The culture of a people is inextricably linked with their way of life, everyday life, just as the way of life of the people, determined by the level of economic development of the country, is closely connected with cultural processes. People Ancient Rus' lived both in large cities for his time, numbering tens of thousands of people, and in villages with several dozen households and villages, especially in the northeast of the country, in which two or three households were grouped.

All contemporary evidence suggests that Kyiv was a large and rich city. In its scale, many stone temple buildings, palaces, it competed with other European capitals of that time. It is not for nothing that the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Anna Yaroslavna, who married in France and came to Paris in the 11th century, was surprised by the provinciality of the French capital in comparison with Kiev, which shone on the way from the “Varangians to the Greeks.” Here the golden-domed temples shone with their domes, the palaces of Vladimir, Yaroslav the Wise, Vsevolod Yaroslavich amazed with their grace, the St. Sophia Cathedral, the Golden Gate - a symbol of the victories of Russian weapons, surprised with its monumentality and wonderful frescoes. And not far from the princely palace stood bronze horses, taken by Vladimir from Chersonesos; in the old city there were palaces of prominent boyars, and here on the mountain there were also houses of rich merchants, other prominent citizens, and the clergy. Houses were decorated with carpets and expensive Greek fabrics. From the fortress walls of the city one could see the white stone churches of Pechersky, Vydubitsky and other Kyiv monasteries in the green bushes.

In the palaces and rich boyar mansions there was a life of its own - warriors, servants were located here, and countless servants crowded around. From here the administration of principalities, cities, and villages took place; here they judged and tried, and here tributes and taxes were brought. Feasts were often held in the vestibule, in the spacious grits, where overseas wine and their native “honey” flowed like a river, and servants served huge dishes of meat and game. Women sat at the table on equal terms with men. Women generally took an active part in management, housekeeping, and other matters. There are many known women - figures of this kind: Princess Olga, Monomakh's sister Yanka, mother of Daniil Galitsky, wife of Andrei Bogolyubsky, etc. Guslyars delighted the ears of eminent guests, sang "glory" to them, large bowls, horns of wine went around in a circle. At the same time, food and small money were distributed to the poor on behalf of the owner. Such feasts and such distributions were famous throughout Rus' during the time of Vladimir I.

The favorite pastimes of rich people were falconry, hawk hunting, and hound hunting. Races, tournaments, and various games were organized for the common people. An integral part of ancient Russian life, especially in the North, however, as in late times, was a bathhouse.

In the princely-boyar environment, at the age of three, a boy was put on a horse, then given to the care and training of a pestun (from “to nurture” - to educate). At the age of 12, young princes, together with prominent boyar advisers, were sent to manage volosts and cities.

Below, on the banks of the Dnieper, a cheerful Kiev trade was noisy, where, it seems, products and products were sold not only from all over Rus', but also from all over the world of that time, including India and Baghdad.

A variety of dwellings of artisans and working people descended along the slopes of the mountains towards Podol - from good wooden houses to poor dugouts. Hundreds of large and small ships were crowded at the berths of the Dnieper and Pochaina. There were also huge princely boats with many oars and many sails, and merchants' seaty boats, and lively, nimble boats.

A motley, multilingual crowd scurried along the streets of the city. Boyars and warriors walked here in expensive silk clothes, in cloaks decorated with fur and gold, in epanchas, and in beautiful leather boots. The buckles of their cloaks were made of gold and silver. Merchants also appeared in good-quality linen shirts and woolen caftans, and poorer people also scurried about in homespun canvas shirts and portages. Rich women decorated themselves with gold and silver chains, beaded necklaces, which were very popular in Rus', earrings, and other jewelry made of gold and silver, finished with enamel and niello. But there were also simpler, cheaper jewelry, made from inexpensive stones and simple metal - copper, bronze. Poor people wore them with pleasure. It is known that women already then wore traditional Russian clothes - sundresses; the head was covered with ubrus (shawls).

Similar temples, palaces, the same wooden houses and the same semi-dugouts stood on the outskirts of other Russian cities, the same trading noises were noisy, and on holidays, smartly dressed residents filled the narrow streets.

His life, full of work and anxiety, flowed in modest Russian villages and hamlets, in log huts, in semi-dugouts with stoves in the corner. There, people stubbornly fought for existence, plowed new lands, raised livestock, beekeepers, hunted, defended themselves from “dashing” people, and in the south - from nomads, and again and again rebuilt dwellings burned by enemies. Moreover, often plowmen went out into the field armed with spears, clubs, bows and arrows to fight off the Polovtsian patrol. Long winter evenings in the light of splinters the women spun, the men drank intoxicating drinks and honey, and reminisced days gone by, composed and sang songs, listened to the storytellers and storytellers of epics, and from the wooden floors, from the far corners, the eyes of the little Russians watched them with curiosity and interest, whose lives, full of the same worries and anxieties, were still ahead.

