Kokoshnik (headdress)

A kokoshnik is a light fan made of thick paper , metal tape, or a crown, sewn to a hat or a hair stick ^[6] ; it consists of a harvested nobleman and a bottom , or a little novice and a hair follicle , with a descent behind the tape . The base was made of damask and velvet, poop on a hard basis of glued or quilted canvas, cardboard, and cap paper. From above, the crest was decorated with ornaments: artificial or fresh flowers, brocade , braids , beads , beads , freshwater pearls (from the 16th century it was mined in Lake Ilmen ), gold threads, foil, glass, and the richest with precious stones . The back of the head also often covered with gold embroidery. And behind kokoshnik was fixed with ribbons. Lambs (pearl strings falling on the shoulders) could be started along the edges of the kokoshnik, he himself could be sheathed under a pearl net (mesh). When putting on, the kokoshnik was usually slightly shifted to the forehead, and the back of the head was closed with a backrest from a canvas with an extension made of crimson velvet, fastened with bands. Silk or woolen shawls, tightly embroidered with an ornament of gold and silver threads, were often worn on top of kokoshniks; a thin light veil decorated with embroidery, lace or braid - veil, haze, veil . The scarf was folded diagonally and pinned under the chin; A long veil of silk or silk pinned under the chin or lowered from the top of the kokoshnik on the chest, shoulders, back.

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  Kokoshnik "slope", Kostroma Province, 18th century.

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  Kokoshnik

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  Kokoshnik. Central provinces. Ser. 19th century.

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  Kokoshnik. Olonets province, Kargopol district. 18 century

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  South Russian kokoshnik. Kursk province, early. XX century

The shape of the crest in different provinces was different: in the Kargopol district of the Olonets province, the kokoshnik was made in the shape of a hat with an eyeglass and blades stretching forward, covering the ears. On her forehead came down below from chopped nacre. The Vologda kokoshnik, called the collection , was distinguished by numerous assemblies above the ochel. Arkhangelsk kokoshnik had a rigid oval shape with abundant décor at the top and with ochelom, stepping forward and not having additional decorations. In the Novgorod and Tver provinces he was helmet-shaped ^[7] . "The form of kokoshnikov in different regions is quite diverse, as a rule, it was due to the peculiarities of the tradition of styling hair gathered in a braid or in two braids: around the head, above the forehead, at the back of the head, at the temples, etc. blades, low, pozatalniki and other parts, significantly different in different regions of Russia, but they were all fastened on a solid foundation - kokoshnik " ^[8] .

By design, four species of kokoshniks were distinguished ^[9] :

1. Single horny kokoshnik . Usually they had a beaded or pearl under-net, which was attached to the eyelids and covered the forehead almost to the eyebrows. They were distributed in the central provinces of European Russia — Vladimir, Kostroma, Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, and Yaroslavl — as well as in the provinces adjoining them: Vologda, Kazan, Simbirsk, Perm, Vyatka.
   1. Two-horned kokoshnik is a kokoshnik, soft behind with a high solid ochlemy in the form of an isosceles triangle or crescent with the sharp or slightly rounded ends down to the shoulders. The scope of the eye could sometimes reach 60 cm ^[10] .
   2. Kokoshnik, sewn into a cone with an elongated front. They were decorated with gold embroidery or solid "cones", completely decorated with pearls, located on the ochel. Cones, according to archaic beliefs, personified the cult of fertility ^[4] .
   3. Kokoshnik in the form of hats with high points and a flat rounded top, decorated with gold embroidery.
2. In the form of a cylindrical cap with a flat bottom . There were small blades that covered the ears, the posturer - a strip of fabric on a solid base, sewn from behind, and underside - a pearl or beaded net that sloped down to the brow or raised slightly above it. The scarf was stabbed under the chin or, crossing under it, tied at the back of the neck. They were common in the northwestern provinces of Russia: Olonets, Tverskoy, Novgorod. Kokoshniki first and second type were known in Siberia, brought by settlers.
   1. The one-yard kokoshnik, which got its name from the residence of the Oryol, Tambov, Voronezh, Kursk and Penza provinces, was close to this type. He didn’t have attached blades, a paddle and a bottom; It was usually made of braid, put on a pig. He was worn with a forehead in the form of a narrow ornamented strip of fabric, tied around his head, pozatalnik, attached to the laces on the back of his head. Around the kokoshnik, on his ochel, a handkerchief folded with a ribbon was tied, the ends of which went down onto the back or were fixed on the crown, crossing at the back of the head.
3. With a flat oval top, a projection above the forehead, lobes above the ears and sewn from behind with a solid rectangular posture. It was distributed in the Kargopol district of the Olonets province, in the north-east of Novgorod.
4. Two-combed, or saddle-shaped "silky" - with a high rounded band and riding in the form of a saddle with a slightly raised front part and a higher rear ridge. It was usually worn with a headrest - a narrow strip of ornamented fabric tied around the head, a poster - a rectangular piece of fabric on a solid base, as well as a handkerchief folded into a strip and placed on the ochel. The ends of the scarf went down on his back or, crossing at the back of his head, shut up from the sides. They were common in Kursk province, western districts of Oryol province and in Russian villages of Kharkov province.

