For his meek disposition, during his lifetime he received the nickname Quiet from his subjects. He already had 13 children from his first marriage to Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, most of whom died in infancy. For his mother, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, Peter was the first-born and most beloved child, “the light of Petrushenka” throughout her life.

1676 - Peter lost his father. After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, the fierce struggle for power waged by the Naryshkin and Miloslavsky families intensified. Four-year-old Peter has not yet laid claim to the throne occupied by his older brother, Fyodor Alekseevich. The latter supervised the education of Peter, and later appointed clerk Nikita Zotov as his teacher.

1682 - Fyodor Alekseevich dies. Peter is crowned king together with his brother Ivan, so the two noble families hoped to come to a compromise and share the sweetness among themselves. But Peter is still small - he is only ten years old, and Ivan is simply sick and weak. So, in fact, power in the country passed to their common sister, Princess Sophia.

After Sophia actually usurped power, her mother took Peter near Moscow, to the village of Preobrazhenskoye. There he spent the rest of his childhood. The future emperor studied mathematics, military and naval affairs at Preobrazhenskoe, and often visited the German settlement. For military fun, Peter was recruited from two “amusing” regiments from the boyar children, Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky. Gradually, a circle of trusted persons formed around Peter, among whom was Menshikov, loyal to the Tsar until the end of his life.

1689 - Peter I marries. The boyar's daughter, the girl Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, became the tsar's chosen one. In many ways, the marriage was concluded to please the mother, who wanted to show political competitors that Tsar Peter was already old enough to take power into his own hands.

The same year there is a Streltsy revolt, provoked by Princess Sophia. Peter manages to remove his sister from the throne. The princess is sent to the Novodevichy Convent.

1689 - 1694 - the country is ruled on behalf of Peter by his mother, Natalya Naryshkina.

1696 - Tsar Ivan dies. Peter becomes the sole ruler of Russia. Supporters and relatives of his mother help him in ruling. The autocrat spends most of his time in Preobrazhenskoe, organizing “amusing” fights, or in the German Settlement, gradually becoming saturated with European ideas.

1695 – 1696 – Peter I undertakes the Azov campaigns. Their goal was to provide Russia with access to the sea and secure the southern borders, where the Turks ruled. The first campaign was unsuccessful, and Peter realized that the only way to win for Russia was to bring the fleet to Azov. The fleet was urgently built in Voronezh, and the autocrat took personal part in the construction. In 1696 Azov was taken.

1697 - The Tsar understands that in technical terms and naval affairs Russia is still far from Europe. On the initiative of Peter, the first Grand Embassy headed by Franz Lefort, F.A. is sent to Holland. Golovin and P.B. Voznitsyn. The embassy consists mainly of young boyars. Peter travels to Holland incognito, under the name of the sailor Peter Mikhailov.

In Holland, Petr Mikhailov not only studied shipbuilding for four months, but also worked on a ship in Saardam. Then the Embassy goes to England, where Peter studied naval affairs in Dapford. At the same time, the Embassy participants conducted secret negotiations on the creation of an anti-Turkish coalition, but with little success - European states were afraid to get involved with Russia.

1698 - having learned about the Streletsky riot in Moscow, Peter returns. The uprising was suppressed with unprecedented cruelty. Upon returning from the Embassy, ​​Peter begins his famous reforms. First of all, a decree was issued requiring the boyars to shave their beards and dress in a European manner. For his unprecedented demands, many begin to consider Peter the Antichrist. Transformations in all spheres of life, from the political structure to the church, occur throughout the life of the king.

Then, having returned from the Embassy, ​​Peter separated from his first wife Evdokia Lopukhina (sent to a monastery) and married the captive Latvian Marta Skavronskaya, who received the name Ekaterina at baptism. From his first marriage, the Tsar has a son, Alexei.

1700 - Peter realizes that the only exit to Europe for Russia is through the Baltic Sea. But the Baltic is ruled by the Swedes, led by the king and talented commander Charles XII. The king refuses to sell the Baltic lands to Russia. Realizing the inevitability of war, Peter uses a trick - he unites against Sweden with Denmark, Norway and Saxony.

1700 - 1721 - The Northern War was waged throughout almost the entire life of Peter, then dying out, then resuming again. The main land battle of that war was the Battle of Poltava (1709), which was won by the Russians. Charles XII is invited to celebrate the victory, and Peter raises the first glass to him, as to his main enemy. The first naval victory was the victory at the Battle of Gangut in 1714. The Russians retook Finland.

1703 - Peter decides to build a city on the banks of the Neva River and the Gulf of Finland for strategic purposes.

1710 - Turkey declares war on Russia, in which Russia, already waging battles in the north, loses.

1712 - Peter moves the capital to the Neva, to St. Petersburg. It is impossible to say that the city was built, but the foundations of the infrastructure were laid, and this seemed enough to the king.

1713 – The Treaty of Adrianople is signed, according to which Russia renounces Azov in favor of Turkey.

1714 - Peter sends a research expedition to Central Asia.

1715 - an expedition to the Caspian Sea is sent.

1717 - another expedition, this time to Khiva.

1718 - in Peter and Paul Fortress Under circumstances that have not yet been clarified, Peter's son from his first marriage, Alexei, dies. There is a version that the order to kill the heir was issued personally by the autocrat, suspecting him of treason.

September 10, 1721 – The Treaty of Nystad was signed, marking the end of the Northern War. In November of the same year, Peter I was proclaimed Emperor of All Russia.

1722 - Russia gets involved in the war between the Ottoman Empire and Persia and is the first to capture the Caspian Sea. In the same year, Peter signed the Decree on Succession to the Throne, which became a landmark for the subsequent development of Russia - now the autocrat must appoint a successor for himself, no one can inherit the throne.

