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Paper No. 1

9/25/2015

Dmitri Monaghan
RUS 371-001
Introduction to Russian Culture
TR 12:30-1:45

Throughout history, mainly due to the geographical features and location of Russia, the country
has been prone to invasion. The Russians retained an abiding fear of the East, and a resentment
of the West that had deserted them in their hour of dire need.(Massie, Land of the Firebird, 39).
This recurring phenomena of invasion has not only shaped Russia as a people, but also instilled a
mark of distinction on the country, and culture as one. This mark of distinction may be described

as a way of a yearning for independence and individuality as a people. This is not to say the
Russian people were independent from each other, in fact, the Russians were very close as a
community and people. Primarily because Russia overall is a very cold country, Intense cold
seems to have produced a compensating warmth in communal, human relationships..
(Billington, The Face of Russia, 21). This made the individual subordinated to the group, the
clan, the community.(Notes, D. Northern latitude, 2. Hospitality.). These themes are present in
the short story written in 1895 by a Russian, Leo Tolstoy Master and Man, perhaps the best
illustration of Russian cultural values and reflects on some of the factors I just stated above that
helped shape these values.
The story consists of two main characters with almost polar attitudes. Vasili Andreevich
and Nikita. Vasili as described in the book , a Second Guild merchant, being a church elder had
to go to church, and had also to entertain his relatives and friends at home. (Page 241). Nikita
on the other hand, was a peasant of about fifty from a neighbouring village, not a manager as
the peasants said of him, meaning that he was not the thrifty head of a household but lived most
of his time away as a labourer. (Page 242). These two can be described simply as the title of the
book, Master and Man, Vasili being the Master, Nikita Man. In the climax of the story
though, something extraordinary happens.
The story has the two men caught in a lost in a snowstorm on their way to find
Goryachkin, on the cusp of death, their mindsets switch towards the mindset of true Russians.
Vasili suddenly sees his labourer dying, Nikita is about to freeze to death, Then suddenly, with
the same resolution with which he used to strike hands when making a good purchase, he took a
step back and turning up his sleeves began raking the snow off Nikita and out of the sledge.
Having done this he hurriedly undid his girdle, opened out his fur coat, and having pushed Nikita
down, lay down on top of him, covering him not only with his fur coat but with the whole of his
body, which glowed with warmth. (Page 288). This is the pivotal moment in the story when
Vasili has no control over his tangible thing, the only thing he has control over is his and Nikitas
life. This is a very good description of the true Russian mindset. This is an example of him
giving up himself, for the greater good of the community, (both of them).

Thinking back to pre-Christian culture. The gens (rod, clan) religion, 24 Verily verily I
say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24). This analogy of dying in order to become greater is
evident in this scene. Massie the author of Land of the Firebird, page 26 she says The whole
Russian people once thought of themselves idealistically as a single, immense family, with the
tsar as a father. This further confers the idea of a greater whole, which these two see, which is a
common theme in the Russian people. Vasili even says There, and you say you are dying! Lie
still and get warm, thats our way Began Vasili Andreevich. (Page 288). The words Thats
our way.. is the epitome of the Russians. Not only in his thoughts does Vasili change, but in his
actions through helping Nikita. Vasili wakes up from when he throws himself on top of Nikita,
And he remembered his money, his shop, his house, the buying and selling, and Mironovs
millions, and it was hard for him to understand why that man, called Vasili Brekhunov, had
troubled himself with all those things with which he had been troubled. Well, it was because he
did not know what the real thing was, he thought, concerning that Vasili Brekhunov. He did not
know, but now I know and know for sure. Now I know! (Page 290). Vasili is referring to how
he knows now that money is not all that matters in life, and that all the worries he had, dont
matter when faced with death.
The spirituality of the Russian people has a very big impact as to why they ignore to
adopt the foreign cultural values of Western European bourgeois capitalism. That life has a
greater meaning. in 988 the Russians converted to Christianity, The Christian Russians
approached God humbly, in a spirit of tenderness, seeking in their worship those spiritual ideals
which they admired in life- compassion, nonresistance, gentleness, and humility. (Massie, Land
of the Firebird, 23). Through the story we see compassion, gentleness, and more prominently
humility, as Vasili is stripped of his tangible belongings and fortunes, and is forced to act through
the ways of his heart.
Also this story also is matched by Massie on page 28 where she says In the act of
worshiping God, a divine energy was released which permitted him to surpass himself and
participate in the divine life, even on earth. This is similar to the story in the way that a few
pages before Vasili saved Nikita he prays, Queen of Heaven! Holy Father Nicholas, teacher of

