of russian origin1

7/28/2019 Of Russian Origin1

1/16

Of Russian origin: Bayan

Folk singers perform

to a button accordion.

(RT Photo / Irina

Vasilevitskaya)

Created in the early

20th century, the

music of the bayan

has been hearddrifting across Russian villages ever since.

The musical instrument was named after the mythical Russian bard Boyan, or Bayan,

who may have existed in the 11th century court of Yaroslav the Wise. But its links to

Russias ancient past end there.

Obviously Russian folk music had been around a while longer than the bayan. When it

appeared many artists adapted folk music to play on it. This was part of the traditionstarted in the 19th century, which created so-called folkloric music. This music wasnt a

copy of the original folk tune, but a deviation from its arrangement and style of play.

Many in the west though, accepted it as truly Russian, which contributed to the decline of

authentic traditional folk music. Still more of the bayans music was fakeloric, meaningit was merely based on the theme of folk music and wasnt really traditional at all. This

wasnt necessarily a problem. As you will see below beautiful and original music was

composed for the bayan in the 20th century. But remembering its recent arrival is a useful

caution against taking that clichd accordion sound heard in so many sweeping Russianstereotypical moments as having particularly deep roots in Russian culture. It doesnt.

The bayan is however an instrument all of its own. Its similar to an accordion but with

unique differences in construction; it plays and sounds different than other accordions. Its

tone is different from western accordions and its base sound is much fuller.


2/16

RT Photo / Irina

Vasilevitskaya

With its great range

and tone the bayan is

the instrument ofchoice for those

musicians wanting to

perform classicalrather than folk music

on what seems at first

glance to be a purelyfolk instrument.

Some Russian

composers havecreated music for the

bayan. VladislavZolotaryov in the late

1960s created musicfor the button

accordion, which was

widely recognized tohave deeply enriched

the instruments

repertoire. Sofia Gubaidulina throughout her career from the late 1950s through to thepresent day has composed music that could be played on many different instruments,

including the unique sounding bayan.

There is definitely a lot of Russian feeling in the bayan. This is its homeland and the

place where some of its greatest music comes from. But its place in Russian culture,

although cherished, is only a century old and isnt particularly traditional. So when youhear its tones drifting across that archetypal Russian village, realize that it was Russian

trend-setters, not traditional folk musicians who brought it there.

Written by Tom Barton, RT Correspondent

Of Russian origin: Lubok

"The Mice are

burying the Cat". An18th-century Russianlubok print

Lubok is a coloredwoodcut or

lithographical print,

usually - a sequence
https://rt.com/about/on-air-talent/tom-barton/https://rt.com/about/on-air-talent/tom-barton/


3/16

of pictures accompanied by simple text explaining the images, much like a page from a

comic book. Nowadays, luboks can be seen only in museums, but in the 17th-19th

century one could meet lubok sellers at every market. For common peasants, most ofwhich could barely read and had no opportunity to get a book or a newspaper, luboks

served as information sources, decorations and a good laugh too.

People usually consider lubok being originally Russian, but this is not true. The lubok

was originally invented in China. From there, it came to Europe. In the beginning of 17th

century, the first German funny paper sheets appeared on Russian counters. Most ofthem were not in fact funny, and depicted saints and Biblical scenes. The Tsar and his

family members hung luboks in their rooms, nobility took after the royalties and step by

step luboks left the palaces and reached the huts.

Russian craftsmen learned the technique and began to make prints by themselves. The

first Russian luboks were black and white, but then someone came up with the idea ofcoloring. Artisans originally used a cheap coarse brush, but it was a difficult task and the

pictures often came out rather untidy. Buyers, however, were unpretentious they justliked bright colors and short stories.

As luboks spread, their plots of pictures became less and less biblical. Among the prints,

there were illustrations of tales and proverbs or folklore and heroic epics, retellings ofnewspaper articles and foreign novels. One could buy The Story of the Wayward Son

to look at and to think about Gods mercy and wisdom, or something like A Fireproof

Man or Peasant Girl Marfa, Who Spent 33 Years Under the Snow and Came OutAlive. They sound an awful lot like contemporary newspaper headlines, dont they?

