What is the basis of Russian culture. Culture of Russia XIII-XVII centuries

Almost every nation has its own heritage. One of the main tools for its transmission is folk culture (folklore). Later in the article we will consider this concept in more detail, comparing it with modern trends.

general information

In the history of every nation there is also a folk one, and the latter is a more modern phenomenon. An example of popular culture: a group of young people sing songs of some famous artist while walking along the streets. The other type has significant differences. Folklore culture consists of studying sources about parables, legends and other works. Based on this, it becomes clear that in the first case we are dealing with modern mores. And folklore - folk culture - describes the life of the last century. All were created a long time ago and today are considered historical heritage. A small part of the works of past centuries has become an integral part of the modern world.

Degrees of development

There are two levels of folk culture - high and low. The first includes fairy tales, legends, ancient dances, epics, etc. Reduced is considered a manifestation of pop culture. Basically, works that have come down to us from time immemorial have anonymous creators. Fairy tales, epics, dances, songs, myths and legends are among the most valuable highly artistic works. They have nothing to do with elitist manifestations. It is generally accepted that folk culture came to the modern world from ancient times. Its subject is the nation as a whole. There are no individual creators and professional craftsmen who are valued separately. Such culture is part of people’s life and work. All works were passed down orally and had several versions. Reproduction of folk culture can be individual (this is a story, a legend), mass (carnivals), group (dance a dance or sing a song).

Audience

Society has always shown interest in folk culture, as is customary in industrial and traditional societies. However, in a post-industrial environment the situation is slightly different. If we talk about the differences between folk and high culture, they are similar to the differences between ethnic and national. What's the difference? National and high culture is transmitted only in written form. At the same time, folk and ethnic - in different ways (oral, written and others). is created by the educated population, and ethnic - by poorly educated citizens. Recently, modern audiences have become interested in folk culture and traditions.

Aesthetic component

What it is? Folk art culture is that a person who is a master, due to his ability to emphasize a certain thing and also to formulate it all into a meaningful fragment, can convey all this in the form of a song, dance or poetry. Thanks to this, the aesthetic development of the individual in particular and society in general occurs. can attract the majority of the population. All works are created by both professionals and amateurs. All works, songs, poems that are worthy of attention are inherited and become art. A person who knows how to convey his thoughts in poetry, songs or dances is spiritually rich, he has an open soul and sincerely shares his impressions. Thanks to such artists, people from year to year had the opportunity to enrich their inner world and fill the emptiness of their souls.

Russian folk culture

This phenomenon is studied by many sciences. Each discipline has its own view of the subject and its own methods of research. The volume of updated information is so large that scientists do not have time to follow it and master it for scientific enrichment and personal knowledge. The heritage of folk culture is becoming greater every day. Moreover, each object claims to be the main one, in which the whole meaning of the world is stored. This means that each discipline presents its knowledge as the most extensive in the field of spiritual values: folklore, literary studies, art criticism - from icon painting to musicology and architecture. Every person who is interested in the folk culture of Russia knows about all the successes of the listed cultures, since they are all audible, readable and put on public display. Their number and anonymity speak of the birth of a national element. And in the symbols, which they tirelessly repeat that they have become masterpieces of Russian culture, the Russian people expressed themselves.

Understanding

There are different ideas about the very term “folk culture”. Below are the main points of view:

enlightenment of the lower classes of society;
enlightenment of the “illiterate” society;
a culture that was created by the elite, but was “brought down” down.

Such definitions carry a cognitive intent when viewed in a specific historical passage.

Traditional folk culture of peasants

It was formed on the basis of religious understanding. It was not so much a spiritual foundation as the main filling of spiritual life. Peasant culture had at its disposal various tools that made it possible to perceive and see the world correctly, and helped to master the perception of the sensual and supersensible. In accordance with the opinion of a number of authors, the concepts of “religiosity” and “folk culture” can be placed on the same level. The development of peasant spirituality is an important source of subsequent progress in society during the Middle Ages. At the same time, the number of cities in Europe is rapidly growing. The most determined people settled in - serfs, feudal lords who wanted to change their lives. New types of activities appeared: crafts, trade.

Chronicles

In ancient times, classical education in Rus' was not very good. Then distrust of “pagan” science triumphed. At the same time, there were a number of the most popular directions. Among them, it is worth noting iconography, church architecture, liturgical singing and chronicle writing. The Russian chronicler could tell his contemporaries the whole meaning of history; he was a historiosophist, philosopher and chronicler. Such “teachings” and “words” were very popular. At that time, the first written code of laws was created. Russian folk culture had all the features of European culture. And subsequently it had practically no difference from Christian folklore.

