Character traits of Russian people. Russian national character

The national character, features of the Russian mentality belong to the ethno- and socio-psychological Russia.

History of the question of national character

The question of national character has not received a generally accepted formulation, although it has significant historiography in the world and Russian pre-revolutionary science. This problem was studied by Montesquieu, Kant, Herder. And the thought that different peoples have your own national spirit”, was formed in the philosophy of romanticism and pochvennichestvo both in the West and in Russia. The German ten-volume "Psychology of Peoples" analyzed the essence of man in various cultural manifestations: everyday life, mythology, religion, etc. Social anthropologists of the last century also did not ignore this topic with their attention. In Soviet society, the humanities took as a basis the predominance of the class over the national, so the national character, ethnic psychology and similar issues were left aside. They weren't given much importance back then.

The concept of national character

At this stage, the concept of national character includes different schools and approaches. Of all the interpretations, two main ones can be distinguished:

• personal-psychological

• value-normative.

Personal and psychological interpretation of the national character

Such an interpretation implies that people of the same cultural values ​​have common personal and mental traits. The complex of such qualities distinguishes representatives of this group from others. The American psychiatrist A. Kardiner created the concept of "basic personality", on the basis of which he drew a conclusion about the "basic personality type" that is inherent in every culture. The same idea is supported by N.O. Lossky. He highlights the main features of the Russian character, which is different:

• religiosity,
• susceptibility to the highest examples of skills,
• spiritual openness,
• subtle understanding of someone else's state,
• strong willpower,
• fervor in religious life,
• ebullition in public affairs,
• adherence to extreme views,
• love of freedom, reaching to anarchy,
• love for the fatherland
• contempt for the common people.

Similar researches reveal also the results contradicting each other. Any people can find absolutely polar traits. Here it is necessary to conduct more in-depth studies using new statistical techniques.

Value-normative approach to the problem of national character

Such an approach admits that the national character is embodied not in the individual qualities of the representative of the nation, but in the socio-cultural functioning of his people. B.P. Vysheslavtsev in his work "Russian National Character" explains that the human character is not obvious, on the contrary, it is something secret. Therefore, it is difficult to understand and surprises happen. The root of character is not in expressive ideas and not in the essence of consciousness, it grows from unconscious forces, from the subconscious. In this sub-foundation such cataclysms are ripening that cannot be predicted by looking at the outer shell. For the most part, this applies to the Russian people.

Such a social state of mind, based on the attitudes of group consciousness, is usually called mentality. In connection with this interpretation, the features of the Russian character appear as a reflection of the mentality of the people, that is, they are the property of the people, and not a set of features inherent in its individual representatives.

mentality

• reflected in the actions of people, their way of thinking,
• leaves its mark on folklore, literature, art,
• gives rise to an original way of life and a special culture characteristic of a particular people.

Features of the Russian mentality

The study of the Russian mentality was begun in the 19th century, first in the works of the Slavophiles, the research was continued at the turn of the next century. In the early nineties of the last century, interest in this issue arose again.

Most researchers note the most characteristics mentality of the Russian people. It is based on deep compositions of consciousness that help to make choices in time and space. In the context of this, there is the concept of a chronotope - i.e. connection of spatio-temporal relations in culture.

• Endless movement

Klyuchevsky, Berdyaev, Fedotov noted in their writings the sense of Space characteristic of the people of Russia. This is the boundlessness of the plains, their openness, the absence of borders. This model of the national Cosmos was reflected in their works by many poets and writers.

• openness, incompleteness, questioning

A weighty value of Russian culture is its openness. She can comprehend another, alien to her, and is subject to various influences from outside. Some, for example, D. Likhachev, call this universalism, others, like, note universal understanding, call it, like G. Florovsky, universal responsiveness. G. Gachev noticed that many domestic classic masterpieces literature remained unfinished, leaving the way for development. This is the whole culture of Russia.

• Mismatch between the Space step and the Time step

The peculiarity of Russian landscapes and territories predetermines the experience of Space. The linearity of Christianity and the European tempo determine the experience of Time. The vast territories of Russia, endless expanses predetermine the colossal step of Space. For Time, European criteria are used, Western historical processes and formations are tried on.

According to Gachev, in Russia all processes should proceed more slowly. The psyche of a Russian person is slower. The gap between the steps of Space and Time generates tragedy and is fatal for the country.

Antinomy of Russian culture

The discrepancy in two coordinates - Time and Space creates a constant tension in Russian culture. Another feature of it is connected with this - antinomy. Many researchers consider this feature to be one of the most distinctive. Berdyaev noted the strong inconsistency of national life and self-consciousness, where a deep abyss and boundless heights are combined with meanness, baseness, lack of pride, servility. He wrote that in Russia boundless philanthropy and compassion can coexist with misanthropy and savagery, and the desire for freedom coexists with slavish resignation. These polarities in Russian culture do not have semitones. Other peoples also have opposites, but only in Russia bureaucracy can be born from anarchism, and slavery from freedom. This specificity of consciousness is reflected in philosophy, art, and literature. This dualism, both in culture and in personality, is best reflected in the works of Dostoevsky. Literature always provides great information for the study of mentality. The binary principle, which is important in national culture, is reflected even in the works Russian writers. Here is a list compiled by Gachev:

"War and Peace", "Fathers and Sons", "Crime and Punishment", "Poet and Crowd", "Poet and Citizen", "Christ and Antichrist".

The names speak of the great inconsistency of thinking:

"Dead Souls", "Living Corpse", "Virgin Soil Upturned", "Yawning Heights".

Polarization of Russian culture

The Russian mentality, with its binary combination of mutually exclusive qualities, reflects the hidden polarity of Russian culture, which is inherent in all periods of its development. Continuous tragic tension manifested itself in their collisions:

G.P. Fedotov, in his work “The Fate and Sins of Russia”, explored the originality of Russian culture and depicted the national mentality, its device in the form of an ellipse with a pair of opposite-pole centers that continuously fight and cooperate. This causes constant instability and variability in the development of our culture, at the same time it stimulates the intention to solve the problem instantly, through a flash, a throw, a revolution.