1723 - in exchange for military support, the Persian khans give Russia the eastern and southern territories of the Caspian Sea.

1724 - Peter I declares his wife Catherine empress. Most likely, this was done for one purpose - Peter wanted to bequeath the throne to her. Peter had no male heirs after Alexei's death. Catherine bore him several children, but only two daughters, Anna and Elizabeth, survived.

Autumn 1724 - a shipwreck occurs in the Gulf of Finland. The Emperor, who witnessed the incident, rushes into ice water to save drowning people. The matter ended with a severe cold - Peter’s body, undermined by inhuman stress, could not withstand the autumn swim.

On January 28 (February 8), 1725, Emperor Peter I dies in St. Petersburg. He was buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The onset of the New Year on the night of December 31 to January 1 was introduced by Russian Emperor Peter I in 1699. Before that, according to historical chronicles, there was complete discrepancy in the date of celebration of the main winter holiday. The ancient Slavic farmers began working in the fields after winter on March 1. And this day was considered the beginning of the new year. According to other sources, it was celebrated on March 22 - the day of the spring equinox. For many pagan ancestors who considered the evil frosty grandfather Treskun (Karachun) their deity, New Year began in December on the “winter solstice” - the shortest day of the year and one of the coldest days of winter.

By the way, on New Year's Eve, Rus' celebrated Vasily's Day. In the 4th century, Archbishop Basil of Caesarea was revered as a great theologian. And in Rus' they began to call him Vasily the Pigman, without meaning anything bad. For the New Year, it was customary to prepare many dishes from pork. It was believed that thanks to this, Vasily, the patron saint of pigs, would certainly improve the number of these important animals in the economy. So they treated the guests going home to pork pies and boiled pork legs... And in order to get a good harvest, they performed the ritual of “sowing” - they scattered spring wheat around the house, they read special prayer, and then the housewife collected the grains and stored them until spring - sowing time.

In 988, after Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich introduced Christianity to Rus', the Byzantine calendar came to Russia, and the New Year celebration was moved to September 1. The time when the harvest is harvested, the work is completed, a new life cycle can begin. And for quite a long time, two holidays existed in parallel: the old one - in the spring and the new one - in the fall. Disagreements continued until the 15th century, when by decree of Tsar Ivan III the official date for celebrating the New Year in Rus' became September 1 for both the church and lay people.

And so it was until December 20, 1700, when Peter I signed his decree, according to which the New Year celebration was moved to January 1. The young tsar introduced European customs, so that on January 1, 1700, at his behest, houses were decorated with pine, spruce and juniper branches according to the samples exhibited in Gostiny Dvor - just as they had done in Holland since ancient times. The Tsar considered the year 1700 to be the beginning of a new century.

Historical documents record that on the night of December 31, 1699 to January 1, 1700, a grandiose fireworks display, cannon and rifle salutes were staged on Red Square, and Muscovites were ordered to fire muskets and launch rockets near their houses. The boyars and servicemen were dressed in Hungarian caftans, and the women were dressed in elegant foreign dresses.

Noted new holiday, as they say, to the fullest. The celebrations continued until January 6 and ended procession to Jordan. Contrary to the ancient custom, Peter I did not follow the clergy in rich vestments, but stood on the banks of the Moscow River in uniform, surrounded by the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, dressed in green caftans and camisoles with gold buttons and braid.

Since then, New Year celebrations have been held constantly; the custom of decorating Christmas trees in homes with toys came from Germany. And by the 20th century, the New Year's wizard Father Frost appeared in Russia, whose prototype is considered to be several characters at once: the pagan sorcerer Karachun (Treskun), St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the German wizard “old Ruprecht” and the fabulous Russian character Morozko.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Russia was going through very difficult times. In 1914, during the First World War, the authorities banned New Year's celebrations so as not to repeat the holiday traditions adopted from the Germans fighting on the other side. After 1917, the New Year was either returned or banned; in 1929, January 1 was made a working day. However, in the 1930s, the main winter holiday was nevertheless rehabilitated in the USSR.

But the Old New Year in Russia was first celebrated on January 14, 1919. In 1918, by decision of the Council of People's Commissars, the “Decree on the introduction of the Western European calendar in the Russian Republic” was approved. This was due to the fact that European countries have long lived according to the Gregorian calendar, named after Pope Gregory XIII, and Russia - according to the Julian calendar (on behalf of Julius Caesar). Since then, the Russian people have established the custom of celebrating the Old New Year on the night of January 13-14, and thereby celebrating their favorite winter holiday once again.

The Nativity of Christ dates back to the Baptism of Rus' by Prince Vladimir in 988. From time immemorial, Christmas was considered a holiday of mercy and kindness, calling for caring for the weak and needy. On holidays beginning on January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, charitable auctions and balls were held in Russian cities, festive tables were organized with “sovereign” pies, pretzels and decanters of “bitter” for the poor, and gifts were given to the sick and orphans. And on frosty winter days from Christmas to Epiphany (January 19), called Christmastide, the festive meal alternated with wild fun. They organized sledding and ice-skating rides from the mountains, snowball fights, fist fights, and caroling. The name of this ancient Russian entertainment comes from the name of the pagan god of feasts and peace, Kolyada.

caroling on Ancient Rus' loved by both young people and old people. In the evenings, dressed in animal skins or funny outfits, the crowd went home for treats and money. The most stingy owners tried to get rid of intrusive visitors with a couple of bagels or sweets, for which they received unkind wishes from the sharp-tongued merry fellows - in the New Year to get “devils in the yard, and worms in the garden” or to harvest a wheat harvest “complete with empty ears of corn.” And in order for the guests to take away the terrible words, they had to be given generously.

