Religious objeсt chaga (shaga) ts in the ritual practices of Khakasses (end 19th - middle 20th century)

Purpose. The article is devoted to studying the phenomenon of a fetish called Chaga (Shaga) tös by the Khakasses. The Tös cult is a phenomenon that appeared and existed in the traditional environment, where the relationship between peace and visible (rational) and invisible (irrational) matter is characterized by the absence of hard insurmountable borders. Moreover, in the religious-mythological consciousness of the people, the idea of a red line passes directly at the intersection of these worlds, and their constantly interact with each other. Periodic violation of these links is believed to result in certain imbalance between the nature and human life. In such a case, life turns into a series of disasters and misfortunes. The ritual practices of the traditional society focused on restoring the balance and, as a consequence, resolving conflicts arising between the worlds and protecting some vital people's interests. A huge role in this process was assigned to the ministers of religion, including the shamans, as well as directly to tös'es. Results. In this article we analyzed the myth-ritual complex associated with the cult of tös'es based on a broad range of sources, including those introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The image of the Chaga (Shaga) tös in the Khakass culture was surrounded with an aura of sacredness and therefore was highly respected. At the same time, it was a mighty spirit of the patron for the believers. This fact contributed to its general symbolization and fetishization. There existed several options for symbolic images of this deity in the Khakases' cult. With its multiple variants, this fetish possessed certain sub-ethnic and local specifics in different groups of Khakasses (the Kachints and the Sagayts). Localization of the home god in the house also had its own characteristics. Conclusion. Sacred Chaga (Shaga) tös features were extensive. People believed in its healing, protective and patronizing properties. It helped to recover, averted disasters and protected owners against evil forces. The special ritual devoted to Chaga (Shaga) tös included periodic sacrifices such as mandatory utterance of prayer requests, initiation to the sacred animal - yzykh and other sacral acts. The implementation of the ritual was strictly regulated and included special requirements for executing the sequence of actions and special food composition.