Where did the main dance of the peoples of the Caucasus, the Lezginka, first appear? Lezginka dance.

Lezginka is familiar to everyone. This dance is danced at concerts, city squares, weddings and just on the road. He inspires someone, annoys someone, but people who are indifferent to Lezginka simply do not exist.

Features of the dance

Ossetian lezginka

The peoples of the Caucasus have many common features, determined by their genetic affinity - from the famous "mountain temperament" to linguistic and cultural affinity. One of the most famous common symbols of the culture of the peoples of the Caucasus is the Lezginka dance, traditionally symbolically expressing all the diversity of the mountain world perception.

The dance exists under different names among the Balkars and Karachais, Ossetians, Dagestanis, Vainakhs, Abkhazians, Kalmyks, Kuban Cossacks, Nogays, Kabardians, Circassians, Abazins, Adyghes, Chechens, Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis and many other peoples.

The dance is accompanied by a rhythmic and accelerating musical accompaniment in a 6/8 size, the orchestra includes an accordion, daurbas (percussion instrument), accordion, zurna, rattles, mountain violin, harp, three-string balalaika. Music and dance are always accompanied by clapping.

Lezginka has a deep symbolic meaning - the ancient basis of the dance is a story about an eagle and a swan. In the form of an eagle, a man is dancing, alternating the pace of the dance from slow to swift, like an eagle, now soaring, now diving, and spreading his arms as if they were wings. The woman opposite moves smoothly, imitating the swan's stature and grace, gradually accelerating, following her partner. Men compete with each other, trying to show the best dexterity and the most incredible movements at maximum speed. Lezginka can also be performed with a weapon, which gives it additional belligerence.

Kabardinka

Execution techniques

Lezginka exist in many variations, and each nation dances it in its own way. However, three types of dance can be distinguished, each of which is distinguished by its unique performance.

Chechen Lezginka

The first and most common is the male single lezginka. It would be no coincidence to recall that the dance was previously performed at a wedding or before a fight - in connection with which the Lezginka still retains a pronounced agonistic element.

The second is a female single lezginka, much more rare. As already mentioned, the girl imitates the movements of a swan, the plasticity of her hands is slow and graceful, and her eyes are slightly downcast.

The third type of lezginka is a pair dance, in which an eagle seems to hover over a swan, symbolizing a love desire. In the twentieth century, a new type of performance of this dance appears - pop. Lezginka was used in theatrical performances, for example, in the ballet "Gayane" by Aram Khachaturian, and specialized professional ensembles began to perform it.

Mythological origins

As a rule, the origin of the Lezginka is associated with tribal dances, hunting rites and ancient totemic rituals. The word "Lezgin" itself is believed to go back to the word eagle (lek), which, obviously, was a totem sign among the Lezghins and some other Caucasian peoples. The hunter's dance, which is a special ceremony before a hunt or fight, imitated the movements of a totem animal - an eagle rushing to prey (a girl).

Over time, the ritual dance could turn into a competition of dzhigits, the prize in which was symbolic capital, which resembles a modern lezginka. It is no coincidence that they loved and love to perform lezginka at weddings - in that symbolic space where the "eagles" need to conquer their "swans" with the help of a demonstration of daring and grace.

The dance was a peculiar way to show her sympathy for the partners she liked - after all, a girl in a dance could point the direction of flight to a young man she liked, and he, in response, could try not to let her go, while not even touching the girl's dress, which could be perceived as an insult. It is obvious that the dance was perceived symbolically as an expression of love passion, and therefore it was unacceptable to cross the border of what was permitted within the framework of public space.

The circular Karachai-Balkarian dance “Aslanbiy”, similar to the Lezginka, has similar hunting connotations (and hunting can be both literal and love). Translated, its name means "king of beasts", that is, a lion, and the performer of this dance tries to imitate the movements of a predator waiting for a prey, standing up on his toes and moving from slow movements to sharp jerks. The image of a lion was also transferred to a dexterous human hunter, and there was a dance in which a man held a real shield and sword and performed complex movements with them. The further evolution of Aslanbia introduces another character into the dance - a deer, or a defenseless girl who is being hunted. The girl gives the young hunter a strand from the right braid with a ribbon from it or a ring as a sign that she fell in love with him and agrees to get married. Thus, the ritual hunting dance gradually became a characteristic part of the wedding ceremony.

Along with this dance, there are fortune-telling dances with a lamb shoulder or pebbles, with a hat or strawberries, in which young men compete with girls, trying to dance each other and, ultimately, choose a pair for themselves or guess who likes whom.
The dances called "lezginka" are diverse and multifunctional. Lezginka is still used as a rite of demonstration of masculine qualities or the choice of a partner you like, however, having become a part of the folk dance fund, Lezginka is actively used by modern choreographers and creative groups.

