Construction of Yurt Walls
Yurt Walls
The walls of the yurt (kerege) are retractable. They consist of a lattice of sticks that are given a curved shape on a machine called tez. When the yurt is set up, this curve is noticeable; the wall has a slightly convex shape outward at its lower part. The length of the sticks depends on the size of the yurt (ranging from 200 to 290 cm). The upper part of the sticks, like those of the dome, is flattened. The diameter of the middle part of the stick is 2.5–3 cm.
To drill holes in the dome sticks and wall sticks, there is a primitive drill (ushku) 30–35 cm long, fitted onto a wooden handle. One end rests against a stationary post during work, while the other end is placed against the item being drilled. The drill is rotated using a belt. It is powered by one or two assistants of the master. In the Frunze district, an even older method of drilling is used: the ends of the driving belt are secured on both sides of the stick, allowing one person to perform this process alone.
The wall of the yurt is formed by fastening the sticks with rawhide straps (1 cm wide), which are threaded through the drilled holes in the sticks. There are usually seven to eight straps on each stick. The closer they are placed, the smaller the diamond-shaped opening formed by the sticks in the expanded wall (kerege kyoz). The larger holes are called tor kyoz, and the smaller ones zhel kyoz. The sticks are connected in a specific order so that they can be moved closer together or further apart as needed.
The fastening knot (keregenin topchusu) located on both sides of the stick is formed by passing the end of the strap through a longitudinal slit at the edge. This type of fastening is called kyok. After the master has secured the required number of sticks, he trims them with a saw, expands the lattice, and places it on the ground. The expanded lattice walls form a circle in plan. For convenience in transportation, they are cut along a vertical line into separate links, which are called "kanat" (wing). Each link is movable, easily stretches, and contains 12–15 upper fastenings (forks) of sticks, called kerge bash. Usually, the sides of the cut part of the lattice have four to five cut-down sticks (sakanak).
The upper part of the wooden frame of the yurt—the rim (tunduk)—is made, as mentioned above, from birch with a diameter of 12–15 cm. It is bent on a machine from one or two poles, and the ends are connected with wire or nails. The bending is done using a wooden pole—balban (strongman).
The holes for inserting the ends of the dome sticks into the rim are made through. Their number corresponds to the number of sticks. The size of the rim is determined by the size of the yurt. With six links and approximately one hundred sticks, the diameter of the upper rim is about 150–160 cm. On top of it, from two to four pairs of crosswise laid wooden (often flattened) crossbars, called chamgarak, are secured. They have a convex shape (height in the middle from 30 to 40 cm). The masters determine the convexity of the chamgarak by eye, according to the size of the rim.
Through holes in the rim are burned with heated iron chisels—kyozoch. Depressions for the upper crossbars are made above the holes for the dome sticks.
Door frames are made from willow. Double-leaf doors are mounted on tenons. For this, holes—chunkur—are drilled in the upper and lower crossbars of the frame. In the door, corresponding protrusions-tenons (turum) are made for the depressions. In modest yurts in the pasture, ladder-like double-leaf or single-leaf enclosures (argichek, ergilchek) are tied to the side posts of the frame, which are slightly higher than half the height of the door frame. In this case, neither depressions in the frame nor protrusions in the door are made.
Among the Osh Kyrgyz, it was customary to apply an ornament in the form of a groove (kovul asham) on the dome sticks and the sticks of the lattice frame of the yurt using a special tool kovul tartky, which has notches on its working edge. The ornament was made on the lower parts of the dome sticks and the upper parts of the lattice sticks.
On the side posts and the lintel of the frame, on the inner side, a simple ornament similar to that on the stand for "dzhuka"—"sekichik" is often applied. In the yurts of the Laylak district, the upper rim was decorated with carvings in the form of semicircles arranged in a chain.
Making the dome for the yurt
