of the entire senior command staff of the Red Army, and after Stalin’s death, hats became fashionable among members of the Politburo.