“The oldest type should be recognized as the one where the straight ridge sits across the head, from ear to ear.” ^[11]

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  Ivan Argunov . Portrait of a Peasant Woman (1784)

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  Victor Vasnetsov . "Portrait of V.S. Mamontova" in a horned kokoshnik (1884)

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  Abram Klukvin . "A woman in toropetsky pearl kokoshnik and scarf" (early 19th century?)

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  Alexey Venetsianov . "Portrait of the artist's wife Marfa Afanasyevna Venetsianova" in a kokoshnik in the form of a cylindrical cap with a flat bottom, with a scarf (1828)

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  Francois-Joseph Kinson . "Portrait of Sophia Petrovna Svechina". 1816. (Famous maid of honor of Empress Maria Feodorovna and not less famous Russian Catholic in Russian costume.)

It was made to order by professional craftswomen - “kokoshnitsy”, who had skills in sewing pearls, beads, gold thread and the ability to handle factory fabrics. ^[4] . The price of some products reached 300 rubles. banknotes, therefore kokoshniki carefully kept in the family and handed down ^[7] .

Usually they wore a kokoshnik on holidays, on weekdays limited to wearing a warrior . Unlike Kichka and the magpie , who were worn only by married women, the kokoshnik could be worn including unmarried (although some ethnographers dispute this statement). Kirsanova indicates that, over time, the traditional headdress with high ochelie and veil began to be called “kokoshnik”, even if it was worn by an unmarried girl.

Kokoshnik tightly covered his head, covering his hair, braided in two braids and packed with a wreath or beam. “In the artistic structure of the Russian national costume, the kokoshnik played a significant role, crowning the monumental forms of the festive female costume, accenting the face, emphasizing the solemnity of those situations in which richly decorated kokoshniki were worn” ^[4] .

It has been known since the times of Ancient Russia (at least since the 17th century, when the use of the word ^[12] was documented for the first time). Although the exact time of its occurrence is unknown. Already in the burials of Novgorod belonging to the 10th-12th centuries there are some similarities of the kokoshnik: a hard headdress, sitting low on the forehead and covering the head completely to the ears. In the New Age, up to the 1920s, it was preserved as part of the traditional ritual decoration of the bride (the girlish hairstyle was solemnly replaced by a kokoshnik or a kick). The young pearl kokoshnik wore to the wedding after the wedding, wore it until the first child appeared, and then only on holidays and especially solemn occasions. Poor families had to order kokoshnik beaded, but to appear on such a day, say, on their wedding day was considered shameful and had to borrow “pearl” from their neighbors at the time of the celebration ^[13] . In the old days, the maidens prayed for their marriage on the day of the Intercession with these words: “Pokrov Holy Mother of God, cover my riotous head with a pearl necklace, a gold cuff!” ^{[11] [14]} . In some localities, only newlyweds wore kokoshnik for three days after the wedding - this was typical of those areas where kokoshniks had already disappeared, being replaced by simple kerchiefs or city hats.

In the XIX century. existed in the merchant, philistine and peasant environment, and in pre-Peter Russia - and in the boyar. In the XIX century, it spread from the north of Russia to the south, displacing the magpie ^[5] . At the end of the 19th century, in many provinces of Russia, kokoshniks began to disappear as a festive headdress, being replaced by headdresses of a different type: collections, warriors, tattoos, etc.

Kokoshnik in "high society"

Expelled from the highest strata of society under Peter the Great, who forbade him to wear haws by decree ^[15] , the kokoshnik was returned to the female court costume by Catherine II, who resurrected a la russe fashion in the 18th century and returned him to a fancy dress. The Napoleonic wars, which caused a surge of patriotism, returned interest to the national costume (cf. the return of the mantila fashion in Spain). In 1812-14, red and blue Russian “sundresses” with an empire waist and filigree buttons in front became fashionable. So dressed and Russian empress.

In 1834, Nicholas I issued a decree introducing a new court dress, complemented by a kokoshnik. It consisted of a narrow open corsage with long sleeves "a la boyars" and a long skirt with a train. Kokoshniki, in combination with the court décolleté dress, remained in the wardrobe of the maid of honor before the revolution. (Of course, the shape of the court kokoshnik is already quite far from the peasant prototypes, becoming closer to the headgear of the Italian Renaissance or Arcel ) ^[15] . In the 2nd floor. In the 19th century, diamond kokoshniki tiaras (“Russian-style tiaras”) also appeared, which were worn at court and imitated traditional forms.