On Christmas days, trained bears could be seen on the city streets, walking on their hind legs, playing the harp and dancing, and after the performance they walked around the audience with a hat and stood for a long time near those who stinted on their well-deserved reward.

A special place these days was occupied by Christmas fortune telling. As now, the girls dreamed of getting an eligible groom. “I want a betrothed - a handsome man and a dandy, long curls, high morocco boots, a red shirt, a gold sash,” they said in an old conspiracy.

On Christmastide, young girls often told fortunes “for their betrothed” by placing wheat grains on the floor near the stove. A black rooster was brought into the house. It was believed that if the cockerel pecked all the grains, the groom would probably show up soon. And if the “prophetic” bird refuses the treat, then you shouldn’t expect a betrothed in the New Year. Wax fortune telling was also especially popular. Melted wax was poured into a bowl of water, and then the resulting figures were examined. If a heart was visible, then this was considered a sign of future “amorous affairs.” A pitchfork meant a quarrel, a medallion meant wealth, and a donut meant lack of money.

The main dishes on the Christmas table in Rus' were pork delicacies: roasted pig, stuffed pig's head, fried meat in pieces, jellied meat, jellied meat. Besides pork dishes, on festive table Other dishes of poultry, game, lamb and fish were also served. Finely chopped meat was cooked in pots along with traditional semi-liquid porridge. Also traditional treats were cheesecakes, rolls, pies, koloboks, kulebyaki, kurniks, pies, etc. The choice of desserts was more modest: the Christmas table was usually decorated with fruits, marshmallows, gingerbread, brushwood, cookies and honey.

The persecution of the New Year at the beginning of the twentieth century also affected Christmas. First, Christmas trees were banned, and then Santa Claus. In the late 1920s, a decree was issued that stated: “On New Year’s Day and the days of all religious holidays(former special days rest) work is carried out on a general basis.” Then January 1, 1929 became an ordinary working day, and the celebration of Christmas became completely outlawed.

Only six years later, in 1935, the course domestic policy in relation to the holidays was changed, the New Year was recognized as a secular holiday, and Christmas was left to the church, separated from the state. Christmas received the status of a day off only in 1991, after the collapse of the USSR.

The New Year's countdown day in Russia has been postponed twice. Until the 15th century, it was celebrated in March, then in September, and in 1699, Peter I “set” the celebration on January 1. Russian New Year is a holiday that incorporates the customs of paganism, Christianity and European Enlightenment. On December 20, 1699, Emperor Peter I issued a decree “On the Celebration of the New Year,” which instantly moved the entire country three months ahead - Russians, accustomed to the September New Year, were supposed to celebrate the year 1700 on January 1.

Until the end of the 15th century, spring was considered the end of the annual cycle in Rus' (the same ideas still exist in some countries Central Asia). Before the adoption of Orthodoxy, this holiday was associated exclusively with pagan beliefs. Slavic paganism, as you know, was closely intertwined with the cult of fertility, so the New Year was celebrated when the earth awakens from winter sleep - in March, with the first spring equinox.

During the winter solstice, it was preceded by 12-day “Carols”, from which the tradition of “mummers” going from house to house and singing songs, scattering grain at the doorstep, has survived to this day. And today, in many remote corners of Russia and the CIS, it is customary to give pancakes and kutya to “mummers,” but in ancient times these dishes were displayed on windows to appease the spirits.

With the adoption of Orthodoxy, the ritual side of welcoming the New Year, of course, changed. Orthodox Church for a long time I didn’t give it to him of great importance, but in 1495 she reached this holiday - it was officially scheduled for September 1. On this day, the Kremlin held ceremonies “On the beginning of a new summer”, “To celebrate the summer” or “Action of long-term health”.

The celebration was opened by the patriarch and the tsar on the cathedral square of the Moscow Kremlin, their procession was accompanied by the ringing of bells. From the end of the 17th century, the tsar and his retinue came out to the people in the most elegant clothes, and the boyars were ordered to do the same. The choice fell on September, since it was believed that it was in September that God created the world. Except for the solemn church service The New Year was celebrated like any other holiday - with guests, songs, dances and food. It was called then differently - “The first day of the year.”

The tradition was preserved for almost 200 years, after which a whirlwind of changes named Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov burst into the life of the Russian people. As you know, the young emperor almost immediately after ascending the throne began strict reforms aimed at eradicating old traditions. Having traveled around Europe, he was inspired by the Dutch way of celebrating the New Year. In addition, he did not at all want to walk around the cathedral square in embroidered gold vestments - he wanted the fun that he had seen abroad.

On December 20, 1699 (according to the old calendar it was 7208), on the threshold of the new century, the emperor issued a decree that read: “...Volokhi, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmatians, Bulgarians, and his great sovereign’s subjects Cherkasy and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith has been accepted, all those peoples, according to their years, count their years from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, January from the 1st day, and not from the creation of the world, for many discords and counting in those years, and now from the Nativity of Christ it comes to 1699 year, and from the 1st of January the new year 1700 begins, together with a new century; and for this good and useful deed, he indicated that henceforth the summers should be counted in orders, and in all matters and fortresses to be written from the current genvar from the 1st of the Nativity of Christ 1700.”

The decree was long and very detailed. It stipulated that everyone should decorate their houses with spruce, pine and juniper branches these days and not remove decorations until January 7th. Noble and simply wealthy citizens were ordered to fire cannons in their yards at midnight, shoot rifles and muskets into the air, and a grandiose fireworks display was arranged on Red Square.

