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Culture and Traditions
Russia's cultural legacy includes outstanding achievements in the fields of literature, architecture, ballet, musical composition and performance, which have historically occupied the most prominent places in Russian cultural life. The country's best-known writers are those of the 19th and early 20th centuries - Aleksandr Pushkin, Nikolay Gogol, Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Anton Chekhov, and Maksim Gorky - their influence being felt throughout the world. Among the greatest Russian composers were Aleksandr Borodin, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, and Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky. Their legacy is evident in more contemporary music, notably that of Sergey Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky, Sergey Prokofiev, Dmitry Shostakovich. The tradition of Russian realist theatre was exemplified in the work of Konstantin Stanislavsky of the Moscow Art Theatre. The leading theatre company for ballet is the Bolshoi in Moscow (founded in the middle 1770s). Russian ballet had a formative role in Western dance through a number of figures, such as Sergey Diaghilev and Vaslav Nijinsky. Russia's most characteristic architectural feature is its onion-domed churches. In the world of art, religious icons, Futurism and revolutionary graphic art are instantly recognisable Russian forms. Cinema has always been an important art form and leisure pursuit, the revolutionary period best represented by Sergey Eisenstein's iconic "Battleship Potyomkin" and "Ivan the Terrible", the recent past in the symbolic works of Andrey Tarkovsky.
Russian Art & Architecture From icons and onion domes to the Stalin baroque, Russian art and architecture seems to many visitors to Russia to be a rather baffling array of exotic forms and unusual things. In fact, Russian art and architecture are not nearly so difficult to understand as many people think, and knowing even a little bit about why they look the way they do and what they mean brings to life the culture and personality of the entire country.
Icons
During the 14th century in particular, icon painting in Russia took on a much greater degree of subjectivity and personal expression. The most notable figure in this change was Andrey Rublyov, whose works can be viewed in both the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the Russian Museum in St.Petersburg. Unlike the pictorial tradition that westerners have become accustomed to, the Russian icon tradition is not about the representation of physical space or appearance. Icons are images intended to aid contemplative prayer, and in that sense they're more concerned with conveying meditative harmony than with laying out a realistic scene. Rather than sizing up the figure in an icon by judging its distortion level, take a look at the way the lines that compose the figure are arranged and balanced, the way they move your eye around. If you get the sense that the figures are a little haunting, that's good. They weren't painted to be charming but to inspire reflection and self-examination. If you feel as if you have to stand and appreciate every icon you see, you aren't going to enjoy any of them. Try instead to take a little more time with just one or two, not examining their every detail but simply enjoying a few moments of thought as your eye takes its own course. The best collections of icons are to be found in the Tretyakov Gallery and the Russian Museum, though, of course, Russian churches have preserved or restored their traditional works.
The Great Experiment The rising influence of European culture in Russia during the 17th and 18th centuries brought Russian artwork closer to the familiar traditions of western painting. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that the next great body of uniquely Russian artistic styles arose, having developed in conjunction with liberal forces of social reform. This modern movement took many different directions almost from its inception, and it would be impossible to describe all of them. However, even a very general acquaintance with their common ideas and interests makes their work much more accessible. From the start, the modern art movement was concerned with breaking away from the classical tradition and creating a new kind of art that was intimately engaged with the daily life of Russian society. It developed a renewed interest in traditional Russian art forms, including both decorative folk art and, of course, icon painting. From decorative art it gained an appreciation of the power of abstract geometrical patterns - lines, shapes, and colour were used to construct rhythms and energetic forms, not necessarily to depict objects or actual spaces. The re-examination of icon painting made painters more aware of the power of a flat, two-dimensional visual perspective. In other words, they realized that they could treat the canvas like a canvas, rather than trying to give the impression that it was a window into a space. From the end of the nineteenth century until about 1910, the modern art movement remained most interested in traditional aspects of Russian life - religion and village life were as influential as the life of the great cities. As the forces of social reform became more closely linked to the rising population of industrial workers, Russia's avant-garde artists turned increasingly to the factory and the frenetic pace of urban life for inspiration. Brilliant colours, simplified and sharply angular forms, and an emphasis on the liberatory energy of the modern world became the basis for new and increasingly abstract compositions. Cubo-Futurism, Rayonnism and Suprematism were the most important of the styles and schools that emerged during this time. Among their most prominent artists were Kasimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Mikhail Larionov, and Anna Goncharova. After the 1917 Revolution, the Russian avant-garde leapt into the service of the new Bolshevik power. It seemed to promise just the sort of break into a new world, and sweeping away of the old, that they had been working for in art for years. They produced political posters, organized street pageants and fairs, and, most notably, carried out the design of the country's great public spaces for anniversary celebrations of the Revolution. Caught up in the new regime's emphasis on the importance of industrial power, they began to bring to composition a sense of the rationality and technological focus of industrial work and design. Constructivism, as this style is known, continued to evolve into the late 1920s, when the conservatism of the Stalinist state renounced the avant-garde in favour of Soviet Realism. Many of the prominent artists of the earlier schools played a central role in Constructivism, especially Tatlin. Other well-known artists of the Constructivist movement include Alexander Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova, and Liubov Popova. Repudiated by the Stalinist government and neglected in the west, the Russian avant-garde has only recently received the attention it deserves. The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg possesses the finest collection of its work.