History of Russia. From ancient times to the 16th century. 6th grade Kiselev Alexander Fedotovich

§ 29 – 30. LIFE AND CULTURE OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE IN THE XIII – XV CENTURIES

Revival of the economy. The Mongols dealt a severe blow to the Russian lands: they destroyed many material and spiritual values, ravaged and burned dozens of cities, and took thousands of people captive. Many types of crafts were forgotten, cultural centers were abandoned, and stone construction ceased. In the middle of the 14th century, Russian people began to restore the destroyed economy and cities, crafts, trade, and agriculture were revived.

When cultivating the land, the three-field system prevailed - the field was divided into three sections: winter, yarl and fallow. Winter crops were sown in the fall and harvested the following year. Spring crops were sown in the spring and received a harvest the same year. The land set aside for fallow was taking a break from crops. In subsequent years, the sites alternated.

The production of metal from which weapons, chain mail and helmets were made grew. This was what the armorers did. The village of Bronnitsy on Msta Novgorod land famous for its blacksmiths. At the end of the 14th century, firearms appeared. Among the blacksmiths were cannon masters. In the 1470s, cannons began to be cast from bronze, but they were hand-held squeaked still forged from iron.

Iron items for household purposes were in great demand: scissors, sewing needles, nails, rivets, staples, locks, knives different types: kitchen, dining, bone carving, combat and many others.

Foundry workers improved their skills. They also mastered artistic casting, especially of church utensils. The bell of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, cast in 1420, weighed 20 pounds. The main products of pottery production were dishes and children's toys.

Carpenters and woodworkers built peasant huts, boyar mansions, ships, paved streets, and made furniture. Skillful wooden products decorated houses and their interiors.

In rural areas, peasants were engaged in home weaving. During this period, the production of fabrics on machines began. The raw materials were wool, flax and hemp. The population willingly bought products from tanners, shoemakers, saddlers, bag makers, and furriers.

Russian people mastered the lathe (made of wood) and lifting mechanisms (used by the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti during the construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin). Since the second half of the 15th century, brick was widely used in construction. In 1404, a tower clock was installed in the Moscow Kremlin, and in 1436 a clock appeared in Novgorod.

Russian carpenters

Loom. Reconstruction of B. Kolchin

Enlightenment and literature. The spread of knowledge and literacy proceeded differently in the village and the bustling trading city, in the monastery and the princely palace. In rural areas, the knowledge needed by the peasant was passed on to the young by the old. In the form of signs and proverbs, they have been preserved to this day, for example, “on Candlemas (February 2) - snow, in spring - rain,” “cold May is a grain-bearing year.” In the villages, village elders and priests were literate people. In raising children, fairy tales with positive and negative characters. The popular fairy tale hero Ivanushka the Fool invariably overcame all obstacles and always forgave his arrogant rivals.

Princes, boyars, and townspeople learned to read and write from books. They knew how to read and write. A diploma was necessary for conducting various trade and property affairs. Various documents (deeds of sale, petitions, wills, contracts, etc.) were drawn up and recorded on parchment and birch bark. However, among the rich people there were many who “barely managed to read and write.”

From the middle of the 14th century, expensive calfskin, used for making books, was gradually replaced by paper. Books have become cheaper and therefore more accessible. They were read aloud by special readers. Those who knew literacy, that is, knew how to read and write, were called ignorant, those who did not know literacy were called ignoramuses.

In the literature created in the 13th – 15th centuries, two themes developed: Mongol invasion and the unification of Russian lands. The “Tale of the Destruction of the Russian Land” glorifies the Russian princes in poetic form and tells the story of a beautiful and abundant country that was trampled by Batu’s hordes. The Battle of Kulikovo is dedicated to “The Legend of Mamaev's massacre" and "Zadonshchina", the author of which was the Bryansk boyar Sophony Ryazanets.

Lives of saints were popular reading in Rus'. They contained information of both everyday life and from the field of culture, history, and geography. From the lives it is known, for example, that future saints most often began to learn to read and write at the age of seven. “The Life of Alexander Nevsky” with a description of the prince’s exploits was compiled shortly after his death. One of the authors, Epiphanius the Wise, who lived at the end of the 14th - beginning of the 15th century, wrote the lives of Sergius of Radonezh and Stephen of Perm.