Religion

Folk religion in Russia had two names in 19th-century church and academic circles. They defined its nature as a synthesis of Christian doctrine and “pagan” beliefs. The first name was “dual faith”, the second was “everyday Orthodoxy”. The first is used in scientific use and in the modern world; it is perceived by scientists formally. In the literal sense, this term should be understood as the union of two faiths into a folk religion. In numerous studies of the beliefs of the Eastern Slavs (as well as Russians), the main interest of ethnographers is directed towards “pagan experiences”, reconstruction of archaic models and interpretation. In the Middle Ages in Rus' and the West there was a gap between the traditional consciousness of many and the book culture of a smaller number of the population. Intellectuals of Russia who had a desire to speak Greek studied it under Prince Yaroslav the Wise: they had their own translators in Kyiv. A connection arose between the Middle Eastern centers of Christians and Russia, and over time, despite any events, it was no longer interrupted.

Meaning

How did the formation of moral values occur? Mass culture is a spiritual product of art that is created in wide circulation. It is designed for a large audience, for a significant number of spectators. Its main advantage is that it is intended not only to entertain a large number of people, but also to enrich their thoughts. The folk tale which is given above is quite relevant in modern society. Today there are few people who are not interested in the spiritual heritage of their ancestors. Folk culture can be recognized by almost everyone of any age and any level of education. Its main feature is simplicity (texts, movements, sounds are easily perceived by people). Culture is for emotional people.

Spiritual development

Any culture is considered in dynamic and static aspects. Of course, spiritual development is no exception. The formation of culture is a rather complex phenomenon. Statics provides for development in space. The discipline explores cultural typology, morphology and structure. This is a synchronous study of the process. Culture is also usually classified into spiritual, physical, material and artistic. Let's take a closer look at spiritual culture. It is based on a creative type of activity, which is expressed in a subjective form and satisfies the secondary needs of society. The composition of spiritual culture includes: religious (beliefs, modern cults), moral, legal (legislation, executive system), political (ideology), pedagogical (ideals of raising children), intellectual (history, philosophy, science) parts. You need to know that the objects of this subject include museums, theaters, libraries, cinemas, educational institutions, concert halls, and courts.

Russian culture- this is the activity, behavior and thinking of Russian society, which is carried out on the basis of Russian values, norms, worldview and mentality.

Russian culture is not only works of art famous First of all, Russian culture includes a specific way of living and thinking, folk traditions and rituals, spiritual values and attitudes towards anything, behavior and habits, mentality and worldview. This is a kind of code that controls a person every second.

Let's give the word "culture" an almost scientific and as brief definition as possible, based on which we will try to answer the question: what is Russian culture? So, culture is the activity, behavior and thinking of a person or society, which is carried out according to certain rules and as a result of certain reasons, and the result of this activity has stable.

That is, rules and reasons greatly influence the recognition and stability of characteristics. Now, we will try to give examples of rules and reasons, as well as stable characteristics that form Russian culture as a recognizable result of the activities of the Russian people. Of course, all this will be somewhat general and universal, without claiming to be a complete list.

Rules and reasons of Russian culture

attitude towards justice
tolerance and patience
suffering and compassion
undemandingness and unpretentiousness
striving for ideal
generosity and forgivingness
Oblomovism and self-digging
collectivism and community
wealth is not a value
dreaminess and contemplation
historical traditions

Characteristics of Russian culture as a result

non-aggressive and friendly
spirituality and lyricism
directness and forbearance
not perfect and simple
morality and religiosity
naturalism and naturalness
rich palette of expression of feelings
determination and self-sacrifice

There are some nuances in Russian culture, or rather between works of art and everyday culture, between the image of high society and ordinary people. These differences are due not to the fact that Russian culture comes in several types, but to existence, which, as is known, determines consciousness. The origins, that is, the rules and reasons for the formation and manifestations of Russian culture, are always the same. It's just that people from the upper classes have more time to study and think, which makes their results more refined and graceful.

The rules and reasons for the formation and manifestation of Russian culture are always the same.

