''Domostroy'' ( rus, Домострой, p=dəmɐˈstroj, ''Domestic Order'') is a 16th-century Russian set of household rules, instructions and advice pertaining to various religious, social, domestic, and family matters of the Russian society. Core Domostroy values tended to reinforce obedience and submission to

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

and Russian Church. Key obligations were

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

veneration and the giving of alms. Its real author is unknown, but the most widespread version was edited by the archpriest Silvester, an influential advisor to young Ivan IV.Carolyn Johnston Pouncey, ''The Domostroi: Rules for Muscovite Households in the Time of Ivan the Terrible'', p37 The text does include an epistle entitled "64. A Father's Epistle Instructing His Son," which was written by Silvester instructing his son, Anthemius, on some of the larger themes found within the Domostroi. An updated edition of the Domostroy was compiled by

Karion Istomin Karion Istomin (russian: Карион Истомин; late 1640s – no earlier than 1718) was a Russian poet, translator, and one of the first Muscovite enlighteners. He was a student of Sylvester Medvedev. Karion Istomin was born in Kursk. He ...

during the late 17th century. To modern researchers, it is a precious account about Muscovite society and the life of wealthy boyars and merchants. Modern researchers tend to trace the origins of the ''Domostroy'' to the 15th century

Novgorod Republic The Novgorod Republic was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east, including the city of Novgorod and the Lake Ladoga regions of mod ...

, where it could have been used as a kind of moral codex for the wealthy. As such, it has some quotations from the '' Book of Proverbs'' and other biblical texts, and from earlier Muscovite moral texts such as '' Izmaragd'' and ''

Zlatoust Zlatoust ( rus, Златоуст, p=zlətɐˈust) is a city in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Ay River (in the Kama basin), west of Chelyabinsk. Population: 181,000 (1971); 161,000 (1959); 99,000 (1939); 48,000 (1926); 21,000 ...

'', and from some western texts such as ''Book of Christian Teachings'' (Czech) and ''

Le Ménagier de Paris ''Le Ménagier de Paris'' (; often abbreviated as ''Le Ménagier''; en, "The Parisian Household Book") is a French medieval guidebook from 1393 on a woman's proper behaviour in marriage and running a household. It includes sexual advice, recipes, ...

'' (French). In modern Russia, the term ''Domostroy'' has a pejorative meaning. It is used in such classic texts as

Herzen Herzen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alexander Herzen (1812–1870), writer * Édouard Herzen (1877–1936), chemist * Jana Herzen, singer See also * 3052 Herzen, asteroid * '' Flammende Herzen'', 1977 album * Herzen ...

's ''My Past and Thoughts'' and

Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...

's ''Fathers and Sons'' to refer to a

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

alist way of life associated with patriarchal tyranny, as exemplified by the following quotations: "A wife which is good, laborious, and silent is a crown to her husband." "Don't pity a youngling while beating him: if you punish him with a rod, he will not die, but become healthier."

Structure

The book is divided into 67 sections (in Sil'vestr's version) dealing roughly with the following matters: * Religious practices * Relationship between Muscovite people and the

tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

* Organization of the family * Management of the household * Culinary

References

* ''Domostroy'', SPb, Science, 1994 (from the presentation of the book) {{Muscovite Constitution 16th century in Russia Early Russian literature 16th-century Christian texts Christianity and law in the 16th century 16th-century books Works of unknown authorship Medieval cookbooks