Russian crib theater in traditional culture.

For Ukrainians, Belarusians and Russians, the idea was divided into two parts: religious and domestic. Over time, the religious part was reduced and acquired a local color, and the repertoire expanded and the nativity scene turned into a folk theater.

Nativity device

The Nativity Theater was a large box, inside of which there was a stage, usually two-tiered. On the upper stage, the worship of the newborn baby Jesus was shown, on the lower stage - episodes with Herod, after whose death the everyday part of the performance followed. Wooden puppets were attached from below to a wire, with the help of which the crib-maker moved them along the slots in the floor. The main scenery on the stage is a nursery with a baby. At the back wall were the figures of the righteous Joseph with long beard and the Holy Virgin Mary. Scenes with the birth of Christ were traditionally played out in the upper tier. The owner of the den usually spoke the text himself different voices and drove puppets. The chorus boys sang Christmas carols. And if a musician was present, he accompanied the singing and dancing with music. The puppeteers and accompanying musicians and the choir went from house to house, or staged performances in places of public gathering - in the marketplaces.

Plot

Christmas Drama

Social base

The environment from which the nativity scene grew is usually considered to be the Ukrainian students, mainly the Kyiv "spuds", who contributed to its introduction to the north, for example, to Siberia. The time of existence of the crib drama in Poland and Russia is estimated at approximately 200 years. In the first half of the 19th century, the nativity scene disappeared as an everyday phenomenon, appearing at times in remote places in Belarus and Ukraine and more firmly lingering in the life of the Ukrainian peasantry of Eastern Galicia. The text of the Khorolsky den, published in the book by E. Markovsky, recorded in 1928, testifies that the den drama in Ukraine survived until the beginning of the 20th century.

The Nativity Theater was a favorite pastime for the children of pre-revolutionary Russia. Went with theater-boxes from December 25 during Christmas week, and sometimes even until Great Lent itself, but after the Christmas week it was forbidden to show the spiritual part, only the secular part remained.

Notes

Bibliography

• Markovsky. Ukrainian nativity scene. Research and texts, v. I, view. All-Ukrainian. acad. Sciences, - Kiev, 1929 (Ukrainian)
• Beletskiy A. ancient theater in Russia. The beginnings of theater folk life and school life of Southern Rus' of Ukraine, - M., 1923
• Petrov, South Russian theater and in particular the nativity scene, “Kyiv. old.", 1882, XII
• Kisil O. Ukrainian theater - view. "Knigospilka", Kyiv, 1905 (Ukrainian)
• Galagan. Ukrainian Nativity Scene, Kyiv. old.», X, 1882 (Ukrainian)
• Franco. Before the history of Ukrainian nativity scene of the 18th century, 1st century, - “Zap. Sciences. t-va im. Shevchenko”, Lvov, 1906, v. 71-73 (Ukrainian)
• His own. New materials on the history of the Ukrainian nativity scene, ibid., vol. 82, 1908; Shchukin N., Nativity scene, Vestn. Geographic Islands, vol. II, St. Petersburg, 1860
• Peretz Vl. Puppet theater in Rus' ( historical sketch), “Annually. imp. theatres, St. Petersburg. , season 1894-1895 (appendix, book 1), etc., St. Petersburg., 1895
• Vinogradov N. N. Great Russian nativity scene, “Izv. Dep. Russian lang. and verbal Acad. Sciences, vol. X, book. 3 and 4, St. Petersburg, 1905 (with detailed bibliography); vol. XI, book. 4, St. Petersburg, 1906 (additions to the bibliography)
• His own, Belarusian nativity scene, ibid., vol. XIII, book. 2, St. Petersburg, 1908
• Kisel O. Ukrainian crib. - Pt., 1916. - 79 p.

Links

• Nativity scene // Russian Ethnographic Museum
• Nativity scene and dolls ( detailed description structures and decorations)
• Greef A. Nativity scene and Petrushka. The current state of the tradition. // Puppet Theatre
• Nekrylova A., Savushkina N. Russian folklore theater // from the book: Folklore theater / Comp., entry. st., foreword. to texts and comments. A. F. Nekrylova, N. I. Savushkina. - M .: Sovremennik, 1988. - (Classical library "Sovremennik")
• Belarusian Folk Puppet Theatre. Nativity scene and Batleyka
• Monologue and dialogue as a means of expressing spirituality in the nativity drama of the 18th century and in P. Kulish's "Yesi"

see also

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

The nativity puppet theater got its name from its purpose: to present a drama in which it was reproduced gospel story about the birth of Jesus Christ in the cave, where Mary and Joseph found shelter (old and old Russian "vertep" - a cave). Initially, the representations of the nativity scene were only during Christmas time, which was also emphasized in its definitions. V. I. Dal, for example, wrote: "The nativity scene is a southern spectacle in faces, arranged in a small form, in a box with which they go about Christmas time, representing the events and circumstances of the birth of I. Christ." The nativity scene entered Russia from Ukraine and Belarus at the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century.

