Materials from periodicals

Materials from periodicals

Nauryz’s celebrating

In Azerbaijan begins early, from last Tuesday of February. Each next Tuesday, up to New Year's, is interfaced to strictly certain canons. And in night of New year and its first day Azerbaijanians follow many customs of other people.

On Wednesday March 18 in the Parviz cafe which long ago has already become a home for Azerbaijanians in Karaganda, Nauryz all diaspora in a family way noted. The table of a family of Mamedovs predominated. Agif Mamedov, the chairman of the Azerbaijani NCC, set near guests of honor from the secretariat of Assembly of the people of Kazakhstan of area. Guests came with a gift - "Suyunsha's" figurine and a set of kind wishes.

In the center of each table established a dish with an adobe - sprouted wheat, its gentle and green plumelets surrounded sweet pakhlavy and shakyar-buraby. Snack followed fat soup bozbash, dolma and pilaf. By the way, the Azerbaijani pilaf cook differently, than Uzbek - rice cook separately, and only at the end add to it fried with onions, raisin and dried apricots meat. In honor on a festive table dovga, Nauryz's sour-milk dish with corn, rice, boiled eggs, coriander. To taste reminds nauryzkozhe or hash. On a sign on a table there should be seven dishes on "with". And on "Parviz's" tables among other things the Korean carrot and pickles, and it too a true sign: means peacefully we live, on good-neighbourhood. Feast all the time, on Caucasian slow, on a dancing battled in a lezginka of the boy in papakhas and without. Sometimes them joined adult, and that remained at tables, measuredly clapped in a step, watching man fights. Toasts follow the toasts, wishing leave to a microphone to sing. One song is remembered especially, in it is a question about the most beautiful night on the earth similar to evil eyes of darling. It is executed by Abulfat Mekhkiev. The honorable right of a toast passes to me, and I proclaim a toast for a family. For values which it is tenacious are stored in it, as in an adobe that sprout as soon as in society there will come spring.

"Parviz's" hospitable owner Ibrahim Mikhailov called cafe in honor of the long-awaited successor who was born four years ago. Ibrahim's oldest daughter, young  Parvin’s beauty, in details told me about how celebrate Nauryz in Azerbaijan.

- Each of four Tuesdays, in Azerbaijani "chershenbe" (notice, conformably Kazakh "seysenbi- a bus Comment), is devoted to certain elements. The first the wind wakes up. The next Tuesday the wind awakes water, speaking to it:" It is time to wake up, spring all right!" this day till a dawn elderly women gather water from sources. To the house bear vessels silently, without talking to anybody. Only this way water won't lose the qualities, after all it is considered sacred. This water then sprinkle the house, a yard, cattle, bathe in it children.

After water the wind awakes the earth. This Tuesday people put in small capacities wheat seeds, those an adobe. They will sprout by a holiday. Having planted to the earth a sunflower seed, everyone makes intimate wish. And night before Tuesday of New year is devoted to elements of fire. In yards display big fires, through them jump to be cleared of diseases and a hardship.

In the ancient time Azerbaijanians worshipped fire. And now in a polemic fuse other disputant isn't present da will say: "I swear fire!" Fires in mountains - the beacon checked by eyelids: lonely fire invited to the district to a holiday, two fires sent a signal about the help...

- Represent, this night we conjured away evil ghosts! - the young Dzhigit puts in a ward. - Kindled a big fire, the high black funnel was formed, twisted and left in sky.

At youth in Nauryz there are a lot of affairs. After sleepless night at a fire unmarried girls guess. Go down the street, having closed ears, stop at the attracted door. Here hold ears on the top: the first heard phrase will prompt, whether the girl this year will marry. She as mother speaks to children Let's say will hear: "Open a door!" Means, the treasured desire will come true. By the way, on a holiday all bad words, so risk any are forbidden. Well, than not Epiphany fortune-telling? And that, at which is bridegroom, waits since morning of future father-in-law and the mother-in-law with gifts. Knows: mother of the elect give her red shawl.

Young men should walk on streets (in New year all gate and doors hold opening). At a door throwing the hats, and owners expose them for a threshold filled with the baklava. nutlets, sweets. Than not Christmas carols? And still, and this most surprising, in the hats colored eggs put. As symbol of origin of life.... The feast was developed. In the center of a hall there were Dzhigits, showed some humor miniatures - about an economic crisis, about police, love, Maykuduk and airbags. During performance there is a lot of and expressive spoke in the Kazakh language, clear here almost to all. Not in forces to overcome also dolma, I said goodbye to Ibrahim Mikhailov. It became clear that it from Nagorno-Karabakh, and arrived to Kazakhstan, escaping from war, ten years ago. Then too there was a crisis, but Mikhailov’s it was endured. At first rented a trading point, then were engaged in transportations. Ibragim goes to Karabakh every year, at it there are a lot of relatives, and the main thing, mother.

- Why you don't invite them to live to yourselves? - I ask.

