Domostroy #

An Instruction From a Father to His Son #

I, a sinner (name), bless, instruct, guide, and admonish my only son (name), his wife (name), their children, and their household to follow Christian laws, to live with a clean conscience and in truth, keeping the will of God and His commandments in faith, and to establish themselves in the fear of God and righteous living. Let them instruct their wife and household not by force, not by beating, not by hard labor, but as if they were children—always at peace, clothed, fed, in a warm home, and always in good order. I entrust this writing to you, as you live as Christians, as a remembrance for you and your children, for your understanding. But if you do not accept my writing, do not follow its instruction, do not live by it, and do not act as it says, you shall answer for yourselves on the Day of Judgment, and I am not responsible for your transgressions and sins, for they are not my fault. I blessed you for a righteous life, thought upon, prayed, taught, and wrote to you. But if you accept my simple instruction and insignificant guidance with all purity of soul, and read it, praying as much as possible for God’s help and understanding, and if God enlightens you, put it all into action—then God’s mercy and the protection of the Most Pure God-bearer, and the great miracle workers, along with our blessing, shall be upon you from now until the end of the age. And may your home, your children, your property, and the wealth that God has sent to you through our blessing and your labors be blessed and filled with every good thing forever. Amen.

How Christians Should Believe in the Holy Trinity, the Most Pure God-bearer, and the Cross of Christ, and How to Venerate the Holy Heavenly Bodiless Powers and All Honorable and Holy Relics #

Every Christian should know how to live in the true faith of the Orthodox Christian Church. First of all, with all your soul, thoughts, and senses, believe with sincere faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost—the undivided Trinity. Believe in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and call His Mother the God-bearer. Venerate with faith the Cross of Christ, for it was through this that the Lord brought salvation to mankind. Always give honor with faith to the icon of Christ, His Most Pure Mother, the holy heavenly bodiless powers, and all the saints, just as you honor them themselves. With love in prayer, express all of this, make reverent bows, and call upon God for help. Kiss the holy relics with reverence and venerate them.

How to Receive the Mysteries of God, Believe in the Resurrection of the Dead, Await the Terrible Judgment, and How to Approach All Sacred Things #

Believe in the Mysteries of God, and partake of the Body and Blood of God with reverence for the cleansing and sanctification of the soul and body, for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life. Believe in the resurrection of the dead and in eternal life, and remember the Terrible Judgment, for we will all receive recompense for our deeds. When, having prepared yourself spiritually and with a clear conscience, you approach the Mysteries—kiss the Life-Giving Cross and the holy and venerable icons, the wonderworking and healing relics, with a prayer. After praying, cross yourself and kiss them again, holding your breath and without smacking your lips. And when the Lord grants you to partake of the Divine Mysteries of Christ, carefully receive the spoon from the priest into your mouth, without smacking your lips, and fold your hands across your chest in the form of a cross. Those who are worthy should carefully partake of the prosphora and all that has been sanctified, with faith and trembling, ensuring that no crumbs fall to the ground, and without biting with the teeth as some do. Break the bread into small pieces, place it into your mouth, and chew quietly with your lips and mouth without making noise. Do not eat the prosphora with any other food, but only sip water or wine mixed with boiled water, without adding anything else.

Before every meal, the prosphora is eaten both in church and at home. Never eat the prosphora with kutia, koliva, or any other addition, and do not place prosphora on the kutia. If you exchange the kiss of peace with anyone in Christ, when kissing, hold your breath and do not smack your lips. Consider: we are repulsed by even the faintest hint of garlic breath, the smell of drunkenness, illness, or any other unpleasant odor—so how much more is our stench and odor repulsive to the Lord? That is why everything must be done with caution and reverence.

How to Love the Lord with All Your Soul and Love Your Neighbor, to Have the Fear of God, and to Remember the Hour of Death #

Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all the firmness of your spirit, and strive with all your actions, habits, and character to please God. Moreover, love all your neighbors, who are created in the image of God, that is, every Christian. Always carry the fear of God in your heart, along with sincere love, and remember death. Always obey the will of God and live according to His commandments. The Lord has said, “In whatever state I find you, by that will I judge you,” and thus, every Christian should be ready to meet the Lord—live with good deeds, in repentance and purity, always having confessed, and constantly awaiting the hour of death.

Further on this topic: love the Lord with all your soul, and let His fear be in your heart. Be righteous and just, live in humility; cast your eyes downward but stretch your mind toward heaven. Be friendly in prayer to God and in speech with people; comfort the sorrowful, be patient in suffering, be courteous to everyone, generous and merciful, loving to the poor and hospitable to strangers. Grieve for your sins and rejoice in God; do not be greedy for drunkenness or gluttony. Be meek, quiet, silent, love your friends and not gold, do not be prideful, be fearful before the tsar, ready to fulfill his will, and polite in your responses. Pray frequently, be a wise servant of God, do not judge anyone, be a defender of the disadvantaged, and be without hypocrisy. Be a child of the Gospel, a son of the resurrection, and an heir of eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord, to whom be glory forever.

How to Honor the Tsar or Prince and Obey Them in All Things, Submit to All Authority, and Serve Them Rightfully in Great and Small Matters, and How to Show Love to the Sick and Weak, No Matter Who They Are; And to Reflect on All This Personally #

Fear the tsar and serve him faithfully, always pray to God for him. Never speak falsely to him, but answer him truthfully with respect, as if to God Himself, obeying him in all things. If you serve the earthly tsar with truth and fear him, you will also learn to fear the Heavenly Tsar: the earthly one is temporary, but the Heavenly one is eternal; He is the righteous judge who will reward each according to his deeds. Likewise, obey princes, giving them due honor, for they are sent by God to punish evildoers and reward the virtuous. Accept your prince and your authorities, do not think ill of them, for as the Apostle Paul says, “All authority is from God,” and so whoever resists authority resists the command of God. Do not think to serve the tsar, prince, or any nobleman with deceit, for the Lord will destroy those who speak lies, and gossips and slanderers are cursed by both God and men. Show honor to those older than you and bow to them, respect your peers as brothers, comfort the weak and sorrowful with love, and love those younger than you as children—do not be cruel to any creature of God. Do not desire earthly glory in anything; ask God for eternal bliss, endure every sorrow and hardship with gratitude: if someone wrongs you, do not seek revenge; if they slander you, pray for them; do not repay evil for evil or slander for slander. Do not judge those who sin—recall your own sins and attend to them first. Reject the counsel of wicked men, be zealous for those who live in righteousness, carry their deeds in your heart, and act likewise.

How to Honor Your Spiritual Fathers and Obey Them in All Things #

It is also important to know how children should honor their spiritual fathers. Seek out a good spiritual father—God-loving, wise, discerning, and steadfast in the faith—who will be a good example, not a drunkard, not greedy for money, nor quick to anger. Such a one should be honored and obeyed in all things, confessing to him with tears, confessing your sins without shame or fear, and following his instructions and fulfilling the penances according to your sins. Call him to your house often, and go to him for confession with a clear conscience. Listen to his teachings with gratitude, obey him in all things, and show him respect by prostrating before him: he is our teacher and guide. Stand before him with fear and gratitude, visit him, and bring him gifts from the fruits of your labor as much as possible. Consult with him often about living a virtuous life, so that you may avoid all sins. Seek his counsel daily on how a husband should instruct and love his wife and children and servants, and how a wife should obey her husband. Discuss everything with him. You should confess your sins to your spiritual father, revealing all of them, and obey him in all things, for they care for our souls and will give an account for us on the Day of Judgment. You must not scold, judge, or reproach them, but if they intercede for someone, listen to them and punish the guilty according to their guilt, after careful deliberation.

How to Honor Bishops, as well as Priests and Monks, and to Confess to Them for the Benefit of the Soul in All Spiritual and Bodily Sorrows #

Always come to the priests and give them the honor they are due. Ask for their blessing and spiritual guidance, and, falling at their feet, obey them in all things that are pleasing to God. Treat priests and monks with trust and love, submit to them in all things, for from them comes the salvation of the soul. In difficult matters, do not hesitate to seek their advice, whether it concerns spiritual matters or all kinds of sins. And if you are struck by suffering—whether spiritual or bodily—such as illness, some ailment, fire, flood, theft, robbery, royal displeasure, God’s wrath, slander, false accusations, immense losses, or other unending sorrow, do not fall into despair. Instead, recall your past sins that have caused sorrow to God or to people, and shed sincere tears before the merciful Lord and the Most Pure God-bearer, and before all the saints. Seek refuge in these spiritual mentors, confess your sins and sorrows with contrition and tears, with a broken heart, and they will heal you of all your troubles, granting relief to your soul. Whatever the priests command you to do, fulfill it, repenting of your sins, for they are servants and intercessors before the Heavenly King. They have been granted the boldness from the Lord to pray for that which is good and beneficial for our souls and bodies, for the forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life.

How Christians Should Be Healed from Illness and All Suffering—Whether Kings, Princes, or People of Any Rank; Priests, Monks, and All Christians #

If God sends illness or any suffering upon someone, they should seek healing through God’s mercy, with prayer and tears, fasting, almsgiving, and sincere repentance, with gratitude and forgiveness, with mercy and sincere love for all. If you have offended someone, you should earnestly ask for forgiveness and strive not to offend anyone in the future. In this, also involve your spiritual fathers, all the priests, and monks to pray to God, to sing supplicatory services, and to bless water with the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, holy relics, and wonderworking icons, and to anoint with holy oil. Fulfill your vows by visiting holy and miraculous places, praying with a pure conscience, and thus receiving healing from God for various ailments. Avoid all sin and do not commit evil in the future. Obey the commands of your spiritual fathers, fulfill your penances, and by this cleanse yourself from sin, heal both soul and body, and call upon God’s mercy. Every Christian is obligated to free themselves from all infirmities, both of soul and body, from mental and physical suffering, to live according to the commandment of the Lord, according to the teachings of the fathers, and by the Christian law (as written in the beginning of this book, from the first chapter to the fifteenth chapter and all other chapters of the book as well). Read also the twenty-ninth chapter: ponder upon these and follow them all—then a person will please God, save their soul, avoid sin, and receive health, both of soul and body, and inherit eternal blessings.

Whoever, in their arrogance, does not have the fear of God and does not fulfill the will of God, does not follow the law of Christian patristic tradition, does not care about the Church of God, about church singing, private rule, prayer, and the glorification of God, eats and drinks without restraint until they are gluttonous and drunk at improper times, and does not observe the communal rules: on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, during feast days, Great Lent, and the Dormition Fast, who sins without restraint at improper times, violating both nature and the law; or those who commit fornication with women, commit sodomy, and practice all kinds of abominations and detestable deeds that are abhorrent to God:¹ fornication, debauchery, foul language, and obscene speech, devilish songs, dancing, and jumping, playing tambourines, trumpets, and pipes, bringing in bears, birds, hunting dogs, and organizing horse races—all things that please demons—such disgrace and brazenness, along with sorcery and magic, divination, astrology, necromancy, the reading of forbidden books, almanacs, fortune-telling books, hexagrams, believing in thunderbolts, talismans, enchanted stones, bones, and other devilish schemes; if someone poisons or drives another mad with sorcery, herbs, or roots until death or insanity occurs, or if someone, through demonic words, enchantments, or spells, leads another into any sin, especially adultery, or if someone falsely swears by the name of God or slanders a friend—(then read the twenty-eighth chapter as well), in such actions, in such customs and habits, people are born with pride, hatred, malice, anger, hostility, grudges, lies, theft, cursing, obscenity, foul speech, sorcery, and magic; mockery, blasphemy, gluttony, and unrestrained drunkenness—from dawn to dusk—every kind of evil deed, crude fornication, and every form of debauchery. And the merciful God, not accepting such evil customs and deeds from people, saves us all, like a loving father, through suffering and brings us to salvation. He instructs and chastises us for our many sins but does not deliver us to sudden death, for He does not desire the death of a sinner but waits for repentance so that a person may correct themselves and live.

However, if they do not correct themselves, if they do not repent for their evil deeds, God sends upon us, according to our sins, either famine, plague, fires, floods, captivity, or death at the hands of pagans, the destruction of cities, the desolation of God’s churches and every holy place, the plundering of all property, and the betrayal of friends. Sometimes ruin befalls us through royal wrath—merciless execution and shameful death. Sometimes it comes from robbers—murder and theft, from thieves—larceny, from judges—bribes and extortion. Drought comes—then endless rains, years of bad harvests—then unsuitable winters, severe frosts, and the infertility of the earth. All kinds of livestock suffer—cattle die, as well as beasts, birds, and fish, and there is scarcity of all kinds of grains. Sometimes the loss of parents, wives, and children comes from severe, swift, and sudden deaths after long and bitter sufferings from illnesses and a terrible end. Many righteous people truly serve God and live according to His commandments among us sinners, yet in this world, they suffer equally with sinners, so that after death they may be worthy of the brightest crowns from the Lord. For us sinners, however, the torment is greater—since even the righteous endure great suffering for our lawlessness.

So, will we not correct ourselves in all these sorrows? Will we not learn anything, and will we not come to repentance? Will we not awaken, will we not fear when we see such punishment from the righteous wrath of God for our endless sins? And again, the Lord, instructing us and leading us to salvation, like righteous and long-suffering Job, sends suffering and illness upon us, severe ailments from wicked spirits, the rotting of the body, pain in the bones, swelling and tumors in all the limbs, constipation in both passages, kidney stones, hernias, the rotting of hidden members, dropsy, deafness, blindness, muteness, stomach pains and terrifying vomiting, blood and pus from both passages, consumption, coughing, headaches and toothaches, hernias, gout, boils, rashes, weakness and trembling, swellings and buboes, scabs, hunchbacks, twisted necks, legs, and arms, crossed eyes, and other grievous ailments—punishment from the wrath of God. And so—we have forgotten all our sins, we have not repented, we wish neither to correct ourselves nor to fear, and nothing can teach us!

And although we see in all this God’s punishment and suffer from severe illnesses for our many sins, for having forgotten God, our Creator, and for not asking Him for mercy or forgiveness—what evil do we commit when we turn to unclean demons, from whom we already renounced during holy baptism, along with their deeds? Yet, we invite sorcerers, wizards, and magicians, fortune-tellers and healers of all kinds with their herbs, from whom we seek soul-destroying and temporary help, thus preparing ourselves to fall into the hands of the devil, into the abyss of hell to suffer forever. O foolish people! Alas, for your lack of understanding! We do not recognize our sins, for which God punishes and torments us, and we do not repent of them, we do not avoid vices and disgraceful deeds, and we do not think of the eternal, but dream only of the perishable and temporary. I implore you—and once again I implore you: cast off vices and all soul-destroying deeds, let us cleanse ourselves with sincere repentance, and may the merciful Lord forgive us our sins, grant health to our bodies and salvation to our souls, and not deprive us of eternal blessings. And if any of us, with gratitude, endures suffering in this world through various illnesses and in all kinds of hardships to cleanse themselves of their sins for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, they will not only receive forgiveness for their sins but also become heirs of eternal blessings. For it is written in the Holy Apostle: *Through many tribulations, we must enter the Kingdom of Heaven.² The Holy Gospel says: The narrow and sorrowful path leads to eternal life, but the wide and spacious one leads to destruction.³ And the Lord also said: *It is difficult to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, and only those who strive will obtain it.⁴

Let us remember the holy men, their sufferings for the sake of God, the various ailments and diseases, and the blessed patience of those who did not call upon sorcerers, wizards, magicians, herbalists, or any demonic healers, but placed all their hope in God, gratefully enduring the purification of their sins for the sake of enjoying eternal blessings. Like the long-suffering Saint Job⁵ or the poor Lazarus, who lay by the gate of the rich man, covered in sores and consumed by worms, but now rests in the bosom of Abraham.⁶ Or like Symeon the Stylite, who let his body rot and was covered in worms. Many righteous ones, pleasing to God, suffered from various diseases and ailments, yet endured everything with gratitude for the salvation of their souls and for eternal life. For their sufferings, they entered the heavenly kingdom. Many—from both the rich and the poor—of the Christian race, people of all ranks—princes, nobles, priests, and monks—suffered from endless diseases and ailments, enduring all kinds of sorrows, even bearing insults for the sake of God. They asked God for mercy and hoped for His help.

And then the merciful God pours out infinite mercy on His servants, grants healing, forgives sins, and delivers them from suffering. He helps through the Life-Giving Crosses, wonderworking icons, holy images of Christ, the God-bearer, the archangels, and all the saints, and through the holy relics, anointing with oil, and the sacrament of holy unction. He helps through moliebens in the divine services, which are held at vigils in the holy churches and monasteries of God, at wonderworking places, at home, on the road, and on the waters—everywhere calling upon the Lord God with faith, the Most Pure God-bearer, and His saints to grant forgiveness, health to the body, and salvation to the soul.

Many died in their ailments and severe illnesses, in various sufferings, and by them were cleansed of their sins and received eternal life. Let us understand the meaning of this fully, and imitate their way of life and their patience. Let us compete in life with the holy fathers, prophets, and apostles, with hierarchs and martyrs, with the venerable and fools-for-Christ, with holy women, Orthodox kings and princes, priests, and monks—with all Christians who lived lives pleasing to God.

Let us fully comprehend how in this life they endured suffering for the sake of Christ—through fasting, prayer, and long-suffering, hunger and thirst, nakedness in frosts or the scorching sun, humiliation and spitting, all kinds of reproaches, beatings, and torments from ungodly kings, suffering various tortures for the sake of Christ. They were executed, burned in fires, devoured by wild animals, stoned, drowned in waters. They ended their lives in caves, deserts, and earthly pits. They were imprisoned in dungeons and taken captive, enduring all kinds of labors, suffering torments and various tortures—and who can count them all? as the Holy Scripture says.

And for such terrible sufferings, for their tortures, what reward did they receive from Christ in this life and in the eternal life? The enjoyment of eternal blessings, which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and which have not entered the heart of man—this is what God has prepared for those who love Him. And how they are glorified now, how the Church of God praises them! We ourselves pray to these saints, call upon their help, asking them to pray before God for us, and we receive healing from their wonderworking icons and revered relics. Let us gratefully and meekly follow the example of the lives and sufferings of these saints, and we too will receive similar grace from God as a reward.

Rule 61 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council says: Those who have fallen into sorcery or consult so-called wise men (or others who claim to have the ability to foretell), if anyone desires to reveal the unknown according to the first commandment received from the holy fathers—they should follow the rule of the canon: they are to be deprived of Communion for six years, just like those who parade bears or any other beasts for the amusement of the crowd and for profit, those who foretell fate at birth or trace genealogy through the stars, leading the people astray with such words. Those who read the clouds, sorcerers, amulet makers, and magicians—those engaged in such activities and who do not turn away from these harmful pagan practices—are to be expelled from the church everywhere, as the law commands the priest. What fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14) as the Apostle said, and how does the Church of God unite with pagan idols? What partnership has the believer with the unbeliever? What harmony has Christ with the devil?