People, monsters, clowns and saints on luboks usually looked kind and funny. Nobody

wanted to buy something frightening.

Caricatures of political figures were rather popular too. The most famous one is HowMice Buried a Cat. It is an illustration from a folklore tale. Once upon a time, a cat

pretended to be dead, and mice decided to give him a proper burial. On the way to

graveyard, the cat jumped up and ate the whole funeral procession. Where is the satire?This picture appeared soon after Peter I death, and many mice on it have certain

resemblance to Peters associates. Text on the lubok also implies on Peter.

By the middle of 19th century every literally every peasant decorated his home with

luboks. Children used them to learn how to read. In these times, many famous Russian

novels and poems were retold by lubok printers, so common people got to knowPushkin, Gogol, Lermontov. Although these retellings were usually primitive and

inaccurate, it was venertheless very hard for a peasant to get a real book. It was around

this time that a figurative meaning of the word lubok appeared: bad art or clicheart.

Lubok died in the beginning of 20th century, soon after the October Revolution of1917. Libraries and schools were opened in villages, and luboks became unnecessary.


4/16

Nowadays, one can see a collection of luboks in the State Literature Museum in Moscow.

Written by Olga Pigareva, RT

Of Russian origin: Venik

Photo by VladislavGajic

A broom and

massage maker in

one

Venik is a broommade of a bunch of

dried tiny branches

tied together and used to sweep the floors. Depending on the kind of branches a venik canbe used to give a sort of a massage in the Russian banya .

The most popular plant for the production of the veniks is sorghum. Just take the

branches (usually 20 to 50 cm long), dry them and then tie them together. Then turn them

upside down with the soft and tiny weeds at the bottom - and your venik is ready to use.Venik was a traditional item in every izba the wooden houses of Russian peasants.

For sweeping the outdoors venik was tied to a wooden pole, usually one meter long,which made it look like a broomstick. It spared one from getting a backache when

cleaning streets. Usually the good veniks were saved strictly for indoor use, while anyvenik would do for outside household operations.

Venik was also used as a fighting tool. When a quarrel broke out in a Russian family, one

of the parties could pick up a venik to prove a point. But more often it was used to spankchildren or bring pets to order, cats being the ones who suffered the most. Also, this kind

of venik was used as a sort of a totem to guard your home from all sorts of evil spirits.

Venik is still a popular tool for sweeping. Even the advent of the vacuum-cleaner did not

eradicate the Russian habit of cleaning the kitchen with venik. The smaller the city, the

more likely you are to see a real venik (as opposed to brooms made from artificial fibres)as a key household tool.

Better than sex

Image from www.hotel-

nautilus.uz.ua


5/16

There is a story about an American who once came to the Russian banya . He was

horrified to see Russian men in the steaming room beating each other with veniks. He

hastily closed the door and asked with his eyes turned to the ceiling: Do I really wantthis? Yes answered the hospitable Russians.

They took him into the steaming room and worked his body with veniks for about three

minutes. After that they made him jump into a pool of cold water. The American was

pleasantly amazed: You know, in some ways it is even better than sex, he said.

As you have understood by now veniks are used to pump up the heat to give your body a

good massage. It is considered very healthy, and despite the fears of many foreigners ithas nothing to do with sex. However, some argue that the benefits and pleasure one gets

from being beaten by a venik is just as good, if not better.

For bath and body

Experienced banya goers use venik as the second part of their bath procedure. First, they

go into the steaming room to open all the pores of their body and cleanse themselvesfrom toxins. Afterwards they take a shower.

During this time veniks are soaked in a little tub of water (you dont have to soak them ifyou use venik made of fresh braches). Then, after a short rest, men go back into the

steaming room and start the beating.

It is recommended to keep a horizontal position in the steaming room during the venik

massage. This way the hot air will distribute evenly through your body. When you stand,access heat to the upper part of your body can cause heart problems.