"Intelligibility" of Russian culture

The internal antinomy of Russian culture also gives rise to its “incomprehensibility”. The sensual, spiritual, and illogical always prevail over the expedient and meaningful in it. Its originality is difficult to analyze from the point of view of science, as well as to convey the possibilities of plastic art. In his works, I.V. Kondakov writes that literature is the most consonant with the national identity of Russian culture. This is the reason for the deep respect for the book, the word. This is especially noticeable in the Russian culture of the Middle Ages. Classical Russian culture of the nineteenth century: painting, music, philosophy, social thought, he notes, was created for the most part under the influence of literary works, their heroes, designs, plots. It is impossible to underestimate the consciousness of Russian society.

Cultural identity of Russia

Russian cultural self-identification is hampered by the specifics of mentality. The concept of cultural identity includes the identification of a person with cultural tradition, national values.

Among Western peoples, national and cultural identity is expressed in two ways: national (I am German, I am Italian, etc.) and civilizational (I am European). In Russia, there is no such certainty. This is due to the fact that the cultural identity of Russia depends on:

• multi-ethnic basis of culture, where there are a lot of local variants and subcultures;
• intermediate position between ;
• inherent gift of compassion and empathy;
• repeated impetuous transformations.

This ambiguity, inconsistency gives rise to arguments about its exclusivity, originality. In Russian culture, the idea of ​​a unique path and the highest calling of the people of Russia is deep. This idea was embodied in the popular socio-philosophical thesis about.

But in full agreement with everything that was said above, along with the awareness of national dignity and conviction in one's own exclusivity, there is a national denial that reaches self-abasement. The philosopher Vysheslavtsev emphasized that restraint, self-flagellation, and repentance are a national trait of our character, that there is no people that has criticized itself so much, exposed it, and joked about itself.

The Savior once said about Christians: “If you were of this world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of this world, because I took you out of the world, the world hates you.” The same words can also be applied to the Russian people, into whose flesh and blood Christianity has been absorbed most of all.

Today we often encounter open Russophobia and hatred from other states. But this is not a reason to panic, it did not start today and will not end tomorrow - it will always be like this.

The world hates us, but does not suspect how much he himself needs the Russian people. If the Russian people disappear, then from the world take out the soul and he will lose the very meaning of his existence!

That is why the Lord keeps us and the Russians exist, despite all the tragedies and trials: Napoleon, Batu and Hitler, the revolution, perestroika and the Time of Troubles, drugs, the decline of morals and the crisis of responsibility...

We will live and develop as long as we ourselves remain relevant, as long as the Russian person retains the character traits inherent in our people.

Caring “friends” often remind us of those features inherent in us that can be classified as bad, trying to make us hate ourselves and self-destruct ... We will consider the positive features of the Russian soul in order to remember what gifts the Lord has generously endowed us with and what we should always stay.

So, TOP 10 best qualities of a Russian person:

1. Strong faith

The Russian people at a deep level believe in God, have a strong inner sense of conscience, the concept of good and evil, worthy and unworthy, proper and not proper. Even the communists believed in their Moral Code.

It is a Russian person who considers his whole life from the position son of God — Father will like it, or upset. To act according to the law or conscience (according to the commandments of God) is a purely Russian problem.

A Russian person also believes in people, constantly doing them good and even beyond that. sacrificing personal for the good of others. A Russian person sees in another person first of all Image of God, sees equal recognizes the dignity of another person. This is precisely the secret of the victorious power of Russian civilization, our gigantic spaces and multinational unity.

The Russian person believes in himself as a bearer of the Truth. Hence the strength of our actions and the legendary Russian survival rate. Not a single conqueror in the world could destroy us. Only we ourselves can kill the Russian people, if we believe in the negative image of the Russian people that is being imposed on us.

2. Heightened sense of justice

We cannot live in comfort while falsehood is rampant in the world. "Let's put together a strong coffin with the rabble of mankind!" from the song "Holy War" - it's about us.

For a long time we fought with the Turks for the freedom of the Slav brothers, we saved the poor from the bais and their extortions Central Asia, stopped the genocide of the Chinese by the Japanese army and saved the Jews from the Holocaust.

As soon as a Russian person believes that a threat to all mankind is coming from somewhere, Napoleon, Hitler, Mamai or anyone else immediately disappear from the historical canvas.

The same rule applies to inner life- our riots and revolutions are just attempts to build a just society, punish the presumptuous and alleviate the lot of the poor (naturally, if we consider the motivation of ordinary workers and peasants, and not the cynical leaders of the revolution).

You can rely on us - after all, we keep our word and do not betray our allies. The concept of honor, unlike the Anglo-Saxons, is not only familiar to the Russian person, but also deeply inherent.

3. Love for the Motherland

All nations love their homeland. Even Americans, a people of emigrants, treat their national symbols and traditions with reverence.

But a Russian person loves his Motherland more than others! White emigrants fled the country under the threat of death. It would seem that they should have hated Russia and quickly assimilated where they came. But what really happened?

They were so ill with nostalgia that they taught their sons and grandsons the Russian language, they yearned for the Motherland so much that they created thousands of little Russias around themselves - they founded Russian institutes and seminaries, built Orthodox churches, taught Russian culture and language to thousands of Brazilians, Moroccans, Americans, French, Germans, Chinese...

They did not die of old age, but of longing for their Fatherland and wept when the Soviet authorities allowed them to return. They infected others with their love, and today Spaniards and Danes, Syrians and Greeks, Vietnamese, Filipinos and Africans are going to live in Russia.

4. Unique generosity

The Russian person is generous and generous in everything: both for material gifts and for wonderful ideas and for the manifestation of feelings.

The word "generosity" in ancient times meant mercy, mercy. This quality is deeply rooted in the Russian character.

It is completely unnatural for a Russian person to spend 5% or 2% of their salary on charity. If a friend is in trouble, then the Russian will not bargain and gain something for himself, he will give his friend all the cash, and if it is not enough, he will pass his hat around in a circle or take off and sell his last shirt for him.

Half of the inventions in the world were made by Russian "Kulibins", and cunning foreigners patented them. But the Russians are not offended by this, since their ideas are also generosity, a gift of our people to humanity.

The Russian soul does not accept half measures, does not know prejudice. If in Russia someone was once called a friend, then they will die for him, if an enemy, then he will certainly be destroyed. At the same time, it does not matter at all who our counterpart is, what race, nation, religion, age or gender he is - the attitude towards him will depend only on his personal qualities.

5. Incredible work ethic

“The Russians are a lazy people,” Goebbels propagandists broadcast and continue to repeat their current followers. But it's not.