Explanation: Those who follow harmful sorcery, go to magicians and witches, or invite them into their homes, desiring to learn some unspeakable thing through them, as well as those who keep and feed bears or certain dogs or hunting birds for amusement and to deceive the crowd, or those who believe in fate and genealogy, that is, in birth spirits, and in astrology, or who divine by the movement of clouds—such people, the council decreed, should be excommunicated from Communion for six years. Let them stand with the catechumens for four years, and the remaining two years with the faithful, so that by this they may be deemed worthy of the Divine Gifts. If they do not correct themselves after excommunication and do not abandon this pagan deception, then they should be expelled from the church everywhere and at all times. Concerning sorcerers and magicians, the God-bearing fathers and church teachers spoke, but especially John Chrysostom said: those who practice sorcery and magic, even if they invoke the name of the Holy Trinity, even if they make the sign of the Holy Cross of Christ—they should still be avoided, and one should turn away from them.

On the 24th Rule of the Council of Ancyra: Those who practice sorcery, who follow pagan customs, and those who bring magicians into their homes to perform sorcery or to cleanse from poisoning, are deprived of Communion for five years, according to the rules, in a specific order: three years they must remain inside, and two years outside the church—only for prayers without prosphora and without Communion.

Explanation: If anyone places their trust in sorcerers, magicians, or herbalists, or others like them, and invites them into their home to consult about their fate, and they reveal to them whatever they desire, or if during sorcery, while trying to learn hidden things, they divine with water to heal evil with evil—let them stand with the catechumens for three years, and for two years with the faithful, only participating in prayers, but only after five years may they partake of the Holy Mysteries.

Rule 61 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, held in the Trullo Palace: For six years, such people are forbidden from partaking of the Mysteries, meaning they are not to receive Communion.

Rule 11 of the Sixth Council in Constantinople, in the Trullo Palace: There should be no association between Christians and Jews. Therefore, if anyone is found eating their unleavened bread or inviting their doctors for healing, or bathing with them in the bathhouse, or otherwise associating with them, if they are a cleric—they are to be expelled from the church; if a layperson—they are to be excommunicated.

Rule 72 of Basil the Great: Anyone who places their trust in sorcerers or similar time-wasters—let this be forbidden.

Explanation: Those who seek to learn harmful wisdom from sorcerers, magicians, or wizards are to be punished as premeditated murderers. Those who believe in sorcerers or invite them into their home to be cured of poisoning or to predict the future—let them be punished for six years, as decreed by Rule 61 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, held in Constantinople in the Trullo Palace, and by Rule 83 from the same letter of Basil the Great.

How to Visit the Suffering in Monasteries, Hospitals, and Prisons #

Visit those who are in monasteries, hospitals, solitary confinement, and prisons, and give alms according to your ability, providing whatever is requested. Look into their troubles and sufferings, see all their needs, and help as much as you can. Do not despise anyone who suffers in poverty or need, like a beggar, but invite them to your home, give them drink, feed them, warm them, and greet them with love and a pure conscience. Through their prayers, you will receive mercy from God and the forgiveness of sins. Remember your deceased parents by making offerings to the Church of God for memorial services and liturgies, and hold memorial meals for them at home, giving alms to the poor. Then God will not forget you.

How to Come to the Church of God and the Monastery with Offerings #

Always come to the Church of God with faith, not in anger, without envy, and without any hostility, but always with humble wisdom, meekness, and bodily purity, bringing offerings: candles, prosphora, incense, and frankincense, along with memorial bread and kutia. Bring alms for the living and the dead, and also bring offerings when you visit monasteries during feast days. When you bring your offering to the altar, remember the Gospel words: *If your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and first go and reconcile with your brother, (Matthew 5:23-24) and only then bring your gift to God from your righteous possessions. Offerings from unrighteous gain are unacceptable. It is said to the rich: It is better not to rob than to give alms from what was unjustly acquired. (Sirach 12:3) Return what was unjustly taken to the one you wronged—this is more worthy than almsgiving. God is pleased with gifts from righteous earnings and good deeds.

How to Decorate Your Home with Holy Icons and Keep the House in Cleanliness #

Every Christian should arrange holy and honorable icons on the walls of their home, in every room, arranged according to rank. These icons should be decorated, and lamps should be placed before them, in which candles are lit during prayer services before the holy icons. After the service, the candles are extinguished, and the icons are covered with a curtain to protect them from dirt and dust, for the sake of proper order and preservation. They should be regularly dusted with a clean feather duster and gently wiped with a soft cloth, and the room where they are kept should always be clean. One should approach the holy icons only with a pure conscience, lighting candles and offering incense during services, singing, and prayer. The icons should be arranged in order of importance, as already mentioned. In prayer, vigils, prostrations, and in all praise of God, always show them honor—with tears, weeping, and a sorrowful heart, confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness.

How a Husband, Wife, and Household Should Pray to God in Their Home #

Every evening, a husband, wife, children, and household should, if someone can read, sing vespers and compline quietly and attentively, standing humbly with prayer and bowing, singing in unison and clearly. After the service, do not drink, eat, or engage in idle chatter. There is a rule for everything. When going to bed, every Christian should make three prostrations before the icon, and at midnight, rising quietly, pray to God with tears as much as they can about their sins. In the morning, upon waking, they should do the same. Everyone should act according to their strength and desire, and pregnant women should make a waist-deep bow. Every Christian should pray for their sins and the forgiveness of sins, for the health of the tsar, the tsarina, their children, their brothers, and the nobles, for the Christ-loving army, for help against enemies, for the liberation of captives, for the hierarchs, priests, and monks, and for their spiritual fathers, for the sick, and for those imprisoned. Women should pray for their sins, for their husbands, children, household, and relatives, and for their spiritual fathers. In the morning, upon rising, they should also pray to God, sing matins and the hours, and a molieben, singing in unison, humbly, and attentively, offering incense before the icons. If there is no one to sing, then they should pray more, both in the evening and in the morning. Men should not miss a single day of church singing: neither evening services, morning services, nor the liturgy, and women and household members should attend on Sundays, feast days, and holy festival days as much as possible.

How a Husband and Wife Should Pray in Church, Remain Pure, and Avoid All Evil #

In church, one should stand reverently during the service and pray quietly. At home, always sing Compline, the Midnight Office, and the Hours. If anyone adds additional church services for their salvation, this is their choice, for then the reward from God will be greater. As for wives, they should attend the Church of God as they are able—according to their desire and in consultation with their husband. In church, she should not converse with anyone, stand silently, listen attentively to the singing and the reading of Holy Scripture, without looking around, leaning against the wall or a pillar, or standing with a staff, nor should she shift her weight from foot to foot. She should stand with her hands folded on her chest in the form of a cross, firmly and unshaken, with her bodily eyes lowered and her heart directed toward God, praying to God with fear and trembling, with sighs and tears. She should not leave the church until the service is completely finished and should arrive at the very beginning.

On Sundays and the feast days of the Lord, on Wednesdays and Fridays, during Great Lent, and the Dormition fast, one should remain pure. Always avoid gluttony, drunkenness, idle talk, and inappropriate laughter. Renounce theft, fornication, lying, slander, envy, and anything unjustly gained: usury, bribery, profiteering, and any other wickedness. Do not harbor anger toward anyone or remember wrongs, and never commit robbery, plunder, violence, or unjust judgment. Refrain from eating and drinking early in the day or after the evening service. If you do eat and drink, do so to the glory of God and only at the appointed times; feed small children and servants as the master sees fit.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? As the Apostle Paul said: If anyone is known as a fornicator, or covetous person, or idolater, or scoffer, or drunkard, or robber—do not even eat with such a person. And he also said: Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate men, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor greedy people, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God. Therefore, every Christian must guard themselves against all evil.

A Christian should always hold a lestovka in their hands, and the Jesus Prayer should be constantly on their lips—in church, at home, and in the marketplace—whether walking, standing, or sitting, in all places, as the prophet David said: In every place, bless the Lord, O my soul! The prayer should be said as follows: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner—say this six hundred times, and on the seventh hundred, pray to the Most Pure God-bearer: O my Maiden, Most Holy God-bearer, have mercy on me, a sinner! Then return to the beginning, and continue saying this prayer constantly. If someone easily prays this prayer, as naturally as breathing through their nose, after the first year, the Son of God—Christ—will enter them; after the second year, the Holy Ghost will enter them; and after the third year, the Father will draw near to them. When the Holy Trinity enters them, the prayer will consume their heart, and their heart will consume the prayer, and they will cry out this prayer day and night, and they will be freed from the enemy’s snares, according to the word of Christ Jesus, our Lord, to whom be glory forever, amen.

The Most Pure God-bearer, along with all the heavenly powers and all the saints, will be a protector against all the devil’s snares in this life and in the next for the one who prays with faith and follows God’s commandments.

How to Cross Oneself and Bow #

Bishops, priests, monks, tsars, princes, and all Christians should bow to the image of the Savior, the Life-Giving Cross, the Most Pure God-bearer, the Holy Heavenly Powers, all the saints, the sacred vessels, and the holy revered relics in the following way: with the right hand, join the fingers—bring the first finger and the two lower fingers together at the tips—this signifies the Holy Trinity. Straighten the middle finger, bending it slightly, and raise the adjacent (index) finger, keeping it straight—these signify the two natures of Christ: divine and human. Then, cross yourself in this manner: first, place your hand on your forehead, then on your abdomen, next on your right shoulder, and finally on your left shoulder—this represents the Cross of Christ. Afterward, bow your head to your waist, and for a deep bow, lower your head to the ground. With prayers and supplications on your lips, have heartfelt contrition and repentance for sins throughout your body, tears should flow from your eyes, and sighs from your soul. With your mouth, praise and glorify God, with your mind and heart and breath, pray for goodness, cross yourself with your hand, and bow your body to the ground or at the waist—and always conduct yourself in this way. Bishops and priests should cross Christians in the same way with their hands when they ask for blessings.

Regarding the Cross of Christ as a sign, and the veneration of it, the Paterikon writes reliably; after reading it, you will understand the power of the Cross of Christ.

From Theodoret: Bless with your hand and cross yourself in this way: hold three fingers together evenly, in the likeness of the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; not three gods, but one God in the Trinity, with distinct names, but one divinity: the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten but not created, and the Holy Ghost is neither begotten nor created, but proceeds—the three in one divinity. The power of the divinity is one, and honor is one, and one worship comes from all creation, from angels and from people. Such is the foundation of the three fingers. The two fingers should be held inclined, not bent over, and they signify the two natures of Christ: divine and human—God by divinity and man by incarnation, and together they represent perfection. The upper finger signifies divinity, and the lower finger signifies humanity, as He descended from above to save the lowly. He also explains the joining of the fingers: for He bent the heavens and descended for our salvation. Thus, this is how one should cross and bless, as established by the holy fathers.

From Athanasius and Peter of Damascus on the Same: Since demons and various illnesses are driven out by the sign of the Honorable and Life-Giving Cross without any payment or effort—who can sufficiently glorify it? The holy fathers have left us this sign for disputes with unbelieving heretics: two fingers (but on one hand) show Christ, our God, in two natures but recognized in one person. The right hand signifies His inexpressible power and His sitting at the right hand of the Father, showing His descent from heaven to us, and it also indicates that we should drive away enemies from the right to the left, for by His invincible power, the Lord has subdued the devil: the left hand, in essence, is invisible and weak.

How to Invite Priests and Monks to Your Home for Prayer #

On certain feast days, according to your vow, or due to illness, or if someone needs to be anointed with oil, invite priests to your home as often as you can, and perform services for any need. In these services, they will pray for the tsar and the grand prince (name), the autocrat of all Rus’, and for his tsarina, the grand princess (name), and for their noble children, and for his brothers and the nobles, and for the Christ-loving army, for victory over enemies, for the liberation of captives, for the hierarchs, and for all the priests and monks—for any request—and for all Christians, and for the household owners, the husband and wife, their children and household members, and for everything they need if they are in need.

Water is blessed with the Life-Giving Cross and with wonderworking icons or revered holy relics, and oil is sanctified for the health and healing of the sick. If oil needs to be sanctified over a sick person at home, they should summon seven priests or more, and as many deacons as they can. The oil is sanctified according to the service, and the deacon or priest censes all the rooms, sprinkles them with holy water, and the senior priest blesses them with the holy cross, and together they all glorify God in this house. After the service, tables are set, and the priests, monks, and all who attend eat and drink. The poor are shown every kindness and are given gifts, and they return to their homes praising God. Similarly, one should commemorate deceased parents; in the holy churches of God and monasteries, memorial services and liturgies should be held, and the brethren should be fed at the meal for the repose and for health, inviting them to the home, feeding, comforting, and giving alms.

Water should be sanctified on January 6 and August 1—always with the Life-Giving Cross alone. The cross is immersed three times in the chalices by the bishop or priest, reciting the tropar Save, O Lord, Thy people three times, and on Theophany, the tropar When in the Jordan Thou wast baptized is also recited three times, while the crosses, icons, and revered wonderworking relics are laid on a dish. After removing the cross from the chalice, the priest holds it over the dish, and the water drips from the cross onto the holy items. After the immersion of the cross and the sanctification of the water, he anoints the revered crosses, holy icons, and wonderworking relics, however many are present in the holy church or home, using a sponge dipped in the sanctified water, pronouncing troparia for each saint, and anointing their holy icon. After this, the sponge is wrung out into the sanctified water and used again to anoint other holy items in the same way. With that same holy water, the altar and the entire holy church are sprinkled in the form of a cross, as are all the rooms in the house and all the people. Those who are worthy by faith are anointed with this water and drink it for the healing and purification of their souls and bodies, for the forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life.

How to Gratefully Entertain Those Who Come to Your Home with Your Household #

Before beginning a meal, priests first glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, then the Virgin God-bearer, and they bring out the blessed bread. At the end of the meal, the blessed bread is presented, and after prayer, it is eaten as it should be, and the sanctified cup of the Most Pure God-bearer is drunk. Afterward, prayers for health and for the repose of the dead are offered. If they eat in reverent silence or engage in spiritual conversation, then the angels invisibly stand among them and record their good deeds, and the food and drink become sweet. But if they begin to insult the food and drink, it immediately turns into waste. And if coarse and shameless words are spoken, with indecent and obscene talk, laughter, various amusements, playing the gusli and other music, dancing, clapping, jumping, all sorts of games, and devilish songs—then, like smoke drives away bees, the angels of God will depart from this meal and its improper conversation. And the demons will rejoice, swooping in, taking their chance to create havoc, gambling at dice and chess, indulging in all kinds of devilish games, making a mockery of God’s gifts—food, drink, and the fruits of the earth—throwing and spilling them, hitting each other, pouring drinks over one another, mocking God’s gifts in every way. And the demons will record their deeds, take them to Satan, and rejoice together in the destruction of Christians. But all such deeds will be revealed on the Day of Judgment—woe to those who engage in such things! When the Jews sat in the wilderness to eat and drink, after gorging themselves and becoming drunk, they began to revel and commit fornication, and the earth swallowed them up—twenty thousand and three thousand people. O people, fear this, and do the will of God as it is written in the law. May the Lord preserve every Christian from such evil disorder. Eat and drink to the glory of God, without gluttony or drunkenness, and avoid idle talk.

When you serve food and drink or all kinds of dishes to someone, or if it is served before you, do not insult it by saying, “This is spoiled” or “sour,” or “bland,” or “too salty,” or “bitter,” or “rotten,” or “undercooked,” or “overcooked,” or by making any other complaint. Instead, praise the gift of God—any food or drink—and eat it with gratitude, for then God will grant fragrance to the food and transform it into sweetness. But if any food or drink is truly unacceptable, correct your household and the one who prepared it so that such a thing does not happen again.

From the Gospel: When you are invited to a feast, do not sit in the place of honor, for perhaps among the invited there is someone more honorable than you, and the host may come to you and say, “Give your place to this person!” and you will have to move to the lowest place in shame. But when you are invited, sit at the lowest place, and when the host comes, they will say to you, “Friend, move up higher!” and then you will be honored in the presence of all the guests. So, whoever exalts themselves will be humbled, and the humble will be exalted.

And to this, I add: when you are invited to a feast, do not drink to the point of drunkenness or stay too late, for much drinking and long sitting lead to quarrels, arguments, and fights, and even bloodshed. Even if you do not quarrel or provoke anyone, by staying long, waiting for a quarrel to begin, you become a participant. The host will also reproach you: you do not go to sleep, and his household has no peace or time for other guests. If you drink yourself into a stupor and do not go home to sleep, you will fall asleep where you drank, unsupervised, for there are many guests, and you are not alone. In your drunkenness and negligence, you will soil your clothes, and you may lose your cap or hat. If you had money in your pouch or purse, it will be stolen, and your knives will be taken. The host, where you drank, will worry about you, and you will be even more ashamed: you spent your money and are disgraced, for people will say: “He fell asleep where he drank, who would watch over him when everyone is drunk?” See for yourself the shame, reproach, and loss caused by excessive drunkenness.

If you leave or travel after drinking a fair amount, you may fall asleep along the way, fail to reach home, and suffer even more than before: they will strip off all your clothes, take everything you have, and leave you with nothing, not even a shirt. So, if you do not sober up and drink yourself into oblivion, I will say this: you will lose your soul along with your body. Many people die from drunkenness on the road, freezing along the way. I am not saying you shouldn’t drink at all—that is not necessary—but I am saying: do not get drunk to the point of senselessness. I do not condemn God’s gift, but I condemn those who drink without restraint. As the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy: “Drink a little wine—for your stomach’s sake and your frequent ailments.” But he also wrote to us: “Drink a little wine for joy, but not for drunkenness: drunkards will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Many people lose their earthly wealth due to drunkenness. If someone drinks excessively, foolish people will praise them, but later, they will condemn them for foolishly squandering their goods. As the Apostle said: “Do not be drunk with wine, for there is no salvation in it, but be filled with the praise of God.” I say this: be filled with prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and going to church with a pure conscience. These things are pleasing to God, and they will receive a reward from Him in His kingdom. But drunkenness is the ruin of both soul and body, and of wealth as well. Together with earthly possessions, drunkards lose their heavenly inheritance because they drink not for God’s sake, but for the sake of intoxication. Only the demons rejoice at this, for it is to them that the path of the drunkard leads, unless they repent in time. So do you see, O man, what shame and reproach comes from this, both from God and from His saints? The Apostle places the drunkard, like any other sinner, among those who are displeasing to God, equal in fate to demons unless they sincerely repent and cleanse their soul. Let all Christians live with God in the Orthodox faith, together with our Lord Jesus Christ and His saints, glorifying the Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, amen.