But there is a fundamental difference in the possibilities of realizing Russian culture in the form of works of art and the everyday set of actions. Works of art are more technologically advanced in terms of implementation; much can be learned in educational institutions or copied from famous predecessors. The everyday Russian culture of ordinary people is formed and realized only as a result of being in a specific society from the moment of their birth. That is, you can imitate the style of Vasnetsov or Pushkin once and not often, but daily imitating everyday Russian culture will not work.

From 1956 to the present, Herbert Aleksandrovich Efremov, who turned 87 years old yesterday, has been working at OKB-52 (until 1984 under the leadership of the outstanding Soviet scientist and designer, twice Hero of Socialist Labor, specialist in the field of vibration theory and rocket design V.N. Chelomeya). Here, unique weapons systems were created and are being created for the Navy, Strategic Missile Forces, and Space Forces of the USSR.

Herbert Aleksandrovich Efremov was born in the village of Maloe Zarechye, Belozersky district, Vologda region on March 15, 1933 in the family of a military man. He was the eldest child in the family; he had a brother and two sisters.

Since the beginning of the 30s. father G.A. Efremova served in distant garrisons - his eldest son began his journey through life with him. The village of Maloe Zarechye, the seaside villages of Kamen-Rybolov, Manzovka, the Sakhalin city of Toyokharu (later Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), then my father was transferred to Koenigsberg (since 1946 - Kaliningrad). Herbert spent his years of study in Leningrad, and then in Reutov, near Moscow.

After graduating from school with a silver medal, Herbert Aleksandrovich entered the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute, which graduated from such luminaries of the national defense industry as D.F. Ustinov, general designer, ally of V.P. Koroleva D.I. Kozlov, L.N. Lavrov, pilot-cosmonauts G.M. Grechko, S.K. Krikalev and others.

Classes at the institute were taught by many outstanding specialists, such as, for example, the Russian scientist Boris Nikolaevich Okunev, who gave lectures on theoretical mechanics, external and internal ballistics. B.N. Okunev was a passionate collector of Russian painting. He left his wonderful collection as a gift to the Russian Museum (its value in the early 80s was estimated at several million dollars).

While working at OKB-52, Efremov took a direct part in the creation of missile systems with cruise missiles for firing at ground targets P-5, P-5D. Few people remember that the P-5 cruise missile, which had a range of 300 to 500 km, was the first strategic missile of the Soviet Union.

The Royal R-7 rocket, created around the same time (with the help of which Yu.A. Gagarin was launched into orbit), could only be fueled at the launch site for several days. And its refueling (the rocket was equipped with oxygen-kerosene fuel) required almost a day and, in fact, the construction of an entire oxygen plant near the launch site. Naturally, under these conditions there was no talk of any timely response to the American strike. and the bet was placed on Chelomey P-5 cruise missiles. It was decided to create dozens of submarines (projects 644, 655, 651 and 659), each of which carried 4-6 P-5 or P-5D missiles and thereby threaten the United States from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This program was implemented in the early 60s.

Since the mid-50s, NPO Mashinostroyenia has been working on anti-ship missile systems (P-6, P-35, Progress, Amethyst, Malachite, Basalt, Vulcan, Granit, Onyx, "Yakhont"), with which Soviet submarines and surface ships were armed.

It was an asymmetrical, quite effective and much more economical response to the US fleet: powerful aircraft carriers, battleships and cruisers were opposed by Soviet submarines with anti-ship cruise missiles.

In 1962, the country's leadership set the task of developing a heavy two-stage launch vehicle UR-500. Later the rocket was named Proton. Using this rocket and its modifications (“Proton-K” and “Proton-M”), the automatic station “Zond” flew around the Moon several times and returned the station to Earth; the heaviest space stations were launched into orbit: “TGR”, “Mir” ", "Zarya", "Salyut", "Zvezda", "Almaz", "Almaz-T", various satellites and spacecraft.

Note that the bodies of the Salyut space stations were first developed and manufactured at NPO Mashinostroyenia under the leadership and with the participation of V.N. Chelomey, after which, by order of D.F. Ustinov were transferred to the royal NPO Energia.

The Proton rocket also took part in the lunar race. With its help, several automatic flybys of the Moon were performed. The Mars-3 station was launched to Mars.

TsKBM proposed a harmonious and structurally justified UR-700 system, built on the combination of spent UR-100, UR-200 and UR-500 missiles, capable of making long-distance space flights.

In the early 60s, here at TsKBM, as part of an advance project, possibly under the influence of S.P. Korolev, estimates were made on the UR-900 rocket and space system, which was a further development of the UR-700 associated with the use of hydrogen-oxygen engines.