The early ethnic history of Lezghins is closely connected with one of the most ancient states on the territory of Azerbaijan and southern Dagestan - Caucasian Albania. The ancient author Strabo (65 BC-24 AD) wrote that the population of Albania spoke 26 languages. One of them belonged to the Legs / Leks - the ancestors of real Lezgins, who lived in the Eastern Caucasus, whose language was the state language of Caucasian Albania. As part of the ancient state formation "Caucasian Albania", the ancestors of the present Lezgins, Rutuls, Tsakhurs, Agulians, Tabasarans, Archins, Budugs, Kryts, Khinalugs under the general ethnonym "Leki" were its main military and political force. In the early Middle Ages, the Lezgins were, according to the description of their contemporaries, the "Stronghold of Shirvan". And in the Arab sources of the 9th-10th centuries there is information about the kingdom of the Laks in southern Dagestan.
The invasion of the Romans, Persians, Arabs led to the disintegration of Albania - part of the Albanian-Lezgin tribes left the coastal regions and went deep into the mountains of the southern forts of the Caucasus, creating a kind of ethnic communities there. Over time, in the 5th-10th centuries, the language, life and culture of these communities developed their own characteristics due to economic and political isolation. This is how the Lezghin, Tabasaran, Agul, Tsakhur, Rutul, Archin, Kryz, Budukh, Khinalig and Udi languages ​​and nationalities were formed, which became the main components in the formation of a single Lezgin group of languages.
The region where the Lezgins lived was called Lezgistan. The region constantly became the object of invasions by Turks, Arabs, Tatar-Mongols.
After the Russian wars of conquest in the Caucasus in the 19th century. and the accession of Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus to Russia, a border was drawn along the Samur River between the newly formed Baku province and the Dagestan region. The milestone drawn in 1860 was also fixed after the establishment of Soviet power and the collapse of the USSR.
As a people who had traditions of state structures since ancient times, as a people who were the first on the territory of the CIS to adopt the Christian faith in the II century and the Muslim faith in the VIII century and occupied a military-strategic position between the sea and the Caucasian ridge, as well as fought countless wars with the Romans , Persians, Arabs, Turks, Lezgin tribes previously united into a single nation with a single language, a single self-name as "Leki-Lekzi-Lezgi",
at the present time they are unfairly disadvantaged in Dagestan, and in Azerbaijan their situation can be equated with genocide.

Dance "Lezginka"

Today in the world it is difficult to find a person who would not know the fiery dance "Lezginka". From time immemorial, trade routes passed through the Caucasus, uniting Europe with the eastern countries.
European travelers who have been here drew attention to the beautiful and previously unseen dance, which was danced by local peoples called "Lezghins".
What is Lezginka? This is a kind of competition between young people - fast, temperamental, requiring great strength and dexterity from a young man, and smoothness, grace from a girl. The famous Lezgin dance is nothing more than an echo of ancient pagan beliefs and rituals, one of the main elements of which was the image of an eagle. This image is perfectly reproduced by the dancer, especially at the moment when he, standing on his toes and proudly spreading his arms-wings, smoothly describes circles, as if about to take off.
Lezginka music, with a clear rhythm and energetic movements, has attracted the attention of many famous composers. So, Glinka in Ruslana and Lyudmila, Rubinstein in The Demon put a stormy Lezginka full of elemental strength and passion. The composition has remained popular to this day - very often modern performers also turn to it.

1.Language and history of Caucasian Albania (excerpt)

As the names of all peoples in the world, the word lek (lek) - "lezgin, eagle" means people-eagles. The neighboring peoples perceived the word lek as the name of a certain people, and the leks themselves put the concept of "man-eagle" into the word lek. Hence the name of the dance - lezginka - as a human dance, in contrast to the dances of birds, animals ...

2.From the Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Lezginka, a Lezgin folk dance, is widespread throughout the Caucasus. The Kabardians, Ossetians, Avars, Chechens, Ingush and others have their own varieties of L. Musical size 6/8. The melody is clear and dynamic. The pace is fast. L. is a competition dance that demonstrates the dexterity, virtuosity, and tirelessness of the dancers.
Lekuri, Kartuli (old name - lekuri), Georgian folk pair dance. Also known as lezginka. Formed in Kartalinia and Kakheti. Musical size 6/8. Performed with the accompaniment of an instrumental ensemble (pipes, zurnas, lobes). Classic samples of K. in the operas "Daisi" and "Abesalom and Eteri" Paliashvili.
Islam, Islam, folk dance of Kabardians and Adyghe. Lezginka genus. I.'s melody is performed on violin and harmonica, accompanied by phatsyk (ratchet of 4-5 wooden records). Artistic interpretation of I. was given by the composer M. A. Balakirev in his oriental fantasy "Islamey" for piano (1869).
Bodenstedt Friedrich (22.4.1819: Payne, near Hanover - 18.4.1892, Wiesbaden), German writer, translator. Studied in Göttingen and Munich. In 1841-43 he was a home teacher in Moscow, then taught at a gymnasium in Tiflis, where he took lessons in oriental languages ​​from the Azerbaijani poet Mirza Shafi Vazekh. He was familiar with A. I. Herzen, M. Yu. Lermontov, was in correspondence with N. A. Nekrasov, F. I. Tyutchev, A. K. Tolstoy, I. S. Turgenev ... . owns the poem "Lezginka Hell" (1853), tragedies "Dmitry" (1856), "Emperor Paul" (1876) ...

3. Why are Lezgins called Lezgins. The role of totemism in the origin of some Caucasian ethnonyms (excerpt)
I. Gadzhimuradov, [email protected], Bonn, Germany

The famous dance Lezgin - Lezginka (also known in Iran under the name Lezgi and in Georgia as Lekuri - Leka "Lezgin, Dagestani"), which is almost unchanged among all Caucasian peoples without exception, is nothing more than an echo of ancient pagan beliefs and rituals, one of the main elements of which was the image of an eagle. This image is perfectly reproduced by the dancer, especially at the moment when he, standing on his toes and proudly spreading his arms-wings, smoothly describes circles, as if about to take off. The name of a similar dance of Georgians Kartuli, in all likelihood, also comes from the word kard and originally meant "falcon, eagle dance" (see photo). It is natural that the Lezginka is named so in accordance with the ancient totem of the Lezgi-speaking peoples and is the original national and ancient ritual dance of the Lezghins (hence the name Lezgi / Lezginka).