When you massage somebody with venik, try to hit them smoothly along the spine, legs

and chest. Pros recommend making circular movements before the strike thisconcentrates the heat around the body, which enhances the effect of the massage.

Please note that to avoid skin burns, one must not hit hard with a venik, especially if thetemperature is over 90 degrees Centigrade.

Image fromwww.kotelnich.info

Venik massage boosts blood

circulation in the body.

Moreover, it produces asubstance that kills harmful

bacteria. After the steaming room with venik theres nothing better than dipping oneself


6/16

in a cold-water pool. The difference of temepratures will give you an immediate blood

rush and will keep you in high spirits for a long time afterwards.

Note: For most benefit from the process of Russian banya and venik, it is advisable to

have a medical checkup first, otherwise the whole procedure may bring more harm than

good.

Types of bath veniks

Birch venik. The dried birch leaves are good for a massage after a workout. They

also make wounds heal faster and are an exceptional remedy for those who sufferfrom bronchitis.

Oak venik. Good for blood pressure. Recommended for those whose skin tends tosweat more often than usual.

Eucalyptus venik. Popular in the south of Russia. A good treatment for those

suffering from a runny nose and sore throat.

The best time to harvest veniks is at the beginning of June on the Trinity Day 49

days after Easter. But if it rains you may do it one week later. You cut the branches, drythe leaves, and flatten them out a little bit while you tie the branches together. Good venik

should look more like a fan than a sweeping tool.

Written by Oleg Dmitriev, RT

Of Russian origin: Old New Year

Vladimir Kremlev for RT

While it may sound like an oxymoron or a paradox, for many Russians the winterholidays arent finished until January 14, when they celebrate Stary Novy God: Old New

Year.

In fact, tradition dictates not to take down the Christmas tree until then. Old New Year

marks the changing of the year according to the old Julian calendar, instead of theGregorian calendar that the world officially uses today. According to recent polls, more

than half of all Russians observe Old New Year in some way.

Though the Gregorian calendar was established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, Russia

did not adopt it for official purposes until after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918. The


7/16

Russian Orthodox Church did not adopt it at all, and still adheres to the old Julian

calendar. Russians, therefore, have separate dates for some holidays, including New New

Year and OldNew Year. In Russia, though, Old New Year is not an officially-recognizedholiday and workers are not given the day off for observance or celebration. During the

existence of the Soviet Union, and its suppression of religion, the holiday was almost

entirely abandoned.

New New Year is an official holiday, and the one that Russians celebrate most heartily.

This leaves Old New Year as a more relaxed time when Russians celebrate as they please.Some see it as a nostalgic holiday and spend it at large family gatherings where they eat

and sing carols. Others see it as simply another reason to go out and party with their

friends and colleagues, especially if it falls during a weeknight. They often eat traditionalholiday foods. They may bake dumplings with small objects inside, like a button or a

thread; the diner who discovers the object is said to receive good fortune in the year

ahead.

While Old New Year has a special place in the modern Russian culture, its not the onlycountry that recognizes the occasion in some way. Many of the former Soviet republics,including Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Kazakhstan, as well as

Eastern European countries where the Orthodox Church is the prevailing faith, observe

the holiday either formally or informally. Additionally, parts of the Scottish Gaeliccommunity use the day as a way to celebrate and promote Gaelic culture. Some German-

speaking areas of Switzerland also observe Old New Year under the name St. Sylvesters

Day.

Written by Matt Trezza, RT news anchor and correspondent

Of Russian origin: Khalyava

Image from BogaSoft

The land of the free

Khalyava - or freebie - it's

definitely one Russian

notion that should beexplained to foreigners. If

you ever lucked out and got

something for free, withoutany physical effort or

trouble, you know what

khalyava is. Russians aresaid to know and like this word, as they are often reputed by foreigners as dreaming to

get everything straightaway for free just by an odd stroke of luck, usually wealth or other

bonuses.
https://rt.com/about/on-air-talent/matt-trezza/https://rt.com/about/on-air-talent/matt-trezza/


8/16

The world khalyava itself most probably comes from Old Russian, meaning bootleg.

