Tales, Dance, Art & Songs

Russian Folk Culture

Steps often represent aspects of life

Igor Moiseyev (1906-2007) a pioneer in combining classical ballet with popular folk dance: Moiseyev Company (Балет Игоря Моисеева): “character dance” – a blend of folk dance with technique and theatrics

Costumes are representative of folk art:Decorative themes

Russian Folk Dance

Image: Wikimedia Commons

TroikaThree dancers (usually a man and two

women) represent the three horses pulling a “troika” (sleigh)

Тройка

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Exemplar of Russian “folk” dance

Moiseyev

Pagan originsMokosh/Mother EarthMotifs:

FlowersBranchesTreesHorsemen/huntersAnimals/mythical creaturesDecorative patterns

Russian Folk Art

Matryoshka – lacquered nesting dolls or “babushka” dolls

Usually women in traditional dressFirst created in 1800s, presented at 1900

World Exhibition in Paris

Матрёшка

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Матрёшка?

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Afanasyev: 1st major collection and recording of folk tales

Pushkin used several as the basis for poemsGogol used several Ukrainian tales in short

storiesMuch remains unpublished – oral traditionMany are gruesome and grim –

weather/social conditions related?

Russian Folk Tales

Baba Yaga: most famous character in Russian folk tales

Witch?Eats childrenFlies through the air on a giant

mortar (or broomstick)Lives in a hut standing on

chicken legsUsually evil, but occasionally

sought out for wisdomExample:

Vassilissa the Fair and Baba Yaga

Баба Яга

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Image: “Баба Яга” Wikimedia Commons

Scorned during the 1700s and 1800s by Francophile, cultivated city-dwellers

Glinka (1804-1857): Russlan and Ludmilla opera based on a poem by Pushkin, used folk music as its basis.

1861: Emancipation of the serfsEnd of feudal RussiaRise of Slavophile feeling

Major instrument: balalaika (Russian folk guitar)

Russian Folk Music

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Shanty: sung by barge-haulers (бурлаки) on the Volga River

Inspired by Ilya Repin’s famous painting Barge Haulers on the Volga

“Song of the Volga Boatmen

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Russian barge-haulers (primarily on the Volga)

Burlaks (Wikipedia entry)

Бурлаки

Image: “Burlak Women on the Volga” Wikimedia Commons

Internet ArchiveFedora Chaliapin 1922 recording

Nikolai Massenkoff with the Russian Balalaika Orchestra

Glenn Miller band:

Back to the “Boatmen”

A more cheerful folk songMy “little snowberry” (Viburnum opulus)“Kalinka”

Калинка

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Abbott, Alana Joli. "Moiseyev, Igor (1906-2007)." Newsmakers. Ed. Laura Avery. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Discovering Collection. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.

“Baba Yaga.” Wikipedia. Web. 2010. 14 Apr. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga>.

Hilton, Alison. Russian Folk Art. Indiana University Press, 1995. Web. 14 Apr. 2010 <http://books.google.com>.

“Igor Moiseyev.” Wikipedia. Web. 2010. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Moiseyev>.

Rogers, Elizabeth E., ed. Music Through the Ages. New York, Putnam, 1967.

Russian Folk Tales. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1967.“The Song of the Volga Boatmen.” Wikipedia. Web. 2010. 14 Apr.

2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_the_Volga_Boatmen>.

Works Cited