4.Lezginka

European travelers who visited Dagestan several centuries ago drew attention to the beautiful and previously unseen dance that the local peoples danced, which they collectively called "Lezgins" ...

Probably there is no such person who does not know this beautiful incendiary dance. More than once I have met such a situation when people find out that I am Lezghin, they smile and say: "Ah, Lezginka:" and remember this incendiary dance. Lezginka is really our folk dance. And our ensemble "Lezginka" in Dagestan is known not only in our republic, in our country, but also abroad. And the Lezgin is bad who does not know how to dance Lezginka.
Ancient Lezghian music and dance culture had a great influence on the formation of culture throughout the Caucasus. The famous world dance "lezginka". Who doesn't know him? The great talented Lezghin people stood at the origins of this dance, because it took centuries to become so widespread, to be so loved by many peoples! Lezghian culture, including the Soviet period, was either destroyed, destroyed, or appropriated. We only have to give the names of Lezgi folk dance melodies collected by our respected Zabit Rizvanov. Words and melodies from them are lost. Maybe someone remembers them, write them down and keep them.
Here are some names of Lezgin folk dance melodies given in the book "The History of Lezgins" by Rizvan and Zabit Rizvanovs: Lezginka, Apay, Muleili, Terekma, Magyi Dilber, Perizada, Akyusha, Qavumar, Peker bakha, Gilyar, Shagu'senem, Kerem, Q'arid Ruble , Seguierar and others.
The basis of Lezginka was and remains such dances as Dag'arin Tavatar, Zegmetchiyar, Meh'er, Gatfar, Kvepayunrikai Ibarat Askerin Kyul, Kunshidin Rush, Dallai, Klaniburun Makyam, Daglarin Makyam, many others, Lezgi
The famous Lezghin dance "Lezginka" (also known in Iran as "Lazgi, Lezgi", in Georgia "Lekuri", which means - Lezgins (leks) dance), which is almost unchanged among all Caucasian peoples without exception, is neither than other than an echo of ancient pagan beliefs and rituals, one of the main elements of which was the image of an eagle. This image is perfectly reproduced by the dancer, especially at the moment when he, standing on his toes and proudly spreading his arms-wings, smoothly describes circles, as if about to take off. It is possible that in ancient times this ritual dance was performed in a special costume decorated with eagle feathers. Eagles and some other birds are still considered sacred by the Lezghins. Shooting them and eating them is considered the gravest sacrilege. These prohibitions are undoubtedly connected with the tabooization of totemic animals, widespread among many peoples of the world ..

The well-known Greek legend about Prometheus, chained by Hephaestus by order of Zeus to the rock of the Caucasus Mountains, and about an eagle gnawing at his liver, is an allegorical description by the ancestors of the Indo-Europeans of the ritual burial ritual of the Caucasian highlanders alien to them. Prometheus, whom the god of heaven Zeus punished for stealing the heavenly fire and passing it on to people, is, in all likelihood, a collective image of the Caucasian-speaking mountaineers, who, before other peoples, mastered the secret of casting and forging metals. By fire in the Greek legend, of course, one should understand not a fire, but a special fire in a special furnace of the mountaineers, with the help of which the Caucasian-speaking blacksmiths were able to melt and cast metals. The episode with the theft of heavenly fire and its transfer to people can be easily explained if we consider that before the invention of smelting furnaces by the ancestors of the Caucasian, Anatolian and Balkan mountaineers, only the gods owned fire (lightning, red-hot volcanic lava), capable of melting metal. It is no coincidence that the executor of the punishment for Prometheus was the god of fire and blacksmithing Hephaestus, whose functions undoubtedly indicate his volcanic origin.
It should be especially noted that the Lezgins use the same word lek to denote the liver and the eagle. There can be no doubt that this "coincidence" is an echo of long-forgotten religious rituals. The intersection of the concepts "eagle", "liver", "soul", "dream" finds its continuation in other East Caucasian languages: Lezgi Erziman "dream, wish" (compare tab. Arzu "desired, cherished"), which in no way can be borrowed from Turkic or Iranian languages, corresponds, for example, to Chechen. Erzu "eagle" and chamal. Ertsim "golden eagle" (compare Urartu. Artsib - presumably also "eagle").
The most ancient population of Asia Minor, the memory of which was preserved, among other things, in the ethnonym Leleg brought to us by ancient Greek sources, probably also called itself by the name of the bird - their totemic sign. The characteristic headdress (made of bird feathers) of these ancient inhabitants of Western Asia and adjacent European regions makes it possible to give the etymology of the ethnonym Leleg (compare Lezg. Legleg, Avar. Laklak "stork", varnish. eagle ", cez. lelek" feather; wing ", from the East Caucasian substratum also occurs Azeri. lelek" bird feather "), which could mean" people-birds, winged people ".
The name of a similar dance of Georgians, kartuli (karduli), in all likelihood, also comes from the Lezghin name kard-falcon, the flight of which is imitated by the dancer. The dancer expresses all his mood, all his feelings in this dance. During the war, "lezginka" served as a ritual dance for our soldiers to raise their spirits.
Also, "Lezginka" served as an occasion for a young man and a girl to meet, because the harsh laws of the mountains do not allow girls to go out alone and it was not easy for young people to get to know each other. Basically, girls always gathered at weddings, and then the young man, making some movement, beckons the girl to dance. In the dance, when the girl was about to leave, the young man blocked her path in all possible ways, but in no case could the girl be touched, there were times when they killed for this.
Now LEZGINKA is a dance of friendship, love and happiness.