A unique monument of literature is a description of travel. In the 15th century, “Walking across Three Seas” by the Tver merchant Afanasy Nikitin saw the light of day. He went to Persia and, by the will of fate, ended up in India. Afanasy Nikitin vividly and accurately described an unknown and mysterious country. The Tver merchant was the first European to visit India. The Portuguese Vasco da Gama ended up there several years later than Afanasy Nikitin.

School in Moscow Rus'. Artist B. Kustodiev

The chronicle traditions of Ancient Rus' have also been preserved. In the 14th – 15th centuries, the idea of ​​unifying the Russian land was a common thread in the chronicles of various regional centers.

Non-possessors and Josephites. Church lands, which grew to enormous sizes, became the subject of discussion in Russian society.

Disputes about church land ownership developed among the clergy. Two formed ideological trends- non-possessors and Josephites. The first was headed by the monk of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Nil Sorsky. He preached non-covetousness- the modest life of monks who live off their own labor, and denied the right of monasteries to own land and peasants.

Representatives of another movement - the Josephites - led by Joseph Volotsky, the founder of the Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery near Moscow, defended the church's right to land property. They advocated a strong and wealthy church, but recognized the dependence of spiritual power on secular power.

Afanasy Nikitin leaves Tver. Artist D. N. Butorin

At a church council in Moscow in 1503, Ivan III raised the issue of eliminating monastic land ownership. Thus, he wanted to provide land for the serving nobility. Nil Sorsky called for renouncing the right of monasteries to land, moving away from worldly affairs and focusing on spiritual self-improvement. Joseph Volotsky accused the non-covetous people of weakening the position of the church in the state and harming the spiritual education of the people.

Joseph Volotsky achieved success - the land property of the church remained at its disposal.

Architecture. In the 13th century, church construction declined sharply. In 1292, the first stone church of St. Nicholas on Lipna since the invasion of Batu was erected near Novgorod. In 1360, the amazingly beautiful Church of Fyodor Stratelates was built in Novgorod, then the Church of the Savior on Ilyin Street, Peter and Paul in Kozhevniki. Temples in Pskov were built in such a way that the buildings fit organically into the surrounding landscape.

Church of Fyodor Stratilates in Novgorod

Church of the Savior on Ilyin Street in Novgorod

An example of stone architecture in Tver is the white stone Cathedral of the Transfiguration. It was built at the end of the 13th century on the site of a wooden church.

Under Ivan Kalita, the revival of stone architecture began in Moscow. The white stone Assumption Cathedral (1326 – 1327), the Church of the Savior on Bor (1330), the Archangel Cathedral (1333), which became the prince’s tomb, and the Church of St. John the Climacus (1329) were built. The Spassky Cathedral of the Andronikov Monastery (1425 - 1427) was erected at the expense of Ermola, the ancestor merchant dynasty Ermolins.

The son of Dmitry Donskoy, Yuri, Prince of Zvenigorod, built on a grand scale. Under him, the court Assumption Cathedral appeared in the Zvenigorod Kremlin (about 1400) and the Nativity Cathedral in the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery near Zvenigorod (1405).

Nativity Cathedral of Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery

Moscow Kremlin. Around 1300, Prince Daniil Alexandrovich fenced Moscow off with a pine fence. At first this fortified place was called detinets, then kremlin or kremlin. The pine fences did not last long; they were reduced to ashes by another fire. In 1339, under Ivan Kalita, a fortress made of oak logs was built. However, in 1365 it suffered the same fate - it burned down. Fires were a frequent occurrence, and Moscow's fortifications were rebuilt several times.

Ivan III decided to update the defensive structures of Moscow. He ordered to demolish the old, already dilapidated walls and surround the Kremlin with thick and high walls on a solid foundation with military towers. At the invitation of the Grand Duke, famous architects from Italy came to Russia.

The new Kremlin was built from bricks and white stone ten years (1485 – 1495). On the southern side of the Kremlin - along the Moscow River - a fortress wall and seven towers were erected: Tainitskaya, Vodovzvodnaya, Beklemishevskaya, Blagoveshchenskaya, Petrovskaya, the first and second Nameless. In 1485, Antony Fryazin built the first of Kremlin towers- Tainitskaya. It got its name not by chance: a secret passage led from the basement of the tower to the Moscow River.

In 1490, they began to strengthen the northeastern part of the Kremlin, from Red Square and Vasilievsky Spusk. Where the walls closed in acute angle, they erected round towers, which made it possible to fire at the enemy in a circular manner. There were two such towers - Vodovzvodnaya and Beklemishevskaya. In case of a long siege, hiding wells were built in them. They also built powerful and high towers with gates for access to the Kremlin. The gates were closed with oak or iron doors. On the outside of the passage towers, diversion towers were attached, from which it was possible to hit the enemy who broke through to the gate.

