Tatyana says that during the slaughter of a sacrificial sheep monks read prayers for two main reasons: (1) for the sheep so that it attains a better rebirth and (2) for the butcher to have his sins cleansed. Before the slaughter the mouth and the back of the sheep are smeared with milk and butter, and a white cloth is laid underneath the animal. In the past, sheep’s intestines were used to make stings for the dombra instrument.