5.About Lezginka
www.lezginka.net - Lezginka - International music and dance competition named after Patimat Omarova for the best performance of lezginka
The ancient culture of the peoples of Dagestan is unique in its composition. Each of its types is archaic, highly artistic and at the same time surprisingly modern, passing today with its powerful genetic reserves and the memory of the people into the 21st century, into the 3rd millennium.
Folk applied arts, myth-making, folk poetry and music, rich folklore, theater, dance. Each of them is a whole world of wealth and diversity, traditions and forms of existence. All of them are intertwined and inseparable in a single Dagestan culture. Being genuine cultural monuments, each of these phenomena is worthy and necessary scientific study, museification, separation into separate specialized scientific institutions for the study, fixation, preservation and promotion of their own cultural achievements. Official Russian science and culture is sufficiently concerned with these issues. But today more and more demands new, innovative, narrowly oriented and detailed actions in the light of the impending globalization, leveling the peculiarities of each of the national cultures.
Art is a kind of communication language. And dance in this sense is the most versatile and accessible. Moreover, if this is a Lezginka dance - the dance of all peoples of such a diverse country as Dagestan. It accumulates, reflects and preserves everything - applied art - costumes and adornments; legends and rituals, customs - drawing of a dance, forms of movements, special laws and proportions of behavior in it; folk music - a wealth of folk melodies, musical instruments, centuries-old playing skills; theater is a dance, as part of a general action, associated with a certain event, people. And, in the end, dance in Dagestan, and especially "Lezginka", is an essential element of the way of life of all highlanders, it is an unsurpassed and not fully disclosed phenomenon of the unification of peoples.
In every ethnically isolated village of Dagestan to this day, we can observe special forms, movements, plasticity and melody ... ... of the general "mountain" dance. Male, female, girlish, childish ... But they all remain local manifestations of national cultures. But by right of the people, national was, is and will remain "Lezginka". Moreover, all the mountain peoples of the Caucasus, from Georgia to Ichkeria, stand under its banners. Everyone knows her, everyone loves her, everyone dances her. And no one teaches anyone specifically about it. With the birth of a person, her special exciting rhythm is apparently laid, which from an early age leads a person into a circle. Today the Lezginka dance is rightfully the hallmark of Dagestan, a symbol of peace and openness of our people.
But all this is a cultural and historical reality, which we have no right to mercilessly exploit, without giving anything in return. Dance as a phenomenon of national culture must be known, preserved and increased for generations.
Today we see how a kind of swagger, frivolity, and simplicity is more and more mingled with universal love. But everyone knows that "Lezginka" is not just a dance, but a standard of stateliness, beauty and nobility. Time takes its toll - the melody is blurred, leveled, the forms and movements of the dance are simplified, a certain mystery, the intimacy of the deep meaning inherent in it, disappears into oblivion. The couple is a man and a woman. From beginning to end, together, and each has its own special role, added together in a dialogue, only conversations that are understandable to them. Indeed, for many centuries it was dance, along with song and poetry, that were the correct and only form of explaining one's feelings.
How much can be learned from this beautiful, at first glance accessible and so tempting dance "lezginka". And in order to better understand all this, one must not only love, dance, but also know one's own dance.
The history of the Lezginka, its laws and varieties, who, how, in what, where, when and why they danced it. What is she like? These and many other questions are called upon to solve the "Lezginka" Dance Museum, which is being created these days. It will not be just another official "hotbed of culture". Its creators see it as a creative, scientific and educational center that incorporates the most diverse forms of activity. The main task of the museum is to preserve, develop and promote the best traditions of the Lezginka dance culture. Today the main task of museum workers is collecting activity. Our museum will be formed by the efforts of specialists and professionals, enthusiasts and just ordinary people, who have a heart for their history, a patriot and a generous soul. The collected material will become the basis not only for museum expositions, but most importantly, a huge source and historical base will be revealed that was not previously involved in science, which will entail new research, discoveries, theoretical and practical discourses in Dagestan cultural studies.
And here one cannot but mention the main driving force of such an innovative and grandiose project - the large Omarov family and the main inspirer of Omarov Omar Murtuzalievich. Today on account of the "Lezginka Omarovs" for a relatively short period of time - three - 2000, 2001, 2002 -Contests for the best performance of the folklore lezginka them. Patimat Omarova, creation of the union of choreographers of Dagestan. The whole world is included in the orbit of the Dagestan Lezginka - an international festival of folklore Lezginka, which will be held in Turkey, is approaching, a museum is opening. But the main thing is that thanks to the efforts of these enthusiasts, participants of the competition and professionals, people remembered that Lezginka is not only an element of a wedding or family celebration, Lezginka is a delicate, complex art that requires high dedication and dedication.