On the streets, the emperor ordered the burning of fires from wood, brushwood and resin and maintaining the fire throughout the holiday week. By 1700, almost all European countries had already switched to Gregorian calendar, so Russia began to celebrate the New Year 11 days later than Europe.

September 1 left church holiday, but after Peter’s reform it somehow faded into the background. The last time the rite of summer service was performed was on September 1, 1699 in the presence of Peter, who sat on the Kremlin Cathedral Square on a throne in royal clothes, received a blessing from the patriarch and congratulated the people on the New Year, as his grandfather did. After this, the magnificent autumn celebration was over - by the will of Peter, the traditions of enlightened Europe merged with pagan nature, from which rituals of wild fun remained.

January 6 first in Russian history The “pro-Western” celebrations ended in Moscow with a religious procession to the Jordan. Contrary to the ancient custom, the tsar did not follow the clergy in rich vestments, but stood on the banks of the Moscow River in uniform, surrounded by the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, dressed in green caftans and camisoles with gold buttons and braid.

The boyars and servants also did not escape the imperial attention - they were obliged to dress in Hungarian caftans and dress their wives in foreign dresses. For everyone it was real torment - the established way of life for centuries was crumbling, and the new rules looked inconvenient and frightening. This way of celebrating the New Year was repeated every winter, and gradually New Year trees, midnight cannon fire, and masquerades took root.

On the eve of the Old New Year, the Slavs celebrate folk holiday- A generous evening. In Russia, the evening before the old New Year is called Vasilyev, since on this day the church celebrates the memory of Vasily the Great. Another name is the rich holy evening. On the evening of January 13, all housewives prepare a second or generous kutya, which, unlike the lean one, is seasoned with meat and lard. According to tradition, a bowl of kutia is placed in the corner where the icons stand.

For a generous evening, the housewives prepared the best and most delicious dishes for the table. The main dish on the festive table was roasted pig - a symbol of the fertility of livestock and the fertility of the earth. People consider this time to be a time of revelry. evil spirits. This evening, after sunset and until midnight, teenage girls walk around and give generously, driving away all evil spirits with their songs and wishing their owners happiness, health and good luck in the new year.

At dawn on January 14, young boys went to sow grain to their godparents, close relatives, and acquaintances. According to popular beliefs, on the old New Year a man was supposed to be the first to enter the house - it was believed that this would bring happiness to the house for the whole next year. The sowers wished everyone a happy new year and wished them wealth and abundance with special sayings. In response, the owners gave them pies, candies and other sweets. It was believed that money should not be given to sowers - with it one could give away the well-being of the house.

In some villages this ritual is still preserved: on the night before the old New Year, they burn their old clothes and immediately put on new ones. This symbolizes the beginning of a new one, better life. To protect your home from all troubles in the New Year, on January 14 you need to go around all the rooms clockwise with three lit candles and at the same time be baptized. Also on the morning of January 14, you need to take an ax and lightly knock on the threshold with it, saying “life, health, bread.”

IN folk beliefs There are many signs associated with the Old New Year holiday.
. You should not say the word “thirteen” on this day.
. You can’t count January 14th as a small thing, otherwise you’ll shed tears all year long.
. On the old New Year and on Vasilyev's evening, you cannot lend anything, otherwise you will spend the whole year in debt.
. Signs also say that if you take out the trash on January 14, you will also take happiness out of the house.
. If the night of the Old New Year is quiet and clear, the year will be happy and successful.
. If the bright sun rises on January 14, the year will be rich and fruitful.
. If frost covers all the trees, there will be a good grain harvest.
. From which side the sky is covered with clouds on the Old New Year, happiness will come from there.
. If it snows on Old New Year, it means that next year will be happy.

New Year is one of the Russian calendar holidays, celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1 of each year.

The history of the holiday

Until the 18th century, the new year in Russia began not in January, as at present, but in March (until 1492) or September (since 1492) according to the Julian calendar.

Information about the celebration of the New Year appears from the end of the 15th century. "The Parisian Dictionary of Muscovites" (XVI century) preserved Russian name New Year's holiday: First day of the year.

New Year celebrations before 1700

During the New Year celebrations, the Kremlin held ceremonies “On the beginning of a new summer”, “To celebrate the summer” or “The action of long-term health”. The ceremony began at about 9 o'clock in the morning according to modern standards.

On the cathedral square of the Moscow Kremlin, opposite the northern doors of the Archangel Cathedral, a large platform was built in front of the Red Porch. The platform was covered with Persian and Turkish carpets. Between the Archangel Cathedral and Ivan the Great, three lecterns were installed on the platform - two for the Gospels and one for the icon of Simeon the Stylite the Chronicler. Large candles and a table with a silver bowl for blessing water were placed in front of the lecterns. Opposite the lecterns, two places were placed: on the left for the patriarch, on the right for the king.

The Patriarch, accompanied by the clergy, entered the action from the western gate of the Assumption Cathedral. They carried icons, crosses and banners. When the patriarch entered the square, the tsar came out from the Annunciation porch. The procession of the patriarch and the tsar was accompanied by the ringing of bells on Ivan the Great. The ringing stopped after the patriarch and the king took their places.

The king came out in festive clothes. Since 1679, Fyodor Alekseevich began to go to action in the Great Royal outfit - that is, in purple, a diadem, and the Monomakh Cap. The retinue accompanying the king was dressed in gold, that is, in brocade clothes and gorlat hats. According to the decree of December 19, 1680, it was necessary to come to the New Year celebrations in golden fairies.

The Tsar venerated the Gospel and icons and was blessed by the Patriarch. In a special speech, the Patriarch asked the Tsar about his health. The king ended his response with the words “... God gave, he is alive.”

