In the southern Russian provinces, this was the name of a women's chest or back decoration - a strip of fabric up to 10 cm wide, decorated with beads, embroidery, a woven pattern, or a long strip beaded.
In the chest gaitan, the two ends of the ribbon were connected by a medallion decorated with beaded pendants, an icon, a cross; The gaitan was worn around the neck. The decoration sometimes went down to the waist. A cross or icon was attached to the braid, which was located in the chest area, and strips of braid, decorated with beads, sparkles, cowrie shells, tassels of multi-colored garus, which descended on the back. Back gaitans were made in the form of a narrow long braid of red or black colors, decorated with beads. Women (as a rule, on a holiday) wore several of these chest and back decorations.
In the Russian North, women's festive pearl beads, as well as silver chains with a medallion, a cross or a scapular, were called "gaitan".