A typical graveyard in Russia.

Russian MiniLessons: Death in Russian Folklore and Culture

Published: October 3, 2020

The following bilingual Russian MiniLesson is meant to build your vocabulary by providing Russian phrases within English text. Hover over the bold Russian to reveal its English translation.

Russians are often superstitious and regard discussions of death or illness as unpleasant or even dangerous. However, as with all cultures, death does play a significant part in Russian folklore and modern Russian culture. The following mini-lesson is designed to very briefly introduce students to this and the vocabulary that surrounds it.

ะกะผะตั€ั‚ัŒย is a central theme of many Russian myths and fairy-tales. There are many ะฟั€ะธะผะตั‚ั‹ย in Russian folklore show that a person might ัƒะผะตั€ะตั‚ัŒ (note the use of the perfective tense). For example, if a person dreams of white clothing, a white horse, a house without windows, an egg, or is met in a dream by a deceased relative who invites the dreamer to follow him/her someplace. Death sometimes follows certain events such as a dog howls for a long time, a henโ€™s crow, a bird beating against a window pane, the walls and the floor of a house producing cracking sounds, or falling stars.

Many social historians argue that Russians of 100 years ago were not afraid of cะผะตั€ั‚ัŒย and perceived it as a wholly natural phenomenon. There was a popular proverb ยซะ”ะฒัƒะผ ัะผะตั€ั‚ัะผ ะฝะต ะฑั‹ะฒะฐั‚ัŒ, ะฐ ะพะดะฝะพะน ะฝะต ะผะธะฝะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒยป. Russians held the folk belief that if a person died ะบะฐะบ ะฟะพะดะพะฑะฐะตั‚, he/she will go to ยซั‚ะพั‚ ัะฒะตั‚ยป. ยซะขะพั‚ ัะฒะตั‚ยปย resembles our world: there are fields and meadows, houses where the souls of the dead reside. They live with their families and do their daily work โ€“ but surrounded by gold and silver palaces and rivers that flow with milk.

ะŸะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบะธ or ะผะตั€ั‚ะฒะตั†ั‹ย can bother living people if the ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ was a ะบะพะปะดัƒะฝย or ะฒะตะดัŒะผะฐย or if he/she ัƒะผะตั€ ะฑะตะท ะฟะพะบะฐัะฝะธั. There are many Russian fairy tales that center on the ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ ะฒั‹ั…ะพะดะธั‚ ะธะท ะณั€ะพะฑะฐย at night and going to village to kill the living. Often in these cases a smart ะฒะพะตะฝะฝั‹ะน (also โ€˜ัะพะปะดะฐั‚โ€™ย is used) or a ะปะตัะฝะธะบย will happen to be nearby and will ะพะถะธะฒะธั‚ัŒย the unfortunate victims after forcing the deceased to tell him how this can be done.

Russians divide deaths into two groups: ะตัั‚ะตัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะฐั ัะผะตั€ั‚ัŒย and ะฟั€ะตะถะดะตะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะฝะฐั ัะผะตั€ั‚ัŒย which can also be ัะบะพั€ะพะฟะพัั‚ะธะถะฝะฐั. ะŸั€ะตะถะดะตะฒั€ะตะผะตะฝะฝะฐั ัะผะตั€ั‚ัŒย can happen ะธะท-ะทะฐ ะฝะตัั‡ะฐัั‚ะฝะพะณะพ ัะปัƒั‡ะฐัย or it can be ะฝะฐัะธะปัŒัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะฐั ัะผะตั€ั‚ัŒ. People present their condolences to the deceased personโ€™s relatives by saying: ยซะŸั€ะธะฝะพัˆัƒ ัะฒะพะธ ัะพะฑะพะปะตะทะฝะพะฒะฐะฝะธัยป. They will attend ะฟะพั…ะพั€ะพะฝั‹ย and ะฟะพะผะธะฝะบะธย to honor the deceased.