Moscow Kremlin under Ivan III. Artist A. Vasnetsov

In 1495, reconstruction of the western part of the Kremlin, protected by the Neglinnaya River, began. The work was led by the Italian architect Aleviz Novy. According to his design, the western Kremlin wall was connected to the previously built Borovitskaya Tower and the fortress was closed.

Vasily III ordered to “make a ditch around the city with stone and brick and repair ponds.” A ditch 32 meters wide and about 12 meters deep was dug on the territory of modern Red Square, and it connected the Neglinnaya River with the Moscow River. The ditch was surrounded on both sides by low battlemented walls. Sluices kept the water in the ditch. The Kremlin has practically turned into an island, impregnable to the enemy. The area of ​​the Kremlin was 27.5 hectares, the total length of the walls reached 2235 meters.

In 1475 - 1479, Aristotle Fioravanti erected a new (the old one was very dilapidated) Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. Ivan III ordered the Italian architect to take the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir as a model. Fioravanti adhered to the traditions of Russian architecture. The majestic Assumption Cathedral adorned the Kremlin and Moscow - the gilded domes of the main temple of the capital were visible from every part of the city.

Assumption Cathedral

The Annunciation Cathedral, the house (family) church of Russian princes (and later tsars) was built by master architects from Pskov.

The Italians Marco Ruffo and Pietro Solari completed the construction of the Chamber of Facets in 1491. It got its name for facing the façade with cut stone. Receptions of foreign ambassadors were held here and celebrations were held.

Ivan the Great decided to build a new Archangel Cathedral (the old one was demolished). The Italian architect Aleviz the New began construction in 1505, which lasted three years. In 1508 the cathedral was consecrated. Subsequently, princes and kings were buried in it. In 1505 - 1508, the Italian Bon Fryazin worked on the construction of the tallest bell tower at that time, nicknamed Ivan the Great.

Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin

Painting. In no other country were so many icons painted as in the Russian land. In each temple, above the so-called royal doors of the altar, there was a deesis - a composition of icons: in the center - the icon of Jesus Christ, to the right of it - the Mother of God, to the left - John the Baptist. Icons of the apostles, angels, and saints formed tiers iconostasis.

Icons for churches and cathedrals were painted by masters from Novgorod, Rostov, Tver, Pskov, Moscow, Vologda schools iconography. In 1294, Alexa Petrov painted an icon of Nikola Lipinsky for the monastery church of St. Nicholas on Lipna near Novgorod (St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was especially loved by the people and was revered as the patron saint of sailors).

One of the best examples of the Rostov school is the icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands ( beginning of XIII century). In the 40s of the 14th century, the icon “Savior’s Ardent Eye” was painted for the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

A talented painter, about whom fairly complete and reliable information has been preserved, was Theophanes the Greek. He worked in Constantinople, Galata and Cafe, in Rus' - in Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow. The frescoes of the remarkable artist are well preserved in the Church of the Transfiguration in Novgorod. In Moscow, he painted the churches of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (1395), the Archangel Michael (1399) and the Annunciation (1405). The Deesis of the Annunciation Cathedral is the pinnacle of the work of Theophanes the Greek.

Theophanes the Greek. Stylite. Fresco from the Church of the Transfiguration

In the second half of the 15th century, Dionysius painted icons. Talented artist created frescoes and iconostasis of the Ferapontov Monastery, which is located near Vologda.

The famous Russian artist Andrei Rublev (his biography is little known) is mentioned in chronicles next to the name of Theophanes the Greek. This indicates recognition of the skill of Andrei Rublev. The “Trinity” icon created by him was perceived by his contemporaries as a symbol of spiritual unity, peace, harmony, mutual love and humility, and readiness to sacrifice oneself for the common good. The plot of “Trinity” was based on the biblical story about the appearance of three beautiful young angels to righteous Abraham, in whom the triune Christian Deity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was embodied.

Dionysius. Fresco of the Ferapontov Monastery. Vologda

Andrey Rublev. Trinity. Icon

Rublev painted an icon for the Trinity Cathedral in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery “in praise of St. Sergius” - the founder of the monastery, the great Russian ascetic. Recent years Andrei Rublev spent his life in the Andronikov Monastery in Moscow.

Questions and tasks

1. Using the material from the paragraph and additional literature, tell us about one of the crafts of medieval Rus'.

2. What technical innovations appeared in Rus' in the 13th – 15th centuries?

3. What role did literacy play in the life of a medieval person? What did the words “vezha” and “ignoramus” mean?

4. What role did the church play in the life of society? Why did the problem of monastic land ownership cause heated controversy?