Let us return to the previous topic of discussion. The host of the house (or his servants) must serve food and drink to everyone, either at the table or send it to another house, dividing everything appropriately by rank, custom, and honor. From the main table, dishes are sent, but not from others. For love and faithful service, let all be given their due share, and forgiveness should be sought for this.

To secretly take or send food and drink away from the table or meal without permission or blessing is considered sacrilegious and presumptuous, and such people are always condemned.

When various dishes and drinks are placed before you, if there is someone among the guests more honorable than you, do not begin eating before them; but if you are the guest of honor, then you should be the first to taste the food presented. In some households, there is an abundance of food and drink, and whatever remains untouched is set aside for later—it may be sent or given away. But if someone is insensitive and unskilled, unlearned and ignorant, who thoughtlessly begins eating all the dishes without care, eats without desire, and doesn’t think about preserving the dishes, that person will be scolded and ridiculed, disgraced before both God and people.

If you are to welcome guests—whether travelers, merchants, or foreigners, or invited guests or those sent by God, whether rich or poor, priests or monks—the host and hostess should be courteous, showing due honor according to the rank and dignity of each person. With love and gratitude, they should offer kind words, show respect to each one, speak with everyone, and greet them warmly. Serve them food and drink, either setting the table or offering it with your own hands with a friendly greeting. And to others, send something, showing kindness to everyone and bringing joy to each one. If any of them wait in the hall or sit in the courtyard, be sure to send them food and drink, and while sitting at the table, do not forget to send out provisions to them as well. If the host has a son or a faithful servant, let them oversee everything and ensure that all are treated with respect, greeted with kind words, and that no one is insulted, disgraced, humiliated, mocked, or condemned, lest any reproach come upon the host, the hostess, their children, or their servants.

If guests or hostesses argue among themselves, they should be gently quieted, and if anyone is out of control, they should be carefully escorted to their home, protected from any fight along the way. After feeding and giving them drink, they should be sent off with honor, which is both a gift to God and a credit to good people. Show mercy and kindness to the poor as well, for you will receive a reward from God, and people will speak well of you.

When hosting or commemorating your parents at a monastery, act in the same way: feed and give drink, and distribute alms according to your ability, both for health and for the repose of the departed. But if someone first feeds, gives drink, and gives gifts, and then disgraces or insults, condemns or ridicules, or slanders them behind their back, or neglects to honor them properly, or without feeding them barks at them and even strikes them, and then drives them out of the yard, or if his servants dishonor someone—then such a meal or feast becomes a delight for demons and brings God’s wrath, and among people, it leads to shame, anger, and enmity, while the wronged suffer disgrace and insult. For such foolish hosts, hostesses, and their servants, there is sin before God, enmity and reproach from people, and curses and condemnation from the poor. If you cannot feed someone, calmly explain without barking at them, beating them, or disgracing them, and politely let them go. But if someone leaves your yard complaining of neglect by the host, a polite servant should respectfully say to the guest: “Do not be angry, good sir, there are many guests, and the hosts did not have time to serve you.” Then they will be the first to bow to you so that you will not hold anger against them. After the feast, the servant should report to the master about the guest who left, and if it was an important guest, they should tell the master immediately, and the master will decide what to do.

For the lady of the house, whether she has good or various guests, she should treat them as described in this chapter. Her children and servants should do the same.

The vision of Saint Niphon concerning those seated at the table is written in the Prolog, and the third chapter on eating is in the Pandects of Antioch.

How a Husband and Wife Should Confer on What to Instruct the Steward Regarding the Management of the Table, Kitchen, and Bakery #

Each day and evening, after fulfilling their spiritual duties, and in the morning after rising at the sound of the bell and following prayer, the husband and wife should consult each other about the household affairs. They should assign responsibilities, making it clear who is to handle which tasks, and instruct everyone on what food and drink to prepare for the guests and for themselves. The steward, following the master’s word, should order what is to be purchased, and when the necessary items are bought and brought in, everything should be measured and thoroughly inspected. The person responsible for household expenses, whether for food, fish, meat, or any other provisions, should be given money for a week or a month. Once that money is spent, they should account for it to the master and receive more. In this way, everything is transparent—the provisions, the expenses, and the service rendered. The cook should receive what needs to be cooked, the baker what needs to be baked, and other necessary supplies should be distributed accordingly. The steward must always remember to report to the master what is needed.

In the kitchen, the steward should assign the roasting and boiling of meat and fish according to the master’s instructions, ensuring that the correct number of dishes are prepared. Once the food is ready, the steward should receive it from the cook, counting the dishes. The various meals should be set on the table as directed by the master, according to the guests, and the bread and all food should be provided and received according to proper accounting. Any untouched or uneaten food, such as soups or prepared dishes left from the table, should be sorted. Untouched dishes should be separated from those that were started, whether meat or fish, and stored in clean, sturdy containers, covered and packed with ice. The remaining dishes and various leftovers should be distributed for consumption where they are needed, while untouched food should be preserved for the master, mistress, and guests.

Drinks should be served according to instruction, depending on whether there are guests or not. For the mistress, only mead and kvass should be served. The tableware—plates, cups, ladles, vinegar dishes, pepper shakers, pickle dishes, salt cellars, serving trays, bowls, spoons, tablecloths, and coverings—should always be clean and ready for the table or to be set on serving trays. The rooms should be swept, the chambers tidied, icons hung on the walls in proper order, tables and benches washed and wiped down, and carpets laid on the benches. The vinegar, cucumber brine, and plum or lemon juice should be strained through sieves, and the cucumbers, lemons, and plums should be cleaned and sorted, so that the table is neat and orderly. Dried fish and all types of cured fish, various jellies—both meat and vegetarian—and caviar and cabbage should be cleaned and prepared in dishes, ready to serve. All drinks should be clean and strained through sieves. The stewards, cooks, bakers, and housekeepers should eat and drink a little of the lighter beverages before the meal, so that they are calm while preparing the food. They should dress in the clothing prescribed by the master, clean and presentable, and maintain cleanliness and order in all tasks assigned by the master. All tableware and utensils, in the care of the steward and all kitchen staff, should be washed, cleaned, and well-preserved, as should the mistress’s possessions and her servants’ as well. When bringing food and drink to the table, they should ensure that the dishes are clean, the bottoms wiped, and the food and drink are free of debris, mold, or burnt spots. Before setting the food or drink on the table, inspect it, and once placed, do not cough, spit, or blow your nose over the table. Step aside to clean your nose, cough, or spit—turning away and wiping it with your foot. Such behavior is proper for anyone.

Instructions for the Steward in the Event of a Feast #

If a large feast is planned, the steward should personally oversee everything in the kitchen, the preparation area, and the bakery. Skilled individuals should be appointed to serve the dishes at the tables, and experienced people are needed to manage the serving area, drinks, and tableware, ensuring everything is in order. Drinks should be served at the table according to the master’s instructions, with each person receiving what has been assigned to them, and nothing should be given to anyone without permission. After the meal and the end of the feast, all silver, tin, and copper tableware, cups, ladles, and bowls—both lidded and open—should be accounted for, cleaned, and collected. Whoever is sent to retrieve or carry these items should be held responsible, and precautions should be taken to prevent theft. A trusted person should be stationed in the yard to watch over all household items, ensuring nothing is stolen and that intoxicated guests are protected from losing their belongings or getting into accidents. This person should also ensure that there is no quarreling or theft among the guests’ servants who are stationed outside with the horses, sleighs, and saddles, nor should they disrespect the guests or steal or damage household property. They should carefully supervise everything and report anyone who disobeys to the master. The person stationed outside should refrain from drinking during the feast and must not leave their post. They should strictly supervise everything happening in the yard, in the storage rooms, in the bakery, in the kitchen, and at the stables.

Once the table is cleared and the feast is over, all the silver and tin tableware should be collected, inspected, counted, washed, and stored in its proper place, along with the kitchenware. All the dishes—meat, fish, jellies, soups—should be sorted and stored, as previously instructed. In the evening after the feast or the next morning, the master should personally inspect everything, ensuring it is in order, counting, and questioning the steward in detail about how much was eaten, how much was drunk, what was given to whom, and what was sent out. In this way, all expenses and supplies will be known, and all the tableware will be accounted for. The steward should be able to give the master an accurate report of where everything went and to whom it was given, and how much of each item was used. If, by God’s grace, everything is in order, nothing has been lost or wasted, and no damage has been done, the master should reward the steward and all the other servants—cooks, bakers, and everyone who skillfully and carefully managed their duties without drinking. They should all be praised, fed, and given drink, so they will strive to work well again in the future.

The Master’s Instructions to the Steward on Preparing Meat and Lenten Dishes, and How to Feed the Household During Meat Days and Fasting Days #

The master should instruct the steward on what food to send to the kitchen during meat days for the master’s household expenses and for the guests, and what to send on fasting days. The steward should also receive instructions on what drinks to serve to the master, his wife, the family, and the guests. All this should be prepared, managed, and distributed according to the master’s orders. Every morning, the steward must ask the master about the dishes, drinks, and all tasks to be done, and follow the master’s instructions exactly.

The master should consult with his wife about the household affairs and then instruct the steward on how to feed the servants on each day. On meat days, bread made from sifted flour, cabbage soup daily, and thin porridge with ham should be served, or sometimes, in rotation, thick porridge with lard and, if available, meat for lunch. For dinner, cabbage soup and milk or porridge should be served. On fasting days, cabbage soup and grain porridge, sometimes with jam, sometimes with peas, and sometimes with dried fish or baked turnips. For dinner, cabbage soup, ground oatmeal, or sometimes pickled soup or sorrel soup. On Sundays and holidays, there should be some kind of pies, thick porridges, vegetables, or fish porridge, pancakes, and kissel, or whatever God provides. For dinner, the same as mentioned above. The women of the household, servant girls, children, and laborers should also be fed the same food, with the addition of leftovers from the master’s and guests’ tables. The master should seat more distinguished people, like merchants or those serving in administrative roles, at his own table. Those serving the guests at the table also eat the leftovers from the guest table afterward. The mistress should also feed and serve the seamstresses and needlewomen from her own table.

Servants should drink weak beer, and on Sundays and holidays, they are given mead. The clerks are always provided with mead as well. The master himself may give out other drinks or order the steward to distribute them, and sometimes he will even provide beer for their enjoyment.

The master or mistress’s instructions to the steward and cook on how to prepare food for the family, servants, or the poor, whether it be meat or fasting food, should be followed carefully. Cabbage, leafy greens, or finely chopped vegetables should be washed thoroughly and cooked well, steamed thoroughly. On meat days, add meat, ham, or ham fat, and serve with sour cream or add grain and cook thoroughly. On fasting days, use vegetable broth or add other fasting seasonings, and simmer well. Different grains should be cooked in the same way and simmered well with oil or lard, or with herring oil or broth. If there is dried meat, salt pork, or salted or smoked fish, it should be washed, scraped, cleaned, and cooked thoroughly. Prepare all the food for the laboring families, knead and leaven the bread well, form it properly, and bake it. Make pies for them as well. All their food should be prepared carefully and cleanly, just as for oneself. The mistress or steward should always taste each dish, and if something is not well-cooked or baked, they should scold the cook, baker, or women who prepared it. If the steward does not oversee it properly, they will be scolded as well. If the mistress neglects this, her husband will scold her. The servants and the poor should be fed as you would feed yourself, for this honors God and brings salvation.

The master and mistress must always be attentive to the needs of their servants, the sick, and the poor, asking them about their food, drink, clothing, and anything else they may need. They should inquire about their shortages, their suffering, and their illnesses, and help in any way they can for God’s sake, caring as much as God allows and as much as their hearts can bear, just as they would care for their own children or close family. If someone neglects these responsibilities and does not sympathize with those in need, they will answer before God and will not receive any reward from Him. But those who do all this with love and a sincere heart will receive great mercy from God, the forgiveness of sins, and will inherit eternal life.

How to Raise Your Children with Various Teachings and in the Fear of God #

If God grants you children—sons and daughters—both the father and mother must care for their children, providing for them and raising them with good instruction. They should be taught the fear of God, good manners, and proper conduct. In time, considering the child’s growth and age, they should be taught a trade—the father teaching his sons, and the mother teaching her daughters—according to their abilities and the gifts God has given them. Love and protect them, but also save them through discipline, correcting and instructing them, and when necessary, after careful consideration, even punishing them. Discipline your children while they are young, and they will bring you peace in your old age. Parents must guard the physical purity of their children and protect them from all sin, as carefully as they guard their own eyes or their own souls. If children sin through the neglect of their father or mother, such sins will be held against the parents on the Day of Judgment.

If children, deprived of the instruction of their father and mother, sin or commit evil, the parents will bear the guilt before God, suffer reproach and ridicule from others, bring loss to their household, sorrow to themselves, and shame and punishment from the authorities. But if children are raised by God-fearing, wise, and understanding parents, and brought up in the fear of God, taught in good instruction, and trained in all necessary knowledge, manners, and skills, such children will be blessed by God along with their parents, praised by priests, and commended by good people. As these children grow, other good people will, with joy and gratitude, seek to marry their sons to such daughters, or, by God’s mercy and according to age, give their daughters in marriage to such sons. And if God takes one of these children after they have repented and received communion, the parents will offer a pure sacrifice to God. As these children enter the eternal halls, they will have the boldness before God to ask for mercy and forgiveness of sins for their parents as well.

How to Raise Daughters and Provide a Dowry for Marriage #

If a daughter is born to someone, a wise father who earns his living through trade—whether he trades in the city or overseas—or works the land in a village, sets aside some of his profits for his daughter (the same applies in the village). They may raise livestock for her, with the offspring set aside for her, or from her portion, whatever God provides, they may purchase linen and cloth, pieces of fabric, headscarves, and shirts. These items are stored over the years in a special chest or box, including clothes, jewelry, necklaces, church items, and pewter, copper, and wooden dishes. These are added little by little each year, as mentioned, and not all at once, which could cause financial strain. By God’s grace, there will be plenty of everything. The daughter grows, learning the fear of God and acquiring knowledge, while her dowry steadily increases. Once a marriage is arranged, the father and mother can rest easy—they have everything they need, and the wedding will be joyful and festive.

But if the father and mother are not diligent and do not prepare anything for their daughter as instructed here, and have not set aside her portion, when it comes time for her to marry, they will scramble to buy everything at the last minute. Such haste will be noticed by all, and the father and mother will be distressed because purchasing everything at once is expensive. However, if, by God’s will, the daughter passes away, her dowry will be used for a sorokoust, and for alms to be distributed for the repose of her soul. If there are other daughters, the parents must care for them in the same manner.

How to Teach and Save Children Through Discipline #

Discipline your son while he is young, and he will bring you peace in your old age and will add beauty to your soul. Do not spare the rod when punishing a child: if you strike him with the rod, he will not die, but will be healthier because by punishing his body, you are saving his soul from death. If you have a daughter, direct your strictness toward her as well, and you will save her from physical harm. You will not disgrace yourself if your daughters walk in obedience, and it will not be your fault if, out of foolishness, she loses her chastity, bringing shame and ridicule to your acquaintances, and they mock you before others. For if you marry off your daughter as a pure bride, it is as if you have accomplished a great deed. You will take pride in any society and never suffer because of her. If you love your son, discipline him regularly, and you will later praise him greatly. Discipline your son while he is young, and you will rejoice in him when he matures, and you will boast of him before your enemies, and they will envy you. Raise your children with restrictions, and you will find peace and blessings in them. Do not laugh frivolously or play with your child too much: if you allow small indulgences, you will suffer greatly in the future, as if thorns have pierced your soul. Do not give him too much freedom in his youth, but discipline him sternly while he grows, and when he becomes an adult, he will not sin against you or become a source of frustration for your soul, nor will he bring about the ruin of your household, the destruction of your property, and the scorn of neighbors, nor will he become the object of ridicule for your enemies and punishment from the authorities.

If you raise your children in the fear of God, instructing and guiding them, and preserve them in chastity and bodily purity until maturity, bless them with a lawful marriage, and provide for them in all things, they will become the heirs of your estate, your home, and all your wealth. They will bring you peace in your old age, and after your death, they will remember you in prayer, serving the eternal memory for their parents. They themselves will remain blessed forever, and they will receive great rewards from God in this life and the life to come if they live according to the Lord’s commandments.

From the teaching of Basil of Caesarea to the young: One must protect the purity of the soul and the chastity of the body, walking with modesty, speaking with a quiet voice, using well-mannered words, and avoiding sharp foods and drinks. In the presence of elders, remain silent; be obedient to the wise, respectful to the noble, and show sincere love to your equals and those younger than you. Avoid impious, carnal, and lustful people, speak little and think much, avoid disrespectful speech, do not linger too long in conversations, do not laugh excessively, and be adorned with modesty. Do not associate with indecent women, keep your eyes lowered, lift your soul upwards, avoid arguing, do not seek high status, and desire nothing except honor from all. If any of you are able to help others, you will receive a reward from the Lord and enjoy eternal blessings.

How Children Should Honor and Care for Their Father and Mother, Obeying and Comforting Them in All Things #

Children, listen to the Lord’s commandments: love your father and mother, obey them, honor their old age, and take upon yourself all their infirmities and sufferings with a sincere heart. It will go well for you, and you will live long on the earth. For this, your sins will be forgiven, God will have mercy on you, and people will honor you; your household will endure for generations, and your sons will inherit your sons’ sons, and you will reach a respectable old age, living out your days in prosperity. But whoever condemns or offends their parents, or curses or ridicules them, sins before God and is cursed by both people and their parents. Whoever strikes their father or mother will be cast out from the church and from holy things; such a one shall die a bitter death from civil punishment, for it is said: ‘A father’s curse will dry up, and a mother’s will uproot.’ A son or daughter who disobeys their father or mother brings ruin upon themselves and will not live out their days if they anger their father or cause sorrow to their mother. Such a person may consider themselves righteous before God, but they are worse than a pagan and an ally of the ungodly, whom the prophet Isaiah said: ‘The ungodly will perish and shall not see the glory of the Lord.’ He called the ungodly those who dishonor their parents. And it is also written: ‘Whoever mocks their father and scorns their aging mother—may the ravens pluck out their eyes, and the eagles eat them!’

Those who honor their father and mother, obeying them in all things with reverence, will be a comfort to their parents, and on the day of sorrow, the Lord God will save them, hear their prayers, and grant them every good thing they ask. Comforting one’s mother is doing the will of God, and pleasing one’s father leads to a life of goodness. So you, children, honor your parents in every good act and word, and they will bless you: a father’s blessing will establish the home, and a mother’s prayer will save you from misfortune. And if the father or mother becomes weak-minded in their old age, do not shame or reproach them, and your own children will honor you as well. Do not forget the labors of your parents, for they cared and grieved for you; comfort their old age and care for them as they once cared for you. Do not say, ‘I have done much good for them with clothing, food, and everything they need’—you still cannot repay them, as you cannot give them the life and care they gave you. Therefore, serve them with fear and reverence, and you will receive a reward from God and inherit eternal life for keeping His commandments.

