Laks

They call themselves lak. A people in Dagestan. They mainly live in the central part of the Upland Dagestan, part moved to the valley (Novolaksky and the other districts). Their population in Dagestan is 91,6 thousand people. Altogether in the Russian Federation there?s 106 thousand people (1992). Avars call Laks Tumal, Dargins call them Vulyguni, Lezgins - Yahkulvi; in the past Laks were often called kazi-kumukhtsami, after the main settlement Kazi-Kumukh, or Kumukh. They belong to the Caucasian type of the Balkan-Caucasus race of the big European race. They speak Lak language that forms a separate sub-group in the Nakh-Dagestan group of the North Caucasus family. Dialects: Kumukh, Vitskhin, Shadnin, Vikhlin, Arakul, Bartkin etc. Russian language is also common. Written language is based on Russian alphabet. Religious people are Moslems-sunnites.

Laks are the aboriginal population of Dagestan. On their territory there existed a feudal state - Kazikumukh shamkhalstvo, later the khanate. When Dagestan joined Russia, this helped the penetration of the capitalist elements into the economy and culture of the Laks.

Main traditional occupations - agriculture (more developed among the Laks living in the valley) and animal breeding. They practiced trades travelling away from their villages. Traditional home crafts and trades: metal processing, tinning, processing precious metals), making broadcloth, carpets, felt, pottery (village Balkhar), golden and silver embroidery (villages Kumukh and Balkhar).

Lak villages were situated on the mountain slopes, the houses mainly had two-floors and many rooms (on the first floor - household rooms, on the 2nd - living rooms), with small loggias.

Traditional male costume was similar to that of the other peoples of Dagestan and the Caucasus, female costume was more diverse and has local differences. Its base is a shirt-dress and long trousers. In the end of the 19th century there appeared the dresses, single-back (buzma) and detachable. In winter they wore sheepskin coats. Footwear was made of leather and felt. Head gear - chukhta and kerchiefs. Nowadays men sometimes wear papakhas and sheepskin coats, women wear traditional head gear (Vikhli village), trousers.

Main food - farinaceous, meat and dairy products; vegetable and potato dishes appeared at the Soviet time. For a long time in the family and social life of the Laks here remained the elements of patriarchal, tribal and feudal relations and pre-Islamic beliefs - the cult of fire, stone, magical beliefs (the rite of calling the rain etc.).