Making bootlegs was considered a very easy job and bootlegs and their makers were

always in great demand. According to another version of the words origin, in the 19thcentury thieves often stole silverware and other valuable things and hid them in their

bootlegs.

Obtained so easily, the stolen pieces were called na khalyavu meaning from the

bootleg. The word khalyava appeared in the modern Russian language at the turn of the20th century, derived from thieves' argot. The word has lost its negative meaning and is

widely used in modern everyday life.

The great Russian dream

Image from BogaSoft

Khalyava is the complete

opposite of the typical

American dream in whichyou become rich and

successful as a result of

hard work. Russian

happiness is wealthobtained by pure luck or a

rich relative who suddenly

appears, immediately dies

and leaves you a fortune!

Well-known Russian fairy tales are a good illustration of khalyava. One such famousfairy-tale character is Ivan Durak, whose name literally means Dumb Ivan. Ivan is lazy,

stupid and does nothing all the time, but suddenly he finds something or someone who

helps him satisfy all his wishes and becomes wealthy and successful. There is anotherfamous Russian fairy-tale about a peasant called Emelya, who goes fishing and catches a

magic fish who makes all his dreams come true.

Not only Russians would be happy to get something for free but the word khalyavameans

more than just getting a thing for free. In Russian, to get something for free is to get

something na khalyavu. This expression is used in some Russian proverbs and sayings,perfectly demonstrating its meaning. For instance, "If you get if for free, even vinegar is

sweet.

If you by chance manage to pass a difficult exam at university without preparing for it

thoroughly, you probably just observed an old ritual: Russian students have a tradition to

call for khalyavabefore taking a difficult exam - they throw crumbs of bread out of thewindow at midnight and callkhalyava to come to them.


9/16

Living at the expense of others

If you manage to get a book you have never read before for free, or enjoy a free meal,

even if it is not very delicious, or get a free theater ticket - you enjoy the unique

experience of having akhalyava. But if you have all that regularly and this has becomeyour way of life - you will be calledkhalyavshik.

This word, unlike khalyava itself, has a negative meaning, implying you are lazy and get

everything without effort, very often at the expense of others. Khalyava is not just paying

a reduced price for something or getting something easier than was expected; its adescription of a way of life, attitude towards work, achievement and even people.

Of Russian origin: Kolbasa

Image by IzoSoft

Russian sausage

Kolbasa is a Russian variety

of sausage made from

ground meat and wrappedin a special casing. The

casing was originally made

of animal intestines.Nowadays it is still done

this way for expensivebrands, but most of the

casings are otherwise synthetic. The word kolbasa, does not denote the small sausages ofEnglish or German type (Russian words for small sausages are sardelki or sosiski).

The production of sausages is one of the oldest food preservation techniques. TheRussian word kolbasa as well as its variations in the Slavic languages (for,

examplekielbasa in Polish) originated in what is now Turkey. It literally means pressed

by the hand. (Though some researchers stick to the Hebrew origin of the word theword combination kol basar used to mean all flesh).

Kolbasa history

The first sausage processing factories appeared in Russia at the beginning of the 17th

century. But in Soviet times due to centralized planning kolbasa production was dealt

a heavy blow. Bad harvests meant cattle were undernourished and kolbasa became a

rarity in stores all over USSR. Some factories started adding synthetic additives to keepproduction volumes afloat.


10/16

One of these additional additives was a substance that was also used to make toilet

paper!!! So the expression toilet-paper kolbasa became popular at that time. People also

called this cheapkolbasa made of who knows what sobachya radost (the dogs

paradise).

Ordinary people could find good kolbasa only in Moscow and some other cities with bigmeat-processing plants. But finding did not mean getting - even in Moscow one had to

stand in line for an hour to buy it. Thousands of people flocked to the capital from other

cities to spend money onkolbasa and other hard-to-get items. There was even a joke in the

form of a riddle about the train from Moscow (the trains in USSR were green): Whatslong and green and smells like kolbasa?