Praise of Husbands #

If God grants a man a good wife, she is worth more than precious stones. Losing such a wife is a sin even at great profit; she brings prosperity to her husband’s life.

Having gathered wool and flax, she completes everything with her hands and will be like a merchant’s ship, gathering wealth from everywhere. She rises in the night, giving food to the household and tasks to the servants. Through the work of her hands, she increases wealth. Girding her loins tightly, she sets her hands to work. She instructs her children as well as her servants, and her lamp does not go out at night: she stretches her hands to labor and fixes her fingers to the spindle. She directs her kindness to the poor and gives the fruits of her labor to the needy—her husband has no concern for his household; she has prepared the finest garments for her husband, herself, her children, and her household. When her husband sits with the nobles or joins his associates, they always respect him; he speaks wisely, knowing how to act well, for no one is crowned without effort. With a good wife, the husband is blessed, and his days are doubled—a good wife brings joy to her husband and fills his years with peace. A good wife is a great reward for those who fear God, for she makes her husband more virtuous: firstly, by fulfilling God’s commandment, she is blessed by God, and secondly, people also praise her. A good, hardworking, modest wife is a crown to her husband; if a man has found such a good wife, he only draws good from his household. Such a man is blessed, and they will live their years in peace. For a good wife, the husband receives praise and honor. A good wife even saves her husband after death, like the pious Empress Theodora.⁷

How Everyone Should Begin Their Work, With a Blessing #

In household matters and in every task, each person—the master and mistress, sons and daughters, servants, both men and women, artisans, young and old, and apprentices—should begin and bless any work they undertake. Whether it is preparing food and drink, baking, making provisions, crafting, or engaging in any trade, let each one begin after cleansing themselves of any impurity and thoroughly washing their hands. First, make three prostrations before the holy icons, or if unwell, only bows to the waist. Those who can should recite the hymn Becometh it truly⁸ and then, after seeking the blessing of an elder, pray the Jesus Prayer, making the sign of the cross and saying, Lord, bless, Father! With this, they should begin any task, for then God’s mercy will assist them, invisible angels will help, and the demons will flee. Such a practice honors God and benefits the soul.

Eating and drinking with gratitude is sweet; what is prepared for good use is cherished. It is best to work with prayer and good conversation, or in silence. However, if idle or improper speech arises during work, or grumbling, laughter, blasphemy, filthy or lustful talk, devilish songs, or games, God’s blessing will depart from such an undertaking, the angels will withdraw in sorrow, and the demons will rejoice, seeing foolish Christians carrying out their will. Evil thoughts will arise, fostering malice, hatred, lust, anger, blasphemy, and every other vice. The work, food, and drink will not succeed, and any craft or handiwork not done in a godly way will displease God, becoming displeasing and distasteful, satisfying only the devil and his servants. Anyone who performs their tasks carelessly, stealing, substituting, lying, or swearing falsely about their work—like saying it cost more or took more time than it did—will find their deeds unwelcome to God, recorded by demons, and accountable on the Day of Judgment. By deceiving the master and wronging others, such a person will find themselves distrusted by all. A livelihood gained unjustly is neither blessed nor reliable, nor is any charity given from such income pleasing to God. Honest labor and righteous earnings are worthy of trust, honored by God, and bring good in this world and blessings in the world to come.

Instructions for the Husband, Wife, Children, and Servants on How to Live #

It is the master’s responsibility to instruct his wife, children, and household to avoid stealing, committing adultery, lying, slandering, envying, wronging others, gossiping, coveting, judging, brawling, ridiculing, harboring resentment, or anger. They should be obedient and respectful to their elders, friendly to peers, and kind and compassionate to the younger and needy. All tasks should be managed without delay, especially in fair wages to workers, enduring any hardship with gratitude for God’s sake, whether insult or reproach. If scolded or blamed justly, one should accept it and avoid further foolishness, refraining from retaliation. If unjustly blamed, you will be rewarded by God.

Teach your household to fear God and cultivate virtue, practicing the same yourself, so you may receive grace from God together. Should any sin or evil be committed by your wife due to your neglect or by your household—men, women, or children—whether swearing, theft, adultery, or any other vice, you will all bear the consequences together. Those who commit evil will face eternal suffering, while those who act rightly will inherit eternal life. You will receive a greater reward, as you have not only sought God’s favor for yourself but also led all those with you to eternal life.

What Kind of Servants to Keep and How to Care for Them, According to Divine Commandments and Household Duties #

Keep good servants in your household, those who know trades and skills. Train each one according to their abilities in a craft fitting for them. Ensure they are not thieves, drunkards, gamblers, robbers, brigands, adulterers, or enablers of deception. Every person under a good master should, above all, be instructed in the fear of God, and also in all virtues—respect, humility, diligent care, and household tasks. They should not steal, lie, or neglect any virtue; they should approach all with humility and heed the teaching of their master, following the apostle Paul’s command to Timothy: Let those who are under the yoke consider their masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. And those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. (Titus 2:9-10) Follow this command yourself, master, and require it of your servants—with firm instruction and healthy fear.

Let him be fed and clothed by your provision or through his own trade. Whatever you gift him—be it clothing, a horse, some livestock, land, or an opportunity for trade, or whatever he gains from his labor—let him be content with it and strive further. His finer clothes, outer garments, shirt, and boots should be worn on holidays or in the presence of good company and in fair weather. He should keep them unmarred, clean, unsoiled, and preserved from damage. If a servant neglects these items, handling your gift poorly, instruct your steward to take back the fine clothing and store it, giving it only for specific occasions and then reclaiming it afterward.

Instruct all your household servants to work in their everyday clothes, or in new garments designated for labor. For holidays, or when appearing before guests or leaving with you, they should wear good clothes, preserving them from dirt, rain, and damage. When returning, they should dry, shake, wipe, and put away these garments neatly. This approach honors you, garners respect from others, and benefits the servants themselves by helping them care for their clothes, keeping them looking new.

Let there be respect and reverence among your people, with careful supervision. Let them refrain from theft among themselves or coveting anything that is not theirs, and they should protect all your property together. They should not lie to you or slander anyone, nor should you tolerate it. Investigate matters directly; do not indulge wrongdoing but correct it mercifully. Praise those who do well, so that all will aspire to goodness, each desiring to earn your favor through honest and faithful service. Living rightly under your instruction and guidance, they will secure a life of goodness, avoid disgrace, and save their souls. They will serve you well and please God.

It is especially essential for you, master, to instruct your people on going to God’s church regularly or at least on holidays, participating in household prayers or praying privately, maintaining bodily purity from adultery and drunkenness, avoiding deceit and gluttony, and abstaining from food and drink at inappropriate times. Ensure they have the same spiritual fathers for guidance as their spouses, whom they can approach for confession. Arrange marriages for young men and women of age, as the apostle says: Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4) If any of the unmarried secretly commit adultery under your neglect, investigate thoroughly to prevent such behavior in your household. Should you neglect this responsibility, allowing servants to serve you in various tasks while failing to care for their souls, you will answer for their souls on the Day of Judgment. The apostle said in his epistle, Do not, for food and drink, destroy the work of God. This “work of God” means to disregard the flesh and care for the soul, an immortal essence. As the apostle said: Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. (1 Timothy 6:8)

Married servants should live lawfully with their spouses according to their spiritual father’s guidance, avoiding any unfaithfulness to their spouses. Under your instruction and spiritual counsel, they should also teach their wives the fear of God, respect, and humility, so they obey the mistress in all things, earning their rewards through labor and craft rather than through theft or deceit. They should not indulge in drunkenness or adultery, nor listen to the old women who encourage young women toward sin, especially those who try to pair them with strangers and even teach them to steal and commit other vices.

I have heard of many young women and maidservants led astray by such matchmaking women, who, after robbing their master and mistress, flee with strangers. When the man takes all she has escaped with, he may kill her or throw her into the river: she loses her life, and your possessions are gone. If you doubt these tales of such old women, consider this: if a strange man comes to your house…or suppose a maidservant goes to fetch water or do the washing and starts talking with a man there—whether she knows him or not, she ought to be ashamed to even exchange glances with him, for she is speaking with a man, not her husband.

The old woman will always find a moment to converse with the young women about various matters. She might come pretending to be a tradeswoman, asking the maids if they or the mistress need anything. The maids ask her if she has a certain item, and she says she does. They’ll tell her, “Bring it to us, we’ll show the mistress.” She will protest, claiming she already gave such things to some reputable lady and even names someone honorable. “I’ll go to her, retrieve it, and bring it to you,” she says. The maids implore her, “Bring it before noon or evening prayers.” The old woman grumbles, “Oh, I know you’re all afraid of the master!”

A few days later, she does not come to the courtyard but instead waits by the river until the maids go there to fetch water or do laundry. Passing by, the old woman spots them, and they call her over, saying, “Why haven’t you come by? You promised to bring what you mentioned.” The old woman feigns surprise, saying, “Oh, just yesterday and the day before, I was with that good woman”—and she’ll name her husband—“they were having a feast, so my mistress wouldn’t let me go. I stayed the night with her and her maids, which is why I couldn’t come. Many good ladies hold me in high regard.” The maids then beg her to bring the items, lowering themselves with supplication.

No, I am not exaggerating; this is truly how these old women scheme with the young maids and servants. That same woman, once they’ve befriended her, will continuously meet them by the river and chat away. If the master sees the maidservants talking to a woman rather than a man, he might feel reassured, but soon enough, the old woman finds her way to the courtyard and becomes familiar with the mistress herself.

Woe to us, for we are all tempted by our common enemy, the devil, who defeats us with our own weapons. I dare say even the blessed Theodora of Alexandria was once deceived by a woman, failing to preserve her marriage bed, and only by repentance and great suffering did she receive God’s forgiveness. About other matters, we should remain silent, for it is not fitting to even hear such things. Let him who has ears to hear, hear and understand the meaning of these veiled words! But let us return again to these servants.

And let them refrain from bringing foolish talk to the mistress and avoid any dealings with sorcerers or herbalists who practice dark arts; they should not involve their masters with such people, as these are servants of demons. Instead, let them serve their masters faithfully, with good deeds and honest work, while the master and mistress should show kindness to their people—feeding, clothing, and sheltering them, keeping them warm and at peace, and providing for their needs. If they live by these precepts written here, the master and mistress will save their own souls, secure their household, and ensure both spiritual and bodily peace for their servants, free from all hardships.

Additionally, the master and mistress should care for the poor, strangers, the sick, widows, and orphans, meeting their spiritual and physical needs from their own righteous labor. Support the church of God, and monks, and even prisoners, bringing or sending alms as best as possible. If nothing can be given, offer at least a kind word; if even that is not possible, do not become embittered or saddened by your lack of wealth—unable to give anything—remembering the Lord’s words, For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required (Luke 12:48), meaning more than much. But for those given little, even less will be required, like the smallest cup of water or a comforting word, for “the least” can mean no less.

Invite them into your home as well, which pleases God and is beneficial for the soul; only let nothing enter your house by means of violence, robbery, theft, or any form of ill-gotten gain, whether false witness, unjust judgment, or tavern profits. If you guard yourself against these evils, your house will be blessed now and forever.

Let the master and mistress, along with their children and household servants—both men and women, young and old—come yearly during Great Lent to confess to their spiritual fathers. And let those worthy receive the Holy Gifts; if they come more than once a year, they will receive an even greater reward from God. At that time, spiritual fathers should teach the master and his servants alike, urging the master to care more deeply for both his soul and those of his servants. Since servants have nothing to offer the church for their souls, the master should give on their behalf and provide all necessary care, barring harmful acts. Throughout the year, on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and holy days, as well as during all holy fasts, they should maintain bodily purity and live virtuously, refraining from drunkenness, attending God’s church with offerings for health and repose, venerating holy places according to their faith and the advice of their spiritual father. Further teachings on these matters can be found in Chapters 38 and 32.

If a Husband Does Not Teach Righteousness, He Will Be Punished by God; but If He Leads a Righteous Life Himself and Teaches His Wife and Household to Do So, He Will Receive God’s Grace #

If a husband does not live by the teachings written in this book, neglecting to teach his wife and his servants, failing to manage his household according to God’s ways, disregarding his own soul’s care, and neglecting to instruct his people in these precepts—then he will destroy himself in this life and the next, as well as his household and all within it. But if a good husband cares for his salvation, instructing his wife and children, as well as his servants, in the fear of God and the life worthy of a Christian, as written here, then he and all his household will live prosperously and in a godly manner, and he will be worthy of God’s mercy.

On Unrighteous Living #

Anyone who lives without regard for God, fails to uphold a Christian life, has no fear of the Lord, neglects the teachings of the fathers, shows no care for the church of God, does not seek out the Holy Scriptures, disregards the advice of a spiritual father, and ignores the counsel and godly teachings of righteous people – such a person commits all manner of injustices and violence, inflicting harm upon others. They might take on debt without repaying it, prolong issues with delays, and treat ordinary people with disdain. Perhaps they lack neighborliness, are unresponsive to the needs of those in their village or on their land, or impose heavy, unlawful taxes on those over whom they hold authority. Such a person may plow another’s field, cut down another’s forest, mow another’s meadow, take over fishing rights, claim another’s beehives, hunting grounds, or other lands by force or deceit.

They may rob and plunder others along the road or in resting places, beating, humiliating, and trampling the pastures and fields, causing all manner of harm. Such a person might falsely accuse another, plant evidence, or sell another into slavery by trickery or coercion. They may pass unfair judgment, refuse to forgive the repentant, or bear false witness, stealing horses, cattle, or any possessions, and confiscate estates, villages, saltworks, mills, barns, shops, yards, and other holdings through brute force or legal trickery. They may buy up properties for cheap or seize them through litigation, amassing wealth by illicit means, tavern profits, devious schemes, or usury.

In their actions, they may indulge in fornication, lewdness, obscene language, blasphemy, anger, and resentment. They may live unlawfully with a woman, commit adultery, or fall into the sin of sodomy. They might keep a tavern, eat and drink excessively to the point of gluttony and drunkenness, ignore feast days and fasts, and live perpetually in revelry. They may practice witchcraft, cast spells, or brew potions. They might go hunting with dogs, birds, or even bears, indulging in pursuits that please the devil. Such a person may enjoy the company of jesters, engage in dances and demonic songs, play dice and chess, and participate in all manner of frivolities.

If the master himself and his children, servants, and household engage in such deeds, and he neither restrains them nor seeks to save their souls, all will fall straight into hell together and will be cursed in this life as well. In these forbidden acts, they will receive no mercy from God; people will curse them, and those they have wronged will cry out to God. Such behavior brings ruin to the soul and desolation to the household. Everything obtained in this manner is cursed and devoid of blessing; all that is acquired through ungodly means – whether clothing, food, or drink – serves only to drag the soul into the pit of hell. Charity given from such ill-gotten gains is unacceptable to God, both in life and after death.

If you wish to escape eternal torment, return what you have unrighteously taken to those you have wronged, vowing to treat them justly henceforth, for it is said, “The Lord is swift in His mercy”: He accepts the truly penitent and forgives even the gravest of sins.

On Righteous Living #

Anyone who lives according to God’s commandments, the teachings of the fathers, and the Christian law – for example, if a ruler judges fairly, without hypocrisy, treating all people equally, whether rich or poor, neighbor or stranger, known or unknown – such a person will surely be rewarded for their just decisions. He should also command his servants to act in the same manner.

If someone in villages or towns is a good neighbor, they will receive fair decisions from both Christians and authorities in due time, without the need for force, theft, or torture. If a person’s crop has failed, leaving them unable to pay their dues, they should not be hurried or pressed. If a neighbor or another Christian lacks grain for planting, food, a horse, or a cow, or is unable to pay their tax to the treasury, one should help them, lending freely and, if lacking, borrowing from others to give by request. Assisting from the heart and protecting them from harm according to justice is the righteous way.

A master and his servants should avoid depriving anyone – whether at home, in the village, on duty, or in wages – of land, produce, or livestock, striving to avoid any unjust gain.

Everyone should live by blessed work and just means. Seeing your good works, mercy, and love for all, God will turn His mercy upon you and bless your harvest, providing you with abundance. This type of charity, born of righteous labor and good fruit, is pleasing to God. God will hear their prayer, forgive their sins, and reward them with eternal life.

Merchants, craftsmen, and farmers should trade, produce, and work with honest and blessed goods, avoiding theft, robbery, slander, deceit, or lies. Let them trade and gain honestly through righteous labor, avoiding usury, and relying on gain through honest means, labor, and the harvest. By fulfilling their works in accordance with Christian law and God’s commandments, they will find favor in this life and earn eternal life.

How to Live Within One’s Means #

In one’s daily life, whether in the shop, with goods, in the storehouse, in the chambers, or with any provisions at home or in the village – in work, income and expenses, loans and debts – everything should be planned in advance. Only then can a person live with proper stewardship, managing their household according to income and expenditure.

On Living Without Calculation #

Every person, whether wealthy or poor, great or humble, should understand their own household, arranging it according to their income and means.

A man in service should live within the bounds of his income, based on his sovereign’s salary, his earnings, and his estate. His household and all provisions should be managed accordingly. By this measure, he should determine the number of servants he can afford, organize his household, and maintain provisions. Based on his income and occupation, he should eat, drink, dress, serve his sovereign, and care for his servants, while interacting honorably with good people.

However, if someone lives beyond their means, failing to calculate their resources, trade, or sovereign salary, and instead takes on loans or gains wealth through unlawful means, their honor will turn into disgrace and shame. In difficult times, no one will come to their aid; they will suffer for their recklessness, earning sin before God and mockery from others. Every person should avoid vanity and pride, as well as ill-gotten gains, living within their own capacity, resources, and lawful earnings. Such a life is pleasing to God, commendable among people, and secure for oneself and one’s children.

On Failing to Supervise Servants #

If one keeps more people than they can afford, without sufficient means to provide them with food, drink, and clothing, or if they keep people who lack skills to support themselves, the servants – be they men, women, or maids – may be driven by necessity to steal, lie, commit immoral acts, or, in the case of men, even rob and drink at taverns, committing all manner of evil. For such thoughtless masters and mistresses, this brings sin before God, ridicule from others, and isolation from neighbors, along with scorn from the courts, ruin to their household, and eventual impoverishment from a lack of wisdom.

Therefore, every person should keep only as many servants as their earnings allow, providing enough to feed, clothe, and satisfy them in every way, maintaining them in the fear of God and good counsel. If you care for such people, you will receive God’s blessing and save their souls. If you cannot afford to keep them, do not sell them into slavery; rather, grant them their freedom, and, as much as possible, provide for them. Such actions bring reward from God and benefit to your soul.