When Patriarch Alexei II died in 2008, we heard western newscasters on CNN and BBC refer to Russian traditional funeral practices as โ€œinvolved,โ€ โ€œstrict,โ€ and โ€œvery, very long.โ€ Of course, to most Russians, the practices are rather โ€œnormal,โ€ โ€œreverential,โ€ and, of course, โ€œOrthodox.โ€ This monthโ€™s Russian Mini-Lesson explores these traditional practices and the vocabulary related to them.

ะŸั€ะฐะฒะพัะปะฐะฒะฝะฐั ั†ะตั€ะบะพะฒัŒ, much like the ะšะฐั‚ะพะปะธั‡ะตัะบะฐั ั†ะตั€ะบะพะฒัŒ says that ัƒะผะธั€ะฐัŽั‰ะธะน should, if possible, ะธัะฟะพะฒะตะดะฐั‚ัŒัั, ะฟั€ะธั‡ะฐัั‚ะธั‚ัŒัั, and ัะพะฑะพั€ะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒัั. If you have a relative or friend who is gravely sick, you should ะฟะพะฟั€ะพัะธั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ะพั‰ะตะฝะธั and ะฟั€ะพัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ that person of any offense they may have caused you.

According to ั‚ั€ะฐะดะธั†ะธั ะฟั€ะฐะฒะพัะปะฐะฒะฝั‹ั… ะฟะพั…ะพั€ะพะฝ, ัƒะผะตั€ัˆะธะน should be ะพะฑะผั‹ะฒะฐั‚ัŒ and ะฟะตั€ะตะพะดะตะฒะฐั‚ัŒ in clean and preferably new clothes in order to ะฟั€ะตะดัั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ ะฟะตั€ะตะด ะ‘ะพะณะพะผ in purity. ะŸะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ is placed in ะบั€ะฐัะฝั‹ะน ัƒะณะพะป, a corner of a Russian home traditionally reserved for icons. The deceasedโ€™s head should point to the icons. ะŸะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ is covered with white ัะฐะฒะฐะฝ, with eyes and mouth closed, arms folded on the chest with the right arm on the top of the left, and a white handkerchief placed into the right hand. The arms and legs of ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ are tied together. They are untied during a later part of the funeral, the ะฟะพัะปะตะดะฝะตะต ะฟั€ะพั‰ะฐะฝะธะต.

ะŸะพะณั€ะตะฑะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ะบั€ะตัั‚ is placed into the left hand, and ะธะบะพะฝะฐ is put on the chest. For men, the Icon of Christ is used and for women, the Icon of the Mother of God. ะ’ะตะฝั‡ะธะบ is a paper strip with the picture of God, the Mother of God, and John the Baptist and is placed on the forehead of ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ to symbolize that ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ observed the canons of the faith during his/her life.

Before placing ัƒัะพะฟัˆะธะน in ะณั€ะพะฑ, ั‚ะตะปะพ and ะณั€ะพะฑ should be ะพะบั€ะพะฟะปัั‚ัŒ ัะฒัั‚ะพะน ะฒะพะดะพะน. Under the head of ัƒัะพะฟัˆะธะน, a pillow is put. Four ัะฒะตั‡ะธ are placed around ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ โ€“ one at the head, one at the feet and two on the sides at the level of the folded arms, symbolizing a cross.

Psalms should be continually read over the ั‚ะตะปะพ ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะพะณะพ until ะฟะพะณั€ะตะฑะตะฝะธะต. If ัะฒัั‰ะตะฝะฝะธะบ is invited, he conducts ะฟะฐะฝะธั…ะธะดะฐ.

When ะณั€ะพะฑ ั ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝั‹ะผ is at home, relatives and friends come to ะฟั€ะพั‰ะฐั‚ัŒัั ั ัƒัะพะฟัˆะธะผ. The most appropriate ritual of parting is ะฟะตั€ะตะบั€ะตัั‚ะธั‚ัŒัั and ะฟั€ะพั‡ะธั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ ะบั€ะฐั‚ะบัƒัŽ ะผะพะปะธั‚ะฒัƒ . If one did not have a chance to do so while the deceased was living, one should also ะฟะพะฟั€ะพัะธั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ะพั‰ะตะฝะธั and ะฟั€ะพัั‚ะธั‚ัŒ ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบะฐ.