We are often compared to bears and this comparison is very apt - we have similar biological rhythms: summer in Russia is short and you have to work hard to have time to harvest, and winter is long and relatively idle - chop wood, fire the stove, remove snow, and collect crafts . In fact, we work a lot, just unevenly.

Russian people have always worked diligently and conscientiously. In our fairy tales and proverbs positive image the hero is inextricably linked with skill, diligence and ingenuity: "The sun paints the earth, and labor works for a person."

Since ancient times, labor has been glorious and revered among peasants and artisans, scribes and merchants, warriors and monks, and has always been deeply linked to the cause of protecting the Fatherland and increasing its glory.

6. The ability to see and appreciate the beautiful

The Russian people live in extremely picturesque places. In our country you can find large rivers and steppes, mountains and seas, tropical forests and tundra, taiga and deserts. Therefore, the sense of beauty is heightened in the Russian soul.

Russian culture has been formed for more than a thousand years, incorporating particles of the cultures of many Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes, as well as accepting and creatively reworking the heritage of Byzantium and the Golden Horde and hundreds of small peoples. Therefore, in terms of the richness of content, it cannot be compared with it. no other culture in the world.

The consciousness of the immensity of their own wealth, material and spiritual, made the Russian person benevolent and understanding in relation to other peoples of the Earth.

A Russian person, like no one else, is able to highlight the beauty in the culture of another people, admire it and recognize the greatness of achievements. For him, there are no backward or underdeveloped peoples, he does not need to treat anyone with disdain from the consciousness of his own inferiority. Even among the Papuans and Indians, a Russian will always find something to learn.

7. Hospitality

This national trait nature is connected with our vast expanses, where it was rarely possible to meet a person on the way. Hence the joy from such meetings - stormy and sincere.

If a guest comes to a Russian person, he always expects a set table, the best dishes, festive food and a warm bed for the night. And all this is done free of charge, since it is not customary for us to see in a person only a “purse with ears” and treat him as a consumer.

Our man knows that a guest in the house should not be bored. Therefore, a foreigner who came to us, leaving, can hardly put together memories of how he was sung, danced, rolled, fed to satiety and watered to amazement ...

8. Patience

The Russian people are surprisingly patient. But this patience is not reduced to banal passivity or "servility", it is intertwined with the victim. Russian people are by no means stupid and always endure in the name of something, for a meaningful purpose.

If he realizes that he is being deceived, a rebellion begins - the same merciless rebellion, in the flames of which all usurers and negligent stewards perish.

But when a Russian person knows in the name of what goal he endures difficulties and works hard, then national patience gives incredible positive results. For us to cut down a whole fleet in five years, to win world war or to industrialize in the order of things.

Russian patience is also a kind of strategy of non-aggressive interaction with the world, solving life's problems not through violence against nature and the consumption of its resources, but mainly through internal, spiritual efforts. We do not plunder the property given to us by God, but slightly moderate our appetites.

9. Sincerity

Another of the main features of the Russian character is sincerity in the manifestation of feelings.

A Russian person is not good at grinding out a smile, he does not like pretense and ritual politeness, he gets annoyed at the insincere “thanks for the purchase, come again” and does not shake hands with a person whom he considers a bastard, even if this could bring benefits.

If a person does not evoke emotions in you, then you don’t need to express anything - go through without stopping. Acting in Russia is not held in high esteem (if it is not a profession) and those who speak and act the way they think and feel are most respected. God put on my soul.

10. Collectivism, catholicity

The Russian man is not alone. He loves and knows how to live in society, which is reflected in the sayings: "in the world and death is red", "one man is not a warrior."

Since ancient times, nature itself, with its severity, has prompted Russians to unite in collectives - communities, artels, partnerships, squads and brotherhoods.

Hence the “imperial nature” of Russians, that is, their indifference to the fate of a relative, neighbor, friend, and, ultimately, the entire Fatherland. It was precisely because of catholicity that there were no homeless children in Rus' for a long time - orphans were always sorted into families and brought up by the whole village.

Russian catholicity, according to the definition of the Slavophil Khomyakov, is “a holistic combination of freedom and unity of many people based on their common love for the same absolute values”, Christian values.

The West failed to create such a powerful state as Russia, united on a spiritual basis, because it did not achieve catholicity, and to unite peoples it was forced to use, above all, violence.

Russia has always united on the basis of mutual respect and mutual consideration of interests. The unity of the people in peace, love and mutual assistance has always been one of the basic values ​​of the Russian people.

Andrey Segeda

In contact with

You can't understand Russia with your mind, you can't measure it with a common yardstick: it has become special in Russia - you can only believe in Russia. Fedor Tyutchev.

If the holy army shouts:

"Throw you Rus', live in paradise!"

I will say: “There is no need for paradise,

Give me my country."

Sergey Yesenin.

Who are these strange Russians, and what strange laws do they live by?

What is the peculiarity of the Russian character, and why does such a mentality not even exist anywhere in the world?

Why is the behavior of a Russian person abroad so recognizable, and for what reason are we either adored or hated, but never simply indifferent?

All attempts by the government to build in our state, living strictly according to the laws and consciously observing them, failed with a deafening crash. Any imposed Western-style values ​​are rejected by our people as a foreign body.

What is the reason? After all, on these principles the whole world has been standing and flourishing for many years. Western Europe and America.

At the same time, the revolutionary ideas of Lenin and, which have no analogues anywhere in the world and are no longer supported by any countries, were received with a bang, and in just two decades they turned the political system upside down, creating a society fundamentally different in its mechanisms of existence.

What was it? utopian idea that has taken root in an atypically thinking society?

Russia cannot be understood with the mind,

Do not measure with a common yardstick:

She has a special become -

One can only believe in Russia.

Fedor Tyutchev.

Faith in the life of a Russian person has always occupied a special place, but at the same time, we have always been tolerant towards non-believers. In Russia, many nationalities have always coexisted, and each had its own religion.

The Russian character has always been a mystery to any foreigner. Completely illogical actions - this strange tendency to reckless recklessness, ostentatious, inexplicable generosity, reaching wastefulness, love for luxurious expensive things, albeit for one day, albeit penniless, as if it were his last day, and then take and give everything to someone, but at least to the first person you meet - no, it's impossible to understand.

Terrible, cruel crime, total corruption and thieves' laws that are observed better than the criminal code - what are these, too, features of a national character or a dead end into which the whole country has entered?