The clergy and boyars took places according to rank next to the seats of the tsar and patriarch. The Cathedral Square was filled with service people. On the locker (platform) from the Annunciation to the Archangel Cathedral stood stewards, solicitors and nobles, followed by guests. On the locker between the Annunciation and Assumption Cathedrals there were guards of the junior ranks, followed by clerks, colonels, heads and half-heads of riflemen. Foreign ambassadors and foreign guests stood on the porch of the Archangel Cathedral. On the locker between the Arkhangelsk and Assumption Cathedrals stood generals, colonels, other leading people and foreigners. In the back rows on the lockers stood other ranks, not dressed in gold. Between the lockers and behind the lockers stood archers with banners, drums, and weapons.

The service began, metropolitans, archbishops, bishops and other clergy approached the Tsar and Patriarch two by two with a bow. After the service, the patriarch made a long “healthy” speech to the tsar. The Tsar responded with a short speech and venerated the Gospel and icons. After this, the Tsar and Patriarch were congratulated on the New Year by the spiritual authorities; two in a row and with a low bow. The king responded with a bow of his head, and the patriarch with a blessing. Then the tsar was congratulated by the boyars and other secular officials with a bow to the great custom (almost to the ground). At the same time, one of the elders made a congratulatory speech. Then the boyars congratulated the patriarch. When mutual congratulations ended, the entire square congratulated the king. Everyone present in the square, including the archers, hit the ground with their foreheads. The Emperor responded with a bow.

After the end of the action, the tsar went to mass in the Annunciation Church.

Transformations of Peter I

Since 1700, by decree of Peter I, the New Year in Russia has been celebrated, as in other European countries, on January 1, and still according to the Julian calendar.

“December 7208 on the 20th day, the great sovereign king and Grand Duke Pyotr Alekseevich, All Great and Lesser and White Russia, indicated to say:

He became known to the great sovereign, not only in many European Christian countries, but also in the Slovenian peoples, who with the Eastern our Orthodox the Church agrees in everything, as the Volokhs, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmatians, Bulgarians, and his great sovereign’s subjects Cherkasy and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith was received, all those peoples, according to their years, count their years from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, January from the 1st day, and not from the creation of the world, for a lot of discord and counting in those years, and now from the Nativity of Christ the year 1699 comes, and the next January from the 1st day the new year 1700 begins, together with a new hundred-year century; and for this good and useful deed, he indicated that henceforth the summers should be counted in orders, and in all matters and fortresses to be written from the current January from the 1st of the Nativity of Christ 1700.

And as a sign of that good beginning and the new hundred-year century, in the reigning city of Moscow, after due thanksgiving to God and prayer singing in the church, and whoever happens in his home, along large and well-traveled noble streets, to noble people, and at houses of deliberate spiritual and secular rank, in front of the gate to make some decorations from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, against the samples that were made in the Gostiny Dvor and at the lower pharmacy, or for whomever is more convenient and decent, depending on the place and the gate, it is possible to make, but for poor people Each one should at least place a tree or a branch on the gate, or over his mansion, and so that the future genvar will ripen now by the 1st day of this year, and that decoration of the genvar should stand until the 7th day of the same 1700 year.

Yes, on the 1st day of January, as a sign of joy; congratulating each other on the new year and the centennial century, do this: when on the Great Red Square the fiery fun is lit and there is shooting, then at noble households, boyars, and okolnichy, and duma and neighbors, and noble people of the ranks of the military, military and merchants famous people, each in his own yard, from small cannons, if anyone has one, and from several muskets, or other small guns, fire three times and fire several rockets, as many as anyone has, and along large streets, where there is space, on January 1 on the 7th, at night, light fires from wood, or brushwood, or straw, and where there are small courtyards, five or six courtyards gathered, put such a fire, or, whoever wants, put one, two, or three resin on posts and thin barrels, and filled with straw or brushwood, lit, in front of the mayor’s town hall, shooting and such lights and decorations, according to their consideration, should be.”

Decree of Peter I No. 1736 “On the celebration of the New Year”

However, by 1700, most European countries had already switched to the Gregorian calendar, so Russia began to celebrate the New Year 11 days later than in European countries.

A new style

With the transition to a new style By decree of the Bolsheviks in 1918, the first New Year, coinciding with the European one, fell in 1919. In addition, the so-called Old New Year arose, which fell on January 14. Then the New Year was not widely celebrated, but Christmas was celebrated. In numerous stories about Lenin and the Christmas tree, we are talking about a Christmas tree, not a New Year's tree. Even in 1924, shortly before his death, there was a Christmas tree for children in Gorki.

Beginning in 1929, Christmas celebrations were officially abolished. However, already on December 28, 1935, Pravda published a letter from the First Secretary of the Kyiv Regional Committee Pavel Postyshev:

“In pre-revolutionary times, the bourgeoisie and officials of the bourgeoisie always arranged a Christmas tree for their children for the New Year. The children of the workers looked through the window with envy at the Christmas tree sparkling with multi-colored lights and the children of the rich having fun around it.

Why do our schools, orphanages, nurseries, children's clubs, palaces of pioneers deprive the working children of the Soviet country of this wonderful pleasure? Some, no less than “leftist” killers, denounced this children’s entertainment as a bourgeois undertaking.

This misjudgment of the Christmas tree, which is a wonderful activity for children, must come to an end. Komsomol members and pioneer workers should organize collective Christmas trees for children on New Year's Eve. In schools, orphanages, in pioneer palaces, in children's clubs, in children's cinemas and theaters - there should be a children's Christmas tree everywhere! There should not be a single collective farm where the board, together with Komsomol members, would not arrange a Christmas tree for their children on New Year's Eve. City councils, chairmen of district executive committees, village councils, and public education authorities must help organize a Soviet Christmas tree for the children of our great socialist homeland.