How a Husband Should Guide His Wife to Please God and Align with Her Husband, So She Can Properly Manage the Household and Understand All Domestic Tasks and Crafts, and Teach Servants by Example #

Husbands should guide their wives with love and a good example, teaching them how to seek the path of salvation, to please God and their husbands, to manage their homes well, and to show obedience in all things. Wives should listen carefully to their husbands’ instructions and follow them with love and respect, aligning with the principles outlined here.

First and foremost, she should have reverence for God and maintain bodily purity, as has been mentioned. Rising from bed, washing, and praying, she should assign tasks to the servants for the entire day, giving each their own duties: who should cook for the day, who should bake the bread—sifted or unsifted. The lady of the house should know how to sift the flour, mix and knead the dough, shape the loaves, and bake them, whether sourdough, light, or hearty loaves, as well as making rolls and pies. She should know how much flour each requires and the yield from a peck, an eighth, or an entire sieve, understanding the measurement and quantity of everything.

The lady of the house should also know how to cook both meat and fish dishes, make pies and pancakes, and prepare a variety of porridges and jellies, so she can teach the servants in these skills, as she herself knows them.

When bread is being baked, she should oversee the washing of clothing as well, so that firewood is used efficiently. She should pay attention to how fine shirts and better garments are washed, how much soap and lye are used, and ensure that everything is washed, boiled, thoroughly rinsed, dried, and neatly pressed—tablecloths, scarves, and towels included. She should account for everything and ensure items are returned and clean, with worn items patched with care, ready to be given to the poor.

When bread is being baked, she should have some dough set aside for pies, and if making wheat bread, she should use the bran for pies. On regular days, these pies might have hearty fillings, while during Lent they could be filled with porridge, peas, jam, turnips, mushrooms, or cabbage—whatever God provides—to cheer the family. The lady should know and be able to cook every type of meal, meat or fish, festive or Lenten, and teach her servants, showing that a diligent and capable household manager is a great blessing.

She should also know how to brew ale, mead, wine, and various types of vinegar, as well as the different ingredients required for each preparation and how much yield each recipe produces.

If a good mistress knows all these matters with precision, guided by her husband’s counsel and her own skills, then all will be plentiful, and all tasks will go smoothly.

A skilled woman, whether wife or maiden, should also be directed in tasks like sewing a shirt, weaving fabric, or embroidering on a frame with gold and silk—whatever skills they have learned. The mistress should oversee, distribute, and measure the materials, whether yarn or silk, golden or silver thread, taffeta, or cambric, calculating how much is needed, cutting and fitting it to the work.

Young girls should be trained in various tasks, suited to their abilities. Married women who do heavier tasks, like stoking the stove, baking bread, or washing laundry, should be given flax to spin for themselves, their husbands, and their children. Unmarried women and maidens may spin for their master, keeping the coarser fibers for themselves. The mistress should determine who does what, distributing materials and monitoring each person’s output, knowing the quantity of everything from start to finish.

Above all, the mistress herself should not sit idle unless she is ill or at her husband’s request. Her own work sets an example for the servants, encouraging them to work diligently. Whether her husband or a humble guest arrives, she should always be occupied, earning her honor and praise and respect for her husband. The servants should never have to wake the mistress; rather, she should wake them and, before resting herself, conclude her day with prayer, setting the same example for the servants.

On Skilled and Frugal Wives: On Cutting Fabric, Preserving Leftovers, and Remnants #

A good, prudent wife, diligent in her work and following her husband’s guidance, prepares cloth, linens, and fabrics for every household need along with the servants. Some fabric is dyed for tunics, coats, dresses, and cloaks, or sewn into warm garments, while other pieces are repurposed or reshaped for household use. If they make more than required—such as extra linens, towels, sheets, or other items—the wife may sell them and buy what is needed in return, thus sparing her husband the expense. She should cut and supervise the making of fine shirts for both men and women, as well as trousers, overseeing all scraps and remnants. Every piece of material, whether fine or coarse, golden or silk, colored or plain, and all trimmings should be stored properly: smaller scraps in pouches, larger pieces rolled and tied, each sorted by size and kept for future use. Then, if something old needs mending or something new requires additional fabric, everything is ready at hand—no need to search the market. A wise and resourceful mistress finds all she needs at home.

On Cutting Various Garments and Preserving Remnants #

When cutting fabric for household clothing—for oneself, a wife, children, or servants, whether it be damask, taffeta, wool, brocade, dyed cotton, homespun, fur coats, tunics, cloaks, caps, hats, pants, or any other garment—the master or mistress should inspect and select the materials, storing all remnants for future use. These remnants are valuable for mending worn garments, extending new ones, or making repairs. At the market, it can be difficult and expensive to find matching pieces, but a prepared household has these resources on hand. For clothing for young people, like sons or daughters, hems and seams should be folded generously when cutting, allowing for two to three finger-widths to be let out as the child grows, thus extending the garment’s use by several years. Garments worn only occasionally should be made with similar foresight.

How to Maintain Household Order and What to Do When Borrowing or Lending Items #

For all crafts and household tasks, every necessary tool should be well-maintained and readily available on the estate, from carpentry tools to tailoring, blacksmithing, and shoemaking supplies. The wife’s implements for household tasks should likewise be in good order, with everything stored carefully. If a task arises, nothing needs to be borrowed; all is at hand within one’s own home.

The same applies to kitchen, bakery, and brewing equipment—whether copper, tin, iron, or wood—each tool should be complete and in good condition. Should there be a need to borrow or lend an item—such as women’s attire, beads, a man’s garment, or any household vessel made of silver, copper, tin, or wood—everything should be inspected beforehand. Any damage, wear, or stains should be noted and documented by both parties to avoid future disputes.

All borrowed items should be treated more carefully than one’s own and returned promptly without the need for reminders from the lender. Lending or borrowing should always be done honestly, with items weighed where possible and their value recorded. This careful practice builds lasting trust and fosters friendships.

If, however, borrowed items are not cared for or are returned late or damaged, this can cause lasting resentment and financial loss, making it unlikely that trust will be extended again in the future.

How the Mistress Should Oversee Servants Daily in Household Tasks and Handicrafts, and How She Herself Should Safeguard and Increase the Household’s Goods #

Each day, the mistress should supervise the servants engaged in baking, cooking, and preparing dishes, as well as those working on various handicrafts. Any servant who performs their duties well and according to instructions—whether it be cooking meals, baking bread and cakes, or making any other preparation or completing a task skillfully—should be praised and rewarded with appropriate provisions, as indicated in previous guidance for caring for the household.

However, if any servant does poorly, does not follow instructions, is disobedient or lazy, damages something, or cooks uncleanly or steals, the mistress should also discipline them according to previous instructions on managing servants. Guidelines have already been set for how and when to reward, correct, or teach a servant.

The rooms, main hall, and entryway should be kept clean from morning until evening, with the tableware and all utensils washed thoroughly, and the table linens kept fresh. The mistress herself should always be neat, dressed properly, and her servants should remain respectful, as previously outlined. The mistress should avoid gossip, inappropriate, or coarse talk with the servants, and should not permit visits from idle peddlers, gossiping women, druzhkas, or soothsayers, as they bring trouble and encourage bad habits among the servants. If such individuals visit frequently, and the mistress fails to drive them away and instead welcomes them, they may first lead the servants to theft and eventually to immorality. If the mistress herself lacks chastity and fails to dismiss these people, she too will suffer, as previously discussed.

Everyday clothing should be organized on shelves, with other items stored in chests and boxes—towels, shirts, sheets—all kept neatly folded, clean, and in good order. Jewelry, adornments, and special attire should be stored in chests and boxes, locked and sealed, with the mistress keeping the keys in a small case, personally managing everything herself.

How to Instruct Servants When Sending Them on Errands, Ensuring They Avoid Unnecessary Talk #

Servants should be instructed not to speak ill of the people they visit on errands or to report any wrongs they may observe. Furthermore, they should refrain from discussing household matters with others; they should focus solely on their assigned task. If asked about anything unrelated, they should respond with, “I do not know” or “That is not my business.” On returning, they should report only on the specific task to the master, avoiding all unrelated gossip. This will prevent disputes and misunderstandings between households. Any improper speech or deceitful words they hear or see should be ignored entirely.

Masters and mistresses should avoid questioning servants on topics unrelated to their tasks; if a servant tries to discuss extraneous matters, the master should correct them with, “Remember only what you were sent to do; we do not ask about anything else.” Such discipline earns a wise husband and wife respect for their well-raised servants.

If you send a son or servant on an errand—whether to convey a message, make a purchase, or complete a task—be sure to review the instructions with them. Have them repeat what you’ve assigned, and only send them once they fully understand. When sending food, drink, or any item with a servant, double-check the instructions before they leave, and inspect the goods to ensure they’re intact. This way, there’s no room for deception. Goods should be counted and measured, and if possible, sealed for security.

Instruct the servant on what to do if the recipient is absent—whether to leave the items or return with them. If the master or mistress forgets to confirm these instructions, a prudent son or servant should respectfully return to clarify. This ensures they correctly remember their task.

When the servant arrives at the house of a respectable person, they should knock lightly at the gate. If someone asks their purpose in the courtyard, it is best not to divulge unnecessary details but respond, “I am here on an errand for someone else; I will speak directly with whom I was sent.” Upon approaching the entry or chamber, they should wipe their feet, clear their nose, cough quietly, and offer a quick prayer. If unanswered, they should repeat the prayer, lengthening it slightly with each repetition, and knock gently if still no reply.

Once inside, they should bow to the icons, offer greetings from their master, and deliver the message or item. They should avoid distracting gestures—no nose-picking, coughing, spitting, or looking around. Stand still and accomplish the errand without diversion, then promptly return and report back to the master with the intended message.

If the servant is left alone in the home or cell, they must not examine or move anything without permission, nor take anything with them. They should not sample any food or drink that wasn’t authorized, as this would be gluttonous and improper. Servants who follow these instructions gain trust and future responsibility, for as Scripture says: “You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many.”

If you’re sent with something that is wrapped, tied, or sealed, do not untie or examine it, and don’t sample any of the food or drink included. Take it as it is, checking at home before leaving that everything is complete and in order so that there is no doubt from those receiving it.

A wise son or servant—be they man or woman—even if they overhear arguments, insults, or crude talk at their destination or back at home, should refrain from repeating it and focus only on their assigned task. A wise person, hearing arguments, will bring peace; seeing disputes, they will call for harmony; where cursing and foul language occur, they will show praise and kindness. Such intelligent, courteous, and prudent servants foster harmony among good people and bring about lasting peace. These types of servants are cherished and respected, and are treated almost as one’s own children, consulted on all matters.

From the Paterik.⁹ Remember the wise disciple who lived under an elder in the Scetes desert. When the elder gave his cell temporarily to another recluse, jealousy arose in him, and he sent his disciple to insult and drive out the visitor. However, the wise disciple went to the guest and, instead of relaying anger, delivered peace and blessing from the elder. In the end, the elder, spurred by demons, went himself intending to strike the guest and expel him. But the faithful disciple ran ahead and told the visitor of the elder’s approach, offering peace and blessing. The guest met the elder with deep respect, bowing to the ground, which moved the elder’s heart to repentance, bringing them into harmony and leaving both grateful for the disciple’s actions.

If a servant is untrained and foolish, then wherever they are sent, they may fail to earn respect or even a drink, and they’ll return home gossiping about everything they witnessed about their master and mistress. Cunning people can easily manipulate such foolish servants, coaxing secrets out of them with drink, and prying information about the master or mistress that’s improper or exaggerated. If the servant feels even slightly slighted by their master, they’ll spread all manner of harmful gossip in public. Foolish servants like this breed quarrels, mockery, shame, and slander. Therefore, wise masters should instruct their children, servants, male and female, in the fear of God and good behavior, as has been advised previously.

Recognizing a foolish servant is simple: they immediately reveal everything upon returning home, showing that they’re likely spreading family matters in public just as easily. If the master and mistress are inclined to ask their servants about gossip and slander, indulging in every falsehood and every petty complaint, then they themselves become enemies of their household, prone to deceit, malice, lies, and quarrels. Such people often find themselves perishing in suffering due to their own lack of wisdom.

Yet, a wise and discerning master and mistress do not entertain or permit slander, mockery, or reproach. They neither pass on falsehoods about others, condemn others, nor listen to such gossip or sarcasm. If someone maligns them behind their back or even insults them to their face, a wise mind considers these accusations carefully. If the criticism is justified, they avoid such conduct, grateful for the reminder of their shortcomings. If the rebuke is unjust, they endure it patiently and with gratitude, following the apostle’s teaching: “Blessed are you when you endure insult without retaliation,” maintaining love for the wrongdoer, as the apostle Paul advises: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good; for by so doing, you heap coals of fire on his head.” Teach your servants in the same way.

If you see your brother’s sin and do not rebuke him privately, the offense may later return to you as a rebuke or scorn, making you like the pagans and tax collectors. Such behavior entangles you in the guilt of the sin. But if you witness your brother’s wrongdoing and, in privacy, approach him kindly and tell him of it, and he listens and abandons it, you have saved his soul and will receive God’s reward. If he refuses and turns away in resentment, you are free of that sin, and he alone will answer for it before God. Seeing your good deeds, humility, and endurance, God will grant you great mercy, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. This topic is further elaborated in Chapters 26 and 32.

How a Wife Should Consult with Her Husband Daily and Seek His Guidance in All Matters: On Visiting, Hosting Guests, and Proper Conversation with Guests #

Each day, a wife should consult with her husband about household matters, thoughtfully reviewing all that is needed. When it comes to visiting others or inviting guests over, she should only do so with her husband’s approval. When guests arrive or when she herself visits someone, she should dress in her best attire and always avoid strong drink—drunkenness is unseemly in a husband, and all the more so in a wife, especially in public. When conversing with other women, let her speak of handiwork, household management, and the tasks of running a home. If there is something she does not know, she should humbly ask wise women for advice, and express gratitude for any helpful guidance they offer.

Should she hear a useful story at home or elsewhere about how good wives conduct themselves—managing the household, teaching children and servants, obeying and consulting with their husbands—she should remember it well. If there’s something useful she doesn’t yet know, let her ask about it with respect. She should avoid idle or indecent conversations, as well as gossip. If, while visiting, she observes well-organized arrangements for food, drink, or anything around the house, or if she learns of any exceptional handiwork or finds that the household is well-ordered and respectful, or if the servants are well-mannered and skillful, she should note these things. When returning home, she can recount everything to her husband in private, as these kinds of gatherings with good women are beneficial for learning and improving oneself rather than for idle chatter. If asked something prying about others, she should reply, “I do not know and do not inquire about things that are none of my concern.”

Instruction for Wives on Avoiding Drunkenness and for Handling Servants’ Slander and Deception #

A wife should never, under any circumstances, keep strong drink such as wine, mead, or beer on hand for herself or for guests. Let the drink be stored in the cellar or icehouse, and she herself should only drink weak mead or kvass, whether at home or in company. When women visit inquiring about her well-being, she should not serve them strong drinks, and her maids should also avoid drinking to excess, whether at home or in public. A wife should not secretly eat or drink without her husband’s knowledge, nor should she keep hidden stores of food and drink from him. Let her not ask for food, drink, gifts, or handiwork from friends or family without her husband’s awareness, nor accept or give such things without his consent. She should consult with her husband in all matters, not with servants.

Let her avoid all malicious talk and not convey false reports from the servants to her husband, nor harbor resentment. If anything troublesome occurs, she should report it truthfully, without exaggeration. The husband and wife should avoid believing any slander or false reports from the servants without verifying them directly with those involved. If the wife encounters an issue she cannot resolve, such as misconduct by a maid or servant who does not heed instruction, she should discuss it with her husband and determine the appropriate discipline.

When hosting guests, she should serve drinks as is fitting, but refrain from drinking herself. All food, drink, and refreshments should be provided by a single designated person. Only this person should be involved in serving, and no other men should be present in these matters, except the one designated to bring or ask for something, with whom she should communicate only about the task at hand.

The husband and wife should avoid eating breakfast separately unless someone is unwell; meals should always be taken at designated times.

Instructions on Care and Maintenance of Clothing #

The wife should wear her clothes, shifts, and scarves with care each day, ensuring they do not become stained, soiled, or wet. She should carefully fold and store each item when removing it and teach her servants to do the same.

When the master and mistress, their children, and their servants work, they should wear older clothing. After work, they should change into their everyday attire and footwear. On holidays, in good weather, when in company, or when attending church or visiting, they should dress in fine clothes, taking care to avoid dirt, rain, or snow, and refrain from spilling drinks or food, and avoid sitting on damp or dirty surfaces. After returning from a holiday, church, or a visit, the fine clothing should be removed, checked for stains, aired, and stored carefully.

Everyday clothing, both upper and undergarments, as well as shoes, should always be clean, with worn items mended, so that they are presentable and suitable for oneself and, if necessary, to be given to those in need. All clothing and attire should be folded and stored neatly in a chest or box, securely locked, to keep them safe from any harm.

How to Keep All Dishes in Order and Maintain a Well-Cleaned Household; How the Wife Should Instruct Servants and the Husband Should Supervise and Correct with Care #

The tableware, plates, serving dishes, spoons, and all kinds of vessels—ladles, bowls—should be washed, dried, and polished each morning, having heated water after stoking the stove. This should be done after meals in the afternoon and evening as well. Buckets, tubs, mixing bowls, kneading troughs, sieves, strainers, pots, pitchers, and jars should also be washed, scrubbed, dried, and stored in a clean, designated place. All dishes and vessels should be clean, accounted for, and not left scattered on benches, around the yard, or in rooms. They should be stored neatly in their places, inverted for cleanliness. Food and drink containers should be covered to keep out dust and insects, and any containers holding food or water for dough preparation should always be kept covered and tidy.

The finer dishes—silver, pewter, and wooden vessels—should be kept under lock and key in a secure place. These may be taken out to serve good guests or for celebrations and then washed, checked, counted, and returned to their place after the gathering. Everyday utensils should be stored as described.

In the main room, floors, benches, windows, doors, and walls should be regularly washed, swept, and scrubbed; all should be kept clean, from the entryway and stairs down to the porch. Straw should be placed before the lower steps to wipe feet and keep dirt from being tracked in. In poor weather, this straw should be changed frequently, and a rug or mat laid out at the entry for further cleanliness.

Thus, in the homes of diligent people and good housewives, the entire household is orderly and clean. Servants keep the courtyard and street area outside the gates swept and clear of debris, snow in winter, or leaves in fall. Stables, cattle sheds, and all other outbuildings should be kept in good order, clean, swept, and secure—a well-kept household is like entering paradise.

The wife should oversee all of this daily, instructing servants with both kindness and sternness as necessary; if they do not listen, she should correct them firmly. If the husband observes any disorder among the servants or a lapse in the wife’s management of the household that contradicts what is outlined in this book, he should offer guidance and counsel to help her manage better. If she learns and follows these principles, she should be respected and rewarded. However, if she fails to heed this teaching, cannot manage the household as described, or is unwilling to teach the servants properly, then the husband must reprimand her, correct her faults privately, and offer constructive guidance without harboring resentment.

