June 13, 2023

Medieval Musings


Medieval Musings
The collapse of the ceiling in the State Duma of the Russian Empire, 1907. Wikimedia Commons.

The Russian education system may see the reintroduction of Domostroy, a medieval guide to life and ethics authored by Archpriest Sylvester, Ivan the Terrible's confessor.

The proposal came from Alexei Didenko, deputy head of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) faction in the State Duma. Didenko argued that Domostroy should be mandatory reading for students of all ages due to the perceived decline in the significance of marriage in contemporary Russia, where over half of registered unions result in divorce.

“This leads to a decline in the population and a crisis in the institution of the family,” Didenko said, “The return of Domostroy will help overcome this problem. This ancient guide to everyday life and family life should become a subject in schools and universities so that our citizens learn from childhood to build strong and happy families."

Domostroy is divided into three sections, each offering guidance on different aspects of life. The first section focuses on proper conduct and prayer within the church, while the second emphasizes respect for leaders. The third section covers domestic life and household management.

The book also advocates physical discipline in child-rearing, suggesting that parents should discipline their children from a young age and take pride in their courage. It also offers recommendations on how to treat wives, suggesting that they should be obedient and kept clean but advises caution when administering punishment, suggesting the polite use of a whip – while holding their hands.

Furthermore, Domostroy promotes a sense of fear and reverence towards one's leaders, considering them representatives of God on Earth.

You Might Also Like

Sweet Somethings
  • November 01, 2017

Sweet Somethings

As fall deepens and winter approaches, what could be better than a warm honey drink imbued with Russian history.
Food of the Gods
  • March 01, 2017

Food of the Gods

We look at the special place in Russian culture occupied by tvorog, and of course offer a tasty recipe...
Fugitive No. 1
  • March 18, 2023

Fugitive No. 1

Russian President and Indicted War Criminal Vladimir Putin had a bad day.
Fighting for God and Putin
  • October 04, 2022

Fighting for God and Putin

Patriarch Kirill says that Russians can fast-track their way to heaven by fighting in Ukraine.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955