The nativity scene was a portable rectangular box made of thin boards or cardboard. Outwardly, it resembled a house, which could consist of one or two floors. Most often there were two-storey nativity scenes. In the upper part, dramas of religious content were played, in the lower part - ordinary interludes, comic everyday scenes. This also determined the design of the parts of the nativity scene.

The upper part (the sky) was usually covered with dove paper from the inside, and Nativity scenes were painted on its back wall; or on the side, a model of a cave or a barn with a manger and motionless figures of Mary and Joseph, the baby Christ and domestic animals were arranged. The lower part (land or palace) was pasted over with bright colored paper, foil, etc., in the middle, on a small elevation, a throne was set up, on which there was a doll depicting King Herod.

In the bottom of the box and in the shelf that divided the box into two parts, there were slits through which the puppeteer moved the rods with puppets attached to them motionlessly - drama characters. It was possible to move the rods with dolls along the box, the dolls could turn in all directions. Doors were cut to the right and left of each part: they appeared from one doll, disappeared from another.

Puppets were carved from wood (sometimes they were molded from clay), painted and dressed up in cloth or paper clothes and fixed on metal or wooden rods.

The text of the drama was spoken by one puppeteer, changing the timbre of the voice and intonation of speech, which created the illusion of presentation by several actors.

The performance in the den consisted of the mystery drama "King Herod" and everyday scenes.

Folk theater researcher N. N. Vinogradov described the nativity scene as follows: “The action opens with the gospel of the birth of Christ. Shepherds and three kings go to bow to the newborn and bring gifts. The warriors leave and come back, leading with them to Herod Rachel, who does not give her child to die. She, with tears, on her knees, begs Herod to spare her baby, but the king is implacable and orders to raise the baby on a spear. Rachel Sobbing, she rushes about the stage, cursing Herod. The warrior drives her out. Left alone, Herod begins to think about death and, wanting to avoid it, surrounds himself with guards.

A song is heard announcing the approach of a terrible guest, a terrible crack is heard - and an ominous skeleton with a scythe on his shoulder - Death - grows on the stage. The guards flee in terror, and the trembling Herod begins to beg for mercy. Death summons the devil to help him, who appears with a cry of "goo-hoo-hoo!" Having learned what was the matter, he tells his sister to raise the scythe and kill Herod, whom he then drags to hell with the words:

"Oh, cursed Herod, for your great anger

I will take you to the abyss of hell and from the bone."

This ends the first, serious part of the den drama. The second part consists of an unequal number of scenes and dialogues in different places, representing independent processing of plots from folk life. These scenes are often completely unrelated to each other and can follow in any order.<...>The whole action in these scenes consists almost exclusively in the fact that types of different nationalities, genders and professions are fighting or dancing.

Gradually, the first part of the presentation was reduced, and the second, on the contrary, expanded. The heroes of scenes with everyday content were a peasant, a gentleman, a dandy, newfangled ladies, a soldier, a priest, a gypsy, and so on. Nativity scene drama was played not only by puppets, but also by live amateurs - then it was called "living nativity scene".

The nativity scene interacted with the folk theater of live actors. As a result of the "secularization" of the den, puppeteers borrowed characters, skits, and short plays from the theater of live actors. The theater of live actors, in turn, borrowed some plays from the nativity scene (for example, the drama "King Herod").

Zueva T.V., Kirdan B.P. Russian folklore - M., 2002

Vertep is a Little Russian, Belarusian and Great Russian puppet folk theater. It was most common in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Nativity scene is a unique theater. His performances could be shown to the public only on Christmas time or holy evenings. This holiday ended one year and began a new one. The new year has begun. Holy evenings lasted 12 days - from the Nativity of Christ to the Epiphany. On Christmastide evenings, the usual course of things got mixed up and mixed up. The whole family must go to church. Children walked around the yards and sang Christmas carols, and therefore Christmas time was sometimes called Christmas carols by the people. In carols they glorified the owner, the mistress and their children. Children were treated to sweets, presented with Christmas gingerbread. More children walked with a star and with a Nativity scene. The star was made of wood, painted, decorated, attached to a stick to make it easier to carry. She reminded everyone of the Bethlehem star that appeared in the sky at the time of the birth of Christ.

Everyone left everyday affairs - both old and young indulged in joy and fun. First of all, mummers went home to Svyatki: they played pranks, indulged, joked and scared the people. We walked through the village, and what was left unattended by the owner, not tidied up - everything became a reason for pampering. Is the gate not properly locked? Then the boys will not be lazy, they will drag water from the well, pour water over the gates and freeze them so that they cannot budge.