6. Gottfrid Hasanov - Father of Lezgin-Dagestan music.

On June 22, 1923, a concert dedicated to the work of F. Chopin took place in Makhachkala. The executor was G.A. Hasanov, "whose performance became an outstanding phenomenon in the musical life of the Dagestan capital," the newspaper "Krasny Dagestan" responded to the concert with a detailed review, which indicated that "the young musician is one of the first representatives of the new, Soviet national artistic intelligentsia." “Speaking about the concert program, we cannot but say a few words about the concertist himself,” the reviewer writes. “The pianist G. Hasanov is such a musical value that deserves any attention and which Dagestan can be proud of as its only musical brainchild.

G. Hasanov's contribution to the development of the musical culture of Avars, Kumyks, Laks and other peoples of Dagestan is enormous. The first musical and artistic expedition to collect folk music, headed by G. Hasanov, set off from Buinak-sk along the route Arakana - Kudutl - Gergebil - Mogokh - Khunzakh - Chokh - So-gratle and collected interesting material: 120 poetic texts and 100 folk melodies, recorded on phonographic rollers. "The trip with the phonograph had in itself the character of a continuous triumph," Hasanov wrote in the report on the expedition. authorities interested in the creativity of the peasantry. "

"The result of the expedition was also the study of G. Hasanov" Songs of the Avars ", completed in 1927" ... Presenting a report on the trip in the form, it, in essence, summed up the acquaintance with the music of the Avars in 1921-1927. and summed up the scientific foundations of the study of the musical culture of avarien, "The content of the work is marked by great breadth, boldness and richness of generalizations. The first part contains a detailed description of the most common Avar musical instruments: kumuz (tamura), chiagany, lalu, zurna, their devices, settings, techniques performance, technology of their production, folk-musical terminology, etc. The second section of G. Hasanov's work reveals the musical structure of the Avar song, the general classification of the Avar song folklore. "
The publication of G. Hasanov was highly appreciated: read out as a report at the meeting of the ethnographic section of the State Institute of Musical Science in Moscow in August 1927, it brought the author the recognition of the scientific community. He was awarded the degree of Corresponding Member of the National Anthem. In "Songs of the Avars" G. Hasanov laid the foundations of the methodology for scientific research of folk art and significantly enriched the Avar musical folklore by introducing elements of Lezgin-Dagestan melodies into it. "The ideas from this study are still interesting today."
In the same year, the collection "Motives of the Dagestan Dance: 12 Lezginka Performed by Zurns" was published, compiled by G. Hasanov, M. Dzhamalov. This is the first edition of Lezgin-Dagestan melodies, as well as the first and so far the only collection of folk dance instrumental music. "We believe that the published twelve dance motives are indisputable musical wealth, requiring fixation in order to avoid disappearance, especially since some of them are no longer played at all," the compilers wrote in the preface to the collection.
They managed to select artistically perfect and diverse samples of national dances, tunes to the lezginka. The specified collection determined the most important principles and forms of collecting, iotyping and publishing East Caucasian folk music, which became guidelines for the development of folklore; selection of the most attractive samples, "generalizing" techniques of musical notation, conditional notation of variable metro-rhythmic structure, absence of accompanying "accompanying" instruments (in this case - percussion), etc. "
As noted above, under the leadership of G. Hasanov, a musical college was opened in 1926.
"G. Hasanov attached great importance to the development of a methodology for working with highlanders in musical-theoretical subjects, as well as the creation of special didactic material and artistic and pedagogical repertoire on a folklore basis. The idea put forward by him" to study musical theory based on the study of native motives was an innovative phenomenon in musical pedagogy of those years. "Already in 1927, the musical college published a collection of piano pieces by E. Yudina" Dagestan children. " pedagogical work: firstly, our highlanders are already familiar with these motives and are quite in tune with the cultural world of the environment that created these children; therefore, familiarizing them with the methods of harmonization (from the point of view of the development of taste) is much better to build on familiar and familiar material than on a motive invented, and sometimes nationally alien; secondly, with the release of this collection, the Dagestan motive moves out of the thick of the people to the stage, at least for the student, which, of course, has considerable cultural significance in the direction of the development and enrichment of local music. "
To work in the technical school G. Hasanov managed to attract not only the most experienced local teachers, but also graduates of music universities in Moscow and Leningrad. Piano classes were taught by D. Dalgat, E. Yudina, O. Ti-musheva, violin - I. Safanov, V. Klin, solo singing - M. Andreeva - Petrovskaya, V. Zaitseva, wind instruments - A. Kleizmer. The presence of a fairly large number of specialists - highly qualified musicians ensured a high level of teaching and made it possible to develop interesting concert educational activities. In the concert programs of the Dagmuztechnikum, many classical musical works - compositions by J.S. Bach, L. Beethoven, F. Schubert, were played. N. Metner, M. Ravel, piano concerts by R. Schumann, P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov. Works on Dagestan themes by G. Hasanov, D. Dalgat, E. Yudina and I. Safanov were also performed here.
G. Hasanov trained such outstanding musicians as S. Agababov, M. Kazhlaev, Sh. Chalaev and others.
G. Hasanov wrote the children's ballet "Karachach", the opera "Khochbar", songs for the plays "Aygazi", "Lyubov Asiyat" and others, which are firmly entrenched in the repertoire of the Kumyk theater. His Concerto for Piano and Orchestra is often and is currently performed by orchestras in Russia and other foreign countries. The work of G. Hasanov was highly appreciated by the government of the USSR. He was twice awarded the title of laureate of the State Prize, has the honorary titles of Honored Artist of the RSFSR and DASSR.
Unfortunately, G. Hasanov is now consigned to oblivion, his musical heritage is savagely used by representatives of other peoples, without even referring to his published works ...

