The original legislative and cultural monument of the inhabitants of ancient Russia, left to descendants from its compilers in the 16th century, "Domostroy" is today an important historical heritage. This authoritative guide describes in detail the mechanism for regulating family relations and housekeeping. Even today it is of great interest to researchers of the historical heritage of our ancestors.
The unique set of current rules and recommendations "Domostroy" was able to combine in itself a monumental spiritual and worldly life, thus showing that only following the divine norms of being, one can achieve success in life and peace of mind. This "Encyclopedia of Household Management" explains in great detail and clearly not only the norms of everyday life, but also the rules for the implementation of rituals.
This book does not ignore any aspects of the life of a Russian person of the 16th century, including weddings, various annual holidays and daily everyday details of the pastime. It is interesting that even in our time, many foreign citizens believe that in the country, "Domostroy" is still the reference book of every resident of Russia.
Due to the fact that in the 16th century there were a large number of handwritten books on parchment and paper delivered to our country from Europe in use, the Domostroi books existed in two forms: printed and handwritten. Historians claim that this was the reason for the appearance in circulation of two different versions of this epic encyclopedia. One version features ancient syllables and strict but wise teachings. And another version of an authoritative book is a set of rules with strange and rather harsh customs. Today, the exact date of the creation of Domostroi is not known, but it is generally believed that it first appeared in Veliky Novgorod in the first half of the 16th century.
Authorship of "Domostroy" and its essence
It is interesting that the official point of view on the authorship of the famous Russian encyclopedia differs. Some historical researchers believe that Archpriest Sylvester (confessor of Ivan the Terrible) created this monumental work as a spiritual instruction for his monarch. However, there is a large group of scientific researchers who are sure that this clergyman actually only rewrote the already existing version of the book, created in an earlier period of the history of Russia.
A detailed study of "Domostroi" allows us to judge this book as a revered by the executive power and the church of leadership to life in all its areas: secular and spiritual. The structural construction of Sylvester's version implies a separate preface, a letter from son to father, and other sixty-seven chapters devoted to reverence for authorities and household chores, including family relationships and cooking.
It is immediately striking that almost all chapters of "Domostroi" are focused on Christian values. Here you can clearly see the respect for the older generation, the Christian veneration of the Holy Trinity and the Virgin Mary, the correct worship of supernatural forces and holy relics. In addition, the rules from the "Law of God" are discussed in detail, including a description of such moments as how to correctly impose the cross on oneself and perform prostrations and prostrations, prepare for Holy Communion and use prosphora, how to behave in the temple and other norms of behavior.
The red thread of Domostroi traces the harmony of the power of the Church and the Tsar, which must be unconditionally honored.
Summary of "Domostroy"
The most detailed, especially emphasizing the importance of this issue, in "Domostroy" spelled out the instruction of a father to his son, reverence and obedience to parents and handicrafts.
Dwelling on these norms of everyday life, I would like to especially highlight the following:
- The instruction of the father to the son (the commandment of the father) begins with a blessing. After that, the father instructs his own child, along with his wife and children, to follow the Christian commandments. Especially valuable are the lines of the instruction: "If you do not accept this scripture, you will be responsible for yourself on the Day of Judgment."
This instruction is imbued with the spirit of greatness and fatherly wisdom. That is why the relevance of these lines applies to all times, including the present. Today, the younger generation is not guided by this epic wisdom, and therefore it becomes obvious to everyone where the open separation between different generations originates from. And during the period of leadership of family relations, it was the Domostroi structure that reverence for the older generation was unconditional, which undoubtedly gave its positive results.
- Respect and obedience to parents eliminated any possibility of condemnation or insult to the father or mother by their children. The hierarchy of family power is clearly indicated here, in which the instructions of the parents cannot be discussed, but are carried out unquestioningly. The love, reverence and obedience of children to their parents are due to the very nature of the existence of family values. If this rule is violated, children will be excommunicated and cursed by their parents. It is the ancestral attachment of descendants to their ancestors that allows us to talk about the fundamental support of society and its strength. Unfortunately, today parental authority has been significantly lost, which contributes to a huge disunity in the entire society.
- The rule "On needlework" had a very serious status in view of the great respect at that time of honest labor. It is the high-quality performance of any work that was of paramount importance in assessing the human qualities of household members. Therefore, this rule was a proper measure of hard work, diligence and, as a result, the usefulness of each person for the family and society. Here, those people who are prone to deception, theft, greed and other Christian vices were given a very serious condemnation. Interestingly, before completing any task, it was necessary to impose a cross on oneself, seek the favor of the Lord and bow down to the saints three times in front of their faces depicted on icons. And before any needlework, it was necessary to wash your hands and clear your thoughts of unkind urges.
Cancellation of "Domostroy"
The set of unique rules "Domostroy" was abolished by the Soviet authorities in 1917. It is clear that the revolutionary propaganda of that historical era was based entirely on other ideological values, which were abhorrent to the traditional norms of the Orthodox state. The class struggle against the autocracy and the state system excluded the norms of "Domostroi" that were familiar to the Russian soul. Now, other rules of relations between people were in use, which relied exclusively on atheism and the class struggle against the bourgeoisie and landowners.
The invaluable experience of many generations accumulated in this encyclopedia was first persecuted and then forgotten. And this could not but affect the moral state of society, which today seems to be quite fragmented.
Historical heritage and educational character of "Domostroy"
As a historical heritage of ancestors "Domostroy" seems to be quite priceless to contemporaries. Indeed, according to the information contained in this book, they can accurately judge the mentality of their ancestors from the most diverse social classes. It reflects the invaluable rules of social order that determined the leisure, intellectual and cultural aspects of their lives. According to "Domostroi", you can make a very detailed description of that era, because it reflects the family rules of relationships, and religious traditions, and the most detailed everyday norms.
Practical advice "Domostroy" and today can be considered quite unique. Indeed, despite the fact that the norms of social behavior have ceased to be guided by the church and divine commandments, the modern family and people of all social formations can find in it a sufficient number of very important and valuable recommendations for every day. Special words of gratitude deserve practical advice on the upbringing of the younger generation, focused on honoring the elders and denying envy, hypocrisy, lies, aggression and other manifestations of the base nature of man.