During the time of kolbasa deficit there was an abundance of cheap fish in stores,

prompting another popular joke: The best fish in the world is kolbasa.

Types of kolbasa

Today kolbasa is once again available in many varieties and in various forms. Listed

below are the most popular kinds, which can easily be bought at any supermarket or shop.

Image by IzoSoft

Varyonaya (boiled kolbasa)

is made of salted ground

meat. Its boiled at a

temperature of about 80degrees Celsius. This type is

kolbasa is usually thick and round in shape. When you cut it into slices, youll see that

each brand has a unique interior pattern. It can be preserved for a short period of time not more than one week. The most popular type of varyonnayakolbasa is

Doktorskaya (doctors kolbasa), a solid round of fleshy light-grey ground meat with the

addition of soybeans. It got its name thanks to the doctors that researched problems ofnutrition. According to them, this type of kolbasa is a good product for those who follow

a diet to treat ulcers.Varyono-kopchyanaya (boiled-and-smoked kolbasa)

This type is first boiled and then smoked. Unlike boiled kolbasa it is smaller in size. It

contains smaller pieces of meat of various sizes with a small addition of milk, cream,flour and starch. It can be preserved for 10 to 15 days. The most popular brand of

varyono-kopchyanaya is Moskovskaya with its pieces of dark meat and fat, it is


11/16

delicious when served cold.

Syrokopchyonaya (Salami)

This one is even smaller in size than the previous kind. It is smoked at a temperature of

20-25 degrees Celcius.

Domashnaya (house kolbasa)

This is todays version of traditional kolbasa. It is still made with real intestines. Here is

one of the ways it is produced: first, grind together meat, garlic and fat. Then add salt,pepper and all the spices you like even cognac or some sort of alcohol can be used.

Finally, place it in a dish and put in the oven.

This type of kolbasa has become popular among businessman in many regions of

Russia you can easily launch kolbasa production for the equivalent of 20-25 thousand US

dollars.

Written by Oleg Dmitriev, RT

Of Russian origin: Babushka

"Babushka", by Irina

Gaiduk

(http://www.gayduk.org/)

Babushka

Babushka, or granny, is the mother of a person's father or mother, but in this country the


12/16

word has numerous shades of meanings. The very word babushka is a diminutive-

hypocoristic form of the word baba an ancient Russian word denoting a married

woman. It is not by chance that today the word has acquired its pet suffix it is in fact anillustration of just how special babushkas are to Russians.

A family member

Due to the ongoing housing shortage but also as a tribute to tradition, quite often inRussia several generations live together under the same roof and babushkas play a very

significant role in such extended families.

There is a conventional assumption that all babushkas, regardless of age, social position

and ideology, are perfect at cooking, enjoy taking care of their grandchildren and have a

dacha where they spend the whole summer growing vegetables, makingkompots andpreparing delicious jams to be eaten on long winter evenings. However stereotypical the

assumption, it still proves true more often than not.

Another distinction of all babushkas is a certain emotionalism and a permanent desire to

stuff their relatives in general and grandchildren in particular to the bursting point.

Whenever ababushka sees her grandson or granddaughter after a short separation she isusually horrified at how her loved one has thinned down and become pale and is all too

eager to wine and dine the poor child.

When a baby appears in the family, the newly-minted granny immediately shows her

willingness to take care of the baby for one clear reason: she knows best. It is no good

trying to argue with her, it is just one of those things babushkas always do in Russia.

An aged person

The word babushka also denotes any elderly woman, taking no notice of family

connections.Babushkas in Russia seem to represent a totally independent part of society -

they know everything and are good at giving a piece of advice whether youve asked forit or not.

It is considered to be a display of good breeding to assist the elderly in the street tocarry a heavy bag, for example, or to give them your seat on the public transport.