V.N. Chelomey proposed his own flight program to the Moon, which included a launch vehicle (based on the Proton), and his own flyby ship, and a descent vehicle. G.A. took an active part in all these works. Efremov.

In his own words, he has always been a “system specialist”, i.e. was well versed in all the operating capabilities of all components of missile systems in order to carry out the necessary work accurately and correctly. However, S.P. was appointed the main executor of the Soviet project on the Moon. Korolev, the basis of the project was his colossal N-1 rocket. Neither Korolev nor Mishin, who replaced him, were “system specialists,” and this affected the operation of the first stage of the rocket, which had 30 (!) NK-33 engines, without an automatic engine synchronization system created later. The rocket made four unsuccessful launches, and work on the lunar program in the USSR was completed.

When the quantitative advantage of strategic missile systems in the United States became threatening, under the leadership of V.N. Chelomey, within three years, an “ampulized” ballistic missile UR-100 was created. Its latest highly protected modification, UR-100N UTTH, is still in service with the country's Strategic Missile Forces.

For the UR-100 missile, transport and launch containers were created from bimetal: on the one hand, stainless steel, on the other, an aluminum alloy... Stainless steel reliably protects the missile from any operational damage, including those occurring during refueling and during long-term storage.

Of the 165 test and combat training launches of UR-100N UTTH missiles conducted in recent years, only three were unsuccessful.

Herbert Aleksandrovich took an active part in all developments of NPO Mashinostroeniya, by the end of the 70s he became one of the most authoritative developers of the association.

Note that G.A. Efremov met with S.P. more than once in his life. Korolev, M.P. Yangel, V.P. Glushko, as well as with N.S. Khrushchev, L.I. Brezhnev, A.N. Kosygin, G.V. Romanov...

By the way, G.V. Romanov during one of his meetings with G.A. Efremov and aircraft designer G.V. Novozhilov strictly demanded that they defend their candidate and doctoral dissertations as quickly as possible. But Herbert Aleksandrovich defended only his candidate’s thesis. “There was no time for more,” he always said.

On December 8, 1984, V.N. died unexpectedly due to a detached blood clot. Chelomey, and already on December 29 G.A. Efremov was appointed general designer of NPO Mashinostroyenia.

1984 was a tragic year for our defense complex. Almost simultaneously, D.F. died. Ustinov, V.N. Chelomey, P.S. Kutakhov, outstanding nuclear physicist I.K. Kikoin...

Since 1984, the development of the Meteorite cruise missile continued, which had a speed of up to 3M, a range of up to 5500 km, carrying a warhead weighing over 1 ton, which had no analogues in the world. Work continued to improve the UR-100 N UTTH and Proton-K ballistic missiles, and numerous anti-ship missiles were modernized.

In 1987, the Almaz-T automatic orbital station was successfully launched, operating in orbit for more than two years.

In 2002, the Onyx cruise missile, in the export version called Yakhont, was put into service as part of the Nakat MRK.

But in the late 1980s, with the coming to power of M.S. Gorbachev, things went very badly for the defense industry: payments were delayed, rapid inflation devalued money. It got even worse in the 90s...

“The sailors did not refuse us, they could not refuse, but they themselves did not have money, the only thing they received money for in those years was routine work with the Strategic Missile Forces, but there was a catastrophic lack of money. We were asked to look for conversion,” recalls Herbert Aleksandrovich. “But we didn’t have any experience either.” What they didn’t take on. And for solar panels, and for non-vacuum storage for vegetables and fruits, and for low-pressure chambers, and for a new oil and fat complex... It happened that we solved problems that were too complex for consumers, which, naturally, was reflected in the price. It happened that they impudently deceived us. So, having demanded from us all the documents on cryogenic storage, including calculations, they said - we approve, but we will give three times less money. When we received the money, it turned out that it had become six times less due to inflation.”

At the same time, in 1998, the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos was created, named after the Indian Brahmaputra River and the Russian Moscow River. The main project of the enterprise was work on a supersonic cruise missile, which received a similar name - “BrahMos”. The first launch of the rocket took place on June 12, 2001 from a coastal launcher.

The first roles in the creation of the joint venture were played by G.A. Efremov and Dr. Abdul Kalam, who had the most friendly relations with Herbert Alexandrovich. Largely due to the success with the development and testing of the BrahMos cruise missile, Abdul Kalam was elected President of India in July 2002.

