Residents of Kabardino-Balkaria supported the custom of distributing meat on Eid al-Adha.

Ahead of the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice, celebrated today, residents of Kabardino-Balkaria prepared to share their meat with those who were unable to buy it due to the rise in the price of lamb.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," May 27 has been declared a non-working day in Kabardino-Balkaria in connection with the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha.

Residents of Kabardino-Balkaria told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent how they prepared for today's holiday. For example, a pensioner from Nalchik, Lyudmila Tutova, reported that she makes a sacrifice every year.

According to the woman, she sends her son to the village where her sister lives for this purpose. There, seven people pool their money to buy cattle (usually a bull), slaughter the animal, divide the meat among themselves into seven equal shares, then weigh the meat and pay the wholesale price.

How much to pay for the meat is only determined after the entire butchering process, the pensioner explained, noting that each person gets approximately 20 to 30 kilograms, depending on the animal's weight.

I distribute it to those in need among my friends and neighbors.

"There are certain rules for this ritual. For example, the live bull is not weighed. Payment is made only for the meat. After my son brings the meat, I divide it into portions—about one and a half to two kilograms each—and distribute it among my friends and neighbors in need. "You can keep no more than one-third of the meat for yourself," said Lyudmila Tutova.

The pensioner noted that she only gives the meat to friends who can't afford to sacrifice it themselves. This year, a kilogram of sacrificial meat, according to her, cost 650-700 rubles.

Last year, the same ram cost 15-16 thousand rubles.

Nalsk resident Andemir Kipov bought a ram for sacrifice for 20 thousand rubles. "The net weight of the meat was 24 kilograms. "Last year, the same ram cost 15,000-16,000 rubles; the price increase is noticeable," he noted.

However, according to his observations, ram prices have been rising for the past year or two, and he believes this isn't related to the sacrifice celebration. Perhaps the reason is the reduction in pasture land and the number of small cattle, Kipov suggested.

"In many villages, pastures have been leased to private owners, leaving villagers with nowhere to graze their livestock. Buying feed is expensive, making raising livestock unprofitable," he said.

Kerim Nagoyev, a resident of the village of Malka, reported that he purchased a medium-sized ram for 18,000 rubles. He intends to give the lamb to his neighbors.

The man believes that one shouldn't complain about the high cost of the animal when it comes to the Kurman-Bayram holiday (Kurman-Bayram is the Adyghe pronunciation of the holiday's name. - Ed. "Caucasian Knot"). "If you can't afford it, don't buy it, but complaining about the high cost when it comes to a sacrifice is unacceptable," the villager stated categorically.

According to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, the retail price of meat at Nalchik markets today was 650 rubles per kilogram of beef with the bone, and 850 rubles per kilogram of boneless beef. Lamb costs 850-900 rubles per kilogram.

As a reminder, meat prices in Makhachkala and Kaspiysk increased slightly before Eid al-Adha. According to local residents, they remained virtually unchanged – 700-800 rubles per kilogram for beef and 750-800 rubles per kilogram for lamb. However, low-income families lack the means to treat relatives and neighbors, residents of Dagestan complained.