“Bring a chicken and Cockerel.” As wooed in Russia
“AiF” tells the story of what the traditions of courtship have existed in tsarist Russia and why the matchmaker was and scout, and a financial expert.
A matchmaker in Russia was a “business center”: she was aware of who was in the area of young people idle, and girls of marriageable age, how wealthy in material terms of potential brides and grooms.
Peristeron in 18 years
“Right,” matchmaker never tell me who she “mishandled”.
According to the custom with the owners first had to discuss local news, weather, harvest. However, and then directly it was considered improper to speak. So resorted to allegories.
Notice: “I Want to buy some for our teen”, “Looking for the lamb. Case, you lost?”.
Matchmaker has traditionally possessed the skill and ability to persuade: “sashenkin speeches, like sleigh — even sit down, scram Yes”, “No one is against the matchmaker does not lie”. Needed to adequately serve, and sometimes to exaggerate the advantages of young men and maidens, and the cons — to keep silent….
Special eloquence the matchmakers had to resort, when they tried to attach perestarki or vekovogo — sat up in the girls girl, or a solitary man — a young man who not long married. Hence all the Proverbs and sayings: “the Matchmaker of the sins of the soul takes”, “only One matchmaker for someone else’s soul swears”.
By the way, in the XIX century among the peasants “perestroka” called the girl of 18 years, and “vekovogo” older than 20.
A solitary man the young man was 20. However, the average life expectancy of the peasants then was 35-40 years. The matchmakers were plenty of take. For example, before you go to matchmaking, tied the belt around the legs of the chair. It was believed that since “the wedding will be better to bind”. And in Kursk province was considered a good sign tying pokers and brooms. Coming to the bride’s house, the matchmaker sat down on a bench opposite the door so that her feet were on the floorboard, which led to the exit. It was considered that the bride is faster so successfully marry and leave her husband’s home.
And how it all happened Moscow?
“The nobles did not consider the right to appeal to the go-betweens, — says the researcher of the Museum of Moscow Larisa Skrypnik. Although desperate mother-a noblewoman could also come to the matchmaker, so she gave at least some information about the possibility to attach a daughter of friends of decent singles. But mostly in Moscow the matchmaker was common in the merchant environment. In the merchant Zamoskvorechye these matchmakers were very many. They were treated with great respect because they were given the opportunity of making a good marriage for a merchant daughters.
Merchants were believers, they had very strict rules of behavior — what’s appropriate and what’s not. So the bride for the merchants matchmaker often staged in churches. Parents coming to the service, could see what their children got as a bride or groom.
An amusing incident occurred after the opening of the Tretyakov gallery in Lavrushinsky lane. Tretyakov began to let go of all those wishing to admire the beautiful paintings. Ministers told to Pavel Mikhailovich, came very brightly dressed woman and asked if everyone allowed into this gallery and is it possible to spend as much time as you want. She said Yes, of course, can come.
And the servants began to notice that this lady comes accompanied by elderly and young people. They walk through the gallery, but the paintings do not look, and all that, then talk to each other. It really surprised the employees of the Tretyakov gallery until they found out that it is the matchmaker who wanted a nice place to bring the future to the bride and groom and their parents. So for the merchants Tretyakov gallery was the place where were arranged by go-betweens the bride, and not a great gallery where you can enjoy the arts.