Servants should also be corrected according to the gravity of their behavior; they may be reprimanded or chastised if needed, but compassionately. If a servant refuses to listen to a wife, son, or daughter’s instruction, and disregards their words, then it is appropriate to discipline him or her privately, ensuring it is just but discreet. One should never strike a person out of anger or frustration. Physical punishment should always avoid injuries to the face, head, or vital organs, as such actions can cause blindness, hearing loss, or other harm. Instead, chastisements should be administered with measured severity for serious offenses, considering the fault’s extent and ensuring it leads to genuine correction without resentment.

The husband should oversee and judge fairly. If a servant confesses sincerely and without deception, they should be disciplined kindly and forgiven, based on the severity of the fault. But if the accusation proves false, those making false claims must be disciplined, to prevent future discord.

How the Master, or an Appointed Steward, Should Purchase Supplies and Goods for the Year #

The steward, head servant, or trusted merchant—or even the master himself—should frequently inspect the market for household needs: grains of all kinds, hops, oil, fresh and salted meats, fish, imported goods, timber, and all merchandise from various lands. When the market is full and prices are low, especially with visiting merchants or fellow Christians, that is the time to buy supplies for the entire year. A timely purchase may save a few coins on a ruble or even more on ten rubles. Buying from a middleman or out of season will cost more, sometimes double, and not all goods may be available. For goods that store well, it is wise to buy extra while prices are low; any surplus can be sold when prices rise, turning the stock into profit, as prudent and efficient households do.

When purchasing, whether from visiting merchants, peasants, or local traders, negotiate fairly and pay directly. Show courtesy by offering bread, salt, or a drink to the seller afterward; this will foster goodwill, and they will be more likely to provide quality goods without overcharging or giving poor products. Recognizing a merchant’s good service and quality goods with kind words and a pleasant manner encourages strong relationships, which, over time, will bring even greater returns. Sometimes, a small gift can be appropriate, based on the individual and the transaction’s worth; this can double your benefit in the long run.

Living in this manner brings no sin before God, no blame from people, and praise from merchants across the land. In your home, all goods—food, drink, clothing, and alms—are blessed and pleasing to God, nourishing to the soul.

How to Purchase Foreign Goods from Distant Lands for Personal Use #

If buying beaver pelts from a merchant, purchase whole pelts, whether two or three or as many as desired, and have them tailored—they will prove useful at home, with savings of a half ruble per pelt. Fabrics like taffeta or cloth, silk panels, and perhaps a bit of gold or silver, squirrel fur, or arctic fox—all can be bought affordably when imported in large quantities. Purchase these supplies for your household, crafts, and family needs according to your income. When there is a good supply, purchase extra materials for your artisans and seamstresses, as this will lead to efficiency and savings.

If you have a personal tailor, cobbler, or carpenter, then savings on any surplus or scraps from new materials will add to your benefit. Leftovers will also be helpful for patching up older items, saving you from having to buy additional materials for repairs.

For wood, firewood, barrels, measuring vessels, cauldrons, oak staves, limewood planks, shingles, and troughs, buy a year’s supply in the winter (when brought by sledge) or in summer (by rafts or boats). This way, you avoid extra costs and may save up to a quarter ruble per ruble. Meat from butchers may not always be available as needed, so sometimes it’s wise to pay a bit in advance. Stock up on all supplies when they are abundant and inexpensive, even if not immediately needed, as this will cover your needs and bring profits from any surplus.

Likewise: When and What to Buy for Household Supplies in Summer and Winter for Those Without Villages, How to Stock for the Year, and How to Keep Livestock, Food, and Drink Continuously #

For a prudent householder, husband, or wife who does not own fields, villages, or estates, it is wise to buy grain and flour in the winter when it is transported by sled, as well as frozen meats, fish (whether fresh or cured), smoked sturgeon, salted salmon, whitefish caviar, and black roe, along with fresh honey and fish caught in summer, and cabbages—all stored in vessels and packed in ice for winter. Beverages, placed deeper in storage, should be covered and insulated with bark, ensuring that they stay fresh and ready to use.

In summer, a good householder may also buy meat, such as a lamb, which can be butchered at home. The skin can be used to make a coat, and the lamb’s offal provides additional variety for the table. An industrious wife and skilled cook have many ways to prepare lamb: broth from the breast, stuffed kidneys, roasted shoulders, legs stuffed with eggs, chopped liver with onions wrapped and fried, and a mix of lung, milk, flour, and eggs to make a rich sauce. Other dishes include intestines filled with eggs, lamb brain and offal broth, tripe stuffed with porridge, and fried kidneys or stuffed and baked—providing much satisfaction from one lamb.

In summer, meat should be bought for weekly use on Fridays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, enough to last the week without much waste. Salted and stored on ice, the meat can last two or three days, even a week. In autumn, after St. Simeon’s Day, one might buy a barren heifer or enough meat to last, waiting for prices to drop before buying more in bulk. Salted and dried meat, along with offal, will satisfy the family throughout the fall. By selling half the hide and fat, one can recover half the cost, and still reserve enough fat for future needs. Leftover offal can even be saved for the Christmas feast.

Pigs raised at home should be slaughtered in the fall, with the carcasses salted for storage. Heads, feet, fat, stomachs, intestines, and loin meat can be preserved for use in autumn and winter. In a well-run household, managed by a careful husband and wife, there is always abundance for the family and guests alike, without needing to rely on the market.

For those who raise geese, ducks, and chickens at home, keeping them near water saves on feed. Those with dairy cows have ample fodder in the fields, as well as leftover mash, oatmeal, bran from rye, wheat, and barley, which can be used to make various gruels and feeds. In autumn, cabbages, beets, turnips, and carrots can be stored. All vegetable scraps, crusts, crumbs, and leftovers from the table can be gathered by a diligent wife or trustworthy steward and fed to working horses, cows, geese, ducks, pigs, chickens, and dogs—saving money and providing joy in abundance. With chickens, eggs, sour cream, cheeses, and all sorts of milk products at home, every day is like a holiday; all the delights are homemade and fresh, from pies and pancakes to jelly and fresh milk—ready whenever desired.

With such a household, blessings abound, and the Lord may send even more offspring among the cows, pigs, ducks, and geese; cows will yield more milk, cream, butter, and cheese; chickens and eggs will multiply. Generosity with these blessed products, sharing them with guests and giving alms from honest labors, is pleasing to God. Surplus can be sold to cover other needs, with profits dedicated to alms, a practice worthy before God.

For poorer households, without enough surplus to feed livestock, as described here, if they have even one milking cow, feeding her with hay, cut straw with oatmeal, or whatever scraps are available will suffice. After feeding the cow, she should be milked, and the bucket and milk vessels washed with warm water, dried, and kept covered to ensure cleanliness.

How to Preserve Every Kind of Fasting Provision in Good Order #

A well-prepared household will have all necessary provisions: rye, wheat, oats, buckwheat, oatmeal, and other grains, barley, malt, peas, and hemp. During fasting days, a variety of meals can be prepared each day by the wife and her servants, keeping the family well-fed and guests welcomed without strain on resources. Should the master desire any specific fasting food, he can have dishes made with hemp oil, as well as various porridges, bread, pancakes, rolls, pea noodles, pea soup, and a variety of gruels and pies with mushrooms, hazelnuts, or whatever blessings God has sent.

In a well-ordered household, provisions are timely stocked. Fresh fish, bought in season, is salted, dried, smoked, or even pounded into a powder for future use, to be added to soups or fasting dishes when fresh fish is unavailable. For the Great Fast, dishes include radishes, horseradish, cabbages, brine, and various vegetables from God’s bounty. There might be dried fish, smoked or boiled, for both guests and family, as well as various porridges, blini, jellies, and baked goods—an abundance of fasting foods in any thoughtful wife’s kitchen. Lingonberry juice, cherries in syrup, raspberry drinks, and other preserved fruits, apples, pears, honey cakes, and custards provide delicacies for the family, guests, and even the ill if properly stocked.

Should there be no need to stock an entire barrel of fish or other supplies, one might join with a friend or two to buy a barrel of sturgeon, beluga, or herring; thus, expenses are reduced, and essential provisions are secured.

The Profit from Stocking Provisions in Advance #

A prudent household, with a careful master, a wise mistress, and clever servants, keeps a year’s worth of every kind of provision: food, drink, bread, meats, fish (smoked, dried, or salted), ham, flour, oatmeal, salt, firewood, malt, hops, soap, and other stores, preserved to prevent spoilage. If there is a bad harvest or an increase in prices, a household with reserves can endure as if costs were negligible. Such a stockpile also allows assistance to the unfortunate, the ill, or the poor as circumstances allow.

When stocked in abundance during low-price seasons, provisions may even be sold at a premium during high-price times. In this way, a well-prepared household enjoys abundance, clothes itself well, and yet maintains savings, so that a good person and a wise spouse never face lack. Long-lasting supplies can be kept for years, so long as they remain unspoiled.

How to Tend to the Vegetable Garden and Orchard #

For anyone with a garden, either the master himself, the mistress, or a trusted overseer should keep watch over it. First, in spring, the fence should be strengthened so that no animals—dogs, pigs, chickens, or other livestock—can enter, either from neighboring yards or one’s own, preventing damage to the apple trees and plants and avoiding reproach from neighbors.

The yard, too, should be securely fenced, with the gate closed and locked at night. Dogs should be kept as guards, and the servants, along with the master or mistress, should listen for any disturbances at night. The garden should always be locked, with someone designated to guard it day and night.

In spring, as you begin to dig the beds and apply manure, ensure that you’ve saved manure through the winter. Prepare hotbeds for melons and gather all types of seeds, watering them regularly after planting, covering them as needed to protect them from frost. Apple trees should be pruned, removing deadwood, and grafted with care. The garden beds should be weeded, and cabbage should be protected from worms and pests by carefully picking off insects.

Near the garden’s edge, where nettles grow, plant sorrel, which can be frequently harvested in spring for cooking. Such produce is rarely found in the market, so having it readily available is beneficial. Share this bounty with those in need, or sell any excess if it grows abundantly, trading for other ingredients. When cabbage and beets ripen, the cabbage leaves can be cooked, and as the heads begin to form densely, trim leaves as needed, both for meals and for livestock feed.

Throughout the season, sorrel should be trimmed, dried, and bundled—it’ll be useful both this year and later. Cabbage and beets are cooked throughout the summer. In autumn, pickle the cabbage, prepare beet kvass, and preserve cucumbers. Summer’s bounty—melons, peas, carrots, cucumbers, and other vegetables—provides enjoyment, and with God’s blessing, any surplus can be sold.

An orchard should be carefully planned, spacing trees at least three sazhens [A standard unit of old Russian measurement, the standard sazhen was equal to 2.16 meters, or approximately 7 feet] apart to allow apple trees to grow large without shading grain and vegetable crops. Once branches grow thick, plant sorrel beneath the trees for a continual harvest. Fallen apples, along with ripe cucumbers, melons, and other produce, should be gathered promptly, with some reserved for personal use, some stored, and some salted or made into kvass from apples and pears, or preserved in syrup or berry juice.

In the affordable season, dry mushrooms, pickle milk mushrooms, and salt saffron milk caps; carefully store all produce or sell a portion to generate income. Cultivate your own seeds, for there is great benefit in this—markets won’t always have what you need, and any surplus can be sold.

When harvesting fruits, gather the ripest produce first and offer the initial portion to the church for the priests to bless. They will partake and bless the gardener. Send some of the first fruits to your spiritual father as well, and if there is an abundant harvest, also share with church workers, the sick, and the poor—gifts from your righteous labors and blessed yield.

Invite priests to the orchard to sample and bless the crop, and do likewise with the harvest from your fields. Bring the first fruits to the church and distribute from the abundance to the orphans, the sick, and the poor in monasteries. Those who practice such generosity will be blessed in their home, orchard, fields, meadows, livestock, and all living things. The Lord will double their fertile seeds, fill their homes with blessings, forgive their sins, and grant them eternal life.

What Supplies of Beverages the Master Should Keep for Himself and His Guests, and How to Instruct Servants in Their Preparation #

If a man lives alone and is not very wealthy but resourceful, he should keep some ale in reserve for guests, brewing a batch with barley in March to strengthen it, as well as having some simple ale available. Prepare honey mead for special occasions and store it on ice, sealing it in the ice alongside the March ale. When a holiday, birthday, wedding, birth and christening, or memorial service arrives, or if an unexpected or invited guest arrives, especially an esteemed guest or abbot, one can quickly draw five pewter cups of mead from a single barrel—or more, depending on the guests—into smaller barrels.

He should keep stocks of nutmeg in one pouch, cloves in another, and assorted fragrant herbs in a third. These can be brewed with honey in the oven, poured into pewter cups or small barrels, and added to warmed wine with cherry and raspberry infusions. In one cup, add prepared syrup, and soon there will be six varieties of mead for the guests, two types of wine, cherry infusion, and ale mixed in cups. By keeping such reserves, the diligent housewife always has enough for guests without needing to make excessive purchases, as everything is plentiful at home.

Instructions for Cooks on Brewing Ale, Mead, and Distilling Wine #

The cookhouse should be supplied with malt, flour, and hops for brewing ale, beer, and kvass, and all should be measured, weighed, and recorded. When brewing barley, oat, or rye ale, observe the process of fermenting and straining, ensuring careful handling so nothing is spoiled, stolen, or wasted. When brewing ale, if the malt is still potent, it’s possible to make an extra barrel or more. After drawing out the first wash, add 30 to 40 buckets of water—sometimes even 50 or 60 buckets, depending on the strength of the wort. These washings, once properly fermented, can be used in household brewing, and the remaining sour mash can be used for kvass.

Vinegar should be made from the best wort, kept safe and warm, and approached only in clean conditions. Spent hops should be stored for brewing or dried on ice along with wort to preserve them over summer. Yeast should be collected for brewing or distillation and stored with care. Containers may be old, as long as they’re readily available and in good repair.

The honey for mead should be brewed under close supervision, sealed when it begins to ferment, and no one should meddle with it. The master should handle the distillation of wine personally, staying present, or entrust it to someone reliable with strict instructions on procedures. He should record each batch drawn from the still and each quantity distilled, tracking the amount initially produced and again at the end.

The cellar, ice storage, drying rooms, and granaries should be closely monitored; the master alone should handle all provisions, measurements, and distributions. Record all transactions accurately.

How the Steward Should Oversee Cooks, Bakers, and All Household Provisions #

The cooks and bakers, along with all other helpers, should maintain everything in order: kettles, pans, pots, whether copper or iron, as well as grills, skimmers, and ladles—all should be clean, intact, and accounted for. Brewing tubs, barrels, kettles, and scoops should also be tallied and recorded, with all copper and pewter items weighed.

Each day, the steward should inspect everything, ensuring all is accounted for, cleaned, dried, repaired, and properly stored, with barrels and containers washed and locked up securely.

How the Steward Should Keep All Grain and Other Reserves in the Granaries and Storehouses #

The steward must ensure that all grains and reserves in the granaries and storehouses—rye, oats, wheat, malt—are in good condition, free from dampness, mold, and rodents, neither compacted nor spoiled. Items stored in barrels, troughs, and bins, such as flour, various reserves, peas, hemp, buckwheat, oatmeal, and rusks, should be well-covered in sturdy containers to prevent dampness, spoilage, and staleness. All goods should be measured and accounted for: each delivery from the village or market recorded, weighed if appropriate, with quantities noted whenever the steward issues or lends items at the master’s command. Every allocation, whether of bread, pastries, beer, wine, ale, kvass, vinegar, bran, dregs, yeast, or hops, must be documented along with the amounts of honey, oil, and salt weighed out.

How the Steward Should Oversee Dried and Cured Fish and Meat, and Store Them Properly #

In the drying room, all cured meats—such as half-salted cuts, dried meats, tongues, sliced fish, and other dried or cured fish—should be carefully accounted for and recorded, including quantities purchased, weighed, dried, stored, and used. Everything must be well-preserved, protected from dampness, mold, crushing, and spoilage, and kept safe from mice, cats, dogs, and young children, always under lock and key.

Regular inspection, sorting, and drying are required, with better-quality items preserved for longer storage. Spoiling items should be used promptly to feed the household or donated to the needy, thus saving goods from waste and ensuring they serve a purpose rather than being discarded.

How to Store Supplies Properly in the Cellar, on the Icehouse, and in the Shed #

In cellars, icehouses, and pantries, various supplies—breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs, cream, onions, garlic, fresh and salted meats, fresh and salted fish, honey, ready-cooked meats and fish, jelly, and other provisions, as well as cucumbers, cabbages (both fresh and pickled), turnips, vegetables, mushrooms, caviar, brines, fruit juices, cherries in syrup, raspberry cordial, apples, pears, melons, and watermelons in syrup, lemons, plums, preserves, fruit pastes, apple drinks, lingonberry water, dry and bitter wines, different types of meads, honeyed beers and simple ales, and any other alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages—are all under the steward’s care.

All stored quantities must be counted and measured: noting what is unopened, what has been started, and ensuring everything is marked and recorded. The steward must also keep a log of how much of each item has been dispensed at the master’s order and track its consumption. Cleanliness and protection are paramount, with everything covered, well-ventilated, mold-free, unspoiled, and free from leaks. The finest wines, honeyed drinks, and quality beverages should be kept in a separate locked cellar under the master’s own supervision.

How the Steward Should Maintain Order in Storage Rooms, Basements, and Barns According to the Master’s Orders #

In storage rooms, basements, and barns, the steward must keep all household items in order as per the master’s instructions: old clothing, travel attire, work clothes, blankets, cloaks, hats, mittens, furs, rugs, horse blankets, felts, saddles, bows with arrows, sabers, axes, spears, muskets, bridles, harnesses, ropes, lances, straps, whips, reins of walrus leather and regular leather, collars, yokes, shafts, feather beds, fur sacks, linen bags, curtains, tents, linens, ropes, soap, ashes, scraps, leather and fabric remnants, iron pieces, nails, chains, locks, axes, spades, and other iron supplies. All these items should be sorted: usable things packed into boxes and barrels, others placed on shelves or hung on hooks, stored dry and protected from mice, moisture, and snow. Everything should be recorded and accounted for, both new and old items; any damaged items should be repaired so that any needed item is always available.

In other storage areas under the porch or in the barn, items such as sleds, wagons, wheels, yokes, yokes with straps, horse blankets, horse harnesses, mats, and other supplies should be organized in a way that is convenient and well-protected. The best sleds, wagons, and carriages should be covered on stands to keep them dry and secured under lock. In another barn, barrels, containers, vats, sieves, and various utensils for food storage should be kept ready. If any barrels or containers are damaged or the hoops are loose, arrange for repairs, replace any worn parts, and add new hoops. Everything should be cleaned, dried, and prepared to prevent mold, decay, and unpleasant odors; yeast and hops should be kept from drying out or rotting.