- All can't leave. Someone should remain in the homeland, - Ibrahim, wisely and slightly sorrowfully speaks. But, it seems to me, divided with friends and neighbors the holiday connected blood relatives, despite distance. After all the earth round, and the sun shines for all. I swear fire!

Let’s get married

Local men don't like to admit it, but wives by it are chosen, as a rule, by parents. They precisely bad won't advise to the child. Grown wise life experience, adults know, how it is easy to take at early age love for love of all life, sham - for sincerity of feelings.

And therefore take a serious question of formation of a new cell of society in hand. Correctly it or young should solve by himself - I do not undertake to judge. Azerbaijan - the country where national traditions are sacredly observed. A lot of things here is subordinated to century customs and traditional Islamic canons. Well and the richest on national rituals and ceremonies were and there are wedding ceremonies.

Not easy to marry to the azerbaijanian guy. It is a lot of rules, subtleties, requiring a strict execution. In it is all florid, full of conventions and certain laws a manner of communication of east people. That only it is necessary to ask in marriage the preliminary notification about an intentions, then small courtship and directly courtship.

And then still there will be a betrothal which is coming to an end with a hen-party. Then relatives groom bring with themselves a scarf, a ring and sweets. Having put on a ring the finger of the bride and having thrown with a scarf shoulders, give to bite something from sweet, the rest carry groom. As soon as girlfriends not quests remain one, everything seek to measure a ring. It as the European tradition with a wedding bouquet. The catcher is following leaves married.

And at the Azerbaijani girls it is considered that in marriage there is that who the first will try on a ring of the bride. Generally, not one month will leave, before the young will connect the destinies. And in it too there is a sense. Ceremonies by ceremonies, and it is necessary to prepare for wedding, a dowry to collect. It to you not a city sit-round gathering in cafe in about ten guests. Guests on the Azerbaijani weddings consider hundreds. Them it is necessary adequately welcome, it is good to feed and get enjoy.

- Any fellow villager, also is old and young, can come listen the music, dance. For this purpose allocate a special place. And here women sit down at a table separately from men only invited, and. On any celebrations as rule, prepare men, and serve guests, submit dishes and young guys clean.

While the people have fun, are tasty eat and drink, the bride sits in the far rooms of the house. Any of desirous can come and estimate, the young is how good. Isn't present on wedding and newly appeared husband. Wedding feasts it notes in the house of the neighbor in a circle of his friends. Interestingly, but the role of the host, amusing guests and collecting with present a tribute, assumes... barber. Or, as would call it today, the stylist. He watches, that young surely in a bath descended, was smoothly shaved and tonsured. In a word, appeared before the spouse in all the man's beauty.

Our guide in the azerbaijanian world of wedding ceremony Gamil Shafayat-ogla Ibragikmov kindly agreed to be, having told, as traditionally celebrate this event in local villages.

Till the morning the Azerbaijani weddings don't walk, it is not accepted to sit up long on such gala day. Before guests will leave, on wedding there will be a groom accompanied by two friends. On the right party the friend married, on left - single. Married it is necessary to give manuals to the young man and his companion. And only to evening of the next day the young wife can leave to a family of the husband, flood to everyone on a cup of tea. As well as at many Muslim people, at Azerbaijanians the younger son it is necessary to live in the house of parents.

Myagkikh, O.Let’s get married! / O.Myagkikh

//Industrial Karaganda. – 2008. – 8 november

THAT TASTY DOLMA!

Stories remind dashingly twirled espionage plots of national kitchens. It seems understand, who possesses authorship of this or that dish, and wishing to declare the rights to relationship more than it is enough.

On, apparently, primordially Russian, in any case for representatives of the West, dumplings apply tens people, including Tatars and Chinese. And at everyone such convincing demonstrative base that though investigation carry out. Azerbaijan cuisine with traditional shish kebabs and pilaf takes a special place in world culinary space.

No, Azerbaijanians don't apply at all for a rank of primogenitors of a shish kebab. And those who will dare it to declare, let before will strong think. Quite it is natural that a shish kebab, let not in a modern compounding and not under such name, our ancestors Neanderthal men and the generations of people subsequent to them reasonable tasted. And what it still was eat, when after hunting they came back to the caves loaded with meat of mammoths and other mammals? Certainly, to fry on a fire the meat extracted by such work.

And therefore I suggest to consider a shish kebab as food international with amendments on used different types of meat and ways of its pickling. The Azerbaijani men - recognized master-shashlychniks. Especially well they are able cook mutton. Take fresh meat of a young lamb, it is desirable his entrecote part: it in itself very soft, salt, pepper - and on fire. There is small, but very important detail. The lamb should be sacrificed to your stomach directly ahead of a feast. It is necessary to wait only while meat will cool down. And what tasty here prepare the well-known kebab from beef!

Original Azerbaijan cuisine is based on century traditions of the people occupying this country, and on numerous loans from the Arab, Georgian, Turkish kitchens. To take at least pilaf.

- We have about ten versions of pilaf, - opens secrets of ethnic cuisine of Dzhumal Mamedov. - Pilaf can be prepared as from slices stewed, and fried mutton. Chicken too is good. Tasty pilaf turns out from dried fruits or fresh stewed fruit. There is a pilaf with haricot, with a walnut, dairy.