5. Write a story about one of the towers of the Moscow Kremlin.

6. Which one paintings The 13th – 15th centuries are closest to you and why? Use textbook illustrations when answering.

Pishchal – firearms in the form of a gun, later – artillery gun.

Non-covetousness – renunciation of property, selflessness.

Iconostasis – a partition with icons and carved doors separating the altar from the rest of the church.

Around 1360/70 – around 1430– approximate years of life of the great Russian painter Andrei Rublev.

1466 – 1472– Afanasy Nikitin’s journey to Persia and India.

14715 – 1479- construction of the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin.

From the chronicle evidence of the construction of the Assumption Cathedral by Aristotle Fioravanti:

“That Aristotle took with him his son, his name is Andrey, and his servant, his name is Petrushey, and he went to Rus' with the ambassador Semyon Tolbuzin.

He praised the smoothness of the walls of the Assumption Cathedral (which was built before Aristotle’s arrival. - Auto.), but found that the lime did not hold it together enough and the stone was not hard. That’s why he made all the vaults from brick, because, he said, brick is harder than stone.

He broke the old church in this way: he placed three logs and connected their upper ends, hung an oak beam on a rope across them in the middle, and bound its end with an iron hoop and, swinging, broke the walls, and dismantled the other walls from below and placed logs, put everything on logs, lit the logs, and the walls fell. It was amazing to see: what they had been doing for three years, he ruined it in one week or less, so they didn’t have time to remove the stones, and they say he wanted to ruin it in three days.

In the same year (1476), Aristotle completed the Assumption Cathedral with arks running around the cathedral; Inside the walls he placed iron fasteners on rods and between the pillars, where in our churches there are oak beams, and he placed wrought iron everywhere.

In the same year, Aristotle made a wheel, and they did not carry stones up, but hooked them with ropes and lifted them, and at the top they hooked small wheels, which carpenters call veksha, with which they lift the earth onto the hut - it was amazing to look at it.”

Which technique used by the Venetian architect during the construction of the new Assumption Cathedral?

Working with the document

LET'S SUM UP CHAPTER 5

In the 14th century, the process of uniting Russian lands around Moscow began. This was facilitated by the skillful policy of the Moscow princes, especially Ivan Danilovich Kalita. Significant role in awakening people's patriotism The Russian Church played. Moscow managed to overcome the resistance of its rivals - Tverskoy and Lithuanian principalities and became the spiritual and political center of the emerging Russian state.

The Battle of Kulikovo was an event of enormous significance. With the blessing of Sergius of Radonezh, the regiments of Moscow Prince Dmitry Donskoy defeated the Horde army of Mamai and thus marked the beginning of the liberation of Russian lands from the power of the Golden Horde.

Under Ivan III, Horde rule was finally overthrown, the international authority of the state was strengthened, and its administration and legislation were improved.

The Russian people put a lot of effort into ensuring the economic growth of the country, reviving crafts and trade, architecture, and chronicle writing. The Moscow Kremlin was transformed, under Ivan III it became an impregnable fortress. Russian painting (mainly church icon painting) reached its peak thanks to the work of Theophanes the Greek, Andrei Rublev, and Dionysius.

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Occupies a special place, 2 types - corpse placement and burning. The primitive burial of corpses, which were artificially given the position of an embryo in the womb, was associated with the belief in a second birth after death. Therefore, the deceased was buried prepared for this second birth. The Pre-Slavs in the Bronze Age refused this. A ritual appeared, generated by new views about the human soul, which does not reincarnate in any other creature (beast, bird, man...), but moves into the airy space of the sky. This was achieved by burying the burnt ashes in the ground and building a model of a house, a “house”, over the burial. There is information that the deceased, having performed a funeral feast over him, was burned, his bones were collected in a small vessel and placed on a pole on crucifixes, where the paths were crossed. Roadside pillars on which stood vessels with the ashes of their ancestors are boundary signs that guarded the boundaries of the ancestral field and grandfather’s estate. There are other descriptions of the funeral rite among the Slavs: the village elder announced to the residents the death of one of them by means of a black rod carried from the yard to yard All the residents saw off the corpse with loud crying, and some women in white clothes poured tears into small vessels called lamentations. They made a fire in the cemetery and burned the dead man with his wife, horse, and weapons; They collected the ashes in urns, clay, copper or glass, and buried them along with the lamentable vessels. Sometimes they built monuments: they lined the graves with wild stones and fenced them off with pillars. The sad rituals concluded with a cheerful celebration, which was called strava. During the heyday of paganism, the most common and honorable thing was burning, followed by the pouring of a mound. After this, a funeral feast was held on the mound in memory of the deceased. In another way, the so-called hostage dead were buried - those who died a suspicious, unclean death or who did not live according to the truth. The funeral of such dead was expressed in throwing the body far away into a swamp or ravine, after which it was piled on top with branches (so as not to desecrate the earth and water with an unclean corpse). Burial in the ground, which is familiar to us, became widespread only after the adoption of Christianity. Ritual food at funerals was kutia, pancakes and jelly. The deceased were commemorated on Christmastide, on Maundy Thursday and Radonitsa, on Semik and before Demetrius Day. On the days of remembrance of the dead, a bathhouse was heated for them, fires were lit (to keep them warm), and food was left for them on the festive table. The Yuletide mummers also represented ancestors who had come from the other world and collected gifts. The goal is to appease deceased ancestors. belief in “hostage dead” - people who did not die a natural death; they were feared and revered during general commemorations.