The Nativity scene itself is a box consisting of two floors: upper and lower. He did not have one wall - the one that faces the audience. The top drawer of the Nativity scene served to act out divine, lofty scenes. The lower one is for earthly affairs and often low and evil. Most of the Nativity scenes were played in the lower tier. This lower part was rectangular in shape - like a box without doors.

Two tiers of the box were like two open scenes. The floor of both scenes was lined with a fluffy hare skin - this is in order to hide the cuts made in the floor from the eyes of the audience. It was through these cuts that the puppets moved in different directions. The edges of the stage were bordered by a low lattice. She was decorated. Both scenes were therefore elegant.

The upper floor-tier depicted a cave (nativity scene - this is the cave in Old Russian), where the Savior, the infant Jesus Christ, was born. Often this upper scene was called heaven, since Christ was not just a man, but a god-man, the son of God. He descended to earth, accepted a martyr's death, taking upon himself the sins of the world, and opened the way to salvation for people. It was for the sake of the memory of this event (the birth of the Savior) that the Christmas drama was staged in the Nativity scene.

The back wall of the upper tier was covered with gilded paper with green fringe draperies. An arch was built in the wall. Inside the arch, on a dais, lay the baby Christ in white shrouds. On both sides of it, a twelve-ray star was placed - a sign that Christ had 12 disciples. On the sides of the main arch there are windows with frames, behind them, along the edges, there are more arches. These extreme arches served for the entrance and exit of the dolls.

The back wall itself was sometimes diligently painted with paints. Above the main arch, where the baby lay, the Holy Spirit was depicted in the form of a dove. Below the top are clouds. And on them - soaring cherubs, twelve in number. Five angels in long robes were painted in the piers between the arches and windows. A matched curtain hung on the side walls of the upper tier. The ceiling was supported by four thin columns, they were also covered with gilded paper.

The upper tier was separated from the lower one by a gap covered with paper. This gap was brightly painted: on a pink background, garlands with flowers and leaves were painted with white paint. The nativity scene was elegant.

The lower scene depicted the palace of King Herod. And she had the name "earth". Here the earthly human history. The scenery of the palace of King Herod repeated the scenery of the upper tier, but was simpler and poorer. In the depths of the central arch here stood the throne of Herod. It was an ordinary small armchair covered with shiny paper. To the left of the audience, near the side wall, there was another chair, and to the right was a large head carved from the Tree with huge teeth. This head covered the hole leading to hell. Hell is a place where, at the end of the performance, the evil devils will drag the evil King Herod. This will be his punishment.

At the very top of the Nativity scene, above both of its tiers, there was a roof, or a roof. She repeated the roof of the church with a high central dome, from which two pitched roofs went (if there was no dome, then the principle of the tented top was preserved).

Nativity scene dolls are carved from wood and dressed in clothes made of different fabrics. All dolls are reinforced with wires on wooden handles. The handles seem to continue the body of the doll, her legs. The dolls of the first, Divine part of the nativity scene are two angels, wise men, two shepherds. A ruddy and handsome-looking young man is an Angel. In one hand he holds a burning candle. Behind the shoulders of the Angel are attached large wings carved from wood and pasted over with gold paper. The clothes on him are long, straight, made of matter. blue color. The bottom of the long shirt is trimmed with a gold stripe. The belt is made from the same fabric. Strips of gilded paper run from the waistband over the Angel's shoulders. On his chest, an St. Andrew's cross (X) is formed, exactly the same as that of a real deacon. Angel's feet are shod in high black boots.

In total, two Angels participate in the performance. Angels appear in the Prologue. This is the name of the part preceding the performance. They go out towards each other from the right and left doors with the singing of the Great Doxology: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men". This prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God was not composed for the nativity scene - it was said in the church during the service. In addition to the Angels on the upper stage, the audience saw three Magi. Two of them were portrayed as middle-aged men, one as a young man. The men had beards, and the young man was beardless and beardless.

Two shepherds, also related to the dolls of Heaven, were dressed in semi-caftans. The collar of the caftan was even decorated with embroidery, checkered pants made of chintz, boots carved from wood and covered with black paint.

The main puppet of the lower floor was King Herod. The king was portrayed as a ruddy man with an unpleasant expression. Black beard, black mustache, long black hair. Wrinkles were drawn on the forehead. On his head, the king wore a six-pronged crown, pasted over with gilded paper. In his hand he holds a scepter. Clothes for Herod's doll were sewn from red calico on a black lining. The combination of red and black immediately made the doll stand out. The figure of Herod is the only one whose head is separated from the body and tied to it with a white thread. Such a puppet device is necessary so that at the end of the performance, the Death puppet can cut off the villain's head with a scythe. And after that, the devils dragged his body to hell.