7. Zeynal Hajiyev

"I was lucky to work with Zeynal Gadzhiev, - says I. Matayev. - Z. Gadzhiev was a composer, whose bright talent made a great contribution to the development of the musical culture of Dagestan. His wonderful works" My Dagestan "," Samur-Divichi-Canal "," Lezghin lullaby ", hundreds of pieces of music written by him for the ensemble" Lezginka "won great love of the Dagestani peoples. Each piece of music is imbued with love for his people, expresses the thoughts and aspirations of an ordinary person" ...

“Zeynal Mikailovich,” says Joseph Mataev further, “tried to reflect the most intimate in his works, and therefore each of his works was perceived as an event in musical culture. He was a democratic composer, whether it was a song or an aratorio, or a musical scene, melodism prevailed in his works. . From small to large they sang his songs. We can say that he is the founder of the modern choreographic musical culture of Dagestan "...

In 1957 Z. Gidzhiev moved to Makhachkala, at first he worked in the ensemble "Songs and Dances of Dagestan", and with the creation of the Choreographic Ensemble "Lezginka" - in the latter. In "Lezginka" 3. Hajiyev worked until his last days (he died in 1971).

In 1959, two years after moving to Makhachkala, Z. Hajiyev published a book of Lezgi folk song and dance melodies. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it. As N. Ibragimov writes in "Lezgi newspapers" (09/04/93), the book contains such folk masterpieces as: "Shagsenem", "Suna-chan", "Alaguzli", "Zagadur-zag'a", "Magyidilber chan "," Ay, Dilber ", Vatsran Eqver", "Zhanisat," Kolkhozchi Rushaz "," Kiasum-khuyr "," Stialar ", Usugchay", "Tala", "Abas", "Telefonar", "Khiner", " Yakhlar "," Rips kul "," Kuba kenfetar "and others.

In the first years of the creation of "Lezginka", a significant place in it was occupied by the dances of the Lezgi-noy-speaking peoples, and the musical arrangement was based mainly on Lezgi dance melodies.

According to the People's Artist of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of Russia and Dagestan, artistic director of Lezginka Iosif Matayev, 90% of the music in all Lezginka dances, be it a Tatian or Avar dance or a dance of another Dagestan people, was written by Honored Art Worker of Dagestan Zeynal Hajiyev.

The basis of "Lezginka" was and remains such dances as "Zegmetchiyar" ("Workers"), "Suvan tIavatar" ("Mountain melodies"), "Mekher" ("Wedding"), "Atluirin chamarar" ("Atlui equestrian competitions" " with jugs ")," Ky1vepayunikai ibarat as-kerin kyul "(" Dance of the warriors "), Rutulrin" Maskha "(" Rutulsky Maskha ")," Dargo "(" Dargins ")," Suvan huire - suvar "(Country wedding" ), Nogayrin "Ayloniy" (Nogai dance "Ayloniy"), Rusharin kul "Gatfar" (girl's lyrical dance "Spring"), etc.

And today the basis of almost all the melodies of "Lezginka" is the dance music of Z. Hajiyev, but this is not mentioned anywhere else. In front of me is the last prospectus of "Lezginka", published in Russian and English, but in it you will not find a word about its musical founder - Zeynal Hajiyev!

3. Hajiyev wrote music for more than ten performances of the Lezghin theater operating in Derbent, including Fundugbeg, Sayad, Cham gvaz katna, Etim Emin, Kianivalikai rivayat, etc.

35 years have passed since the publication of "Lezgi Songs and Dance Melodies", during which time not a single work of Z. Hajiyev has been published anymore!

8.Uruj Abubakarov
Iosif Mataev recalls with warmth and admiration another outstanding Lezghian musician - Urudzh Abubakarov - Honored Artist of the RSFSR and People's Artist of Dagestan, who headed the performances of musical works. Talking about Uruja Abubakarov, I. Matayev recalls the following fact. At one of the competitive concerts in Moscow, the artistic director of the Armenian National Orchestra took off his number, because he considered that after the performance of the collective headed by Uruj Abubakarov, it was inconvenient to perform. The mastery of Uruj Abubakarov was so high! The latter played superbly on almost all national instruments of Dagestan ...

