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«BULLETIN OF THE IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY. GEOARCHAEOLOGY, ETHNOLOGY, AND ANTHROPOLOGY SERIES»
ISSN 2227-2380 (Print)

List of issues > «Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series». 2026. Vol 56

Comparative Analysis of “Bobuonnyuk” Headdresses from Yakut Burial Sites of the 18th – Early 19th Centuries

Full text (russian)
Author(s)

S. I. Petrova1, A. N. Prokopieva2, E. N. Solovieva3, 4, T. G. Starostina5

1 North-Eastern Federal University named after M. K. Ammosov, Yakutsk, Russian Federation 

2 Institute of Humanitarian Research and Problems of Indigenous Peoples of the North SB RAS, Yakutsk, Russian Federation

3 Arctic Research Center of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Yakutsk, Russian Federation 

4 Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation 

5 Em. Yaroslavsky Yakut State United Museum of History and Culture of the Peoples of the North, Yakutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract
This article presents a technical description and comparative analysis of six bonnet-shaped headdresses of the “Bobuonnyuk” type from 18th – to early 19th-century Yakut burial sites in Central Yakutia (Megino-Kangalas, Churapcha, Tatta, and Ust-Aldan uluses, and the outskirts of Yakutsk). The novelty of this study lies in the limited scholarly coverage of historical Yakut headdresses and in the unique decorative features of these headdresses, which include figured cutouts on the frontal and occipital parts. The study aims to introduce these artifacts into academic discourse, analyze their construction, materials, and sewing techniques, and assess their cultural significance. The research methods included visual inspection, measurements, and comparative analysis of cut patterns, materials, and sewing techniques. The results revealed a uniform cut across all six items, indicating a standardized pattern, while also highlighting technological variations that reflect the individual craftsmanship of different makers. The complex construction comprises more than ten pattern pieces, including a fronto-occipital panel with decorative inserts (rectangular or trapezoidal on the forehead, double-arched on the back), six sickle-shaped lateral pieces forming the ear flaps, and fur trims. The headdresses were made from costly materials such as silk jacquard, silk moiré, broadcloth, daba cotton fabric, and precious furs (sable, beaver, wolverine, fox, ermine, and squirrel). Some specimens feature metal discs (tuosakhta) and stamped plaques. The presence of these materials, along with rich grave goods, indicates that these headdresses belonged to the Yakut nobility. The widespread distribution of nearly identical headdresses across a vast territory suggests the existence of common fashion trends and close interclan contacts among the Yakut people in the 18th – early 19th centuries. A comparative analysis with the crowns of 19th – 20th-century Dzhabaka hats demonstrates cultural and technological continuity, as the “Bobuonnyuk” bonnets evolved into the decorative crests of the later headdress type. The findings contribute to the reconstruction of historical costume and to the adaptation of traditional Yakut elements for modern ethnic clothing.
About the Authors

Petrova Svetlana Ivanovna  

Candidate Sciences (History), Associate Professor,  

Department of Folklore and Culture, Institute of  

Languages and Culture of the Peoples of the North-East  

of the Russian Federation, North-Eastern Federal  

University named after M. K. Ammosov; 42,  

Kulakovsky st., Yakutsk, 677073, Russian Federation  

e-mail: petrovasi1954@yandex.ru


Prokopieva Aleksandra Nikolaevna  

Researcher, Institute for Humanitarian Research and  

Indigenous Peoples of the North SB RAS; 1, Petrovsky  

st., Yakutsk, 677027, Russian Federation  

e-mail: sendiele@gmail.com


Solovieva Elena Nikolaevna  

Researcher, Arctic Research Center of the Republic of  

Sakha (Yakutia); 22, Kurashov st., Yakutsk, 677000,  

Russian Federation  

Researcher, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography  

of the SB RAS; 22, Kurashov st., Yakutsk, 677000,  

Russian Federation  

e-mail: lenasolo05@mail.ru


Starostina Tatiyana Gavrilovna  

Chief Custodian of the Funds Department; Em.  

Yaroslavsky Yakut State United Museum of History  

and Culture of the Peoples of the North; 5/2, Lenin av.,  

Yakutsk, 677000, Russian Federation  

e-mail: stg-68@mail.ru

For citation
Petrova S. I., Prokopieva A. N., Solovieva E. N., Starostina T. G. Comparative Analysis of “Bobuonnyuk” Headdresses from Yakut Burial Sites of the 18th – Early 19th Centuries. Bulletin of the Irkutsk State University. Geoarchaeology, Ethnology, and Anthropology Series. 2026, Vol. 56, pp. 36–52. https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2026.56.36 (In Russ.)
Keywords
Central Yakutia, Yakut burials, Yakut costume, bonnet, Dzhabaka.
UDC
687.51:903(571.56)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2227-2380.2026.56.36
References

Sources

  1. Author's field materials 1. The interview was conducted in February 2015 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Elvira, born in 1931).
  2. Author's field materials 2. The interview was conducted in March 2025 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Expert N 1, born in 1975).
  3. Author's field materials 3. The interview was conducted in May 2018 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Lidiya, born in 1932).
  4. Author's field materials 4. The interview was conducted in December 2016 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Vasilii, born in 1931).
  5. Author's field materials 5. The interview was conducted in August 2023 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Maria, born in 1932).
  6. Author's field materials 6. The interview was conducted in February 2025 in Kopeysk (informant – Polina, born in 1933).
  7. Author's field materials 7. The interview was conducted in February 2025 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Yuri, born in 1931).
  8. Author's field materials 8. The interview was conducted in February 2025 in Chelyabinsk (informant – Yuri, born in 1932).
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