Can our person abroad become so "one's own" to feel happy?

What determines the Russian character - heredity, climate, social system or landscape conditions?

Read on for exhaustive and most unexpected answers…

national character. Hot blood of the cold steppes

Russian character is psychological picture the whole people, the mentality of the state, and not even one Russia. It is partly present in every Russian person, these are the features that unite us, make us similar, create the basis on which we understand each other a little better than people with a different mentality.

The formation of the national character took place over many centuries, the foundation for this was the special geopolitics of one of the great leaders of the past - Genghis Khan.

The unique combination of endless steppes and impenetrable forests created the prerequisites for the emergence of the urethral-muscular mentality, which is the basis of the Russian character.

The specific role of the representative of the urethral vector is the leader, the head of the tribe, his task is to preserve the living substance of the pack, advance it into the future or develop new lands.

Unpredictable strategic thinking, the complete absence of fear and high endurance are the properties that ensure the implementation of its species role.

The highest rank, the first right to bite, given by nature, cannot be disputed or questioned. Anyone who encroaches on his primacy will instantly know what the urethral lion's anger is. There can be only one leader in the pack, when the second one appears, everything is decided by a deadly fight, the outcome of which is either the death of one of them, or exile. The defeated, at best, leaves to look for his flock.

He himself does not obey anyone and does not recognize any restrictions, having an innate sense of mercy and justice. Merciless to strangers and the most tolerant of his own, he forgives everything except crimes against the pack, for which he punishes right there - cruelly and mercilessly.

The interests of the pack are of the highest value for him, personal interests are always deeply secondary. His pleasure is in bestowal, in the realization of his animal altruism. That is why the communist ideas of building an ideal society, where everyone works for the good of the country, receiving as much as is necessary for life, turned out to be so close to the hearts of Russian people.

The most generous and disinterested, he will give the last shirt to those who need it more. By this he satisfies his needs for bestowal, receives his pleasure. A fur coat from a master's shoulder, expensive gifts and fabulous tips - all this is a manifestation of urethral generosity, a kind of evidence of his highest rank, his status.

Hence the love for glory and luxury - the leader must have everything that is most expensive, luxurious and unique, but at the same time he is absolutely not going to store, protect or save it all. These are trifles, albeit royal, but compared to his goals and values, all these are trifles that he can give to anyone he meets when he wants.

Risk is a noble cause!

This expression is typical only for Russians. A leader cannot be afraid. He is always the first to rush into the fray, the first to attack, conquer new unexplored horizons, do things that no one else is capable of. For this he was born, the whole flock follows him, he does not have and cannot have another way. Only for the flags, only forward, contrary to common sense, logic or experience. Restrictions, rules, laws are for others, he has a purpose and nothing else matters. And this goal is to save the flock, even at the cost of one's own life, the goal is still more important.

Only a representative of the urethral vector is able to make a decision to ram or rush into an embrasure, as the Heroes of the Great Patriotic War did, defending their homeland, their people, even at the cost of their own lives.

Russian peasant is a simple man

The impenetrable taiga and other forests of Russia are the closest and dearest place for the representatives of the muscular vector: they are the only ones who accurately navigate and feel quite comfortable among the dense forests.

The properties of the muscle vector are basic for all living beings, so they simply dissolve in the desires of other vectors, strengthening them.

Characteristic for the muscular vector, the perception of oneself as only an inseparable part of the common collective “we” and a wary attitude towards strangers amazingly mixes with urethral generosity, tolerance and hospitality, turning into the so-called xenophobia on the contrary. This was manifested by our inexplicable love for foreigners, for whom we always laid a magnificent table, organized holidays, gave gifts, gave the most beautiful girls as wives.

It was thanks to this property that the most diverse nationalities with their culture, traditions and religions coexisted peacefully in our vast country.

A muscular person will never take more than he needs for life, he simply does not have such a need and such a desire, and in combination with urethral altruism, he will rather give his own than take too much. , it was the muscular people who were ready to work for the good of the Motherland practically for free all their lives.

We have always lived like this - at the call of the soul

There are obvious reasons why the sound idea of ​​Lenin and Trotsky, pushed forward by the urethral commissars and found a response in inner world every Russian person, for such a short time brought so significant results and radically changed the face of the country.

Close to the urethral mentality, such values ​​of the anal vector as honesty, decency, friendship, respect for elders, for the traditions of the past have become widespread and generally accepted, especially in the anal phase of human development, which ended with the end of the Great Patriotic War.

With the transition to the Russian, who until recently considered himself Soviet, he found himself in a contradictory situation.

On the one hand, the urethral mentality has been and remains, but along with this, new values modern society are sharply opposed to such a mentality.

The basis of all properties of the skin vector are limitations that absolutely cannot be perceived in the urethral mentality. Any laws, rules, regulations, which are mandatory mechanisms for regulating the skin society, are rejected by the Russian character, which is based on an unlimited urethral mentality.

The skin phase of human development, like any other, is inevitable for everyone, including Russians. It would be wrong to judge that it is bad or good. It continues, and Russia also lives in a world of consumption, high technology and the law. Somewhere clumsily, somewhere in our own way, but we are learning to adapt the landscape in such strange conditions for us. This is development, moving forward, evolution of a kind, overcoming obstacles.

It is impossible to protect the boundless steppe with a fence, it is simply impossible. To force the leader to obey is even more impossible. He is more likely to die in a deadly fight, but he will not bow his head, especially in front of some skinner, who by nature has a rank much lower than the leader. This behavior is contrary to the whole urethral nature. He wanted to spit on some skin laws. The law is his word! This is how it is given by nature, this is how he feels himself and simply cannot live differently.

His urethral laws are the most correct, since they are based on real mercy and justice without a shadow of personal gain, only for the good of the pack, for the same reason they completely contradict logical and rational skin values ​​and cannot be understood.

Representatives of the urethral vector, who did not receive sufficient development of properties before the end of puberty, and often vice versa, beaten at home and driven into school frames, run away from home in search of their flock, which they find on the street, among homeless children. Perceiving the world as hostile, as it was all childhood, they learn to defend themselves from it and protect their flock, living by their own laws and turning into a criminal authority.

Thieves' laws, for all their cruelty, are fair, but they are fair for a primitive society, for an animal pack and are, in fact, a manifestation of the archetypal program of the urethral vector.