Architecture For most of its history, Russian architecture has been predominantly religious. Churches were for centuries the only buildings to be constructed of stone. The basic elements of Russian church design emerged early, around the eleventh century. The plan is generally that of a Greek cross (all four arms are equal), and the walls are high and relatively free of openings. Sharply-sloped roofs (tent roofs) and a multitude of domes cover the structure. The characteristic onion dome first appeared in Novgorod on the Cathedral of St.Sophia, in the eleventh century. On the interior, the primary feature is the iconostasis, an altar screen on which the church's icons are mounted in a hierarchical fashion. The centres of medieval church architecture followed the shifting dominance of old Russia's cities - from Kiev to Novgorod and Pskov, and, from the end of the 15th century, Moscow. With the establishment of a unified Russian state, foreign architecture began to appear in Russia. The first example of such foreign work is Moscow's great Assumption Cathedral, completed in 1479 by the Bolognese architect Aritotle Fioravanti. The cathedral is actually a remarkable synthesis of traditional Russian architectural styles, though its classical proportions mark it as a work of the Italian Renaissance. The Russian tradition experienced a brief period of renewed influence under Ivan IV (the Terrible), under whose reign the legendary Cathedral of St. Basil's was built. In general, however, the Tsars began to align themselves increasingly with European architectural styles. The great example of this shift was Peter the Great, who designed St. Petersburg in accordance with prevailing European design. His successors continued the pattern, hiring the Italian architect Rastrelli to produce the rococo Winter Palace and Smolny Cathedral. Under Catherine the Great, the rococo was set aside for neoclassicism, completing St.Petersburg's thoroughly European topography. During the nineteenth century a fresh interest in traditional Russian forms arose. Like the associated movement in the visual arts, this revival of older styles participated in the creation of an avant-garde movement in the early twentieth century. For a brief period following the 1917 Revolution, the avant-garde Constructivist movement gained sufficient influence to design major buildings. Lenin's Mausoleum, designed in 1924 by Alexey Shchusev, is the most notable of the few remaining Constructivist buildings. By the late 1920s, the avant-garde found itself repudiated by Stalin's increasingly conservative state. Moving away from modernism, Stalinist-era architecture is best exemplified by seven skyscrapers in Moscow that dominate the city's skyline. In recent years, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, there is a great interest to different forms of architecture and art in Russia.
