The theory of "three calmness" has become a fundamental teaching in Russian literature. For a long time, all Russian writers and poets worked in strict accordance with this theory.
The invention of the theory
The author of this doctrine was the famous cultural, scientific and public figure M. V. Lomonosov. In the 18th century, the Russian language was actually divided into two directions - Church Slavonic and colloquial. Letters and documents were written in Church Slavonic, and often the text was impossible to understand for an ordinary person. Also, the Russian language had many outdated expressions, borrowings from other languages, and heavy syntactic constructions. Grammar and pronunciation varied from region to region.
Lomonosov did a great job of structuring the Russian language. He modernized it, published grammar textbooks, invented many words that replaced foreign borrowings and brought Church Slavonic closer to the spoken language. The theory of "three calm", or, in modern terms, "three styles", was intended for literature. She divided the entire literary heritage into high, medium and low styles, which corresponded to different lexical norms.
High style
Lomonosov classified odes, tragedies, heroic poems, hymns, oratorical speeches as works of high style. They were supposed to tell about sublime feelings or historical events. In such works, Old Slavonicisms, pompous little-used words, outdated expressions: "hand", "right hand", "open", etc. were used. The use of ordinary literary words was also allowed.
Medium style
The middle style included dramas, elegies, eclogs, poems, satires, letters, scientific works. These works told about contemporary events for the reader, the lives of interesting people, enlightened and informed him. In the middle style, ordinary Russian words were used, but the use of spoken language, abusive or derogatory vocabulary was prohibited, except when an action required it. Medium-style works were designed for the widest audience.
Low style
Such works carried only an entertainment component. These included comedies, songs, epigrams, fables, letters of friendship and notes. In a low style, colloquial words, jargon, common vocabulary were widely used: "birdie", "say", "simpleton". Low-style works were read out in a friendly circle to cheer up; at official celebrations, reading them was inappropriate.