In which feelings of mercy, justice and responsibility for others are brought up, he perceives the whole society as his flock and is able, like no one else, to bring socially useful benefits to it.

Representatives of the Western skin mentality, being next to Russians, subconsciously feel their lower rank due to our urethral mentality. It manifests itself in any case, even if we are talking about a person with a skin vector, who, it would seem, has every chance to harmoniously fit into a developed consumer society. western man receives enormous stress from how Russians spend money, because for him saving is a priority, rational logical thinking in everything that urethral habits do not fit in any way. Many Western women are captivated by the passionate, generous Russian nature, but at the same time they are alarmed by inexplicable behavior and illogical life decisions, and men are humiliated by the position of a lower rank next to the leader, even if all these moments do not have a bright manifestation in behavior.

Misunderstanding of the behavior of Russians abroad is due to the peculiarities of the national character, which simply cannot be understood in a skin society due to the significant remoteness of innate properties. Only awareness own nature and the qualities of another person makes it possible to communicate harmoniously with a representative of any vector or mentality, since there are no bad or good vectors, it all depends on the level of development and the degree of realization of the properties of each individual person.

A society with a urethral mentality - it is from here that the next phase of human development will begin, which will be based on spiritual altruism. What awaits us, read in the next article.

The restoration of the sense of one's own "I", that is, the self-identification of the people who have been in a long-term unconsciousness, is, first of all, the revival historical memory And national consciousness. To understand who we are now, we need to realize what we were, including what was the Russian national character. Most of all, the character of the people is evidenced by its historical fate. Here we should repeat the obvious historical facts, which, due to prevailing prejudices, are not at all obvious to public opinion - both domestic and foreign. Not a single civilized nation has survived in such unprecedentedly difficult climatic, natural and geopolitical conditions, having mastered the largest spaces in history, forming the largest state in the world, not destroying or enslaving a single people, creating a great culture. It is clear that the people who carry out these unprecedented acts have unique qualities.

Apparently, the East Slavic tribes, capable of mastering the most severe spaces on the Eurasian continent, were originally distinguished by their dynamic and industrious character, hardy and stubborn, brave and violent. Russian man genetically transferred the contradictory properties of the Slavic epileptoid type of character (as defined by Ksenia Kasyanova). An epileptoid in ordinary situations is calm, patient, thorough and thrifty, but is capable of a breakdown in an annoying situation, if you put pressure on him for a long time, he is explosive. He himself sets his own pace of life and goal setting, strives to act in his own rhythm and according to his own plan. He is characterized by solidity, consistency, perseverance in achieving the goal, which can turn into stubbornness. Such a people singles out leaders or leaders-organizers who either perceive national interests and strive with incredible persistence to realize them, or maniacally impose their ideas on the people. The epileptoid character is characterized by slow reactions, some “viscosity” of thinking and actions ( Russian man is strong in hindsight). In calm states, the epileptoid type is prone to mild depression: lethargy, apathy, bad moods and decreased activity tone, which was characterized as Russian laziness. Switching to another type of activity is difficult, and the mobilization of forces for this is slow, because it takes time to “build up”, get used to new circumstances. But as a result, the Russian people gave an adequate response to the challenges of fate, because the naturally talented people have honed their mind and ingenuity for centuries in the most difficult struggle for survival. That is why Russian harnesses for a long time, but goes fast. Compared to Europeans, Russians are more restrained in their manifestations, but also more constant in their states - both in calmness and in violence.

The dominance of the emotional sphere in an epileptoid is fraught with the fact that in an affective state he is denied protective mental mechanisms and moral barriers. The violent nature of a Slav is tamed by an Orthodox upbringing. Orthodox ceremonies, traditional rituals, as well as the exacting state way of life compensated for the lack of internal energy in calm near-depressive states or extinguished excess energy in situations of emotional overload and breakdowns, evened out the emotional cycles characteristic of an epileptoid, mobilized or switched energy to the actual sphere of activity in time. Habits-ritauls "rocked" the epileptoid into states of "freezing", saved his strength, gently switched him to everyday activities. Festive ceremonies adorned life, leveled and strengthened it with preventive discharge, unloading of the psyche. But with the destruction of the traditional way of life, the people fell into turmoil and the holidays were replaced by deep drunkenness and revelry.

Perhaps only a people with a similar character could adapt to the harsh, unstable climatic and geopolitical cycles of the northeast of Eurasia. But at the expense of losses and gains, at the expense of aggravating some of the difficulties of character. Weaknesses and painful qualities were compensated by the way of life: the Russian way of life is a continuation of the Russian character and vice versa. But when traditions and ties with deep national landmarks collapsed, the Russian person lost himself, degraded, gave himself up to false authorities or utopias. The feeling of the meaninglessness of life for a Russian person is worse than any trials. Periods of unrest in Russian life have always been caused by the destruction of statehood and the trampling of traditional foundations by the ruling classes. At the same time, certain painful forms are more characteristic of Russian people: distorted sacrifice, nihilism as a desire for destruction and self-destruction, where secularized apocalyptic displaces Christian eschatology. A manic European arranges an iron order at home and seeks to enslave everyone around. The Russian, having lost its traditional foundations, obsessively destroys everything around, setting itself on fire - this is almost never seen in Europe.

Genetically, a Russian person is prone to individualism and isolation. But the upbringing of the Orthodox conciliar culture instilled in the people the value motivation of duty, in contrast to the rational motivation of benefit that dominates in the West. In our society, people's behavior is no longer evaluated by the result, but by compliance with accepted norms, actions - not by benefit, but by correctness. This is connected with a strong conciliar sense of self - of their unity with the social and national whole and their organic place in it. Therefore, the conciliar motives for action for the sake of land, peace or in the name of a common cause have always been dominant. Among Russian people, there is often a type who strives for self-denial and even heroic sacrifice, which cannot bring individual benefits. At the same time, he is intuitively convinced that the actions in fairness correspond to some higher benefit. And indeed, only service to the highest duty and the ability to self-sacrifice, in the end, bring society an incomparably greater benefit, which can respond - sooner or later - with lofty benefits for the actor himself. Well, if it is not given here, then it will certainly be rewarded from above. This metaphysical certainty and spiritual self-satisfaction are brought up by Orthodoxy. Russian public opinion, as a rule, highly appreciates the ascetics, for they awaken our cultural religious archetypes.