9. Life and customs in Rus' - 10-12 centuries. Housing

For many years, Rus' was a wooden country, and its pagan chapels, fortresses, towers, and huts were built of wood. They expressed a sense of structural beauty, proportions, and the fusion of architectural structures with the surrounding nature. wooden architecture dates back to pagan Rus', stone architecture is associated with Christian Russia. Russian wooden architecture is characterized by multi-tiered buildings, crowning them with turrets and towers, the presence of various kinds of outbuildings - cages, passages, vestibules. Intricate artistic wood carving - traditional. Forest, wood - the main construction material, was easily processed, convenient for the construction of simple dwellings. but it was not durable and could not withstand fire, fires. The main type of housing is the hut - a Russian log house. At first, the huts were semi-dugout, with the log house lowered half a meter into the ground, the floors were earthen. As a rule, there were no windows. The stove was heated black, that is, the smoke spread throughout the hut. The sides and top of the hut were covered with earth. From the second half of the 10th century. above-ground huts begin to predominate, wooden floors appear on joists, raised above ground level. In the walls of the huts, fiberglass windows begin to be cut. At first they were narrow and covered from the inside with planks. Later, red windows began to be cut into which mica windows were inserted. Stoves appeared that were heated “white”. Ceilings were needed, which were covered with earth, and clay pipes, which brought the smoke out through the ceiling. Before the Tatar-Mongol invasion, two-chamber and three-chamber huts appeared more and more, and in some places two-story wooden houses were built.

Life of Ancient Rus' 12th - 13th centuries. What are its features? and got the best answer

Answer from A You don’t know... how?)[guru]




The platbands, porches, and roof slopes of northern Russian huts are decorated with strict but elegant geometric patterns. Favorite carving motif - solar rosette, ancient symbol life of happiness, prosperity.
"The inside of the peasant huts were decorated strictly, but elegantly. In the hut in the front corner under the icons there is a large table for the whole family, along the walls there are wide built-in benches with carved edges, above them there are shelves for dishes. The northern storage cabinet is elegantly decorated with paintings - here is a bird Sirin and horses, flowers and pictures with allegorical images of the seasons. Festive table they covered it with red cloth, placed on it carved and painted dishes, ladles, and carved lights for the torch.
Everything was made from wood - furniture, a basket, a mortar, a sleigh, and a cradle for a child. Often these household wooden objects were painted. The master thought not only that these things were comfortable and served their purpose well, but also cared about their beauty, that they please people, turning work, even the hardest, into a holiday.
Spinning wheels were especially revered by the peasant. Spinning and weaving were one of the main occupations of Russian women. It was necessary to weave fabrics to dress your big family, decorate the house with towels, tablecloths. It is no coincidence that the spinning wheel was a traditional gift from the peasants; they were lovingly kept and passed on by inheritance. According to the old custom, a guy, having wooed a girl, gave her a spinning wheel. own work. The more elegant the spinning wheel, the more skillfully carved and painted, the more honor the groom has.
The townspeople had other dwellings. Half-dugouts were almost never encountered. These were often two-story houses consisting of several rooms. The living quarters of princes, boyars, warriors and clergy were significantly different. Large areas of land were also allocated for estates; outbuildings and log cabins for servants and artisans were built. Boyar and princely mansions were palaces. There were also stone princely palaces. Houses were decorated with carpets and expensive Greek fabrics. In the palaces and rich boyar mansions there was a life of its own - warriors and servants were located here.
And different sections of society dressed differently. Peasants and artisans - men and women - wore shirts (for women they were longer) made of homespun linen. Men wore pants in addition to shirts, and women wore skirts. Both men and women wore scrolls as outerwear. They also wore different cloaks. In winter they wore ordinary fur coats. The clothes of the nobility were similar in shape to peasant clothes, but the quality, of course, was different: clothes were made from expensive fabrics, cloaks were often made from expensive oriental fabrics, brocade, embroidered with gold. The cloaks were fastened at one shoulder with gold clasps. Winter coats were made from expensive furs. The shoes of townspeople, peasants and nobility were also different. Peasant bast shoes survived into the 20th century, townspeople more often wore boots or pistons (shoes), princes wore boots often decorated with inlay.