It was the Soviet-Indian enterprise created through the efforts of G.A. Efremov and his comrades, made it possible to preserve NPO Mashinostroeniya and prevent rental and other enterprises from taking it away. With America, on which some had pinned their greatest hopes, nothing worked out.

“An option arose to build a Double Cola plant,” recalls G.A. Efremov. “The Americans irritably dismissed the proposed new rather large building for our canteen, saying: we need your main assembly shop or the building where the stands are located “underwater.” A can of Cola will cost a dollar—half a dollar for you, half a dollar for us,” we suggested . No! - the Americans objected - we must have a developing enterprise: we will have to invest all the profits in its development.

Then we traveled to the USA several times to work within the framework of the Chernomyrdin-Mountain project. We received the task of developing some kind of program for post offices or laundries. We started work...

Soon two tall, elegantly dressed, gray-haired gentlemen arrived from the States. We looked at our first estimates - uh, no, that won’t work, they decided - mathematics of the highest level is involved here. You can't do this. So here it is: they not only tried to determine what we should do, but they tried, let’s say, to move us from the professor’s chair to the high school classroom.

During our rapprochement with the United States and Western Europe, we became familiar with many foreign weapons systems. But nothing made a strong impression on us; rather, on the contrary, it even caused ridicule among some.

They also tried and did get into our military successes very deeply. More than once we have noticed puzzlement and even surprise on the faces of our potential competitors.

The advent of capitalism in Russia meant the abandonment of government funding for most defense programs. I remember the meeting with Gorbachev in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, when, in response to a constructive analysis of the situation in the defense industry, he burst into an openly angry speech against the defense industry, blaming them for almost the economic collapse of the country.”

In the early 2000s. Herbert Alexandrovich met with A.B. Chubais, invited him to the enterprise (Chubais arrived at the NPO accompanied by a whole series of tax services - from the lowest “Reutov” to the highest federal ones), told him about the unfairly accrued taxes and achieved the cancellation of the accrued bribe, which by that time had increased significantly due to accrued interest.

Herbert Aleksandrovich sees it as useful in the entire history of the new Russia that the president of the country nevertheless heard new proposals from the defense industry. And he called for a departure from the primitive system of arithmetic equalization, which was accepted and triumphed in the creation of American-Soviet weapons systems: you have three thousand missiles - we have three thousand, you have 11 thousand warheads and we have 11 thousand... Now the enemy can expect a crushing blow from the most unexpected side.

The memorable meeting of G.A. played a major role in changing defense policy. Efremova with V.V. Putin in Novo-Ogaryovo and visits of the President of the Russian Federation to NPO Mashinostroeniya. It is no coincidence that US President D. Trump called on his specialists to speed up work on a hypersonic missile. Now the Americans find themselves in the position of catching up.

For the last eight years, he has held the post of Honorary General Director - Honorary General Designer of NPO Mashinostroyenia. Despite his advanced age, Herbert Alexandrovich is full of creative energy and new plans.

Herbert Alexandrovich and Irina Sergeevna Efremov have been together for more than six decades. They raised a son and daughter.

Laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR, Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation, State Prize of the Russian Federation named after. Marshal Zhukov Herbert Aleksandrovich Efremov was awarded the titles of Hero of Socialist Labor and Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation, becoming the first holder of both Gold Stars in our history. He is a holder of the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner of Labor, and the “Badge of Honor”; Orders of Merit for the Fatherland, II and III degrees, as well as the Indian Order of Padma Bhushan.

In the name of G.A. Efremov named a minor planet of the solar system.

It is not for nothing that the national culture of Russia has always been considered the soul of the people. Its main feature and attractiveness lies in its amazing diversity, originality and originality. Each nation, developing its own culture and traditions, tries to avoid imitation and humiliating copying. That is why they are creating their own forms of organizing cultural life. In all known typologies, Russia is usually considered separately. The culture of this country is truly unique; it cannot be compared with either the Western or the Eastern directions. Of course, all nations are different, but it is the understanding of the importance of internal development that unites people all over the planet.

The importance of culture of different nationalities in the world

Each country and each people are important in their own way for the modern world. This is especially true when it comes to history and its preservation. Today it is quite difficult to talk about how important culture is for modern times, because the scale of values has changed significantly in recent years. National culture has increasingly begun to be perceived somewhat ambiguously. This is due to the development of two global trends in the culture of different countries and peoples, which increasingly began to develop conflicts against this background.