Children are taught from a very early age to respect babushkas and do their best to help

them. Still, Russian babushkas have never lacked self-confidence and are ready to remind

you of the rules if you fail to toe the line yourself.


13/16

RT Photo / Mikhail

Proshin

Babushkas in

proverbs

Babushkas play such

an important role inRussian society that it

is not surprising at all

that they are

mentioned in anumber of proverbs,

sayings and other

examples of oral folkarts.

One example is theproverb, There you

have it, Granny, the

Yury's Day, referringto a promise that is not kept. The Yurys Day is the Russian name for each of the two

feasts of Saint George celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on 6 May and 9

December. The Law Code of 1497 established a two-week period around Yury's Day (aweek before the feast and a week after) as the only times of the year when Russian serfs

were free to move from one landowner to another. Sometimes, and unfortunately quite

often, they were denied this right even on these dates, giving rise to the proverb.

Another well-known proverb in Russia goes like this: Even your grandma wouldn't

know whether it'll rain or snow, meaning that an outcome or a result is uncertain orunpredictable.

Still another example is as follows: The one to whom the granny tells fortunes, lives ahappy life. It is advisable to use the proverb when talking about an immensely lucky

person.

There are more proverbs and sayings that refer to babushkas, but these are the most

famous and frequently used, illustrating the irreplaceability of babushkas in the Russian

language and culture as well as in the lives of Russian citizens, whether consciously orsubconsciously.

Of Russian origin:

Karavay

Photo from


14/16

http://nevestam.com.ua

Karavay - symbolic bread

Karavay is a traditional round Russian yeast sweetbread usually baked for weddings (and

more rarely for funerals or birthdays). It is always richly decorated with a pastry wheat-ear-shaped wreath symbolizing prosperity and when for marriage with two interlaced

rings as a symbol of spousal faithfulness. Karavay is also often adorned with arrow-wood twigs, which in pagan times were believed to possess magic powers and could help

a young woman become pregnant.

Karavay is seen as a symbol of happiness and affluence. The puffier the karavay the

happier and richer the newlyweds will be once they taste it.

Who is the boss?

Karavay is usually served by the newlyweds parents on an embroidered towel andtraditionally with a little bowl (or cup) of - salt! This practice dates back to times when

salt in Russia was very expensive, so offering it to guests meant you were sharing with

them something very precious.

Photo from

http://imperiatortov.ru

The parents invite both the bridegroom and the bride to take a bite of the karavay without using their hands. Whoever takes the largest bite is considered to be the head of

the new family.

The rest of the karavay is divided among the guests; it is thought that in sharingkaravay

with relatives and friends, the newlyweds are also sharing their happiness.

Birthday Karavay

Occasionally, karavay is also baked on birthdays. But more often, especially if its a

childs birthday, the tradition is to sing a karavay song, rather than eat a karavay pastry.

Children join hands and make a ring for a round dance; the one whose birthday is being


15/16

celebrated stands in the center. The others dance around him (or her) and sing:

Once for someones birthday (the name of a child)

We baked a karavay

It was this much up (children put their hands in the air, as high as possible)

This much down (children squat)

Photo from

http://www.klichew.by

This much wide (children make as wide ring as possible)

This much narrow (children move towards the child in the center)

Karavay! Karavay! Choose someone you love the most!

[The child in the center answers]: To tell the truth, I love everybody,

But most of all I love (the name of a child)

The one whos been chosen goes to stand in the center, while the one whos chosen him(or her) joins the other children.

Buy or bake?

In the past, karavay was always homemade. Today it is usually bought or ordered at the

nearest bakery although its still not hard to prepare at home.

Make some leavened (yeast) dough, shape it into a round loaf, decorate it and send to a

preheated oven! To make it shine - smear your karavay with beaten eggs or sugared waterwhen it is almost ready.


16/16

Written by Maria Finoshina, RT correspodent
https://rt.com/about/on-air-talent/maria-finoshina/https://rt.com/about/on-air-talent/maria-finoshina/

of russian origin1

Documents