"Hutsuls .... Who are these people? ” This question has repeatedly arisen among those who have at least once been interested in the culture of the ethnic groups of neighboring countries.
However, answering it is not so simple even for the indigenous people of Ukraine. That is, they will most likely tell you that these are people who live in the western part of the state, like to sing and attach great importance to clothing in a traditional style, passed down from generation to generation. And that’s probably all. It's a shame, because in this case this distinctive nation will be exactly like the other numerous peoples of Ukraine.
Although here it is worth telling about the Hutsuls in the first place. Why? The thing is that their lifestyle, manner of dressing and the image of their worldview have for many years been the subject of study by many scientists, both historians and cultural scientists.
In this article we will try to answer the question of what the Hutsuls are. Who are these people, readers will learn from the description of the history, culture and modernity of the nation.
Section 1. General Description of the Nationality
There is an assumption that the Hutsuls, however, just like Lemoki and Boyki, belong to the Carpatho-Ruthenian ethnic group. But, despite this opinion, emigrants from the Galician and Bukovinian Ruthenians believe that their ancestors appeared in the Carpathian Mountains at the beginning of the VI century. Today, the bulk of the Carpatho-Ruthenian ethnic group inhabits the border areas of modern Carpathians, located at the intersection of Ukrainian, Polish and Slovak borders.
Also, more than half a million people live in separate communities in neighboring countries and in the United States of America. The population of these communities is almost ½ of the total number of Ruthenians on earth.
Section 2. The origin of the name of the ethnic group
There are many versions of the origin of the word "Hutsuls", but not one of them has direct evidence. Some believe that the nationality of the Carpathian highlanders got its name from the Ossetian (Sarmatian) word "gytstsyl", which means "small, younger."
In written sources, this name is recorded as “Gytsyl Chizg / Yazyg” and refers to Yagy — a Sarmatian tribe that existed in the Carpathian and Galicia in the first centuries of the year. e. It was they who did not participate in the campaign of the Sarmatian-Alans in Europe and remained with the gepids in Galicia and the Goths-Greytungs (“Little Goths”).
Others are of the opinion that the word “Hutsuls” has a slightly different origin - from the word “wander” (due to the gradual transformation: wander-coaches-hotsuls-hutsuls).
There is also a hypothesis that the tribe got its name thanks to the name Guts or the verb "gutsats".
However, the most common variant of the etymology of the word is a combination of two words - “Hutsul” (through the Opryshki “movement”) with the Romanian “robber”. No wonder this nationality is considered a wild (free) people.
Section 3. Where do the Hutsuls live in Ukraine?
The Hutsuls - along with the strikers and lemki - belong to the indigenous inhabitants of the Carpathian mountains. Nowadays, they live in Ukraine in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi and Transcarpathian regions.
In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, these ethnic Ukrainians populate Verkhovynsky, Yaremchansky, the south of Kosovo, as well as Nadvoryansky districts.
Their place of residence in the Transcarpathian region is the Rakhiv district. The area of the Hutsul region in Ukraine is 6.5 thousand square meters. km Its territory also includes the border lands of Romania, where the Maramorosh Hutsuls live.
Section 4. Historical moments
Until the mid-40s of the last century, the Hutsuls, as well as the whole of Western Ukraine, were divided.
Before the First World War, part of their territories belonged to Austria and Hungary. And after 1920, the Hutsul lands were subordinate to Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia. By the end of the 30s of the XX century, the Hutsul region became part of the Ukrainian SSR.
The first census of Ukraine, conducted in 2001, showed that about 21.5 thousand people consider themselves to be an ethnological group of Hutsuls.
Section 5. How Hutsulism was formed
The first historical mention of the Hutsul region appeared in Polish written sources dated XIV-XV centuries. For a long time, these peoples of Western Ukraine lands were freed from feudal duties (serfdom).
Instead, there was a natural and monetary levy from the population to pay for farmers from neighboring landowners. In the middle of the XVII-XVIII centuries. a rebel movement began on the lands of the Hutsul region, Oleks Dovbush became the head of the Ukrainian movement of oprichs. And in the 40s of the XIX century there was another popular uprising aimed at protecting peasant interests and the abolition of the panchina. This rebel movement was led by Lukyan Kobylitsa.
The most significant historical events of the last century that took place in the cultural and political life of the Hutsuls include the active work of the Ukrainian Radical Party, the creation of an amateur theater led by Gnat Khotkevich (1911) and the Sich society K. Trilevsky, military operations of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen ( 1914-1915) and the emergence of the Hutsul Republic, which lasted only a few months.
The main part of the modern Hutsul region is located in Ukraine. The exception is only a few villages in the Romanian part of Bukovina and in Marmaroshchina.
Section 6. The main type of hutsul classes
Since ancient times, the main types of traditional occupations of the Hutsuls are: cattle breeding, forestry, beekeeping and rafting of forests along mountain rivers. Ukrainian Carpathians are the best placed for such crafts.
Hutsuls practically did not engage in farming, and it was of secondary importance. A special place in the life of the Hutsuls was occupied by folk and art crafts. Pottery, weaving, manufacture of leather and copper products, woodworking, incrustation with straws, etc. were developed. Many craftsmen items have survived to this day.