In 1839, de Custine was surprised: “The national attire of the Russian court ladies is impressive and at the same time old-fashioned. They carry some kind of expensive stuff on their heads. This headpiece resembles a men's hat, a little short on top and without a bottom, so that the upper part of the head remains open. The tiara, a few inches high, adorned with precious stones, pleasantly frames the face, without closing it completely. It is an old headdress, gives the female appearance a tinge of nobility and originality, very much goes to beautiful faces and even more disfigures ugly ones. Unfortunately, the latter are quite often found in the Russian court. ”

In the 2nd floor. The rise of the style of historicism in the 19th century resulted, in particular, in the collection of Russian antiquities and caused a surge in interest in the Russian costume. In the reign of Alexander II and Alexander III, many works in the pseudo-Russian and neo-Russian style were created , in addition, the magnificent theatrical performances on the theme of Russian history demonstrated the luxury of the costume. The peak of this fashion was the Costume Ball of 1903 in the Winter Palace, whose guests were dressed in the fashion of the 17th century, in particular, in “Russian kokoshniki, often exaggerated in the“ opera ”style.

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  Unknown artist from the original Stefano Torelli. "Catherine II in Russian costume . " Late XVIII century. SHM , Moscow .
  (The German born empress Catherine the Great sincerely loved and respected the Russian, always emphasized her connection with the new homeland and embodied it in her state policy. Her Russian outfit with a koshen and a sarafan in the portrait is a fancy dress.)

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  A. Malukov. "Portrait of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna " . 1836. Hermitage , St. Petersburg .
  (Kokoshnik's motifs are only used, but in this case he himself has turned into a fantasy design with huge precious stones.)

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  Pimen Orlov . “Portrait of an Unknown Woman in a Russian Court Dress” . Around 1835. Hermitage , St. Petersburg .
  (Kokoshnik, decorated with pearls and precious stones, is one of the recognizable symbols of the Russian traditional costume.)

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  Ivan Kramskoy . "Portrait of Empress Maria Feodorovna " . 1881. Hermitage , St. Petersburg .
  (On the empress's head there is a diamond triar, resembling a Russian kokoshnik)

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  Pimen Orlov . “Portrait of Sofia Vasilyevna Orlova-Denisova (copy)” . 1835. Hermitage , St. Petersburg .
  (A sample of the uniform dress of court maid of honor, created under the influence of the Russian costume. The girls were put on a headdress in the shape of a “kokoshnik”. With a veil and a swinging dress with long sleeves “a la boyars.”)

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  K. E. Makovsky . “Portrait Z.N. Yusupova in Russian costume . Around 1895. State Historical Museum . Moscow
  (In the portrait, a sundress and a flat-bottomed kokoshnik are the essence of current historical authenticity, and not free-style improvisation on a Russian theme.)

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  Princess O. K. Orlova at the costume ball of notable persons at the Zimin Palace in 1903 . (Kokoshnik as a symbol of Russian folk costume turned out to be very attractive due to the successful combination of rich magnificence and simplicity. This is what forces you to turn to him again and again, giving this headdress new and unexpected forms.)

Fashion historian Alexander Vasilyev ^[15] indicates that in the “Russian” current of world fashion between the two world wars, the kokoshnik turned out to be the most popular element of the national costume, which “was in the arsenal of fashionistas of the whole world from 1919-29”. Many participants of the Costume Ball in 1903 found themselves in emigration and, in order to find means for subsistence, they founded fashion houses, where they used the experience of the Russian costume. During this period, in the West, the form of a kokoshnik — a crown as a wedding attire — is affirmed — even the future English queen, Maria Tekskaya, married in a similar crown. Freely rethought kokoshnik becomes an element of casual wear. Jeanne Lanven makes a collection of "Russian" hats, the Parisian house "Auguste Bonaz" in the early 1920s produces plastic kokoshniki.

Karl Lagerfeld in his Paris-Moscou collection (2008/9) created exclusively fantasy samples of kokoshniks ^[16] .

• In modern culture, the kokoshnik is an obligatory attribute of the New Year's suit of the Snow Maiden .
• One of the costumes of Queen Amidala (" Star Wars. Episode II. Attack of the Clones ") is a gold travel costume ( Gold Travel Costume ) based on a Russian folk costume with a kokoshnik ^[17] known in the west, in particular, from pictures from the Costume Ball 1903

• Crown (headdress)
• Kika (headdress)
• Mantilla
• Fever
• Forty (headdress)
• Russian folk hats

• Kokoshnik / Zhilina A.V., Smirnitskaya E.V. // Kireev - Congo. - M .: The Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2009. - P. 449. - (The Great Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 t.] / Ed. Yu. S. Osipov ; 2004–2017, t. 14). - ISBN 978-5-85270-345-3 .

• Photo Gallery "Russian folk hats XVII — XIX centuries"
• Pattern
• How to make Kargopol kokoshnik
• Kokoshniki [1] at the 2018 World Cup