The first trend is directly related to some borrowing of cultural values. All this happens spontaneously and practically uncontrollably. But it carries with it incredible consequences. For example, the loss of the color and uniqueness of each individual state, and therefore its people. On the other hand, more and more countries have begun to appear that call on their citizens to revive their own culture and spiritual values. But one of the most important issues is Russian national culture, which in recent decades has begun to fade against the backdrop of a multinational country.

Formation of Russian national character

Perhaps many have heard about the breadth of the Russian soul and the strength of the Russian character. The national culture of Russia largely depends on these two factors. At one time V.O. Klyuchevsky expressed the theory that the formation of Russian character largely depended on the geographical location of the country.

He argued that the landscape of the Russian soul corresponds to the landscape of the Russian land. It is also not surprising that for the majority of citizens living in a modern state, the concept of “Rus” carries a deep meaning.

Household life also reflects remnants of the past. After all, if we talk about the culture, traditions and character of the Russian people, we can note that it was formed a very long time ago. Simplicity of life has always been a distinctive feature of the Russian people. And this is due primarily to the fact that the Slavs suffered many fires that destroyed Russian villages and cities. The result was not only the rootlessness of Russian people, but also a simplified attitude towards everyday life. Although it was precisely those trials that befell the Slavs that allowed this nation to form a specific national character, which cannot be assessed unambiguously.

The main features of the national character of a nation

Russian national culture (namely its formation) has always largely depended on the character of the people who lived on the territory of the state.

One of the most powerful traits is kindness. It was this quality that was manifested in a wide variety of gestures, which can still be safely observed in the majority of Russian residents. For example, hospitality and cordiality. After all, no nation welcomes guests like they do in our country. And such a combination of qualities as mercy, compassion, empathy, cordiality, generosity, simplicity and tolerance is rarely found among other nationalities.

Another important trait in the character of Russians is their love of work. And although many historians and analysts note that as much as the Russian people were hardworking and capable, they were just as lazy and lacking initiative, it is still impossible not to note the efficiency and endurance of this nation. In general, the character of a Russian person is multifaceted and has not yet been fully studied. Which, in fact, is the highlight.

Values of Russian culture

In order to understand a person's soul, it is necessary to know his history. The national culture of our people was formed in the conditions of the peasant community. Therefore, it is not surprising that in Russian culture the interests of the collective have always been higher than personal interests. After all, Russia lived a significant part of its history in conditions of military operations. That is why, among the values of Russian culture, extraordinary devotion and love for one’s Motherland is always noted.

The concept of justice in all centuries was considered the first thing in Rus'. This has come since the time when each peasant was allocated an equal plot of land. And if in most nations such a value was considered instrumental, then in Russia it acquired a goal-oriented character.

Many Russian sayings say that our ancestors had a very simplified attitude towards work, for example: “Work is not a wolf, it will not run away into the forest.” This does not mean that work was not valued. But the concept of “wealth” and the very desire to get rich have never been present among Russian people to the extent that is attributed to them today. And if we talk about the values of Russian culture, then all of it is reflected in the character and soul of the Russian person, first of all.

Language and literature as values of the people

Whatever you say, the greatest value of every nation is its language. The language in which he speaks, writes and thinks, which allows him to express his own thoughts and opinions. It is not for nothing that there is a saying among Russians: “The language is the people.”

Old Russian literature arose during the adoption of Christianity. At that moment there were two directions of literary art - world history and the meaning of human life. Books were written very slowly, and the main readers were representatives of the upper classes. But this did not prevent Russian literature from developing to world heights over time.

And at one time Russia was one of the most reading countries in the world! Language and national culture are very closely related. After all, it was through the scriptures that experience and accumulated knowledge were passed on in ancient times. Historically, Russian culture dominates, but the national culture of the peoples living in the vastness of our country also played a role in its development. That is why most of the works are closely intertwined with historical events of other countries.

Painting as part of Russian culture

Just like literature, painting occupies a very significant place in the development of the cultural life of Russia.

The first thing that developed as an art of painting in the territories of Rus' was icon painting. Which once again proves the high level of spirituality of this people. And at the turn of the XIV-XV centuries, icon painting reached its apogee.

Over time, the desire to draw also arises among ordinary people. As mentioned earlier, the beauties on whose territory the Russians lived had a great influence on the formation of cultural values. Perhaps that is why a huge number of paintings by Russian artists were dedicated to the expanses of their native land. Through their canvases, masters conveyed not only the beauty of the surrounding world, but also their personal state of mind, and sometimes the state of mind of an entire people. Often the paintings contained a double secret meaning, which was revealed exclusively to those for whom the work was intended. The art school of Russia is recognized by the whole world and occupies an honorable place on the world pedestal.