The need for self-preservation in harsh conditions and demanding religious ideals brought up restraint, self-restraint, asceticism, the priority of the spirit over the flesh. The peculiarity of the national character of the Russian people lies in the fact that they are not able to be inspired by consumer ideals, because Russian culture is little oriented towards material goods. Among the Russians, hoarding, the desire for enrichment at any cost, was not widespread, and in public opinion, the dignity of a person was evaluated more by internal qualities, and not by financial situation. The principle of ascetic sufficiency and self-restraint acted even in rare periods of well-being - in the name of accumulating strength in a severe struggle for survival and for more pressing spiritual interests. Therefore, Russian culture is little oriented towards the production and accumulation of material goods. A Russian person, unlike Europeans, is not capable of throwing all his strength into material prosperity, arranging his life and maintaining sterile cleanliness. It is more typical for us to strive to clear up the chaos of nature, to subdue the elements just enough to self-preserve and save strength for the main issues of life - manifested in different forms at various levels of culture, but invariably spiritual, heavenly, eternal. Achievements in the material field are possible for a Russian person only if they are a function of higher goals: the defense of the Motherland, the development of the earth's expanses, the realization social ideal or individual self-realization. Russians are more inclined to search for the meaning of life, but they also suffer more from the loss of the sacred in life, from the meaninglessness of existence.

Contrary to popular beliefs about Russian barbarism and cruelty, Russian history is more virtuous than European, and public morality is more exacting. In Rus', in principle, indulgences, the Inquisition, scalps were impossible, in Orthodox life it is impossible to imagine the debauchery that reigned in the monasteries of Catholic Europe and in the Vatican, it is impossible to detect such a decline in morals as was common in European cities of the era of Humanism, or mass bloody slaughter, as in Bartholomew night in France, in the Hundred Years War in Germany, in the burning of "witches" all over Europe. At the same time, the Russian chronicles impartially call evil - evil, while Europeans - with all the atrocities in Europe and with the extermination of natives on all continents - considered themselves the most civilized in the world. By annexing vast territories and many peoples, the Russians showed national and religious tolerance unprecedented in Europe. The people of the cathedral nature for centuries perceived and assimilated many cultures. At the same time, he invariably digested alien archetypes implanted by the elite, the ruling stratum, deafly resisting them, adapting, but maintaining his own spiritual constitution.

The Russian people have an unprecedented survival rate in the most difficult conditions, which means that they have the ability to adapt to them through the formation of themselves, and not through the destruction of the surrounding world. Such people are characterized by incredible perseverance and inflexibility in the fulfillment of their historical mission. The people are capable of unprecedented patience, but only if the hardships of life are justified by higher goals. He can endure great hardships, but he will not survive the loss of the meaning of life. The Russian person is not very responsive to all kinds of radical reforms: he likes to preserve, not to destroy. Moreover, long-suffering ends just when the traditional way of life is forcibly destroyed for a long time and traditional values ​​are violated.

In the absence of a mobilizing organic national ideal, the Russian people withered away. In this case, the people resisted the imposition of a hostile way of life by the authorities by passivity, indifference, showing creative dynamism only in directions close to their vital interest. The people preferred to die out, rather than accept completely alien forms of life. This was the case during the communist period, and these tendencies also manifested themselves in the 1990s. Hence it is clear how salutary for the Russian people is the organic national ideal, which will indicate national goals, mobilize the national spirit and awaken the energy of life and struggle.

The Russian people are characterized by over-mobilization in extreme situations and demobilization in ordinary situations, which was also dictated by the need for self-preservation. The mobilization-demobilization pendulum corresponded to the unstable cycles of the harsh Eurasian continent. Periods of inactivity and unusual patience in a long-term difficult situation could suddenly change either vigorous activity or riot. A Russian person is little able to mobilize for selfish material goals, but he makes super efforts in the name of lofty ideals: the preservation of the Motherland and values ​​sacred to him, or the fulfillment of a global historical mission. Such a people can endure many ordeals and humiliations from their own power, but in the face of mortal danger from outside, they are invincible. Being defeated by an external enemy - as during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, or from an internal enemy - under communism, the people, having suffered great sacrifices in resistance, found the strength to self-preserve and "digest" the hostile force. Apparently adapting to it, but in essence gradually changing its nature and adapting, in the end, to its own national archetype. Therefore, from all the catastrophes, Russia miraculously came out stronger than it was before them.

Causes Russian disaster The years of 1917 were mostly external, and spiritual poisons were brought into the national organism from outside. At the same time, some traits of the Russian character left the people defenseless against the most insidious spirits of evil in history. Over the decades, the communist regime has poisoned the soul of the people, changing for the worse many primordial character traits, burning out virtues and strengthening vices. “Long-standing traits of the Russian character (which good ones have been lost, and which vulnerable ones have developed) have made us defenseless in the trials of the 20th century. And our once all-openness - didn't it turn into an easy surrender under someone else's influence, spiritual spinelessness? It has recently had such a bitter effect on the repulsion of our refugees from the republics. This insensitivity of Russians to Russians is striking! Few people are so lacking in national cohesion and mutual assistance as they are in ours. Maybe it's just the current decay? Or a property that was inscribed in us by the Soviet decades? After all, we had for centuries the most friendly fraternal artels, there was a living communal life, maybe this can be restored? The Russian character today - all swayed in the balance. And where will it lean? We lost our feelings united people» (A.I. Solzhenitsyn).

It is clear that the Russian people in the struggle for self-preservation in a mortally dangerous situation lost some of its inherent virtues, acquired both positive and negative experiences. But, since he is alive, he managed to preserve those properties that are the basis of his self-identification. Of course, many of them have changed, some beyond recognition. Even by the beginning of the 21st century, the life of the majority of the inhabitants of Russia remains on the verge of being unbearable. So in countryside In central Russia, every tenth family lives at the poverty level. About sixty percent of the population is obviously poor, choosing an answer. That is, the standard of living of seventy percent of the rural population is not satisfactory to this day. Survive in these conditions can only be reduced to almost zero needs. The traditionally ascetic Russian character in these conditions already shows transcendent asceticism.

