The ''quray'' ( Bashkir ҡурай, Tatar quray, ) is a long open

end-blown flute thumb , Notched flute, showing U-shaped notch in the instrument’s rim. The end-blown flute (also called an edge-blown flute or rim-blown flute) is a woodwind instrument played by directing an airstream against the sharp edge of the upper en ...

with two to seven fingerholes, and is the national instrument of the

Bashkirs The Bashkirs ( , ) or Bashkorts (, ; , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group indigenous to Russia. They are concentrated in Bashkortostan, a Republics of Russia, republic of the Russian Federation and in the broader historical region of B ...

and

Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...

. The instrument is a type of Choor. On March 1, 2018 Kurai was registered as a territorial brand of Bashkortostan, a patent was received from the Federal Service for Intellectual Property of the Russian Federation. The most widespread kind of quray is a quray made from the stem of the umbelliferous plant, called ''urals edgepistil'' or ''Kamchatka pleurospermum'' (

Pleurospermum uralense ''Pleurospermum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. Its native range is from Europe to Korea and the Himalayas. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Pleurospermum'': *''Pleurospermum albimarginatum'' ...

). The stem of a quray is long. It flowers in July, then dries out in August–September. It is cut in September and kept it in a dry and dark place. The length is found by measuring 8-10 times the width of a palm encompassing the stem of a plant. The first hole must be done at four fingers distance from the top of the plant, the next three holes at two fingers distance from each other, the fifth at the back at three fingers distance from the fourth hole. The length of a quray is about . The diapason of a quray consists of three octaves. The quray is used as a solo as well as an ensemble instrument. Now, a quray can be made from veneer. It is more stable and its sound is similar to the natural quray's sound. In addition to a grass quray some other types of quray are known: *sor-quray - a sort of quray made by the Bashkirs who lived in the steppe where the natural quray does not grow. It is made of steppe grass and its length is not more than one meter, but it is wider in its diameter. The specialists say it was used for calling signals. *copper quray - a quray made from copper. However, specialists disapprove of using this kind of quray, because it is harmful for the health. The names of outstanding quray-players-improvisers include Kubagush-sasan, Baik-sasan, I. Murzakaev, G. Arginbaev, Y. Icyanbaev, I. Dilmukhametov, G. Suleymanov, K. Diyarov, R. Rakhimov, Y. Gaynetdinov, A. Aitkulov and R. Yuldashev. There are many quray performers: laureates and diploma-winners of International Musical Folk Festivals, International Students' and Youth Festivals and all-Russian contests of performers of rare musical instruments. There is a picture of a quray flower on the national flag and

Bashkortostan Bashkortostan, officially the Republic of Bashkortostan, sometimes also called Bashkiria, is a republic of Russia between the Volga river and the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. The republic borders Perm Krai to the north, Sverdlovsk Oblast ...

state emblem.

References

* * {{Flutes End-blown flutes Bashkir musical instruments Tatar musical instruments

See also

References