Religion of the multinational people of Russia

National culture largely depends on what gods the nation worships. As you know, Russia is a multinational country, home to about 130 nations and nationalities, each of which has its own religion, culture, language and way of life. That is why religion in Russia does not have a single name.

Today, there are 5 leading trends in the Russian Federation: Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, as well as Catholicism and Protestantism. Each of these religions has a place in a huge country. Although, if we talk about the formation of the national culture of Russia, then since ancient times Russians belonged exclusively to the Orthodox Church.

At one time, the great Russian principality, in order to strengthen relations with Byzantium, decided to adopt Orthodoxy throughout Rus'. In those days, church leaders were necessarily included in the tsar’s inner circle. Hence the concept that the church is always connected with state power. In ancient times, even before the baptism of Rus', the ancestors of the Russian people worshiped the Vedic gods. The religion of the ancient Slavs was the deification of the forces of nature. Of course, there were not only good characters, but mostly the gods of the ancient representatives of the nation were mysterious, beautiful and kind.

Cuisine and traditions in Rus'

National culture and traditions are practically inseparable concepts. After all, all this is, first of all, the memory of the people, what protects a person from depersonalization.

As mentioned earlier, Russians have always been famous for their hospitality. This is why Russian cuisine is so varied and tasty. Although a few centuries ago the Slavs ate fairly simple and monotonous food. In addition, it was customary for the population of this country to fast. Therefore, the table was basically always divided into modest and lean.

Most often, meat, dairy, flour and vegetable products could be found on the table. Although many dishes in Russian culture have exclusively ritual significance. Traditions are tightly intertwined with kitchen life in Russia. Some dishes are considered ritual and are prepared only on certain holidays. For example, kurniks are always prepared for a wedding, kutya is cooked for Christmas, pancakes are baked for Maslenitsa, and Easter cakes and Easter cakes are baked for Easter. Of course, the residence of other peoples on the territory of Russia was reflected in its cuisine. Therefore, in many dishes you can observe unusual recipes, as well as the presence of non-Slavic products. It’s not for nothing that they say: “We are what we eat.” Russian cuisine is very simple and healthy!

Modernity

Many are trying to judge how much the national culture of our state has been preserved today.

Russia is truly a unique country. It has a rich history and a difficult fate. That is why the culture of this country is sometimes gentle and touching, and sometimes tough and militant. If we consider the ancient Slavs, then it was here that a real national culture arose. Preserving it is more important than ever today! Over the past few centuries, Russia has learned not only to live with other nations in peace and friendship, but also to accept the religion of other nations. To this day, most of the ancient traditions have been preserved, which Russians honor with pleasure. Many traits of the ancient Slavs are present today in the worthy descendants of their people. Russia is a great country that treats its culture extremely carefully!

The Russian people are representatives of the East Slavic ethnic group, the indigenous inhabitants of Russia (110 million people - 80% of the population of the Russian Federation), the largest ethnic group in Europe. The Russian diaspora numbers about 30 million people and is concentrated in countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the countries of the former USSR, the USA 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 consider itself to be a member of any particular religion. The national language of the Russian people is Russian.

Each country and its people have their own significance in the modern world; the concepts of folk culture and history of a nation, their formation and development are very important. Each nation and its culture are unique in their own way, the flavor and uniqueness of each nationality should not be lost or dissolved in assimilation with other peoples, 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 in recent years its erasure has been especially noticeable against the background of the 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, breadth of soul and strength of spirit. But national culture is formed by people, and it is these character traits that have a huge influence on its formation and development.

One of the distinctive features of the Russian people has always been and is simplicity; in former times, Slavic houses and property were very often subjected to looting and complete destruction, hence the simplified attitude towards everyday issues. And of course, these trials that befell the long-suffering Russian people only strengthened their character, made them stronger and taught them to get out of any life situations with their heads held high.

Another trait that prevails in the character of the Russian ethnic group can be called kindness. The whole world is well aware of the concept of Russian hospitality, when “they feed you, give you something to drink, and put you to bed.” A unique combination of such qualities as cordiality, mercy, compassion, generosity, tolerance and, again, simplicity, very rarely found among other peoples of the world, all this is fully manifested in the very breadth of the Russian soul.

