The Museum of the Adyghe folk art

TOURISM AND FOLK ART AND CRAFTS

The Museum of the Adyghe folk art from Zamudin Guchev
10 August 2018

To see the land of their ancestors, to learn traditions and culture of their people, to study basics of folk crafts of the Adyghes, to hear Adyghe folk songs and music... Today all this is possible and available for our compatriots living outside the historical homeland of the Adyghes (Circassians).  The young Circassian people from Israel arrive not for the first time in Adyghea. Last year, young Adyghes from Rihania could visit the homeland of their ancestors and get acquainted with its history and culture. This year, the youth from Kfar-Kama follows the same tourist route prepared by the company “Intourist” and combining the nostalgic tourism and the folk art and crafts of the Adyghes.

One of important places of the cultural and educational program of this route is the Museum of Adyghe folk art and crafts created by the researcher of Adyghe traditional art, Honored artist of the Republic of Adyghea  Zamudin Guchev.  Having collected for decades of his research works a collection of Adyghe mats and folk musical instruments under roof of his house, the famous master of folk art and crafts cordially opens the doors of his workshop and Museum, located in the village of Gaverdovsky (suburb of Maykop city), for his guests and willingly shares with them knowledge about the Adyghe traditional art. Due to this, the visit to the museum becomes an educational and cultural event, allowing not only to learn a lot about the folk art and crafts of the Adyghes, but also to try to join in them in contemporary conditions, and possibly to learn to make something with their own hands.

- Any person of any nationality gets a great pleasure learning new things, - says Zamudin Guchev. - And visiting such museums is an educational event. For example, when Adyghes come to me, especially young people, I try to make their visit informative for them.  These youth came from Israel, they have any visual album of Adyghe musical instruments, and few people who would be engaged in studying of creation of these instruments, and who would be able to tell, to show, to play and to sing as it was done in the ancient times. Therefore, owning such museum, I set a principal task for myself, as I have repeatedly said, meaning to return achievements of our ancestors in the modern space. In general, we, contemporary Circassians, did not create anything, but rather, we have lost. Yes, it happened because of tragic historical events, and it’s clear for all that it’s connected to. But we have to preserve all that has come to us not only in exhibition halls and showcases of museums, but also in our daily lives. And the folk art is able to give such knowledge about our people, historical knowledge that can be learned hearing folk songs. And all this plays a huge role in preservation of the language, because the musical folklore is the entire songs culture of the people connected with the language, with a pure and exemplary language. Yes, with the pure Circassian language. Today we, contemporary Circassians, already don’t think in the Adyghe language, because we haven’t enough of words. Because under attack of other languages, we began to think, for example, in Russian, we began to speak differently, having lost a lot of things from the ancient times, the way as the Adyghes spoke with a pure Adyghe language formerly. We have lost the verse construction, the true Adyghe folk verse construction. And all that is kept in texts of these songs. And they, as true chronicles, play a huge role in preserving the self-consciousness of the people, in educating the young people in the best folk traditions. Therefore, visiting such museums as cultural institutions has a great importance and fills lacunas which we have a lot.

Indeed, for the Adyghe youth from Kfar-Kama, the visit to the workshop and museum of the Honored artist of the Republic of Adyghea was a real educational and cultural event. For a short time, they have managed to learn basics of making traditional musical instruments, among which there are shychepshyn, apepshyn and kamyl, as well as basics of weaving mats with reeds.  The master not only told and showed how to manufacture Adyghe mats, but also he gave to everyone an opportunity to put his hand to folk art, to restored craft. 

The beauty and the uniqueness of Adyghe folk songs were known by Circassian young with, for example, the ancient song about Nart Achamez, performed by Zamudin Guchev with a skilful accompaniment on shychepshyn of Gupsa Pachtova, winner of Russian and international contests, participant of the ensemble "Tyzhyn" and musician of the SAEFDA “Nalmes”. It became remarkable that from the beginning the guests from Israel recognized her. Recently Gupsa Pachtova, learner of Zamudin Guchev, took part in the concert of the famous dance ensemble from Adyghea, held in late July just in Kfar-Kama in the framework of the festival of the Circassian culture. Known, though still young, the performer played popular dance tunes, such as "Udzhe-huray","Zafak", Kabardian "Cafe".
 
The young men had a great interest to the horn, which the Adyghes usually used in the old days to convene people. After having heard the master, many of them tried themselves to perform the calling melody, and quite successfully. Informative master-class of Zamudin Guchev, liked by his guests, was continued with the presentation of the results of his years of researching, his works:   study guides "The Art of the Adyghe mats" and "To learn to play on shychepshyn" and illustrated encyclopedic edition "The Atlas of Circassian (Adyghe) shychepshyn", a unique collection of information and photographs about the Circassian violin – shychepshyn that was an essential part of the spiritual life of the Circassians. In conclusion, the hospitable master regaled his guests from Kfar Kama with the soul.

In fact, visiting the Museum of Adyghe folk art and crafts, created by Zamudin Guchev, is a great opportunity for our compatriots from other countries to become involved in preservation, development and promotion of folk art in modern space, in everyday life. But, as the master noted himself, it would be good if such visits to his Museum could be organized for local youth and students of rural schools of the Republic. A well-prepared informative excursus into history of creation of folk musical instruments of the Circassians and the art of weaving of Adyghe mats is successfully combined with his visual master class and the small, but remembered, concert performance with ancient Circassian folk melodies and songs. Those songs that are still kept historical knowledge about the Adyghes and special secrets of the Circassian poetry and the chant construction. And it can be interesting to many people and informative for any person of any nationality.

Photo of Zanudin Guchev