In camp conditions, in order to survive, the prisoner tried to minimize needs to the utmost and save energy whenever possible. When the life of seventy percent of the population is close to camp conditions, this is not "laziness", but a desire for self-preservation. Life instinct tells people that any tension in conditions when the majority of the population of a vast country is in poverty will most likely not give results, but will end in anguish. Therefore, the absolute majority of peasants are convinced that their personal well-being depends on the state of the whole country. As from time immemorial, now the conciliar feeling tells the Russian person that both prosperity and hardships can only be experienced all over the world. In this conciliar feeling of life, the feeling of a large homeland is inseparable from the feeling of a small homeland - right up to one's own village, one's neighbors.

Many centuries of harsh conditions have accustomed the Russian people to gradual, proven changes in the forms of life, because abrupt reforms are fraught with the destruction of the unsteady balance of the existing way of life. And the permanent revolutions in the countryside under the communist regime and the liberal Bolsheviks of the nineties made us even more afraid of drastic changes. Those sound business executives who today want to revive rural life are forced to rely on the ineradicable properties of the national character. In particular, one has to reckon with widespread theft, but not from a neighbor (because neighbors are a microenvironment of common survival, only they can be relied upon in Hard time), but from the state or enriched farmers.

In the character of a modern destitute rural dweller, one can see signs of contradictions and polarities that have formed in extremely difficult and unstable conditions of survival, contradictory changeable life circumstances, which are full of most historical periods. At the same time, the properties of the fundamental archetypes of the national character are found in the Russian peasantry to this day: catholicity, communality, accommodatingness, degree, caution, emotionality, intuitiveness, other-worldliness or mystical pragmatism, ambivalence.

Thus, in more or less normal periods of history, these qualities were expressed in sublime and creative forms. The unbearable hard times(with which Russian fate is full) character traits were suppressed, reduced, but even changed beyond recognition, they remained the basis of survival. At the same time, in extreme conditions that burned out many qualities of character, the national psyche fought for survival, mobilizing the properties of its foundation - the cathedral, communal genotype - showing miracles of resistance to the most cruel adversities, the properties of survival in spite of everything, all over the world sharing adversity, loss, success and victory. But as soon as the threat to existence was overcome, the people singled out strong creative individuals from their midst, who became carriers of a new wave of passionarity, made creative breakthroughs, led the elements of the people, were pioneers and discoverers in various life spheres, enterprising resourceful masters of new forms of life. The bulk of the people, according to the laws of the pendulum of extreme survival (overmobilization - demobilization), relaxed after a deadly overstress to the stress of everyday life - not at all a difficult life, in conservative, protective forms, the reliability of which has been tested by many generations. For any retreat in the direction of dubious novelty threatened to destroy the tensely unsteady well-established way of life, which inevitably added to disasters. For these reasons, it is common for a Russian person to be suspicious of "upstarts" who fight off the collective. But if it turned out to be a strong person who managed to win people's trust and love through exploits, service, work or creativity, he became a generally recognized informal leader. Leaders, heroes and righteous people are inseparable in the national destiny from the workers of the Russian land.

The relationship between individualism and collectivism in our society is rather peculiar to this day. According to modern opinion polls, the majority of Russian society tends to favor the collective, not the individual. The team is relatives, work colleagues, neighbors; people tend to trust their group, its opinion must be reckoned with. In relation to members of a foreign group, we behave more freely, often they are simply ignored. “A manifestation of this is, for example, the contrast between the sensitivity of Russians towards acquaintances and their unceremonious rudeness in public transport, shocking Europeans”(A. Fenko). In the collectivist consciousness of a Russian person, the interests of his family, respect for parents, happiness and well-being of children occupy the first place, while professional success, independence, creativity, self-improvement and pleasant pastime are relegated to the background. So far, contrary to the Westernization of recent decades, the vast majority believe that parents should help adult children (70%), children are obliged to agree with their parents on how to spend the money they earn (60%) and get their approval before getting married (63%) . But at the same time, Russian people are not 100% collectivists, because more than half believe that personal interests are the main thing for a person, and only 40% agree to limit their interests in favor of the state and society. On the one hand, despite all the trials, the archetype of the combination of individualistic and collectivist tendencies remains at its core. But the ugly way of life under communism and the liberal Bolsheviks of the nineties disfigures their manifestations: individualistic energy is forced into anti-collectivist spheres of activity, and the collectivist will is enough only to jointly resist the imposed alienation.

The Russian man, more than other peoples, was a conformist in relation to "his" group, which, in addition to relatives and neighbors, included representatives of sacred centers - the Church and the supreme power. In relation to everything that crushed and forced to hateful tension - to other and higher classes, to representatives of the authorities and the views and opinions prevailing there - the Russian person has always lived, to one degree or another, in disagreement. The more alien the prevailing social norms were, the more deep-seated disagreement and disregard for them manifested itself. But in those times when the government personified national interests, it enjoyed nationwide recognition and support. In those periods of history, when the creative individualistic activity of the Russian people was completely suppressed by the authorities, it was realized in the forms eccentricities And tyranny. But the collective has always treated them with love, precisely because they saw in this an attempt at self-preservation of creative individualistic energy, which will awaken and organically manifest itself as soon as the conditions for this appear, as soon as life becomes more or less tolerable.

Despite unprecedented historical trials, the Russian national character is indestructible in its foundations, as long as the people are alive: "research last decade convincingly prove that the basic values ​​of our people remain traditional... The hierarchy of values ​​of the population of Russia, of course, is dominated by those associated with a person's worldview, such as "a good conscience and spiritual harmony." Among the outsiders were "power", "recognition" and "success". Even in such an exceptionally difficult time as recent years, there was no increase in the importance of material well-being among the respondents. The fact that the system of values ​​in Russia turned out to be very stable instills confidence in our people, who, despite any liberal media corrupting them, for the most part retained the ability to distinguish between good and evil.(N.Ya. Laktionova). Thus, everyone who lives in Russia must admit that the virtues of the Russian national character - the backbone of the nation - must be improved and increased in the first place - again all over the world.

Therefore, during periods of unrest and the collapse of an organic way of life among Russians, the number of suicides and drunkenness sharply increases.

Main national archetypes have survived to this day, having survived the Westernism of the pre-revolutionary ruling stratum, the Westernism of the Marxists, and the Westernism of modern democrats. The people basically did not accept either the communist utopia or the Westernist utopia, and today, one might say, has not responded to the aggressive nationalist, chauvinist ideology.