Reply from Anastasia Lis[active]
Life in Kievan Rus had a significant difference in the lifestyle of people in different regions of the country, cities and villages, the feudal elite and the general population.
The people of Ancient Rus' lived both in large cities for their time, numbering tens of thousands of people, and in villages with several dozen households and villages, especially in the northeast of the country, in which two or three households were grouped.
The peoples located along the trade routes lived much better than those living along the Dregovic swamps and in the Urals. Peasants lived in small houses. In the south, these were semi-dugouts, which even had earthen roofs.
In Kievan Rus, the northern hut is tall, often two-story, the windows are small, but there are many of them - five or six - and they all reach out to the sun, rising high from the ground. The canopy, barn, and storerooms were pressed against the side of the hut - all under one roof.

This state is the fruit of the feat of the Russian people, who defended their faith and independence, their ideals on the edge of the European world. Researchers note such features in ancient Russian culture as syntheticity and openness. Original spiritual world was created as a result of the interaction of the heritage and traditions of the Eastern Slavs with the Byzantine culture, and consequently, the traditions of antiquity. The time of formation, as well as the first flowering of Old Russian culture, falls on the period from the 10th to the first half of the 13th centuries (that is, in the pre-Mongol period).

Oral folk art

The traditions of ancient paganism have been preserved primarily in folklore in songs, fairy tales, proverbs, spells, conspiracies, and riddles. IN historical memory epics occupied a special place among the Russian people. They represented heroic tales about brave defenders from enemies native land. Folk storytellers sing about the exploits of Mikula Selyaninovich, Volga, Alyosha Popovich, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and other heroes (there are more than 50 different main characters in the epics).

They appeal to them to stand up for the fatherland, for the faith. In the epics, interestingly, the motive of defending the country is supplemented by another - the defense of the Christian faith. The most important event was her baptism.

Writing in Rus'

With the adoption of Christianity, writing began to develop rapidly. Although she was known even earlier. As evidence, one can cite the mention of “traits and cuts” dating back to the middle of the first millennium, information about treaties between Rus' and Byzantium, which were drawn up in Russian, a clay vessel near Smolensk with a Cyrillic inscription (the alphabet created by Cyril and Methodius, the enlighteners of the Slavs at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries).

Orthodoxy brought many liturgical books, secular and religious literature in translation to Rus'. Reached us handwritten books: two “Izborniki” of Prince Svyatoslav, dated 1073 and 1076, “Ostromir Gospel”, dating back to 1057. It is claimed that in the 11th-13th centuries there were about 130-140 thousand books with several hundred titles in circulation. By the standards of the Middle Ages, the level of literacy in Ancient Rus' was quite high. There is also other evidence. These are those discovered by archaeologists in Veliky Novgorod in the mid-20th century, as well as inscriptions on handicrafts and the walls of cathedrals, the activities of monastic schools, book collections and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and others, according to which the culture and life of Ancient Rus' is studied today.

There was an opinion that Old Russian culture belonged to the “mute” category, that is, it did not have its own original literature. However, this assumption is incorrect. The literature of Ancient Rus' is represented in various genres. These include the lives of saints, chronicles, teachings, journalism, and travel notes. Let us note here the famous “Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” which did not belong to any of the genres that existed at that time. Thus, the literature of Ancient Rus' is distinguished by a wealth of trends, styles, and images.

Spinning and weaving

The Old Russian state was distinguished not only by its original culture, but also by its way of life. Life is interesting and unique. Residents were engaged in various crafts. For women, the main occupation was spinning and weaving. Required quantity fabrics had to be woven by Russian women to dress their family, usually a large one, and also to decorate the house with towels and tablecloths. It is no coincidence that the spinning wheel was considered a traditional gift among peasants, which was kept with love and passed on from generation to generation.

There was a custom in Rus' to give beloved girls a spinning wheel of their own making. The more skillfully the master carved and painted it, the more elegant it looked, the more honor he had. Russian girls gathered for gatherings on winter evenings and took spinning wheels with them to show off them.