How to Store Hay in the Loft, Maintain Horses in the Stable, and Stock Firewood and Lumber for Animals’ Needs #

Hay in the lofts should be neatly stacked and not scattered around the stairs, porch, or yard. It should be swept up, kept dry, free from snow and rot, and always stored under lock. Straw should be covered, neatly arranged, and swept up. In the stable, hay should be placed in the mangers daily according to the horses’ needs, but not scattered on the floor. Horses should be led to water carefully, allowed to roll in the dust, groomed thoroughly, fed oats in the yard before the caretaker’s own meal, and covered with blankets. In summer, horses can be bathed and then cooled down afterward.

For cows, geese, ducks, chickens, pigs, and dogs, straw should be spread in their pens and regularly cleaned. Separate feeding bowls should be kept for animals and dogs to prevent the use of household dishes.

Every evening, at night, and in the early morning, all areas should be checked, with a lantern candle lit but kept safely contained in the stable and away from straw to prevent accidents. Firewood, logs, planks, wood shavings, and cuttings should be stacked neatly off the main path, preferably under shelter to keep them dry and ready for use. When the wood is dry, it burns well and is easy for the servant to gather and carry.

How to Manage the Kitchens, Bakeries, and Workhouses and Make Use of Leftovers #

In the kitchens, bakeries, and workhouses, all residue such as grain mash, brine, bran, cabbage cores, beet leaves, turnip tops, other vegetable scraps, mash from beer and wine, and cooking scrapings from meat and fish broths should not be discarded. Collect all leftovers in old containers that can no longer be used in the kitchen or cellar and store them in a separate pantry. Feed the working horses with these, adding unprocessed grain, chaff, oat flour, or chopped hay. The rest can be given to cows, pigs, geese, ducks, chickens, and dogs as suitable. Kitchen scrapings, plate washings, pot and cauldron residues, and even burnt bits should all be collected for the animals, providing them with sustenance. Similar feed should be provided to livestock in the villages as well.

How the Master Should Diligently Oversee the Cellars, Icehouses, Grain Stores, Drying Rooms, Barns, and Stables #

In the cellars and icehouses, grain stores and drying rooms, barns, and stables, the master should conduct a thorough inspection each evening, along with the steward. This includes checking all food and drink, orderliness, provisions, and supplies in the stables, bakery, kitchen, and every part of the household — with each responsible person, including the steward, cook, baker, and stableman, to ensure everything is managed as instructed in this book. The master should inquire about the quantities available and verify that everything is measured, recorded, and properly accounted for. This involves reviewing how much has been made, distributed, consumed, or given out, ensuring that each servant can give an accurate report. One evening, he should inspect with the steward, the next with the cook, then with the baker, and on another evening with the brewer and stableman, taking note of all and ensuring that the steward is present. If everything is as instructed, well-maintained, and accounted for, and each servant gives an honest report with understanding and accuracy, the master should reward them for their service. However, those who waste or damage supplies out of carelessness or theft should be fined and punished accordingly.

How the Master Should Reward Worthy Servants and Punish Those at Fault #

Any servant who is careful in their work, serves dutifully and honestly, refrains from gossip or theft, keeps food and drink in proper condition, and ensures all items are covered, protected from spoilage, rot, or mold, deserves praise. The master should make sure that cleanliness and order are maintained: all utensils washed, food remnants sorted and saved. Such a servant, trusted to provide for the master and guests without waste or negligence, should continue to maintain this quality of service.

Those who perform well and serve honestly should be rewarded with kind words, food, drink, and any reasonable requests fulfilled. If a servant makes a mistake without malice, or from lack of understanding, they should be corrected verbally in front of others to set an example, but forgiven for their error. However, if a servant repeats mistakes or shows signs of laziness, they should be disciplined according to the severity of the issue — including corporal punishment if necessary — so that good conduct is honored and poor behavior addressed, as a lesson for all. The mistress likewise supervises and manages the women servants, rewarding and correcting them as described here.

Regarding Merchants and Shopkeepers: How Best to Settle Accounts with Them #

For servants managing purchases and procuring necessary supplies for the household, the master should review accounts weekly, reconciling purchases and expenditures on Sunday evenings or another quiet time. Each evening he should meet with different servants who trade or buy, verifying their dealings. Those who are diligent, attentive to their duties, honest, and who bring profit to the household, should be commended, rewarded with food and drink, their requests granted, and even gifted clothing for their good service.

For servants who act without intention to harm but are lazy, arrive late to the market, oversleep, or neglect their responsibilities in other ways, the master should admonish and fine them accordingly. Those who perform well should be invited to dine with the master, receive protection, and be encouraged. However, if a servant is lazy, dishonest, thieving, or consistently irresponsible, despite guidance and correction, they should be reassigned to simpler tasks. If the servant is hopelessly incapable, deceitful, or untrainable, they should be fed and dismissed from service, so that others, seeing such discipline, will not stray from their duties.

How to Maintain a Yard, Shop, Warehouse, or Small Village #

Every good, industrious person whom God has granted property — be it a yard, a small village, a shop at the market, a warehouse, stone buildings, saltworks, or mills — should have provisions bought in advance when they are inexpensive, as described above. In the village, supplies should be stocked outside of the busy seasons. Always have the steward, or another appointed person, inspect the yard regularly: ensuring the fence is intact, the gates and locks are secure, and no structures are weathered or leaking. The roofs of any buildings, stable gutters, or storage areas should be checked to prevent wear or damage. Any necessary repairs should be made promptly, whether it’s benches, doors, windows, shutters, chains, floors, or other fixtures in the cellar, icehouse, bathhouse, or anywhere else in the home. Likewise, household utensils, tools for cooking, stable maintenance, and storage, as well as clothing and footwear, should all be maintained in good condition, whether they are tin, copper, iron, or wooden items. Everything should be sturdy, dry, well-kept, and under cover from rain and snow, so that the homestead and household will be as fresh and enduring as if new.

Regularly inspect stoves for cracks, plastering any gaps with clay, and replace any broken bricks. Inside the stove, sweep thoroughly to avoid fire hazards, ensuring a safe place to sleep or dry items. Each stove should have a spark guard made of clay or iron to protect ceilings, even low ones, from flames.

The rooms should be regularly swept, dry, and free from dust and clutter. The yard and the area before the gates should be kept tidy as previously described. Brooms, shovels, and tools should be properly stored, not left scattered. There should be a well in the yard or garden, or at least a steady water source, and water should be kept indoors during summer as a fire precaution. When heating the house or bathhouse, water should be drawn from the river in the early morning, with additional firewood brought in. Before collecting water from the river or well, the vessels should be rinsed and kept covered.

How to Pay Yard Levies, Shop Fees, or Village Taxes and Settle Debts with Creditors #

Each person should promptly pay levies and fees due from their yard or shop, village taxes, and dues on all land and properties without delay. It is wise to pay in advance to avoid the hassle of interest, late fees, or obligations to guarantors. Those who pay on time retain their independence and avoid paying double dues, fees, and debts that burden the careless, leading them into poverty through lawsuits and debt.

Anyone who stays current with taxes and fees remains free, independent, and leaves their children not only property but a good name: a yard well-stocked, a shop with merchandise, or a village with livestock, free from debt, pledges, liens, or obligations.

If borrowing money or grain is necessary — whether interest-free, with collateral, or otherwise — it is essential to repay promptly. This keeps one’s reputation intact, ensuring the trust of others for future needs. Those who delay payments or fail to cover interest only incur shame and loss, ultimately discouraging others from lending to them.

Instructions for the Steward on Storing Salted Provisions in the Cellar—Including Meat, Fish, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Plums, Lemons, Caviar, Milk Cap Mushrooms, and Russula Mushrooms, in Barrels, Tubs, Measures, Large Vats, and Small Buckets #

All unopened and opened containers should remain submerged in brine, weighted down with a wooden disc and heavy stone. Cucumbers, plums, and lemons should also be kept in brine, gently pressed under a grate with a small stone, with mold regularly removed, and brine topped up as needed. If any provisions are not kept in brine, the top layer will rot, and if left unchecked, all will spoil. Additionally, ice should be packed around these provisions, with meat briefly hung to air out, as well as fish if any odor appears. Springtime airing is beneficial for both dried and salted fish and meat: after a brief period to dry, they can be brought to the smokehouse, where the good cuts are hung while the rest can be placed in storage bins. Red fish should be wrapped in matting, dried fish laid on shelves, and parboiled fish kept in baskets to allow airflow. Store each type appropriately according to its requirements, as previously detailed.

Grain stocks in granaries, bins, and drying rooms should also be regularly checked. If dampness, snow, or mold is detected, the provisions should be sorted, sun-dried, or dried in the oven. Spoiled provisions should be used quickly, loaned out, given to those in need, or, if in excess, sold. Fresh, well-preserved stock should continue to be stored.

Various beverages—meads, beers, fruit drinks, cherries in syrup, apples and pears in syrup and kvass, and lingonberry water—should be stored on ice in barrels, kept full to the brim to avoid spoilage. Any drink that has started to sour or develop mold should be poured into smaller containers for immediate use, while fresher batches are stored for later consumption.

For apples, pears, cherries, and berries stored in brine, regularly scrape off mold, add sweetener, and top up with brine as necessary. On the ice shelf, only full containers of food and drink should be kept to ensure preservation.

Various garments and goods, whether in house or storerooms, chests, or boxes—outer and undergarments, new and old, fine and plain linens—should be checked, shaken, and aired in summer. Any items damaged should be repaired and stored neatly in a dry place, secure and locked away.

If hay becomes damp, covered with snow, musty, or compacted, it should be taken out on a sunny day to dry and air, then returned to the barn. If haystacks are compacted or moldy, they should be treated similarly, with spoiled portions fed to the horses or sold.

Every morning, the master or mistress, or the steward or stewardess, should inspect all locks, ensuring they are secure, and seals intact. If anything appears amiss—such as a broken lock or disturbed seal—they should thoroughly check the area. If there are signs of theft, further investigation should follow, including inquiring about anyone who was present or anything that may have occurred.

In the evening, another round of checks should be conducted, keeping an ear out for any signs of fire. In the cellar or icehouse, bungs on barrels should be inspected to ensure tightness, checking for leaks and cleanliness. All provisions should be in good condition, with no signs of spoilage.

In kitchens, bakeries, outbuildings, stables, haylofts, workshops, apprentices’ quarters, and shops, inspections should also take place. If everything is as instructed, all is well. If not, necessary punishments should follow based on the fault. Stewards and careful custodians deserve high regard and rewards, with leniency given to the diligent and strictness for the lax.

Annual Records of Foods to Serve at the Table from Easter to Meatfare #

After Pascha, on meat days, the table is set with: swans, swan giblets, cranes, herons, ducks, capercaillies, hazel grouses, hare kidneys on the spit, salted hens (along with chicken gizzards, necks, and livers), salted and roasted mutton, chicken broth, thick porridge, salt-cured meats, smoked meats, tongues, elk meat and hare in lard, salted hare, hare stomachs, roasted hens (along with chicken intestines, gizzards, and livers), larks, lamb giblets, pork, ham, crucian carp, morels, kundumy (dumplings), and layered pasties.

For supper, they serve jellied meats, roasted hazel grouses, baked hare, roasted ducks, roasted hazel grouses and capercaillies, lamb in smoked lard, aspic of hare, roasted hens, pork, and ham.

During Pascha, fish dishes are also served, including steamed herring, steamed pike, steamed bream, dried salmon, dried whitefish, dried sturgeon, sterlet backs, dried beluga, beluga backs, steamed whitefish backs, steamed bream, and fish soup with saffron made from perch, roach, bream, and crucian carp.

Among the aspic dishes, they serve fresh whitefish, fresh sterlet, fresh sturgeon, pike heads with garlic, charr, smoked sturgeon, and layered sturgeon.

During the Apostle’s Fast (Peter’s Fast), fish dishes are served: steamed herring, steamed pike, steamed bream, dried fish—salmon, whitefish, sturgeon, sterlet backs, and beluga collagen, steamed whitefish backs, pike fish soup with saffron, black fish soup with catfish, baked perch, fish soup with roach, minnow, bream, and crucian carp, and sturgeon fish chowder with sterlet.

The aspic includes fresh whitefish, fresh sterlet, freshly salted sterlet, fresh sturgeon, salted sturgeon, freshly salted pike, pike heads with garlic, charr, dried sterlet, smoked sturgeon, layered sturgeon, cooked mushrooms, baked and dried mushrooms, fish soup, crucian carp, and crawfish.

From the Feast of St. Peter¹⁰ on meat days, the table features: swans, swan giblets, cranes, herons, ducks, hare kidneys, roasted slices, roasted beef tongues, roasted mutton breast, salted hens with chicken gizzards and necks, roasted mutton, chicken soup, salted beef, cured meats with garlic and spices, spiced dried meats, duck smoked lard, old cured meats, dried beef tongues, moose tongues, elk and hare in lard, hare with noodles, aspic of hare, aspic of hare kidneys, hare stomachs, hare liver, spit-roasted chicks, hare-filled loaves, chicken pies, layered pies, bacon-filled pies, buckwheat pies, dried beef, cow udders, pork, ham, pig udders, tripe, soup, double stomachs, bent burbots, tukmachi (dumplings), noodles, crucian carp, kundumy (dumplings), thick soups, cheese pancakes, pies, fritters, kissels, porridge, cream, curd mixtures, boiled milk, milk with horseradish, leavened loaves, layer cakes, and egg loaves.

During the Dormition Fast, the table features fish dishes. Sauerkraut with herring is served alongside various kinds of caviar, dried beluga back, salmon with garlic served in slices, smoked sturgeon, whitefish, dried salmon, sturgeon and sterlet back, steamed herring, steamed pike, steamed sterlet, steamed bream, salmon back, whitefish and other fish backs steamed, fish jellies with saffron, fish soup with cooled baked perch (cold black soup), fish soup with perch, pike, sterlet, crucian carp, roach, and bream, sturgeon fish chowder, and in between various fish soups, fish meatballs, sterlet, fish dishes, pies, and pastries fried in walnut oil with peas, sour pancakes fried in walnut oil, sour fried pies with peas, large pies with poppy seeds made with hemp oil and peas, a large pie with poppy seed milk, and pies with sturgeon backs layered with blini.

Among aspics: pike with garlic, perch in sauce, freshly salted pike, dried beluga in sauce, whitefish in sauce with seasonings, sturgeon in sauce with seasonings, salmon in sauce with seasonings, trout in sauce with seasonings, herring in sauce with seasonings.

During the Dormition Feast, the table is set with: roasted swans, swan giblets, cranes, herons, ducks, mutton breast with saffron on the spit, roasted beef loin, roasted tongues, pork giblets, jellied chicken, chicken broths, beef, jellied pork, cured meats with garlic and spices, elk, salted hares in lard, hares with turnips, jellied hares, spit-roasted chickens, lamb liver clarified with pepper and saffron, dried beef, dried pork, sausages, tripe, ham, and dried chickens, crucian carp, dumplings, and cabbage soup.

For supper, the table offers: roasted hare, baked pork, pickled foods, pig heads and trotters, smoked meats, salted hare, pork, and ham.

After Symeon’s Day¹¹, they no longer serve lamb liver, lamb breast, or jellied meats.

From the Feast of the Intercession (October 1 - The Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God), the table includes spit-roasted geese, dried geese, and various fish dishes during Dormition Meatfare, such as: steamed herring, pike, bream, and dried fish varieties (salmon, whitefish, sturgeon, beluga), sturgeon backs, beluga backs, sterlet backs, saffron-flavored fish soups, mixed fish soups, baked perch soups (black), soups with roach, bream, and crucian carp, and fish chowder with sturgeon or sterlet. The aspic includes fresh whitefish, salmon, sterlet, freshly salted sterlet, fresh and freshly salted sturgeon, pike heads with horseradish and garlic, freshly salted pike, aspic char, and baked, boiled mushrooms, cabbage soup, and boiled crawfish.

After Symeon’s Day, dried fish is no longer served, but from that day, the table offers loaves, lean piglets, and lean ducks.

From Dimitri Day (October 26 - The feast of St. Dimitri of Thessalonica), a variety of fish aspics are added to the table.

During Philip’s Fast¹², the table features: steamed herring, fresh frozen herring, steamed bream, whitefish backs, salmon backs, nelma backs, charr backs, steamed sterlet, whitefish, steamed ladoga fish, fish jelly, loaves, meat piglets, meat ducks, saffron-flavored fish soup, black fish soup, burbot fish soup, burbot livers, perch fish soup, roach fish soup, bream fish soup, crucian fish soup, beluga fish chowder, sturgeon fish chowder, Siberian sturgeon fish chowder, sterlet fish chowder, fish soups with dumplings or rolled noodles, sterlet soup, pike-perch soup, and fish stew made with sterlet offal.

The aspic selection includes: whitefish, salmon, nelma, sterlet, sturgeon, sterlet heads, pike heads with garlic and horseradish, loins, roasted sterlet, boiled pike, tench, perch, aspic roach, bream aspic, freshly salted pike, beluga back and ribs, fried herring, and several types of sturgeon in aspic (shokhon, segment-cut, and long).

During the Great Feast of the Nativity, the table presents: roasted swans, swan giblets, roasted geese, capercaillies, partridges, hazel grouses, spit-roasted piglets, jellied lamb, baked lamb, jellied piglets, piglet giblets, chicken broths, cured meats with garlic and spices, elk, jellied elk heart, chopped elk heart, elk lips, liver and brains, hares in lard, jellied hares, spit-roasted chickens, goose giblets, dried beef, dried pork, ham, sausages, tripe, dried geese, dried chickens, bent burbots, tukmachi (dumplings), noodles, crucian carp, dumplings, and cabbage soup.

For fish during the Great Feast of Nativity, they serve: steamed herring, fresh frozen herring, steamed bream, whitefish backs, salmon backs, nelma backs, steamed charr backs, steamed sterlet, whitefish, steamed ladoga fish, fish jelly, loaves, meat piglets, meat ducks, saffron fish soup, regular fish soup, burbot fish soup, burbot liver and roe, spiced pike fish soup, perch fish soup, roach fish soup, bream fish soup, crucian fish soup, beluga fish chowder, sterlet chowder, fish soup in a pouch, minced fish soup, sterlet soup, pike-perch soup, and sterlet offal soup.

The aspic includes: whitefish, salmon, nelma, sterlet, sturgeon, sterlet heads, pike heads with garlic, pike rings, boiled pike, perch, roach in aspic, aspic bream, and pike aspic with horseradish, freshly salted pike, beluga back and ribs, fried herring, shokhon sturgeon, segmented sturgeon, and aged sturgeon, with cabbage soup.