Russian Folk Holidays and Traditions Like any other nation the Russians are famous for their own peculiar customs and traditions kept through the centuries. From time immemorial each folk holiday in Russia had its own, peculiar ceremonies, traditions, songs. The origin of many holidays does not often relate to Christian holidays, as far as the source of most ancient ceremonies lies in the remote times of the past, the times of paganism. Christianity had finished with the religious ceremonies of paganism. However, many traditions were preserved by the people in the forms of merry entertainment and festive occasions, some of them were even adopted to the Christian ceremonies and traditions. Peter the Great, an outstanding Russian monarch, introduced many changes to the life of Russia and the Russian calendar. For instance, Christmas, while remaining one of the main Christian holidays in Russia, is celebrated on the 7th of January, in compliance with the Russian Orthodox calendar, but not on the 25th of December. The festive and merry days of Christmas are called "Yule-tide" in Russia. There is no any other holiday celebrated in compliance with so many specific traditions, ceremonies, etc. One of the ceremonies is called "KOLYADKI". The ceremony includes wishing of wealth and happiness for everybody. During the ceremony a snow-lady is made with a carrot nose, eyes of prunes and teeth of green beans. Lady KOLYADA comes to the holiday to congratulate people and enjoy merry games and fun. Lady KOLYADA is accompanied by some people bearing stars. They sing and dance in a ring on the snow with fired torches and push the festive Wheel. By the end of winter, a Pancake week comes right before Lent. Through the whole week people cook bliny (pan-cakes) and eat them with honey, caviar, jam, fresh sour cream and butter. In Russian Pancake week is called "MASLYANITSA". The Christian historians say that those were really "mad" days in the past. People wore funny masks and costumes, sometimes, men wore women's clothing and vice a versa. Such masquerade gave start to merry festival, when nice food and a lot of wine was consumed. A big man of straw was burned as the final act of saying good-buy to the already passed winter. The feast fighting was one more great fun helped to warm up on cold winter days. Russian Tsars and Grand Princes used to find a lot of fun in feast fightings. At present special performances are held on Pancake week.
How to cook RUSSIAN BLINY:
For 500 grams of flour take 2-3 eggs, a tablespoonful of sugar, half a teaspoonful of salt, baking soda and lemon acid. Mix eggs with three cups of warm milk or kefir, add some salt, sugar, baking soda and lemon acid, then pour in flour and mix well into a smooth dough without lumps and start baking bliny right away. The dough must be very liquid! So that your bliny turn out thin and well baked you need a small cast iron pan with a thick bottom. Pour some dough with a small ladle or just with a spoon so that it spreads around in a fine layer on the hot surface of your pan greased with cooking oil. As soon as your first blin begins to turn brown, it has to be greased on its top and turned over. Cooked bliny are piled one on top of each other into a deep warmed up dish and covered with a towel. Use melted butter on the side, or sour cream, honey, jam, condensed milk, and, finally, herring and caviar - salmon or sturgeon. No one will object if you swing a shot of vodka before your first blin, well chilled. The stuffing is placed right on the blin, curl it up and - Bon appetite! The Easter (Russian: "PASKHA") is celebrated in all Christian countries and in Russia as well. Special round-shaped sweet breads (Easter cakes) are baked. On the Easter's eve Easter cakes (rich mixture of sweetened curds, butter and raisins) are on sale in all bakeries. Moreover, eggs are painted in different bright colours. The coloured egg, most often dyed red, is the main symbol of Russian Easter. It symbolizes eternal life, birth and perpetual renewal.
How to dye EASTER EGGS: Put 4 or 5 handfuls of onion peel in a pot, pour over 3 liters of cold water, cover and boil over slow fire for 20 minutes. Filter egg-water, add 3 tablespoonfuls of salt, then put the eggs in water and boil for 20 minutes. The eggs will attain even brick-red colour. Allow the eggs to cool down and dry, grease with vegetable oil and polish with a piece of cloth. Eggs will acquire a "marble" pattern, if a few drops of vegetable oil are added to the boiling water. The Easter egg has many specific purposes, it is a traditional Easter present given to friends and relatives as an Easter salutation. There is a proverb saying that once you wash your face in a water with the Easter egg in it, you will always be healthy and beautiful. On Easter people usually visit their relatives. The traditional greeting is: "Khristos voskrese" ("Christ is risen"). The answer is: "Voistinu voskrese" ("Truly, He is risen"). And, having shouted these words, everyone, even complete strangers, turn to one another, kiss each other on the cheek three times, and exchange the traditional Easter gifts of dyed eggs, which, incidentally, do not have to be hen's eggs: they can be made of porcelain, sculpted wood, bone, ivory, crystal, or semi-precious stone. The famed Easter eggs created by Carl Faberge are a unique monument to the Russian jewellery's art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Russian Imperial family