Under King Herod there was a Warrior. He was recognizable by the helmet on his head and the spear in his hand. Another downstairs doll is Rachel. That was the name of a young woman in a black headscarf with her arms crossed on her chest - she pressed her baby to her, which the Warrior of King Herod would take away from her.

The lower stage is densely populated with puppet people. Viewers will also see the Hermit with a staff and Death. The figurine of this doll must be scary. There is no outerwear on the Death doll, the torso is painted yellow oil paint, bald head. In her hands is a scythe. But the most terrible doll of the den was Satan. The fierce expression of the face is covered with black paint, lips, tongue, eyebrows and ears - red; instead of eyes - hats of nails. That was the image of the ultimate villain.

What was the nativity scene itself? Angels appeared first, singing a song of praise. And then, in order, it was told and shown to everyone well famous story, which happened during the time of King Herod in a distant land - the city of Jerusalem. Earthly actions began with the appearance of King Herod. Herod sat on the throne, and three sorcerers appeared to him. The fact is that at the birth of the baby Christ, a new bright star appeared in the sky. The magi saw this star, followed it, and it brought them to Bethlehem. New star meant the birth of Christ, whom the magi were waiting for and revered as the King of kings. It was then that Herod called them. Herod was afraid that new king take away his kingdom and drive him out. Herod ordered the magi to go and find out exactly where, in what place the baby Christ was born, and on the way back to go to him and tell him everything. The Magi went and found out where the baby was and bowed to Him and His Mother - the Virgin Mary. They gathered back with the intention of telling everything to Herod, but in a night dream an Angel appeared to them and forbade them to go to Herod. In vain did Herod wait for the Magi. He was very angry, called the Warrior to him and said:

My Warrior, Warrior

warrior armed,

Stand in front of me

Like a forest before grass

And listen to my orders.

The warrior enters and listens to orders:

Go to Bethlehem

Beat all the babies

From two years and below.

Herod commits a terrible villainy - he hoped that Christ would certainly be among the slain babies. He leaves, and after a while the Warrior returns and tells Herod that he beat all the babies, only Rachel alone does not give up hers. Herod tells Rachel to be brought. Rachel enters with tears and groans and says that he is still small, that her child has done no harm to anyone. But King Herod tells the Warrior to stab the baby with a spear. Rachel is inconsolable. She was comforted by the choir, which the audience did not see, but only heard. Merciless Herod drives away the weeping Rachel. In the next scene, the Hermit appears. He shames Herod and says that it is time for him to ask for death - stop sinning. Herod orders the old man to be driven out. But... that's where it comes in terrible death. Herod is in fear - trembling, afraid. Death to him and says:

Here I come to you.

Your hour of death has come.

Bend your head on my scythe!

Herod asks:

Give me a one year delay!

Death answers:

Not for one month!

Herod pleads:

Give me one day!

Death answers:

Not for an hour!

Herod asks again:

For one minute!

Death says:

Not for one second.

And Herod bows his head, and Death cuts it off with a scythe. Death leaves, and here the devils run in with a screech and with laughter drag Herod to eternal torment. When the devils with the head and body of Herod hid in the mouth scary head with huge teeth, then the choir began to make sounds that depicted the boiling of infernal tar: Zh….zhzh…zh…Zz…Ss…

Herod was not spared. And the audience already knew what happened to the baby Christ - he was saved, because an Angel appeared to His Mother Mary and ordered her to leave Bethlehem ... The Christmas evenings were ending, the nativity dolls were being put into the box. And the nativity scene was carefully kept until next year. Until the next holiday.

The nativity scene was very common, often found not only in central Russia, but also in Siberia. A small two-tier theater was designed for a small number of people, because the puppet actors in it were small, and it would be difficult to see them from a long distance. To play a nativity scene in a room when the audience sits close to the stage and looks at the puppets coming to life in the mysterious twilight of candles, and hear the pure children's voices singing for the choir - it was wonderful! The Christmas nativity scene was full of noble excitement and mysterious beauty.

Today, Nativity scenes are being revived, and on the eve of the outgoing millennium, an exhibition of Nativity scenes was organized. Of course, they are more elegant and elegant, even luxurious, in comparison with their distant "ancestors", but not only the beauty of the box theater is important in the Vertep, but also the touchingness of the performance itself, which can only arise with the sympathy and empathy of the viewer with what is happening on the stage. .

Vertep Vertep is a Little Russian, Belarusian and Great Russian folk puppet theater. It was most common in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Nativity scene is a unique theater. His performances could be shown to the public only on Christmas time or holy evenings. This holiday ended