ะŸะพั…ะพั€ะพะฝั‹ takes place on the third day after the death.

ะ“ั€ะพะฑ ั ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝั‹ะผ is taken from the house ะฝะพะณะฐะผะธ ะฒะฟะตั€ะตะด. According to the Orthodox Church traditions, ั€ะพะดัั‚ะฒะตะฝะฝะธะบะธ ะธ ะดั€ัƒะทัŒั should carry the coffin.

First, ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ is taken to the church for ะพั‚ะฟะตะฒะฐะฝะธะต. After that, ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ is taken to ะบะปะฐะดะฑะธั‰ะต.

ะŸะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบะฐ ั…ะพั€ะพะฝัั‚ ะณะพะปะพะฒะพะน ะฝะฐ ะทะฐะฟะฐะด, in accordance with the Christian belief that the body of Christ was buried with his head pointed to the West and the face โ€“ to the East. All people in attendance ะฑั€ะพัะฐัŽั‚ ะณะพั€ัั‚ัŒ ะทะตะผะปะธ ะฒ ะผะพะณะธะปัƒ. ะะฐะดะณั€ะพะฑะฝั‹ะน ะบั€ะตัั‚ is set at the feet of ะฟะพะบะพะนะฝะธะบ.

The funeral ends with ะฟะพะผะธะฝะบะธ, where special dishes are offered, such as ะบัƒั‚ัŒั and ะฑะปะธะฝั‹. According to the Orthodox tradition, ะฟะพะผะธะฝะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ะพะฑะตะด should not involve alcohol. Prayer at this time is considered especially important, and prayer and alcohol are considered incompatible by the Orthodox Church.

ะฃัะพะฟัˆะธะน should be ะฟะพะผะธะฝะฐั‚ัŒ on the third, ninth, and fortieth day after ัะผะตั€ั‚ัŒ. ะŸะพะผะธะฝะบะธ are also arranged on the third, ninth, and fortieth days, and people can visit these ะฟะพะผะธะฝะบะธ without being invited. On all other days, ะฟะพะผะธะฝะบะธ may be held and only relatives and close friends invited. One should arrange church prayers for the dead immediately after the death. For example, the ะกะพั€ะพะบะพัƒัั‚ is especially important.

The prayer schedule corresponds with Orthodox beliefs about the path the soul takes in the after life. For the first two days, ะดัƒัˆะฐ of the dead person has relative freedom. It stays near the deceasedโ€™s body and can visit its favorite earthly places. On the third day, ะดัƒัˆะฐ must make its way to heaven, but is blocked by evil spirits that accuse it of various sins. After the third day, ะดัƒัˆะฐ is shown ั€ะฐะน for 6 days. On the ninth day, ะดัƒัˆะฐ ะฒะพะทะฝะพัะธั‚ัั by angels to worship God. ะ”ัƒัˆะฐ is also shown Hell and moves between Heaven and Hell for 37 days. On the fortieth day, it is given a place to be until ะฒะพัะบั€ะตัะตะฝะธะต ะธะท ะผะตั€ั‚ะฒั‹ั… and ะกั‚ั€ะฐัˆะฝั‹ะน ะกัƒะด. Prayers for the dead help it on its course.

About the author

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov

Andrei Nesterov leads SRAS' Research Services, performing remote archive research and consultations for researchers around the globe. Andrei graduated from Ural State University (journalism) and Irkutsk State Linguistic University (English). He also studied public policy and journalism at Duke University on a Muskie Fellowship and taught Russian at West Virginia University. As a journalist, he has reported in both Russian and English language outlets and has years of archival research experience. He has travelled Russia extensively and penned many stories on the โ€œreal Russiaโ€ which lies beyond the capital and major cities. Andrei also contributes news, feature stories, and language resources to the SRAS Family of Sites.

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Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson

Josh lived in Moscow from 2003, when he first arrived to study Russian with SRAS, until 2022. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. At SRAS, Josh assists in program development and leads our Internship Programs. He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter, the SRAS Family of Sites, and Vestnik. He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

View all posts by: Josh Wilson