RU | EN
Submenu

Zelnitskaya R. The Sanctuary of Dydrypsh nykha Yesterday and Today

Ritsa Zelnitskaya
The Russian Museum of Ethnography
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0009-0009-9727-0093
E-mail: riza81@yandex.ru

 

 Download  |  Go to Issue #1. 2023

 

ABSTRACT. The sanctuary of Dydrypsh, which is located on the territory of the Achandara village in Bzyb region of Abkhazia, is revered by all Abkhazian society. According to local residents, not only the sanctuary is the main one, but also its priest, who currently conducts rituals during public prayers. The article highlights three key topics related to this sacred place. Primarily these are pre-revolutionary sources and the information about the sanctuary contained in them, as well as scientific literature on this topic. Special attention is paid to the priests from the Chichba clan, who were first mentioned in the 19th century. It is not possible to establish the historical period when the clan received this privilege, as well as the moment when they became the main priests in Abkhazia. Of particular interest is the story of obtaining the priesthood by the Chichba clan from the Achba princes, which appeared in the research literature only in the 20th century. The third topic addressed in the article is the practice of prayer in the sanctuary. In the communications of the 19th century, detailed descriptions of various kinds of oaths are given as well as information about what punishment the criminal should suffer from the point of view of the victim. It is important to note the transformation of these oaths, which are currently prohibited by the Council of priests.

 

KEYWORDS: Abkhazians, sacred place, patronymy, priest, communal prayer, oath, protection

 

FOR CITATION: Zelnitskaya R. The Sanctuary of Dydryish nykha Yesterday and Today. Kunstkamera. 2023. 1(19): 112–120. (In Russian). doi 10.31250/2618-8619-2023-1(19)-112-120  

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2023-1(19)-112–120
УДК 39(=352.2)

 

REFERENCES

  • Alieva A. I. «Otrechennye» stranicy istorii rossijskogo akademicheskogo kavkazovedeniia konca XIX— nachala XX  vekov: kavkazovedcheskoe nasledie A.  S. i P. S. Uvarovykh [The abdicated pages of the Russian academic Caucasian studies of the late XIX — early XX centuries: A. S. and P. S. Uvarovs’ Caucasian heritage]. Moscow: Institute of World Literature RAS Publ., 2017. (in Russian)
  • Chursin G. F. Materialy po etnografii Abkhazii [Abkhazian ethnographical materials]. Suhumi: Abkhazian State Publishing house, 1957. (in Russian)
  • Derzhavin N. S. Abkhaziia v etnograficheskom otnoshenii [Abkhazia in ethnographic terms]. Sbornik materialov dlya opisaniya mestnostej i plemen Kavkaza [Compendium of materials for describing the localities and tribes of the Caucasus]. Iss.  XXXVII. Tiflis: I  K.  Kozlovskyi the viceroy of his imperial Majesty in Caucasus Publ., 1907, pp.  1–38. (in Russian)
  • Dzhanashia N. S. Abkhazy. (Etnograficheskie zametki). Dydrypsh [Abkhazians (Ethnographic notes) Dydrypsh]. Moambe, 1898, no. 9, pp. 18. (in Russian)
  • Inal-ipa Sh. D. Abkhazy. [Abkhazians]. Sukhumi: Alashara Publ., 1965. (In Russian)
  • Inal-ipa Sh. D. Voprosi etno-kul’turnoi istorii abkhazov [Questions of the ethnic and cultural history of the Abkhazians]. Sukhumi: Alashara Publ., 1976. (In Russian)
  • Krylov A. B. Postsovetskaia Abkhaziia (Tradicii. Religii. Lyudi) [Post-soviet Abkhazia (Traditions. Religions. People)]. Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies RAS Publ., 1999. (in Russian)
  • Krylov A. B. Religiia i tradicii abkhazov (po materialam polevih issledovanii 1994–2000) [Abkhazian’ religion and traditions (based on field researches 1994–2000)]. Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies RAS Publ., 2001. (in Russian)
  • Kuprava A. E. Voprosi tradicionnoi kul’turi abkhazov [Questions of the traditional culture of the Abkhazians]. Sukhum: GPP «Dom pechati» Publ., 2008. (in Russian)
  • Ladariya N. Gora Dudripsh [Dudrypsh mount]. Sotrudnik Zakavkazskoi missii [Employee of the Transcaucasian mission], 1913, no. 1, pp. 12–15. (in Russian)
  • Nordman A. D. Puteshestvie professora Nordmana po Zakavkazskomu kraiu [Professor Nordman’s journey through the Transcaucasian region]. Zhurnal Ministerstva narodnogo prosveshcheniya [The Ministry of Public Education monthly], 1838, October, pp.  399–439. (in Russian)
  • Paskhalov Ya. «Dudripsh» sviataia gora v Abkhazii [“Dydrypsh” is a sacred mountain in Abkhazia]. Kavkaz [Caucasus], 1874, no.  141, pp. 1–2. (in Russian)
  • Uvarova P. S. «Kavkaz. Abkhaziia, Adzhariia, Shavshetiia, Poskhovskii uchastok. Putevye zametki Gr. Uvarovoi. Chast’  2 [Caucasus. Abkhazia, Adzharia, Shsvshetya, Pshu region. Travel notes. Part 2]. Moscow, 1891. (in Russian)