exchanged Faberge eggs at Easter. The next Sunday, which comes right after Easter is called the Red Hill holiday. This day is considered the best for wedding ceremonies. In the past people welcomed spring during this holiday, as if "inviting" it to their lands. The first green leaves on the trees were usually met by singing and dancing in a round. In the Orthodox countries, as well as all over Europe, people celebrate the Holiday of St.John the Baptist. In Russia this holiday is called "IVAN KUPALO". Everything in the holiday relates to water. In the past boys and girls used to swim in rivers till late at night, they burned fires and, taking each others hands, jumped over the fires. If after the jump they still held their hands together, it considered to be a good sign saying that the wedding is close. The folk holiday called Green Yule-tide (Russian: "TROITSA") is also celebrated in Russia. The houses are decorated with green branches. Young birch-trees are covered with girlish clothing and songs and dances round the birch-trees take place. The garlands made of birch branches and flowers are put into water for fortune telling. The August, the last month of summer season, when the harvest is sown, is usually celebrated by three holidays called "SPAS" in Russia. The first "SPAS" is called Honey Spas (August 14). The second "SPAS" is called Apple Spas (August 19). The third one is called Nut Spas (August 29). "SPAS" days bring cold dew to lands and meadows. After the first Spas honey is collected, the second Spas brings fresh fruit and the third one, nuts. People still celebrate ancient holidays, especially in many rural regions of Russia. The urban Russians also remember about these holidays and try to stick to old traditions. It is common with the Russians:
Recommended Reading Russia is a powerhouse of literature, and reading the works of Russian authors is a great way to get an insight into the country. Have a look at the work of poet Alexander Pushkin ("Yevgeny Onegin"), poet and novelist Mikhail Lermontov ("A Hero of Our Time"), playwright and novelist Nikolai Gogol ("The Government Inspector and Dead Souls"), novelists Ivan Turgenev ("Fathers and Sons"), Fyodor Dostoevsky ("Crime and Punishment", "The Idiot" and "The Brothers Karamazov"), Leo Tolstoy ("War and Peace", "Anna Karenina"), Maxim Gorky ("My Childhood" and "The Lower Depths"), playwright Anton Chekhov ("The Seagull", "The Cherry Orchard" and "Uncle Vanya)", Mikhail Bulgakov ("The Master and Margarita"), Alexander Solzhenitsyn ("One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich"), the voices of the revolutionary period, great poets: Vladimir Mayakovsky, Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelstam, Boris Pasternak.
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Russian folk art reflects the richness and diversity of the nation's soul. Folk art is a complex and multifaceted branch of the Russian modern culture. It lives together with the nation, and has its roots going back deep into history, providing a mainstay and fertile ground for the national culture.
The high artistic merits of works of folk crafts, their strikingly balanced forms and carefully chosen subjects are attracting artists to the folk art, an inexhaustible source of creativity. Many generations of handicraftsmen have contributed to the Russian folk art. It is integral in artistic structure and highly diverse in ethnic specifics, from the choice of material to interpretation of artistic tools.
Wood and clay, stone and bone, leather and fur, straw and twigs are all used in a natural way by skilful hands to make articles for the home into veritable works of art. Today, folk art in Russia lives in two basic forms - handicrafts practised on a broad scale and works of art created by gifted persons working at home.
The most popular handicrafts in present-day Russia are: wood carving and painting (Bogorodskoye, Khotkovo, Abramtsevo-Kudrino); the Golden Khokhloma; ceramics (Gzhel); clay toys (Dymkovo, Kargopol, Filimonovo, Abashevo); lacquer painting (Fedoskino, Palekh, Mstera, Kholui); decorative tray painting (Zhostovo, Troitskoye); artistic metalworking (Velikiy Ustiug silver niello, Rostov enamel, Kazakovo filigree); bone carving (Kholmogori, Tobolsk, Chukotka, Khotkovo); artistic stone working (Tyva carved sculpture); lace making (Vologda, Vyatka, Yelets); embroidery, golden thread needlework, pattern weaving and rug making.
The tradition of icon painting was inherited by the Russians from Byzantium, where it began as an offshoot of the mosaic and fresco tradition of early Byzantine churches. During the 8th and 9th centuries, the iconoclasm controversy in the Orthodox church called into question whether religious images were a legitimate practice or sacrilegious idolatry. Although the use of images wasn't banned, it did prompt a thorough appreciation of the difference between art intended to depict reality and art designed for spiritual contemplation. That difference is one of the reasons that the artistic style of icons can seem so invariant. Certain kinds of balance and harmony became established as reflections of divinity, and as such they invited careful reproduction and subtle refinement rather than striking novelty. Although this philosophy resulted in a comparatively slow evolution of style, icon painting evolved considerably over the centuries.
Here is a simple and easy recipe for fast ones from non-yeast dough.