By the way, Azerbaijanians don't consider shameful some dishes, in particular pilaf, to take a hand or a bread slice. The main feature of a local cuisine considered use of great variety of spices (a saffron, cardamom), greens, vegetables, fruit, kurdyuk fat and sour-milk products. The original Azerbaijani dish considered dolma. To translate the name of this dish it is possible a verb be not filled". The matter is that the mixed mincemeat with fruits wrap not in big cabbage sheets, and in the small grape. Or in quince, when leaves still young, soft. Generally, to fill leaves with a large number of a stuffing it will not turn out, as well as it is impossible to eat too much of this small culinary delicacy.

Prepare in Azerbaijan and soups. As a rule, they dense and rich. To take at least boz-bash from beef and a potato, kifta-bozbash from chicken and well-known to all Caucasian people hash. But it everything will be then. Before the meal beginning here it is accepted to drink tea. Black, freshly brewed, from a samovar. Submit it in special glasses "bogmaly". They something remind a classical figure of east woman. The middle is similar to her waist is the thinnest part of a glass, from here and the name "bogmaly" that in transfer means "constrained". Other name of a glass - "armu-DU", like a pear.

Azerbaijanians, of course, esthetes and great admirers of female beauty if embodied a female camp in so non-standard form. But not everything is so simple, as can seem. Glasses of such form have fine heatphysical properties. They are that their thin "waist" doesn't pass a stream of a warm part of liquid rising from a bottom. Water is as though reflected and thus receives additional energy thanks to which again comes back to a bottom. But thus the small part of the grown cold liquid which have arrived from a bottom passes through thin "waist" in the top part of a glass. It is very convenient for those who drinks tea as throughout tea drinking tea in glasses "armudu" is cooled not at once.

Thus flavoring qualities of tea aren't lost - it is drunk by the fresh. One more feature is that it is not accepted to fill glasses "with a hill": from above the place which often happens is left is allocated with a rim. This distance in the people call "dodag yeri" that the place for lips" is literally translated as ". Pleasant tea drinking!

Myagkih, this O.Akh tasty dolma! / O.Myagkikh//Industrial Karaganda. - 2008. – November 8.

Honor above all

According to All-Union census of 1926, Azerbaijanians in Kazakhstan was a little - only 46 people. By the end of the 30th years their number essentially increased - nearly 13 thousand people.

Azerbaijanians generally chose the South of Kazakhstan, but also our area didn't ignore. According to official figures, in the Karaganda area lives about 4400 Azerbaijanians, on the informal - in times it is more.

How they here got? Besides versions about natural migration of the person which lives by a principle: "Fish looks for, where is deeper, and the person - where is better", there is a couple of the interesting. From history, it is known that in 1848 on Bibi-Eybate the first-ever oil well was drilled. In ten years in Azerbaijan the first oil refinery, and years - besides first-ever kerosene plant is under construction later. In the seventies the XIX century in Baku the oil school opens. Yes about that, Azerbaijanians as the fates decree became oil affairs by masters that so didn't suffice to Kazakhstan. This version disputable, but having the right to existence. As well as that that a small part of Azerbaijanians was violently moved from the earth as it happened, for example, with Far East Koreans or Chechens.

Azerbaijanian Agif Gamil-ogla Mamedov got to Kazakhstan voluntarily. Young was, hot, was afraid of nothing and resolutely went to the planned purpose. And the purpose was serious - to arrive in medical institute. However, not in our Karaganda, and in Semipalatinsk. But life introduced the amendments. Casually learned about Karaganda and decided it to subdue. Having been tired to be knocked on the closed doors (arrived in medical institute three times, having graduated in the homeland from medical school and in parallel working as the medical assistant on "fast"), decided destiny not to test any more. As the person east, having wisely judged - here it is impossible, means, it will turn out in another matter, arrived in "Polytechnic University" on automobile faculty. And seven years ago it mastered one more specialty - the public figure, the leader of the Karaganda Azerbaijanians, having headed the national and cultural center with the speaking name "Namus" ("Honour").

We have branches in Temirtau, Saran, Shakhtinsk, - Mamedov tells. - Sometimes I think, all - will suffice, I will give up this troublesome business. Then I will look at other centers as at them work goes as beautifully act on holidays, - the soul starts to hurt: as I will leave the. It would not be desirable to strike in dirt with the person.

Also begins... Textbooks and other literature for Sunday school are necessary; to sew national suits for dancers; the connected!) with embassy to help with paperwork to the alien Azerbaijanians who have goodness knows where from undertaken in Karaganda; to consider the scenario and to have the next holiday. All this usual everyday life of the national and cultural center "Namus". In Mamedov's international family (spouse Agif - the Kazakh woman) know, how it is important to keep traditions of the parade and what can be unusually sated with bright paints life of the people open for knowledge of different cultures.

O.Myagkikh Honor above all / Soft, Lake.

//Industrial Karaganda. – 2008. – November 8.