Our children will only be grateful for the organization of a children's New Year tree.

I am sure that the Komsomol members will take the most in this matter Active participation and will eradicate the ridiculous opinion that a children's Christmas tree is a bourgeois prejudice.
So, let's organize a fun New Year's Eve for children, let's arrange a good Soviet Christmas tree in all cities and collective farms! "

From 1930 to 1947, January 1 was a regular working day in the USSR. December 23, 1947, by decree of the Presidium Supreme Council In the USSR, January 1 became a holiday and a day off. According to the law of September 25, 1992, January 2 became a day off in Russia. Since 2005, New Year holidays have been established in Russia from January 1 to January 5 (previously - only 1 and 2), and these days are declared non-working days, and taking into account weekends and Christmas - official holiday, the weekend lasts 10 days. Since 2013, the New Year holidays in Russia have been reduced to 8 days (from January 1 to January 8).

New Year traditions

Vasily Surikov “The Great Masquerade in 1772 on the streets of Moscow with the participation of Peter I and Prince Caesar I.F. Romodanovsky"

In Russia, the beginning of the year on January 1 was introduced by the first Russian Emperor Peter I in 1699, becoming one of his reforms. The New Year of 1700 was celebrated in Moscow by order of the Tsar for seven whole days; homeowners had to place coniferous trees in front of their houses and gates for decoration, and every evening tar barrels were lit, rockets were launched, two hundred cannons were fired in front of the Kremlin and in private courtyards from small guns. All this was done according to the German model.

They say that guests of the palace were locked in the dining room for three days, so that they would continuously eat and drink until they dropped dead, and when they came to their senses, they would continue. At the same time, the tradition of masquerades and folk festivals appeared.

With the change of rulers, the New Year holidays gradually acquired new traditions. Elizabeth I celebrated the New Year with balls, Catherine II introduced the custom of giving gifts.

The tradition of drinking champagne on New Year's Day appeared after the War of 1812, when a captured drink was brought from France to Rus'. During the reign of Nicholas I, public Christmas trees appeared on the streets.

Manufacture Christmas decorations in factories in Russia began only in late XIX century, before that they were brought from Germany or made with their own hands.

But the New Year became a truly all-Union holiday only in the USSR. This was preceded by the abolition of Christmas in 1929 (it became a regular working day of the five-day week) and the introduction of a virtual ban on its celebration as part of the atheist campaign carried out in the USSR. Special patrols walked the streets and looked into windows to identify festive preparations. For the first time, the New Year began to be celebrated in 1935: Santa Claus, the tree (the tree and the holiday itself), gifts under the tree - all the unchangeable attributes of the old Christmas, at the behest of atheists, became “New Year’s”. The Bethlehem star on the Christmas tree became a Soviet five-pointed star, the same as those recently hung on the Kremlin towers. In January 1937, Father Frost acquired an obligatory companion - the Snow Maiden, whose origins lie in pagan mythology.

The celebration of the New Year, as a new Soviet tradition, was one of the first described in the story “Chuk and Gek” by Arkady Gaidar in 1939 and in the story “The Commandant of the Snow Fortress.”

IN Soviet time New Year's attributes also appeared: Soviet champagne, tangerines, Olivier salad, chimes, during which you must make a wish, and a solemn address from the state leader to the citizens of the country. IN Russian Empire balls were held on New Year's Eve; in Soviet times, they were replaced, as in a number of other countries, by New Year's lights and feasts, which accompany traditional songs such as “A Christmas tree was born in the forest” and “Five minutes.”

In 1954, the main Christmas tree of the country, the Kremlin, was lit for the first time.

Since the late 1980s, a fashionable trend has emerged in Russia and other European countries to associate the arrival of the New Year with one of the animals. Chinese horoscope(rat, ox, pig, etc.), even though Chinese New Year comes later. Also, foreign (primarily American) symbols of the New Year are becoming increasingly popular: reindeer in Santa Claus’s sleigh, combinations of red and green in decorative elements, postcards with images of wreaths, which are usually not accepted in Russia.

After 1990, it gradually became a tradition to light fireworks and set off fireworks immediately after midnight, both organized and impromptu, simply by residents of a locality, district, block or house.

New Year's signs

The New Year in Russia is traditionally associated with a large number of folk signs(some of them came to him from Christmas, which was not celebrated for a long time). On New Year's Eve it is customary to dress in new and better clothes, since if you enter the new year with new clothes, then whole year you will wear new clothes. It is also believed that you should not give money on New Year's Eve, otherwise you will have to give it back the whole year. Therefore, before the New Year, all debts were paid off in advance, all insults were forgiven, and those who were in a quarrel were obliged to make peace. They also still believe that you can’t take out a loan on New Year’s Eve, otherwise you’ll have to spend the whole year in debt. You can’t sleep on New Year’s Eve either, otherwise the whole year will pass sluggishly and uninterestingly (with the exception of children under the age of 7). The New Year's table should be bursting with food and wine so that you can live richly and cheerfully all year. Before the New Year, it is also recommended to throw out all broken dishes from the house and wash windows and mirrors. Those who believe in signs associated with the belonging of the coming year to a particular animal Chinese calendar, they try to enrich the festive table with dishes considered to be pleasing to this animal (for example, cheese for the year of the Mouse, bananas for the year of the Monkey) and to refrain from those that are objectionable (beef for the year of the Ox).

