The Treasury of the village Dzhambechy

RURAL MUSEUMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ADYGHEA

The Treasury of the village Dzhambechy

Today in Russia, it is considered at the federal level the possibility to develop a program "Rural culture worker" for professionals who are ready to move to villages to work in local music and art schools, houses of culture, museums. While there is a significant shortage of staff in this area. However, the working conditions of those cultural workers who have already devoted their lives to promotion of cultural values of their people and their country in villages are still not developed. Often, these wonderful people enthusiastically teach music and fine arts to children in villages, create unique things of art and museums. And few people know who they are, and what they should pay serving the muses of art, sometimes without any improvised means.

At the time, such wonderful and dedicated people were natives of the village Dzhambechy of Krasnogvardeisky region, Adyghea Eredzhib Bakhov and Aslan Kuanov who created without motivating public programs the region's unique rural Historical-ethnographic museum, so called the Treasury of the village Dzhambechy. Pioneers, they made their significant contribution to preservation of the regional cultural heritage, and now their names are inscribed in the history of museums of the Republic of Adyghea.

- Our museum was created by Eredzhib Pshimafovich Bakhov. He started collecting all these exhibits right after the war. At that time, he worked as a head teacher at the local school. He received one class room for museum where he collected all ancient things from local inhabitants. We were his followers and brought old utensils, ancient things and objects with gold embroidery. When it was a lot of exhibits and the classroom had not a place for all, the museum was resettled in the building where it is presented to our days, - says the  museum worker Nuriet Dautovna Kazanchieva.

Later. Eredzhib Bakhov was sent to the village Yegerukhay where he has worked for seven years as a director of the school. The work for museum in Dzhambechyi has temporarily stopped. But after the return of the inspirer, it began to pick up speed again. Eredzhib Bakhov restored all that was collected before his work in another school, and the locals continued to collect unique household items and folk art objects.

There were the first steps to create the Historic-ethnographic museum of the village Dzhambechy, the founding year of which is considered to be 1986. The master of pencil and brush Aslan Kuanov, Honored artist of the Republic of Adyghea, and the tapestry master Mukharby Gogunokov, National painter of the Republic of Adyghea, put their hands to how the treasury of the village looked in the present day. With Eredzhib Bakhov, they not only placed unique items, but they recreated in real scale the Adyghe une - Circassian house with fireside and its essential household items, with hosts – courageous master, dressed in traditional Adyghe clothing and the mistress, rocking a cradle with a child. Such Adyge une is worth to be presented in exposition at the National museum of the Republic of Adyghea. Herewith, Aslan Kuanov drew pictures about the Nart epic of the Circassians and decorated with them the museum top panel.

- The great help in creation of the Museum was provided by Aslan Makhmudovich Kuanov. Our honored artist. The paintings on the top of the wooden panel were made according to his drawings. Our museum keeps an album with his portraits of the local people, drawn by him with pencil once. It is available for visitors, and they can see them, appreciate his art, - said Nuriet Dautovna. 

Over time, the active participation in the work of Historical and ethnical museum of the village Dzhambechy was taken by the local wood craftsman Ahmed Tlishev who currently heads the aul’s Adyghe khasa and is a member of the Association of masters of folk arts and crafts of the Republic of Adyghea. Having added to the exposition with his works – a layout of the aul house and folk musical instruments of the Adyghes, he also shared his "Philosophy of three arrows". It is Impressive his large-scale pkhachich – ratchets, with which, according to his legend, a real giant – inyzh, anti-hero of the Nart epos, played. Unique works of the master are exhibited permanently at the republican exhibitions of works of masters of folk arts and crafts as exhibits of the current exhibition of the Dzhambechy’s museum.

In addition to old utensils, tools for housework, objects with gold embroidery and tools for needlework in the treasury of the village, there are stored today albums with old photographs, most of which were collected by creators of museum from the locals. The visitors can look through diaries with stories of informants, residents of the village, which were carefully written by museum workers and even decorated by them with their drawings. The treasury also presents a large collection of books about culture and traditions of the Circassians, some of which were a property of the writer Eredzhib Bakhov, and the part was collected or donated to the museum.

All exhibits that are presented in the Historical-ethnographic museum of the village Dzhambechy are open to visitors 7 days a week from morning to evening. The pupils of the local school assist at work of the treasury; they organize thematic events from time to time within its walls.

- The exposition of our museum is valid. It can be visited every day. Entrance to our museum is free. The museum works with the support of the Department of culture of the Krasnogvardeysky region. We have a schedule every day. The pupils of regional schools visit us. We collect all their comments in our Book of comments and store it. And, of course, we are complementing our exposition, - says the museum worker.

Glancing quickly the entire museum, its glass display cases with unique exhibits: gold embroidery, tools for needlework and weaving the whips and lashes, examples for manufacture of traditional Adyghe shoes; Circassian national costumes and folk musical instruments; the top plate with drawings of Aslan Kuanov about the Nart epic poetry; Adyghe une with fireside; wooden benches with ancient utensils: millstones, samovars, irons, tubs for kneading dough, hand sewing machines and other things, dating back more than 100 years, it is suddenly realized how large and meaningful this treasury is. And then it comes the understanding thanks to the exposition of the museum, created once by Eredzhib Bakhov at the request of his soul, and not under order of the authorities, modern rural schoolchildren and all its other visitors can see the history of the region with their own eyes, touch partly with their own hands, and also join to the culture of the Adyghe people through ancient photographs, books about culture and lifestyle, diaries with written stories of informants, drawings of the wonderful artist, native of the village. And this unique exhibition can be interesting in its content for all guests of the Sunny Adyghea from other regions of Russia and other countries, our compatriots visiting the republic with tours of nostalgic tourism.

- The Adyghes from other countries came to us more than once. From America. The guests from Turkey often come here. The guests from Syria gave us a carpet which has already become one of the key exhibits of our museum. We are always glad to our guests, always ready to meet them, to show everything, to tell all. As I said, our museum is constantly working. Its doors are open to everyone. - said Nuriet Kazanchieva.

Visiting once by occasion the treasury of the village Dzhambechy of Krasnogvardeysky region, located not so far from the famous, world-known  Ulyap mounds, everyone can truly understand that the rural museum can be unique, give lasting impressions,  tell some stories about the indigenous people and its culture, and even reveal some of secrets and skills of local craftsmen. Although, in principle, the Historical and ethnographic museum is maintained at a satisfactory level with the expense of state funding through the Ministry of culture of the republic, we shall hope that such treasury will continue its active work in the same building, improving its equipment and even modernized. Then who knows whether it will be necessary to motivate young professionals with a significant lump-sum payment for work in such rural cultural institution? And, perhaps, graduates of the local school will want to work in such museum, having studied in higher educational institutions of the profile.

There is not occasional the culture raises the standard of living of the population, improves its quality and inspires the people. Certainly, the active rural museum, like the Historical and ethnographic Museum of the village of Dzhambechy of the Krasnogvardeysky region of the Republic of Adyghea, is able to attract the attention of visitors to the region. And, as it’s known, the arrival of guests in the house portends joy and prosperity.