The Hutsul folk musical instruments included tilinka (calf) - an open tube without holes made of willow or hazel. A resident of Transcarpathia, it seemed, could not live a day without his favorite tunes. Almost every one of them mastered the game from early childhood.
Another traditional wind instrument was trembita - a wooden pipe up to four meters long without valves and gates, wrapped in birch bark. This type of wind instrument was used to transmit sound signals over long distances. With its help, in the old days they reported on various events (weddings, holidays, death, funerals, etc.), and the shepherds announced their whereabouts in the highlands.
Hutsuls also use other musical instruments - a pipe, accordion and cymbals, less often a violin and a harp.
The Hutsuls have highly developed clan relationships and fraternity, shamanism has been preserved. They are adherents of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox churches.
Section 7. What language do the Hutsuls speak
To communicate on the territory of Ukraine among the Hutsuls, the Hutsul dialect of the Ukrainian language is used, the Romanian Hutsuls speak Ukrainian and Romanian.
The case endings and pronunciation features of the Hutsul words are in many ways similar to the Slovak language. This once again indicates that the peoples of Ukraine are very heterogeneous and very often more like immigrants from European countries than residents of their state.
Section 8. Hutsul wedding traditions and rites
Hutsuls, whose origins do not tire of studying ethnographers, even today wear national clothes and adhere to their centuries-old traditions.
Traditionally, matchmaking and engagement occur in the spring, summer and autumn, very rarely in the winter. For weddings, a certain time is not set, but most often they are held before Lent. It is forbidden to hold a festival on any fasting days.
The first sign of an imminent wedding in the Hutsul region was the presentation of towels by the matchmakers. For a marriage to be long and strong, the young must "stand on a towel." A long tradition of the Hutsuls is the presentation of kalachs on an embroidered towel to young spouses with the pronunciation of wishes for a rich and happy life. The groom rode horses to the church.
In general, if you answer briefly to the question: “Hutsuls? Who are these people? ”, It should be noted that these are primarily fun people.
Judge for yourself, not a single wedding is held without folk songs and dances, games and fun, funny jokes and fun. Loaves and buns are baked, towels are woven and embroidered. Guest outfits are decorated with bouquets, which are also hung on trees and giltsa. The bride and groom are accompanied all day by the boyars, wardens, matchmakers and a friend.
Section 9. Conducting religious holidays (Christmas and Easter)
Preparation for Christmas begins in advance, from the sheaves they make a tree - "Didukha". According to legend, the souls of ancestors, guardians of the house live in this tree. The day before the holiday, the housewives make a “live fire” of twelve logs in a furnace and prepare twelve ritual fasting rites.
Holy supper necessarily consists of kutia - boiled wheat with nuts, honey and poppy seeds. Wheat is considered a symbol of eternity, and honey is a symbol of the prosperity of all saints in heaven. With the advent of Christmas, Christmas carols begin. These days, everyone walks around the guests from village to village, riding a sleigh drawn by horses. A week after Christmas, the Old New Year is celebrated, they are fasting on January 18, and Epiphany is celebrated on January 19 (Jordan). Dinner begins only with the appearance of the first star in the sky.
The Easter holiday in the Hutsul region is celebrated in compliance with all traditions and customs. On Palm Sunday, residents bring from the church consecrated willow branches and lightly beat each of their family. According to ancient customs, willow has healing properties. During Lent, all the craftsmen made Easter eggs.
For church consecration, Easter eggs, Easter eggs and other products are placed in a basket. Also in memory of the sufferings of Christ in the basket put horseradish and Easter with a wax candle, which are a symbol of divine light and Christ's resurrection. Rich Hutsuls got to the church on horseback, and the poor walked.
Section 10. Features of Hutsul cuisine
National Hutsul cuisine is very diverse and easy to prepare. Of the products most often used are cornmeal, cereals, legumes, potatoes, mushrooms and feta cheese, which is prepared from sheep's milk. Dishes of the Hutsul cuisine - banush, mushroom yushka, Hutsul borsch, mildew, kulesha and much more.
Banush is cooked in a cauldron of cast iron on fire. Sour cream and cream are placed in a cauldron and brought to a boil, salted and gently poured corn flour. Banus is considered ready as soon as droplets of fat appear on the surface. The dish is served with feta cheese, mushrooms and cracklings.
To prepare mushroom soup, dried porcini mushrooms are cooked in chicken broth with spices, and then vermicelli and greens are added.
Hostesses traditional Hutsul borscht are cooked from smoked boiled pork and fermented beets.
Section 11. Hutsuls ... Who are these people? Can they be called modern?
Today, the life of the Hutsuls is also little exposed to various political and social upheavals. Crafts and cattle breeding are reviving in the villages, which is associated with the collapse of collective farms and the cessation of production. For many, this is the main or additional type of income. Almost all families make souvenirs for sale to tourists. Despite this, unlike other residents of Ukraine, Hutsuls have the lowest income.
Some of the Hutsuls, who ranked themselves Ukrainians in Soviet times, now consider themselves Ruthenians and separate, although they cannot unite and create a single society of Ruthenians with fights and Lemkos.