Traditional methods of leather processing among the peoples of Dagestan (19th - early 20th centuries): technological features and main centers of industry

The aim of the review is to analyze the technological process of leather processing in Dagestan in the 19th - early 20th centuries. The author sought to identify the technological stages of processing and dyeing leather, to characterize the features of the technology common among various peoples of the region, to identify the main centers for the production and sale of leather products in Dagestan and beyond. As part of the review, for the first time, the author generalizes the available scattered information about the leather industry of Dagestan and presents a fairly complete picture of the development of leather production in the region. The review is based on research works on the material culture of the Avars, Dargins, Lezgins, Nogais, as well as historical and ethnographic works on the traditional heritage of other peoples of Dagestan. The methodological and theoretical basis of the work was a functional approach, supplemented by historical-genetic and comparative-historical methods and various techniques used in the scientific reconstruction of intangible heritage. The technological stages of leather processing and obtaining morocco from it are considered, tools for removing the skin and softening the skin, methods for obtaining colors (from black to red) for dyeing leather products are described, centers for the production and marketing of leather products are identified. The analysis showed that the traditional technology of leather dressing included several stages of raw material processing: salting, drying, airing, degreasing, washing, soaking in a solution, skinning, softening, bleaching, and dyeing. Flour, salt, bird droppings, lime, whey, alum, and vinegar were used for degreasing and bleaching. When staining, iron vitriol, bark and roots of trees growing in the area were used. The technology of leather dressing among the various ethnic groups of Dagestan did not have any striking features; however, the specific methods and means used for this were diverse. The recognized centers of the leather business were the Gunib and Avar regions of Dagestan. The author established that the leather craft became widespread in the mountains due to lack of land, redundancy of workers, availability of raw materials, isolation and remoteness from large shopping centers where imported leather products could be purchased. The author concludes that Dagestan craftsmen achieved the high quality of the leather produced due to the subtleties of the technological process and the use of natural components at various technological stages, which made the product competitive in the regional and all-Russian markets.