The dombra is a Kazakh folk two-stringed plucked musical instrument. It is also part of the Nogai and Kalmyk cultures. The dombra is rightfully considered one of the main symbols of Kazakh musical heritage and culture. This item was donated to the museum on behalf of Yerik Khamzinovich Sultanov, who held the post of the akim of the North Kazakhstan region from 2014 to 2017. The ceremonial handover took place on April 9, 2015.
The oblong body of this dombra was made of several types of wood. Maple, oak and pine were usually used to craft the instrument. The top soundboard of the museum piece was decorated using the stencil technique. It was adorned with a pattern in the form of scrolls, resembling in some places the zoomorphic design of “goose necks” in the form of the letter S. Traditionally, such patterns were applied not only as decoration, but also as a protective symbol.
The convex body of the dombra has facets. Its fingerboard was much longer than the body, and a bunch of feathers of light brown color was attached to its head with blue thread. The two strings were made of light-colored fishing line, while they were usually made of sheep or goat sinew.
The history of the instrument’s origin is connected with many folk legends. According to one of them, the dombra used to have five strings and no sound hole in the middle. Kezhendyk, a locally famous jigit, owned such an instrument. One day he fell in love with the daughter of the local khan. He invited Kezendyk to his yurt and ordered him to prove his love for his daughter.
The jigit began to play, praising the beauty of his beloved. He sang a song about the Khan himself, about his greed and avarice. Enraged, the Khan ordered to destroy the instrument. Hot lead was poured on the jigit’s dombra. As a result, a hole was burned in the center of the upper soundboard, and only two strings survived.
The early version of the
dombra was used by the ancestors of Kazakhs more than two thousand years ago. During excavations of the ancient city of Khorezm, archaeologists found
terracotta statuettes of musicians playing two-stringed instruments similar to
the Kazakh dombra. Now the art of playing this musical instrument is included
in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
