This year’s questions in the “Great Ethnographic Dictation”, an educational competition held in Russia, included topics related to the traditions of the Turkmen people and the cultural heritage of Turkic peoples.

According to the publication, Alexey Kiyashko, a student at School No. 26 in the Russian city of Ivanovo, took part in the competition and scored the maximum possible 100 points. Among other topics, he answered questions about the customs and traditions of Turkmen and other Turkic peoples.

One question asked which animal was mentioned in connection with the history of Turkmen migration from the steppe regions of Central Asia to Russia’s Stavropol Krai. It was also noted that this animal is sometimes used in the processions held during Turkmen wedding celebrations in Stavropol. The correct answer was a camel.

Another question concerned the interior layout of the white yurt, the traditional dwelling of Turkic nomadic peoples. It explained that the interior is divided according to levels of respect: the farther a place is from the entrance, the more prestigious it is considered to be. Participants were asked to identify the part of the yurt regarded as the most sacred and honourable place, reserved for the head of the household and respected guests. Alexey Kiyashko said that his father helped him answer this question, as he had visited a white yurt in Turkmenistan several times.

The dictation also included questions about the national dishes and food traditions of various peoples. For example, participants were given information about communities that add milk, salt, butter and aromatic spices to their tea. It was also noted that in Kalmyk and Tuvan cultures, milk and dairy products are known as “white food”, offered to guests and used in traditional ceremonies. Participants were asked what special quality this food was believed to possess. The correct answer was that it was considered to have a purifying power.

Another question involved identifying a word of Turkic origin. Participants were given three options: “bed”, “compote” and “pencil”. The correct answer was “pencil”, with an explanation that the word derives from the Turkic words “kara”, meaning “black”, and “tash”, meaning “stone”.

In addition, a question focused on the traditional Bashkir practice of collecting wild honey in the forests of the Southern Urals. This ancient occupation, which involves gathering honey from tree hollows and subsequently creating artificial hollows in trees for bees, is known as tree beekeeping, or bortnichestvo.

In the literature section, participants were asked to identify the Russian writer who created a work based on the legend of Ashik-Kerib and Magul-Megeri, which is widespread among the peoples of the Caucasus. The correct answer was Mikhail Lermontov.

Alexey Kiyashko said that taking part in the “Great Ethnographic Dictation” had left him with pleasant impressions. He answered all the questions correctly and scored 100 points. According to him, the competition provided an opportunity to discover new information about the history, culture and traditions of different peoples, including Turkic communities.