Houses in cities

Customs, like life, in ancient Russian cities had a slightly different character than in villages. There were practically no dugouts here (see photo).

The life of Ancient Rus' in cities was reflected in various buildings. City residents most often built two-story houses, which consisted of several rooms. The houses of warriors, clergy, princes, and boyars had their own differences. Large areas of land were necessarily allocated for estates, log houses were built for servants and artisans, as well as various outbuildings. The life of Ancient Rus' was different for different segments of the population, which was reflected in the types of dwellings. Boyar and princely mansions were real palaces. These houses were decorated with expensive carpets and fabrics.

Enough major cities Russian people lived. They numbered tens of thousands of inhabitants. Villages and hamlets could have only a few dozen households. Life was preserved in them longer than in cities.

Houses in villages

More high level life had residential areas along which various trade routes passed. Peasants lived, as a rule, in small houses. In the south, semi-dugouts were common, the roofs of which were often covered with earth.

In Rus', northern huts were two-story, high, with small windows (there could be more than five). Sheds, storerooms and canopies were built to the side of the dwelling. They were all usually under one roof. This type the dwelling was very convenient for the harsh northern winters. Many elements of the houses were decorated with geometric patterns.

Interior of peasant huts

In Ancient Rus' it was quite simple. The huts in the villages usually did not look rich. The interior of the peasant huts was decorated quite strictly, but elegantly. In front of the icons, in the front corner, there was a large table, which was intended for all members of a given family. Ancient household items in Rus' also included wide benches that stood along the walls. They were decorated with carved edges. Most often, there were shelves above them, which were intended for storing dishes. Household items of Ancient Rus' included a postavets (northern cabinet), which was usually complemented by elegant paintings depicting flowers, birds, horses, as well as pictures allegorically depicting the seasons.

Table in holidays covered with red cloth. They placed carved and painted dishes on it, as well as lights for the torch. Ancient Rus' was famous for its wood craftsmen. They made various dishes. The most beautiful were the ancient Russian ladles of various sizes and shapes. Some of them could accommodate several buckets in volume. Ladles intended for drinking were often boat-shaped. Their handles were decorated with horse heads or carved ducks. The ladles were also generously complemented with carvings and paintings.

Duck ladles were duck-shaped ladles. The chiseled vessels that resembled a ball were called brothers. Beautiful salt cellars, shaped like horses or birds, were carved by wood craftsmen. Beautiful spoons and bowls were also made. Everything related to the life of Ancient Rus' was usually made of wood: cradles for children, mortars, bowls, baskets, furniture. The craftsmen who created furniture not only thought about convenience, but also about beauty. These things certainly had to please the eye, turning even the most difficult work of the peasants into a holiday.

Clothes of various segments of the population

It was also possible to identify different segments of the population by clothing. Peasants and artisans, both men and women, wore shirts that were made from homespun linen. In addition to shirts, men wore pants, and women wore skirts. Ordinary people wore ordinary fur coats in winter.

The shape of the clothing of noble people was often similar to that of peasants, but in quality, of course, it was completely different. Such clothes were created from expensive fabrics. Often cloaks were made from oriental fabrics embroidered with gold. Winter coats were made only from valuable furs. Peasants and townspeople also wore different shoes. Only rich residents could afford to buy boots or pistons (shoes). The princes also wore boots that were richly decorated with inlay. Peasants could only afford to make or purchase bast shoes, which survived in Russian culture until the 20th century.

Feasts and hunting in Ancient Rus'

The hunting and feasts of the ancient Russian nobility were known throughout the world. During such events, the most important state affairs were often decided. The inhabitants of Ancient Rus' publicly and magnificently celebrated their victories in campaigns. Honey and overseas wine flowed like a river. Servants served huge platters of meat and game. These feasts were necessarily attended by mayors and elders from all cities, as well as a huge number of people. It is difficult to imagine the life of the inhabitants of Ancient Rus' without abundant feasts. The tsar feasted with the boyars and retinue on the high gallery of his palace, and the tables for the people were located in the courtyard.

Falconry, hound hunting and hawk hunting were considered the pastime of the rich. Various games, races, and tournaments were built for the common people. The life of Ancient Rus' also included a bathhouse as an integral part, especially in the north.

Other features of Russian life

Children in the boyar-princely environment were not raised independently. Boys at the age of three were put on a horse, after which they were given to the care and training of a pestun (that is, a teacher). Young princes at the age of 12 were sent to govern volosts and cities. Wealthy families began teaching literacy to both girls and boys in the 11th century. The Kiev market was a favorite place for ordinary and noble people. It sold items and products from all over the world, including India and Baghdad. The ancient people of Rus' loved to bargain.