To the question "Lezginka" is this dance? what nation did you come from? given by the author Shiny the best answer is The early ethnic history of the Lezghins is closely connected with one of the most ancient states on the territory of Azerbaijan - Caucasian Albania. The ancient author Strabo (65 BC -24 AD) wrote that the population of Albania spoke 26 languages. One of them belonged to the Legs, presumably the ancestors of the true Lezgins, who lived in the Eastern Caucasus. And in the Arab sources of the 9th-10th centuries there is information about the kingdom of the Laks in southern Dagestan. The invasion of the Romans, Persians, Arabs led to the disintegration of Albania - part of the Albanian-Lezgin tribes left the coastal regions and went deep into the mountains of the southern forts of the Caucasus, creating a kind of ethnic communities there. Over time, in the 5th-10th centuries, the language, life and culture of these communities developed their own characteristics due to economic and political isolation. This is how the Lezghin, Tabasaran, Agul, Tsakhur, Rutul, Archin, Kryz, Budukh, Khinalig and Udi languages ​​and nationalities were formed, which became the main components in the formation of a single Lezgin group of languages. The region where the Lezgins lived was called Lezgistan. The region constantly became the object of invasions by Turks, Arabs, Tatar-Mongols. After the Russian wars of conquest in the Caucasus in the 19th century. and the accession of Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus to Russia, a border was drawn along the Samur River between the newly formed Baku province and the Dagestan region. The milestone drawn in 1860 was also fixed after the establishment of Soviet power and the collapse of the USSR.
Dance "Lezginka"
Today in the world it is difficult to find a person who does not know the incendiary dance "Lezginka". What is Lezginka? This is a kind of competition between young people - fast, temperamental, requiring great strength and dexterity from a young man, and smoothness, grace from a girl. The famous dance is nothing more than an echo of ancient pagan beliefs and rituals, one of the main elements of which was the image of an eagle. This image is perfectly reproduced by the dancer, especially at the moment when he, standing on his toes and proudly spreading his arms-wings, smoothly describes circles, as if about to take off. Lezginka music, with a clear rhythm and energetic movements, has attracted the attention of many famous composers. So, Glinka in Ruslana and Lyudmila, Rubinstein in The Demon put a stormy Lezginka full of elemental strength and passion. The composition has remained popular to this day - very often modern performers also turn to it.
you dalbaeb

Answer from 22 answers[guru]

Hey! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: "Lezginka" is whose dance? what nation did you come from?

Answer from Mikhail yakovlev[guru]
Lezginka is exactly a Cossack dance!

Answer from Wind[newbie]
Lezginka, my dears, these are Jewish highlanders if that

Answer from Arsen Abdurakhmanov[newbie]
From Lezghins, of course, it's a sin not to know this.

Answer from A. Darov[newbie]
It would be true and ethical to call Lezginka the dance of all Caucasians ... the problem with the name is that the first researchers of the Caucasus, who gave names to the Caucasian in the current world and Russian-speaking interpretation and tradition, named all ethnic groups of Caucasians, especially North Caucasians, by the names of the largest groups among them or the first known, more or less studied: Tatars, Circassians, Lezgins, etc., and often - even natives.

Answer from Valeria ogneva[newbie]
Lezginka dance is not Georgian. Caucasian, yes! But not Georgian)) Why is that? This is history. Have you paid attention to the Georgian round dance? It looks like a round dance of Romanians or Moldovans. And yet ... Georgians are supposed to have fair hair and light eyes. Again history))

Answer from Zuleyxa A-va[newbie]
Lezginka dance lezgin

Answer from Ѐusmet Kemerovo[newbie]

Answer from Marina[newbie]
People cannot understand that Lezginka is a folk dance of Lezghins. Many want to appropriate it, but this is our national folk dance, otherwise why is it called Lezginka? I think the name of the dance answered the question for itself.

Answer from David Gvaramadze[newbie]
generally Georgian dance ...

Answer from Raiz Memmedhuseynov[newbie]
I would say shas!

Answer from MADINA MISRIEVA[newbie]
There is a Lezghin nationality, respectively, the dance was Lezghin. What's not clear here?

Answer from Lora.[expert]
Zabyli o Chechencah, oni tozhe otpliasyvajut lezginku

Answer from Ѝmin Kasimov[newbie]
Lezginka - various dances of the peoples of the Caucasus

Answer from Olgushechka1977[master]
Isn't it Georgia?

Answer from RG[guru]
Lezginka is a folk dance of Lezghins, as well as a collective name for the dances of the Caucasian highlanders. Distributed throughout the Caucasus. Lezginka is a competition dance that demonstrates the dexterity, virtuosity, tirelessness of the dancers. Usually performed with the accompaniment of a musical ensemble. Musical dimension of the dance - 6/8; the melody is clear and dynamic, the tempo is fast. Each Caucasian nation, as a rule, has its own varieties of characteristic movements used in Lezginka.
The famous dance "Lezginka" (also known in Iran as "Lazgi, Lezgi", in Georgia "Lekuri", which means - "Lezgins (leks) dance", which is almost unchanged among all Caucasian peoples without exception, is not than an echo of ancient pagan beliefs and rituals, one of the main elements of which was the image of an eagle. It is possible that in ancient times this ritual dance was performed in a special costume decorated with eagle feathers. Eagles and some other birds are still considered sacred among the Lezghins. Their shooting and eating is considered the gravest sacrilege. These prohibitions are undoubtedly connected with the tabooization of totemic animals, widespread among many peoples of the world.
The well-known Greek legend about Prometheus, chained by Hephaestus by order of Zeus to the rock of the Caucasus Mountains, and about an eagle gnawing at his liver, is an allegorical description by the ancestors of the Indo-Europeans of the ritual burial ritual of the Caucasian highlanders alien to them. Prometheus, whom the god of heaven Zeus punished for stealing the heavenly fire and passing it on to people, is, in all likelihood, a collective image of the Caucasian-speaking mountaineers, who, before other peoples, mastered the secret of casting and forging metals. By fire in the Greek legend, of course, one should understand not a fire, but a special fire in a special furnace of the mountaineers, with the help of which the Caucasian-speaking blacksmiths were able to melt and cast metals. The episode with the theft of heavenly fire and its transfer to people can be easily explained if we consider that before the invention of smelting furnaces by the ancestors of the Caucasian, Anatolian and Balkan mountaineers, only the gods owned fire (lightning, red-hot volcanic lava), capable of melting metal. It is no coincidence that the executor of the punishment for Prometheus was the god of fire and blacksmithing Hephaestus, whose functions undoubtedly indicate his volcanic origin.

