Gerasim Tarabukin

Gerasim Eduardovich Tarabukin is a maker of Yakut khomuses from the village of Tyolyoy-Diring in the Churapchinsky District who works under the craft name Kün Dyarahyn. At the 2016 Moscow competition for makers of bow-shaped jaw harps, his instrument took third place in the low-register category. More than thirty makers entered 82 jaw harps, which were evaluated by 21 experts. By 2018, Tarabukin had received the title of People’s Crafts Master of the Churapchinsky District.

Tarabukin comes from the Chymnayinsky nasleg of the Tattinsky District and attended school in Ytyk-Kyol. His interest in making things by hand began in childhood. He has been making khomuses since 2014, having learned the craft from his elder brother, Eduard Tarabukin. Gerasim Tarabukin has also made Yakut knives and batas blades.

The two brothers continue a family artistic tradition. On their mother’s side, they are descendants of Ivan Vasilyevich Popov, the first professional Yakut artist; their extended family includes numerous artists and applied-arts craftspeople. Gerasim Tarabukin marks his khomuses with the initials “GT”.

Tarabukin regards sound as the principal quality of a khomus. He explains that every maker develops individual standards and methods, while his own priority is a loud, ringing and strongly resonant voice. His khomuses are played by performers from different parts of Yakutia and beyond. For more than ten years, he has made instruments for the children’s folklore ensemble “Aygyl”.

The GT1339 “Kerdyugen 2” khomus represented in the catalogue is a low-register instrument. Its narrow gaps give it a loud, full-bodied sound with reasonably well-defined harmonic overtones; it is straightforward to play and suitable for beginners.

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