Hard work is another one of the main traits of the Russian character, although many historians in the study of the Russian people note both its love of work and enormous potential, as well as its laziness, as well as complete lack of initiative (remember Oblomov in Goncharov’s novel). But still, the efficiency and endurance of the Russian people is an indisputable fact that is difficult to argue against. And no matter how much scientists around the world want 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 to everyone.

Traditions and customs of the Russian people

(Russian meal)

Folk traditions and customs represent a unique connection, a kind of “bridge of times” connecting the distant past with the present. Some of them have their roots 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 due to the more isolated lifestyle of city residents.

A large number of rituals and traditions are associated with family life (this includes matchmaking, wedding celebrations, and the baptism of children). Carrying out ancient rites 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 at the beginning of the 20th century)

Since ancient times, Slavic families were distinguished by a large number of family members (up to 20 people), adult children, having already gotten married, remained to live in their home, the head of the family was the father or older brother, everyone had to obey them and unquestioningly carry out all their orders. Typically, wedding celebrations were held either in the fall, after the harvest, or in the winter after the Epiphany holiday (January 19). Then the first week after Easter, the so-called “Red Hill,” began to be considered a very successful time for a wedding. The wedding itself was preceded by a matchmaking ceremony, when the groom's parents came to the bride's family along with his godparents, if the parents agreed to give their daughter in marriage, then a bridesmaid ceremony was held (meeting the future newlyweds), then there was a ceremony of collusion and hand-waving (the parents resolved the issues of the 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 purpose godparents were chosen, who would be responsible for the life and well-being of the godson all his life. When the baby was one year old, they sat him on the inside of a sheep's coat and cut his hair, cutting a cross on the crown, with such meaning that evil spirits would not be able to penetrate his head and would not have power over him. Every Christmas Eve (January 6), a slightly older godson should bring kutia (wheat porridge with honey and poppy seeds) to his godparents, and they, in turn, should give him sweets.

Traditional holidays of the Russian people

Russia is truly a unique state where, along with the highly developed culture of the modern world, they carefully honor the 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. To this day, pagan holidays are celebrated, people listen to signs and age-old traditions, remember and tell their children and grandchildren ancient traditions and legends.

Main national holidays:

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

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

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

Honey Spas August 14
Apple Spas August 19
Third (Khlebny) Spas August 29
Pokrov day October 14

There is a belief that on the night of Ivan Kupala (July 6-7), once a year a fern flower blooms in the forest, and whoever finds it will gain untold wealth. In the evening, large bonfires are lit near rivers and lakes, people dressed in festive ancient Russian attires lead round dances, sing ritual chants, jump over the fire, and let wreaths float downstream, in the hope of finding their soul mate.

Maslenitsa is a traditional holiday of the Russian people, celebrated during the week before Lent. A very long time ago, Maslenitsa was more likely not a holiday, but a ritual when the memory of departed ancestors was honored, placating them with pancakes, asking them for a fertile year, and spending the winter by burning a straw effigy. Time passed, and the Russian people, thirsting 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 remained, exciting winter entertainment appeared: sledding and horse-drawn sled rides, a straw effigy of Winter was burned, throughout the Maslenitsa week relatives went to pancakes with their mother-in-law and sister-in-law, an atmosphere of celebration and fun reigned everywhere , various theatrical and puppet shows were held on the streets with the participation of Petrushka and other folklore characters. One of the very colorful and dangerous entertainments on Maslenitsa was fist fights; the male population took part in them, for whom it was an honor to take part in a kind of “military affair” that tested their courage, boldness and dexterity.

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

The Nativity of Christ is not only a bright holiday of Orthodoxy, it also symbolizes the revival 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, are being rediscovered and rethought by society in the modern world. The day before Christmas (January 6) is called Christmas Eve, because the main dish of the festive table, which should consist of 12 dishes, is a special porridge “sochivo”, consisting of boiled cereal, drizzled 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 one table, ate a festive treat and gave each other gifts. The 12 days after the holiday (until January 19) are called Christmastide. Previously, at this time, girls in Rus' held various gatherings with fortune telling and rituals to attract suitors.

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 kulichi (festive rich Easter bread) and Easter eggs, clean and decorate their homes, young people and children paint eggs, which, according to ancient legend, symbolize drops of the blood of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross. On the day of Holy Easter, smartly dressed people, meeting, say “Christ is Risen!”, answer “Truly He is Risen!”, followed by a three-time kiss and an exchange of festive Easter eggs.