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Local complexes of women's clothing among the Mordvin population of the Nizhny Novgorod Region (late 19th — early 20th century)
Kornishina, Galina A.,
Doctor of Historical Sciences, National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University, Saransk, Russian Federation,
e-mail: G.Kornihina@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5680-5041
Abstract
This study presents an analysis of local folk women's clothing patterns among the Mordvin population of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, drawing on collections of Mordvin folk attire held by the Nizhny Novgorod State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve (NGIAMZ) as a case study. The analysis focuses on costume complexes of the Erzya people (northern group) and the Teryukhans. Data were collected through direct examination of museum artifacts, consultation of the state online catalog, and review of archival materials documenting Mordvin clothing traditions. A detailed description of the items is provided, including women's undergarments and outerwear, headdresses, and jewelry. For each major item of clothing, local terminology is clarified. The study traces the evolution of the traditional costume throughout the 20th century, noting that although it gradually disappeared from everyday use, it retained significance as an element of ritual practice for some time. The research reveals both similarities and differences between women's folk clothing of the Mordvin population in the Nizhny Novgorod region and costume complexes of other territorial groups within the Mordvins. Additionally, the study identifies evidence of mutual influence between the Mordvins and neighboring ethnic groups — primarily Russians. The findings confirm that the NGIAMZ ethnographic collections constitute a valuable source for studying the ethnic and regional characteristics of traditional Mordvin costume.
Keywords: folk costume, Erzya, Teryukhane, shirt, shushpan, sermyaga, pulagai, sulgamo, sustug, klabik, “crown”.
© Kornishina G.A., 2026
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Received 30.04.2025
Accepted 18.12.2025
Article is published: 15.03.2026
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