The Russian people are representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, the indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population Russian Federation), the most numerous ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora has about 30 million people and is concentrated in such states as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, in countries former USSR, in the US and EU countries. As a result of sociological research, it was found that 75% of the Russian population of Russia are followers of Orthodoxy, and a significant part of the population does not identify themselves with any particular religion. national language Russian people is the Russian language.

Each country and its people have their own meaning in modern world, concepts are very important folk culture and the history of the nation, their formation and development. Each nation and its culture is unique in its own way, the color and originality of each nation should not be lost or dissolved in assimilation with other nations, the younger generation should always remember who they really are. For Russia, which is a multinational power and home to 190 peoples, the issue of national culture is quite acute, due to the fact that over the recent years its erasure is especially noticeable against the background of cultures of other nationalities.

Culture and life of the Russian people

(Russian folk costume)

The first associations that arise with the concept of "Russian people" are, of course, the breadth of the soul and fortitude. But the national culture is formed by people, it is these character traits that have a huge impact on its formation and development.

One of the distinguishing features of the Russian people has always been and is simplicity, in the old days, Slavic houses and property were very often plundered and completely destroyed, hence the simplified attitude to everyday life. And of course, these trials, which befell the long-suffering Russian people, only tempered his character, made him stronger and taught him to get out of any life situations with his head held high.

Kindness can be called another of the traits that prevail in the character of the Russian ethnos. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when "they will feed and drink, and put to bed." The unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, very rarely found in other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Diligence is another of the main features of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both her love for work and huge potential, and her laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov's novel). But all the same, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact, against which it is difficult to argue. And no matter how scientists all over the world would like to understand the “mysterious Russian soul”, it is unlikely that any of them can do it, because it is so unique and multifaceted that its “zest” will forever remain a secret for everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs are a unique connection, a kind of "bridge of times", linking the far past with the present. Some of them are rooted in the pagan past of the Russian people, even before the baptism of Rus', little by little their sacred meaning was lost and forgotten, but the main points have been preserved and are still observed. In villages and towns, Russian traditions and customs are honored and remembered to a greater extent than in cities, which is associated with a more isolated lifestyle of urban residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life(this is matchmaking, and wedding celebrations, and the baptism of children). Carrying out ancient ceremonies and rituals guaranteed a successful and happy life in the future, the health of descendants and the general well-being of the family.

(Colorized photograph of a Russian family in the early 20th century)

Since ancient times, Slavic families have been distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already married, remained to live in their own home, the father or elder brother was the head of the family, they all had to obey and implicitly fulfill all their orders. Usually, wedding celebrations were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Feast of the Epiphany (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called "Red Hill", was considered a very good time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking ceremony, when the groom’s parents came to the bride’s family together with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then the bride was held (acquaintance of the future newlyweds), then there was a rite of conspiracy and handshake (the parents decided on issues of dowry and the date of the wedding festivities ).

The rite of baptism in Rus' was also interesting and unique, the child had to be baptized immediately after birth, for this godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson all his life. At one year old, the baby was put on the inside of a sheepskin coat and sheared it, cutting out a cross on the crown, with such a meaning that impure forces could not penetrate his head and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly grown godson should bring godparents kutya (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds), and they, in turn, should give him sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is a truly unique state where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, ancient traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, going back centuries and preserving the memory of not only Orthodox vows and canons, but also the most ancient pagan rites and sacraments. And to this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to the signs and centuries-old traditions, remember and tell their children and grandchildren ancient traditions and legends.

Main national holidays:

• Christmas Jan. 7
• Christmas time January 6 - 9
• Baptism January 19
• Maslenitsa from 20 to 26 February

• Forgiveness Sunday ( before Great Lent)
• Palm Sunday ( the Sunday before Easter)
• Easter ( the first Sunday after the full moon, which occurs no earlier than the day of the conditional vernal equinox on March 21)
• Red hill ( first Sunday after Easter)

• Trinity ( Sunday of Pentecost - 50th day after Easter)
• Ivan Kupala July 7
• Day of Peter and Fevronia July 8
• Ilyin's day August 2

• Honey Spas August 14
• Apple Spas August 19
• Third (Bread) Spas August 29
• Veil day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (from July 6 to 7), once a year, a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold wealth. In the evening, large bonfires are kindled near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive old Russian robes lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths go with the flow, hoping to find their soul mate.

Shrovetide is a traditional holiday of the Russian people, celebrated during the week before Lent. A very long time ago, Shrovetide was rather not a holiday, but a rite, when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, appeasing them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, longing for fun and positive emotions in the cold and dull season, turned the sad holiday into a more cheerful and daring celebration, which began to symbolize the joy of the imminent end of winter and the arrival of the long-awaited warmth. The meaning has changed, but the tradition of baking pancakes has remained, exciting winter entertainments have appeared: sledging and horse-drawn sledge rides, the straw effigy of Winter was burned, all the Shrovetide week a relative went to pancakes either to mother-in-law or to sister-in-law, everywhere there was an atmosphere of celebration and fun , various theatrical and puppet performances were held on the streets with the participation of Petrushka and other folk characters. One of the most colorful and dangerous entertainment On Shrovetide there were fisticuffs, they were attended by the male population, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of “military business”, testing them for courage, courage and dexterity.

Christmas and Easter are considered especially revered Christian holidays among the Russian people.

Christmas is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the rebirth and return to life, the traditions and customs of this holiday, filled with kindness and humanity, high moral ideals and the triumph of the spirit over worldly concerns, in the modern world they are re-opened to society and rethought by it. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve because the main course is holiday table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge "sochivo", consisting of boiled cereals poured with honey, sprinkled with poppy seeds and nuts. You can sit down at the table only after the first star appears in the sky, Christmas (January 7) is a family holiday, when everyone gathered at the same table, ate a festive treat and gave each other gifts. 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmas time, earlier at this time the girls in Rus' held various gatherings with fortune-telling and rituals to attract suitors.

Bright Easter has long been considered a great holiday in Rus', which people associated with the day of general equality, forgiveness and mercy. On the eve of Easter celebrations, Russian women usually bake Easter cakes (festive rich Easter bread) and Easter, clean and decorate their homes, young people and children paint eggs, which ancient tradition symbolize the drops of blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter elegantly dressed people, meeting, they say “Christ is Risen!”, Answer “Truly Risen!”, Then follows a triple kiss and the exchange of festive Easter eggs.