The history of the New Year holiday, celebrated in Russia on the night from December 31 to January 1, refers to 1699, reign time Peter the Great. After the Tsar’s return from the Great Embassy, ​​as Peter’s trip to Europe is called in historiography, which lasted 15 months, 27 year old king issued order No. 1736. The document talks about the transition to the Julian calendar and the New Year holiday on January 1. The year 7208 from the creation of the world became 1700 from the Nativity of Christ. Due to the difference in calendars, it was decided to count the beginning of the year from January, and not from September, as before. Peter tried at one moment to change the way of life of the country. The order was carried out by the subjects - it was a holiday, after all.

However, for a long time, documents indicated two dates, according to the old and new calendar. January 1 was a day free from fasting, which means nothing interfered with the wild celebrations. In the very first year, the young Tsar Peter the Great decided to continue the continuous fun evenly seven days in a row. On New Year's Eve a magnificent celebration was held on Red Square parade and fireworks. The 1700th New Year, as well as the next four years, the main celebrations were held in Moscow, then in the new capital of St. Petersburg.

New Year celebrations at the beginning of the 18th century were massive folk character. The squares were held masquerades, cannons fired, fireworks, “fire fun and shooting”. Peter's decree prescribed decorate houses and porches with spruce, pine and juniper branches. “...On large and well-traveled streets, for noble people and at houses of deliberate spiritual and worldly rank, make some decorations in front of the gates from trees and branches of pine and juniper... and for poor people, each place at least a tree or branch on the gate or above their temple...”

Each New Year's decoration had its own meaning. Apples were a symbol of fertility, nuts - the incomprehensibility of divine existence. After the death of the tireless emperor, they stopped decorating spruce branches for some time. Only in the taverns were these elements of New Year’s decoration left, and they were there throughout the whole year - that’s how the name came about "tree sticks".

It is worth noting that the subjects of Peter the Great were ready for the new winter holiday, since Christmastide had previously been celebrated on these days. Celebrations, bonfires, sleigh rides, round dances, fortune telling, all this was intertwined with the innovations introduced by Peter. The evening before New Year's Eve, got the name "generous". It was customary to cover as rich and beautiful table. The hosts treated the organization of the table with great attention, since he personified the prosperity awaiting the family next year. The main dish in rich families was often young pig roasted on a spit.

For those curious, here is an image of a historical document and most interesting text, in which we hear direct speech from the end of the 17th century, namely order of Peter the Great number 1736 :

“On the 20th day of December 7208, the Great Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich, of all Great and Lesser and White Russia, indicated to say:

He became known to the great sovereign, not only in many European Christian countries, but also among the Slovenian peoples, who agree with our Eastern Orthodox Church in everything, such as: Volokhi, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmatians, Bulgarians, and even his great sovereign’s subjects, the Cherkassy and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith was received, all those peoples, according to their years, count from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, Genvar from the 1st day, and not from the creation of the world, for many discords and counting in those years, and now the year from the Nativity of Christ reaches 1699, and the new year 1700 begins on the 1st of January, together with a new century; and for this good and useful deed, he indicated that from now on the summers should be counted in orders, and in all matters and fortresses to be written from this January from the 1st of the Nativity of Christ 1700.

And as a sign of that good beginning and the new hundred-year century, in the reigning city of Moscow, after due thanksgiving to God and prayer singing in the church, and whoever happens in his home, along large and well-traveled noble streets, to noble people, and at houses of deliberate spiritual and secular rank, in front of the gate to make some decorations from trees and branches of pine, spruce and juniper, against the samples that were made in the Gostiny Dvor and at the lower pharmacy, or for whomever is more convenient and decent, depending on the place and the gate, it is possible to make, but for poor people Each one should at least place a tree or a branch on the gate, or over his mansion, and so that the future genvar will ripen now by the 1st day of this year, and that decoration of the genvar should stand until the 7th day of the same 1700 year.

Yes, on the 1st day of January, as a sign of joy; congratulating each other on the new year and a century of centuries, to do this: when on the Great Red Square fire fun will be lit and there will be shooting, then to noble courts, boyars, and okolnichy, and duma and neighbors, and noble people, of the plate, military and merchant ranks, famous people, each in his own courtyard, from small cannons, if anyone has them, and from several muskets, or other small guns, shoot three times and fire several rockets, as many as anyone has, and along large streets, where there is space, from January 1st to 7th, at night, light fires from wood, or brushwood, or straw, and where there are small courtyards, if five or six courtyards have gathered, place such a fire, or, whoever wants, put one, two, or three tar and thin barrels each, and fill them with straw or brushwood, light them, in front of the mayor’s town hall, there will be shooting and such lights and decorations, according to their consideration.”

The New Year's countdown day in Russia has been postponed twice. Until the 15th century, it was celebrated in March, then in September, and in 1699, Peter I “set” the celebration on January 1.

Russian New Year is a holiday that incorporates the customs of paganism, Christianity and European enlightenment. On this day exactly 315 years ago, the decree of Emperor Peter I “On the Celebration of the New Year” was issued, which overnight moved the entire country three months forward - Russians, accustomed to celebrating the New Year in September, were supposed to celebrate the year 1700 on January 1st.

SPB.AIF.RU talks about this

Until the end of the 15th century, spring was considered the end of the annual cycle in Rus' (the same ideas still exist in some countries of Central Asia). Before the adoption of Orthodoxy, this holiday was associated exclusively with pagan beliefs. Slavic paganism, as you know, was closely intertwined with the cult of fertility, so the New Year was celebrated when the earth awakens from winter sleep - in March, with the first spring equinox.

During the winter solstice, it was preceded by 12-day “Carols”, from which the tradition of “mummers” going from house to house and singing songs, scattering grain at the doorstep, has survived to this day. And today, in many remote corners of Russia and the CIS, it is customary to give pancakes and kutya to “mummers,” but in ancient times these dishes were displayed on windows to appease the spirits.