Mountain Caucasian peoples are known for many traditions and customs, but they gained the greatest popularity thanks to their ability to dance a fiery dance called. This is a dance that is directly associated with Caucasians and their wonderful traditions.

The history of dance has more than a dozen years. Lezginka embodies both the courage of Caucasian men and the ability to move clearly and gracefully at the same time. No one can unequivocally answer the question of exactly how old the dance is, but the modern Lezginka has become a kind of prototype of the most ancient Caucasian ritual dances.

Caucasian dancers. Photo.

Men in dance

According to some opinions, the lezginka is a dance that was danced Caucasian men before a responsible combat battle... It is for this reason that the modern lezginka is mostly danced by the representatives of the stronger sex. Nevertheless, the girls also appreciated the gracefulness of this dance and do not hesitate to dance it. Nowadays, hundreds of thousands of people profess to some extent a cult - a wonderful Lezginka dance. According to another version, thousands of years ago, an Ingush guy saw a girl of extraordinary beauty and rushed to her. This action took place to the music, so the young man, seized with passion, spun in a dance, kneeling alternately. This is how the dance of love and respect was born.

Other dance researchers have come to the conclusion that the Lezginka originated in Lezgistan - the southern part of the modern Republic of Dagestan. In this area, that kind of dance has been created, which today is loved by hundreds of thousands of adherents. It is important to note that there are no clear traditions that determine the moment when you should still dance the lezginka. The dance can be performed both for any significant occasion, and, as they say, for the soul. At the same time, to perform lezginka, you need a minimum of accessories, and sometimes they get by with a simple drum for beating the beat or clapping your hands. Currently, the Lezginka dance has acquired the personification of happiness, friendship and love.

Ban on performing dances in the city of Russia

On December 14, 2012, in Rostov-on-Don, the police received an order to suppress the performance of Caucasian folk dances. This is due to the death of Maxim Sychev, a student of Russian nationality, at the hands of Caucasian criminals.

Lezginka is familiar to everyone. This dance is danced at concerts, city squares, weddings and just on the road. He inspires someone, annoys someone.

Features of the dance

The peoples of the Caucasus have many similarities due to their genetic affinity - from the famous "mountain temperament" to linguistic and cultural affinity. One of the most famous common symbols of the culture of the peoples of the Caucasus is the Lezginka dance, traditionally symbolically expressing all the diversity of the mountain world perception.

The dance exists under different names among the Balkars and Karachais, Ossetians, Dagestanis, Abkhazians, Kalmyks, Kuban Cossacks, Nogays, Kabardians, Circassians, Abazins, Adyghes, Chechens, Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis and many other peoples.

The dance is accompanied by a rhythmic and accelerating musical accompaniment in a 6/8 size, the orchestra includes an accordion, daurbas (percussion instrument), accordion, zurna, rattles, mountain violin, harp, three-string balalaika. Music and dance are always accompanied by clapping.

Lezginka has a deep symbolic meaning - the ancient basis of the dance is a story about an eagle and a swan. In the form of an eagle, a man is dancing, alternating the pace of the dance from slow to swift, like an eagle, now soaring, now diving, and spreading his arms as if they were wings. The woman opposite moves smoothly, imitating the swan's stature and grace, gradually accelerating, following her partner. Men compete with each other, trying to show the best dexterity and the most incredible movements at maximum speed. Lezginka can also be performed with a weapon, which gives it additional belligerence.

Execution techniques

Lezginka exist in many variations, and every nation dances it in an original way. Three types of dance can be distinguished, each of which is distinguished by its unique performance.

The first and most common is the male single lezginka. It is performed both at a wedding and before a fight.

The second is a female single lezginka, much more rare. Here, the girl imitates the movements of a swan: the plasticity of her hands is slow and graceful, and her gaze is slightly directed downward.

The third type of lezginka is a pair dance, in which an eagle seems to hover over a swan, symbolizing a love desire.

Mythological origins

As a rule, the origin of the Lezginka is associated with tribal dances, hunting rites and ancient totemic rituals. The word "Lezgin" itself is believed to go back to the word eagle (lek), which, obviously, was a totem sign among the Lezghins and some other Caucasian peoples. The hunter's dance, which is a special ritual before a hunt or fight, imitated the movements of a totem animal - an eagle rushing to prey (a girl).

Over time, the ritual dance could turn into a competition of horsemen. It is no coincidence that they loved and love to perform lezginka at weddings - in that symbolic space where the "eagles" need to conquer their "swans" with the help of a demonstration of daring and grace.

The dance was a peculiar way to show her sympathy for the partners she liked, because the girl in the dance could indicate the direction of flight to the young man she liked, and he, in response, could try not to let her go, without even touching the girl's dress. It is obvious that the dance was perceived symbolically as an expression of love passion, and therefore it was unacceptable to cross the border of what was permitted within the framework of public space.