temperance!, He began to pray to that same Nicholas the Wonder-Worker to save him,
promising him a thanksgiving service and some candles. (Page 285-286). Then shortly after he
is given the opportunity to save Nikita, and upon seeing Nikita there, Vasili starts to get very
emotional, and sees Nikita as a true brother. But to his great surprise he could say no more, for
tears came to his eyes and his lower jaw began to quiver rapidly. He stopped speaking and only
gulped down the risings in his throat. Seems I was badly frightened and have gone quite weak,
he thought. But this weakness was not only not unpleasant but gave him a peculiar joy such as he
had never felt before. Vasilis change of heart can be traced back to the divine energy that is
released when God is worshiped.
Needless to say Nikita has a shift in his mindset as well, on a lesser level than Vasilis but
nonetheless as important in illustrating of the values Russians have. Nikita is more of an introvert
in terms of his shift in mindset. Chapter 7 begins with a very powerful implicit message, Like
all those who live in touch with nature and have known want, he was patient and could wait for
hours, even days, without growing restless or irritable. (Page 281). This theme is also justified
by Massie on Page 24 where she says For the Slavs, the destinies of man, animals and plants
were all blended into one; they blossomed and died together. From them, beauty lay primarily in
an all-embracing, all-encompassing nature. The Earth was the ideal of Eternal Womanhood,
fertility and compassion... Meaning that everything was based off of nature, Nikita said he
could sit in the snow for hours, even days, because he has a touch with nature, a very big theme
of the Russians.
Nikita, as Vasili did when death seemed imminent, prays. When The thought that he
might, and very probably would, die that night occurred to him, but did not seem particularly
unpleasant or dreadful. It did not seem particularly unpleasant, because his whole life had been
not a continual holiday, but on the contrary an unceasing round of toil of which he was beginning
to feel weary. And it did not seem Particularly dreadful, because besides the masters he had
served here, like Vasili Andreevich, he always felt himself dependent on the Cheif Master, who
had sent him into this life, and he knew that when dying he would still be in that Masters power
and would not be ill-used by him. (Page 281-282). This praying is continued on the following
page where he says Lord, heavenly Father! he muttered, and was comforted by the

consciousness that he was not alone but that there was One who heard him and would not
abandon him. (Page 283).
Nikita praying is similar to when Vasili does, that not only after praying does he have an
opportunity to be saved, but that he is saved from the chains of his old mindset. Tolstoy ends the
story with a passage that resonates through the values of Russians, He died at home as he had
wished, only this year, under the icons with a lighted taper in his hands. Before he died he asked
for his wifes forgiveness and forgave her for the cooper. He also took leave of his son and
grandchildren, and died sincerely glad that he was relieving his son and daughter-in-law of the
burden of having to feed him, and that he was now really passing from this life of which he was
weary into that other life which every year and every hour grew clearer and more desirable to
him. Whether he is better or worse off there where he awoke after his death, whether he was
disappointed or found there what he expected, we shall all soon learn. (Page 293).
Throughout the book, and the history of Russia, there have been common values in which
the Russian people have. Leo Tolstoys short story Master and Man is perhaps the best
illustration of Russian cultural values and reflects on some of the factors molding those values.