With the adoption of Orthodoxy, the ritual side of welcoming the New Year, of course, changed. For a long time, the Orthodox Church did not attach much importance to it, but in 1495 it came to this holiday - it was officially designated for September 1. On this day, the Kremlin held ceremonies “On the beginning of a new summer”, “To celebrate the summer” or “Action of long-term health”. The celebration was opened by the patriarch and the tsar on the cathedral square of the Moscow Kremlin, their procession was accompanied by the ringing of bells. From the end of the 17th century, the tsar and his retinue came out to the people in the most elegant clothes, and the boyars were ordered to do the same. The choice fell on September, since it was believed that it was in September that God created the world. With the exception of the solemn church service, the New Year was celebrated like any other holiday - with guests, songs, dances and refreshments. It was called then differently - “The first day of the year.”

The tradition was preserved for almost 200 years, after which a whirlwind of changes named Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov burst into the life of the Russian people. As you know, the young emperor almost immediately after ascending the throne began strict reforms aimed at eradicating old traditions. Having traveled around Europe, he was inspired by the Dutch way of celebrating the New Year. In addition, he did not at all want to walk around the cathedral square in embroidered gold vestments - he wanted the fun that he had seen abroad.

On December 20, 1699 (according to the old calendar it was 7208), on the threshold of the new century, the emperor issued a decree that read: “...Volokhi, Moldavians, Serbs, Dolmatians, Bulgarians, and his great sovereign’s subjects Cherkasy and all the Greeks, from whom our Orthodox faith has been accepted, all those peoples, according to their years, count their years from the Nativity of Christ on the eighth day later, that is, January from the 1st day, and not from the creation of the world, for many discords and counting in those years, and now from the Nativity of Christ it comes to 1699 year, and from the 1st of January the new year 1700 begins, together with a new century; and for this good and useful deed, he indicated that henceforth the summers should be counted in orders, and in all matters and fortresses to be written from the current genvar from the 1st of the Nativity of Christ 1700.”

The decree was long and very detailed. It stipulated that everyone should decorate their houses with spruce, pine and juniper branches these days and not remove decorations until January 7th. Noble and simply wealthy citizens were ordered to fire cannons in their yards at midnight, shoot rifles and muskets into the air, and a grandiose fireworks display was arranged on Red Square.

On the streets, the emperor ordered the burning of fires from wood, brushwood and resin and maintaining the fire throughout the holiday week. By 1700, almost all European countries had already switched to the Gregorian calendar, so Russia began to celebrate the New Year 11 days later than Europe.

September 1 remained a church holiday, but after Peter’s reform it somehow faded into the background. The last time the rite of summer service was performed was on September 1, 1699 in the presence of Peter, who sat on the Kremlin Cathedral Square on a throne in royal clothes, received a blessing from the patriarch and congratulated the people on the New Year, as his grandfather did. After this, the splendid autumn celebration was over - by the will of Peter, the traditions of enlightened Europe merged with pagan nature, from which rituals of wild fun remained.

For the common people, this was all as incomprehensible as at one time for the boyars - the need to shave their beards and dress in a Western manner. The commotion that happened at first was described in historical novel“Peter I” Alexey Tolstoy:

“We haven’t heard such a ringing in Moscow for a long time. They said: Patriarch Adrian, not daring to contradict the Tsar in anything, released a thousand rubles and fifty barrels of strong patriarchal beer to the sextons for ringing. The bells on the belfries and bell towers rang out. Moscow was shrouded in smoke, steam from horses and people... Through the ringing of bells, shots crackled throughout Moscow, guns roared in a bass voice. Dozens of sleighs, full of drunks and mummers, smeared with soot, in torn fur coats, rushed by at a gallop. They raised their legs, waving damasks, shouted, raged, and fell out in a heap at the feet of the common people, stupefied by the sound and smoke. The Tsar with his neighbors, with the prince-paw, the old dissolute Nikita Zotov, with the most humorous archbishops - in the archdeacon's robe with cat tails - toured noble houses. Drunk and fed up - they still swarmed like locusts - they didn’t so much eat as they threw themselves around, shouted spiritual songs, urinated under the tables. They got the owners drunk to the point of amazement and - move on. To avoid having to come from different places the next day, we spent the night huddled right there, in someone’s yard. They walked around Moscow with joy from end to end, congratulating them on the advent of the new year and the centennial century. The townspeople, quiet and God-fearing, lived these days in melancholy, afraid to even stick their heads out of the yard. It was not clear - why such fury? The devil, or something, whispered to the king to trouble the people, to break the old custom - the backbone of what they lived with... Even though they lived closely, but honestly, they saved a penny, they knew that this was so, but this was not so. Everything turned out bad, everything was not to his liking. Those who did not recognize kryzh and shchepoti gathered underground for all-night vigils. Again they whispered that they would only live until Shrovetide: from Saturday to Sunday the trumpet of the Last Judgment would sound...”

On January 6, the first “pro-Western” celebrations in Russian history ended in Moscow with a religious procession to the Jordan. Contrary to the ancient custom, the tsar did not follow the clergy in rich vestments, but stood on the banks of the Moscow River in uniform, surrounded by the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, dressed in green caftans and camisoles with gold buttons and braid.

The boyars and servants also did not escape the imperial attention - they were obliged to dress in Hungarian caftans and dress their wives in foreign dresses. For everyone it was a real torment - the established way of life for centuries was collapsing, and the new rules looked inconvenient and frightening.

This way of celebrating the New Year was repeated every winter, and gradually New Year trees, midnight cannon fire, and masquerades took root.