During Maslenitsa,¹³ the table includes treats such as: fried pastries, nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, confections, pinecones,¹⁴ curd mixtures, boiled milk roe, and dry, rich curds.

During Great Lent, the following dishes are served at the table: Lenten bread, pressed sturgeon caviar, autumn sturgeon caviar and fresh sturgeon caviar, sterlet roe, plain pike liver, kasha with whitefish, salmon liver, kasha with zander, kasha with sterlet, kasha with sevryuga, kasha with fresh beluga, fresh sturgeon liver, lightly salted beluga liver, dried sturgeon and beluga liver, smelt and dried fish, thin slices of crucian carp and ide, boiled caviar, fried caviar, fresh and lightly salted sturgeon belly, white sturgeon in vinegar, sterlet in barrels, raw tongues, dried sterlet, sturgeon belly, beluga belly, beluga tongues, Sheksna sturgeon, pea noodles, millet with poppy seed oil, whole peas and split peas, double cabbage soup, blini, and pies with jam or onions, along with oven-baked pies with poppy seeds and both sweet and plain kissels.

Preparation of sifted flour: Take 10 quarters of wheat and grind from it three and a half quarters of sifted flour, three-quarters of white flour, half of five quarters of standard flour, and three-quarters of midsifted flour. From each quarter, 20 sifted loaves are made; from the white flour, also 20 loaves; and from each quarter of standard flour, 20 loaves. For each quarter of flour, 2 “grivnas”¹⁵ of salt are added, while for standard flour, one “grivna” of salt per quarter is sufficient.

Rule on Various Infused Meads: How to Prepare all Kinds of Meads, Make Berry Juice, Set Simple Honey Kvass, Sweeten Simple Beer with Honey, and Boil Hops in Hot Water to Prepare Boiled Mead. #

To make boiled mead, take seven times the amount of fresh honey, dilute it with slightly warm water, and strain the honey thoroughly through a sieve to remove any wax. Add half a measure of hops per pood¹⁶ of solution. While boiling the mead, skim off the foam with a sieve to keep the kettle clean. When the mead has boiled down by half, remove it from the kettle, cool it slightly, pour it into a clean vessel, ensuring no wax remains. Rub a crust of bread with yeast and patoka,¹⁷ warm it by the oven, and add it to the mead vessel to ferment. As soon as the mead begins to sour, immediately pour it into barrels to prevent over-souring.

To Prepare Light Mead

For light mead, choose clean, clear patoka and beat it vigorously with a whisk to remove any small bits of honey. Dilute the honey with four times the amount of warm water. Add a quarter measure of hops per pood of solution and ferment with yeast. Once the mead starts to ferment, remove the yeast with a sieve and, when ready, pour it into barrels.

To Prepare Patochniy Mead

For patochniy mead, take five times the amount of patoka and mix it into honey syrup with warm water, strain it cleanly, and pour it into a vessel. Add spices—a measure of hops for every three poods—and ferment with yeast. Once the mead starts to ferment, remove the yeast thoroughly with a sieve and pour it into barrels when ready.

To Prepare Simple Mead

For simple mead, take six times the amount of honey syrup, dilute it with slightly warm water, strain it cleanly, and pour it into a vessel. Immediately add half a measure of hops per pood and ferment with yeast. As soon as the mead starts to ferment, remove the yeast with a sieve, and when ready, pour it into barrels.

To Prepare Boyars’ Mead

To prepare boyars’ mead, remove the wax from the patoka, then take six times the amount of patoka as honey, dilute with hot water, and add a measure of hops per pood. Ferment with yeast, strain cleanly to remove any wax, and ferment for a week in the vessels before transferring to barrels. After another week, decant the mead from the yeast and place it in another barrel without yeast, sweetening with patoka.

How to Make Mead with Spices

To prepare mead with spices—using nutmeg and cloves—separate some of the simple mead into small barrels, sweeten it with patoka, and finely grind the spices. Place them in cloth pouches, insert the pouches into the barrels, and seal the barrels tightly to preserve the aroma.

How to Make Berry Mead

For berry mead, use any available berries. Place the berries in a kettle, add sour simple mead until the berries are covered, and cook them in the kettle. Do not let the berries scorch. Boil the berries with the mead until the berries break down, then let it sit overnight to allow the berry mead to settle and separate from the pulp. Pour the clear berry mead into barrels, choosing the thickness of the mead as desired. When decanting berry mead into barrels, ensure no yeast remains in the barrels.

To Make Berry Juice

To prepare simple berry juice, use any berries. Put the berries and water in a kettle until they are covered, then cook the berries until they are thoroughly softened, being careful they do not stick to the kettle. Allow the juice to settle overnight to separate from the pulp, then pour the clear juice into barrels without yeast.

How to Prepare Simple Honey Kvass

To prepare simple honey kvass, take four parts of honey patoka, strain it cleanly through a sieve, and place it in a vessel. Ferment it with a fresh loaf (without yeast), and as soon as it starts to ferment, pour it into barrels.

Preparing Sweetened Beer

To fortify simple beer, prepare as follows: after brewing the beer and letting it settle in a barrel, decant the beer from the yeast into another barrel. Add one bucket of beer to a kettle along with patoka—add one grivna more patoka per bucket. Boil the patoka with the beer until it reaches a full boil to blend, then cool and pour it back into the barrel.

Making Mazuni

For mazuni, take sharp, pungent radish, cut it into thin slices, string them by their tails, and dry them in the sun or in a cooling oven after baking bread, hanging them near the oven without the slices touching each other. Once they are fully dry with no damp spots, rub them dry, pound them, and sift them through a fine sieve. Place all the resulting radish flour into a pot. At the same time, prepare a light patoka without sourness—once it boils, skim off the foam thoroughly. Add equal parts patoka to radish flour. Season to taste with nutmeg, cloves, pepper, and saffron, using just enough for flavor without overpowering. Seal the pot with dough, let it cook in a low oven for two days and two nights. If it turns out thin, add more radish flour to achieve the consistency of pressed caviar.

To prepare Constantinopolitan radishes, strain raw radish through a sieve, soak it in water briefly, squeeze out the water, and boil it again. Afterward, drain through a sieve. If the radish is still hot, cool it with cold water, then press it dry. Boil it again, repeating the process. Dry radish should be ground and boiled in three changes of water. If clumps remain, sieve them finely, pressing until fully dry. Mix in patoka, pepper, and spices to taste, balancing bitterness, and roast the mixture. If desired as a liquid, strain the radish through a fine sieve, boil it, drain, dilute with honey and water (one-third water), and season lightly with pepper if preparing it as a paste.

Rules for Various Vegetables and Their Preparation #

On Radishes: To prepare radishes, grind or grate them finely, dry slightly, and then soak for three days, changing the water three times. Afterward, press out excess water and add syrup infused with spices.

On Watermelons: To preserve watermelons, sift lime through a fine sieve to prepare a lye solution, allowing it to settle and clarify. Cut the watermelon into sections, removing the seeds and flesh, leaving about two fingers’ width from the rind and a thin green layer. Place the watermelon pieces in the lye solution, changing the lye as needed. Then, boil down a syrup gently, skimming off any foam. Once it is clear, add spices—pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, mace, or nutmeg—and cook further. If more watermelon is needed, add it into the syrup, not the other way around.

Some recommend boiling the watermelon in lime lye, cooling it, and then placing it into a spiced syrup.

On Melons: Cut melons into slices, peel thinly, remove half of the pulp, and soak them in lye for a day and night. Place the melon pieces in a spiced syrup, arranging the slices flesh-side up. Some suggest periodically replacing the syrup if it thins and adding fresh spiced syrup until it thickens fully.

On Kuzmin Apples: Place whole, unblemished Kuzmin apples without wormholes into barrels, stem-side up. Trim the stems and fill the barrel with sweetened syrup, using three times as much syrup as apples.

On Apples for Juice and Table Use: For pure, unblemished apples, place them into small barrels holding about five buckets, ensuring they are handled gently. Cover them with four times the syrup needed and keep the lid slightly open to let excess gases escape.

On Cherries: Sweet cherries, soaked in syrup, are delightful!

On Mozhaisk Apples: Place clean, undamaged Mozhaisk apples, pears, and quinces into a well-smoked clay jar filled with syrup, with no water added.

On Berry Leathers: To make fruit leathers from blueberries, raspberries, currants, strawberries, lingonberries, or other berries, cook the berries thoroughly. Once softened, strain through a sieve and mix with syrup until thick, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. When thick enough, pour the mixture onto boards (pre-coated with syrup) and let it dry. Pour additional layers as it sets. If the leather doesn’t set well in the sun, dry it near the stove; once dried, roll it into tubes.

On Apple Paste: To make apple paste, soak the apples in a syrup four times their volume. Cook thoroughly and strain through a sieve, adding extra syrup. Stir constantly while cooking and compress to thicken. Pour onto a syrup-coated board (coated three times with syrup). Once mixed, transfer into tinned copper vessels, called “tvoryla.” When ready, turn out the paste like a cheese onto a plate and serve.

On Vinegar: Take syrup from well-brewed wort and ferment for four weeks or more by the stove. Add a small portion of honey syrup, a little pea, a scoop of wheat, some cranberries, and sometimes oak bark or iron to fortify.

On Sbiten: To make sbiten, add equal parts of local wine, vinegar, and beer, a quarter-pound of pepper, a pound of syrup, and three ounces of imported wine, if available. Boil together with honey, taking care it doesn’t overflow. Once settled, strain into a vessel for use.

This book is written for times of joy, providing knowledge for those whom God has blessed with abundance. It is intended to bring peace to the soul, fulfilling the many desires it may hold.

How to Brew Beer: Take a quarter-measure of barley malt, half-measure of rye malt or oatmeal, and grind it finely, then add a quarter-measure of pea flour—this also works well as it removes any burnt taste from the malt and excess moisture. For those who wish for a more festive brew, let the wort settle, adding half a bucket of wine (according to taste). If the wine turns sour in the wort, this won’t be detectable in the beer. When the beer begins to boil, have the hops ready to add to a vat of boiling water, pour ladle after ladle over the hops, then cover them securely with a mat to allow them to slowly steep. Once the beer starts to set, cover it tightly so that the aroma is preserved.

It’s best to brew beer, ferment mead, and distill wine in the first quarter of the new moon; at this time, the wine is very rich and strong. When the beer is ready, transfer it directly to barrels, as it’s best when immediately cooled and stored in barrels. If poured into smaller containers first, it loses some strength and flavor.

Alternative Yearly Serving Suggestions: Meat Dishes for the Dormition Fast: Serve simple hare, pork head with garlic after the Protection of the Mother of God, and roast pork from the start of the Mother of God fast. Between the fasts and until Symeon’s Day, serve beef legs and capon in saffron. From the Protection feast, swan entrails with saffron and tapeshki (small loaves fried in butter) are served with swan neck. Roast wild goose is served like swan, and after Protection, domestic geese, cranes with saffron sauce, herons with saffron sauce, and duck roasted with a simple sauce are also served. Lamb ribs grilled with saffron are served until Symeon’s Day, as are grilled beef fillet and ox tongues with a simple sauce. Fried pork offal with a simple sauce, braised lamb offal, aspic hare, chicken with saffron rice, and hare with turnips are offered throughout the year. Lamb gizzard soup, game bird soup, duck soup, and pastries with sweet or savory fillings are also served with a range of fried and oven-baked items. Dried beef with garlic, cured chicken, pork, and sweet pancakes are served at the end of the meal.

Fish Dishes for the Dormition Fast: Serve sauerkraut with herring, various caviars, cured beluga back, sliced salmon with garlic, dried sterlet, whitefish, cured salmon, dried fish backs, pike-perch, and aspic from fresh pike and perch. Additional broths from perch, bream, carp, and sturgeon, as well as thickened fish broths, are also served. Between servings of different fish broths, serve fish pastries, pieces of sturgeon, and various cuts of fish.

Pies and Pastries: Prepare pastries fried in walnut oil and stuffed with peas, thin pancakes fried in walnut oil, sour pies with peas, large pies with poppy syrup, a large pie filled with sturgeon cartilage (vyaziga), or stuffed with whitefish, catfish, or herring, all layered with thin pancakes.

Aspics: Pike with garlic, aspic perch, lightly salted pike, and cured beluga are served in sauces of sturgeon, salmon, and other fish varieties. From Symeon’s Day onward, fewer cured fish are offered; instead, pies, roasted pork, and meaty duck are added, with aspics joining from Demetrius Day.

For the Great Fast: Serve fasting dishes made from grains: pancakes, onion cakes, sour cakes, poppy-seed pies, and both sweet and savory jellies.

Sweets: When available, serve candied watermelon and melons, apples in syrup, pears in syrup, cherries, ginger mazuni, syrup with ginger, saffron, pepper, honeyed drinks, simple kvass with raisins or millet, pine nut clusters, pastila from various berries, and radish in syrup.

On Saturdays and Sundays during the Great Fast: The table is set with various types of caviar, including pike caviar, pressed caviar, fresh sturgeon caviar, and autumn caviar. Also served are fish livers, including plain and light pike liver, sturgeon liver, and beluga liver, both dried and fresh. The selection of porridges includes those made with salmon, pike-perch, sterlet, sturgeon, and fresh beluga. Among baked goods are mushroom pies with dried and oil-preserved saffron milk caps, fried pies with millet, fish cartilage (vyaziga), and peas. Other items include crucian carp, fish mixed with millet, and vyaziga, as well as levashniki, onion pastries, pancakes with poppy milk and butter, sturgeon roe dumplings, and caviar boiled in vinegar or poppy milk, along with pies filled with caviar.

For the Paschal meat days: The table includes swans and swan offal, cranes, herons, ducks, black grouse, hazel grouse, hare kidneys roasted on a spit, jellied chickens, chicken gizzards, necks, and livers. Lamb is served both jellied and roasted, alongside baked pies with lamb, saffron-flavored chicken broths (both dark and light), pies, fritters, enriched pastries, sour fried pies, plain salted meat with thyme, dried hams, tongues, elk, fried pies with eggs and curd cheese, and cheese fritters with egg and cheese. Baked hares in ceramic dishes, jellied hare, hare legs, and stomachs, chickens roasted on a spit, and lamb offal dishes are also served. Other dishes include songbirds, lamb offal, smoked pork, ham, crucian carp, morel mushrooms, dumplings, and double cabbage soup.

At dinner: The table includes aspic, hazel grouse, roast hare, duck, hazel grouse on a spit, black grouse, lamb, dried hams, jellied hare, chickens on a spit, pork, and ham.

For the Paschal fasting days: The table includes steamed herring, dried salmon, dried whitefish, dried sturgeon, dried sterlet backs, dried beluga, sturgeon back, steamed whitefish, steamed bream, saffron-flavored broth, dark broth, pike broth, perch broth, roach¹⁸ broth, bream broth, and crucian carp broth.

Among the aspics: Fresh whitefish, fresh sterlet, pies with millet, vyaziga, and peas, crucian carp with millet, vyaziga, and fish.

For the Fast of Peter: The table includes steamed herring, dried fish such as salmon, whitefish, sturgeon, sterlet backs, beluga spines, sturgeon backs, steamed whitefish, pike broth with saffron, black pike broth, baked perch, small roach broths, minnow broth, bream broth, crucian carp broth, sturgeon tavranchuk, and sterlet tavranchuk. The aspic selection includes fresh whitefish, fresh sterlet, pies with millet, vyaziga, and peas, crucian carp with millet, vyaziga, and fish, freshly salted sterlet, fresh sturgeon, salted sturgeon, freshly salted pike, pike heads with garlic, redfish, dried sterlet, shekhan sturgeon, kosiak sturgeon, boiled and baked mushrooms, spring greens, cabbage soup, and crayfish.

For the feast of Peter on meat days: The table is set with swans and swan offal, cranes, herons, ducks, dried hams, hare tenderloin on a spit, beef tongues on a spit, lamb breast on a spit, jellied chickens, and chicken gizzards and necks.

The Wedding Ceremony #

Prepare the place, covering it with a carpet, and place an embroidered or gilded velvet pillow there. At the spot, two people should hold forty sable furs. Nearby, set up a table covered with two tablecloths, arranging the necessary utensils. Place pies and kalachi on a platter, display cheese, and arrange already-sliced pies. On a second platter, prepare hops for showering the newlyweds, along with gold coins, gilded Novgorod coins, nine sable furs, and various kamka and taffeta fabrics. On a third platter, set out kerchiefs; on a fourth platter, lay out the kika (bride’s headdress) along with the back piece, the podpolochnik (head covering), the volosnik (headscarf), and the veil. Place a golden or silver cup with a bit of honey and hops in it, add two poppy heads, and a comb next to the kika. Nearby, set up two small benches: the tysyatsky¹⁹ will sit on one, and the svakha (matchmaker) on the other. At the location, two people should hold a tray with a karavay and cheese, covered in either satin or gilded velvet, with the handles and straps of the trays trimmed with kamka or satin. A third person should hold a candle in a pouch—either satin or gilded velvet—with the strap also decorated in satin. Two others should hold lanterns. All these people should be dressed in kaftans and velvet or damask terliks with golden satin and black fox hats.

When the groom arrives with his entourage, the karavayniki (bread bearers) and svechnik (candle bearer) with the lantern should also approach. When, God willing, the groom sits in place, after a short while, the svakha will stand and ask for the blessing of the father and mother to comb the hair of the bride and groom. Taking the sables that were held, she circles them three times around the heads of the groom and bride. Meanwhile, the druzhka is blessed to cut the pies and cheese and offer them to everyone: the groom’s parents, the groom, the bride, all members of the entourage, and the seated guests—everyone present in the house. The karavay and cheese are also sent to the groom’s father and mother, and, if any seated guests are at the groom’s house, they too receive portions of cheese and karavay.

If, God willing, the bride’s kika is put on and her head covered with the veil, the svakha will stand, asking the blessing of the bride’s father and mother to shower the groom and bride. Meanwhile, the druzhka will bring handkerchiefs on a platter for the groom and all guests, and from the bride’s side, a person is sent with handkerchiefs to the groom’s parents. If, God willing, the groom and bride stand and enter the vestibule, paths of kamka and taffeta are laid out for the groom to walk to his steed and for the bride to reach her sleigh. The bride should ride to the church for the wedding in the sleigh, lined with satin or taffeta. Inside the sleigh, place a velvet pillow or a quilt of gilded satin, spread a carpet, and lay down a red wool blanket. Forty sables should be held around the sleigh, and when the bride heads to the wedding, these sables are placed in the sleigh where she sits.

When the groom dismounts from his steed at the church, and the bride exits her sleigh, paths of kamka and taffeta are again laid out to the church doors. During the wedding ceremony, a piece of kamka or gilded satin is spread under the groom and bride’s feet, with two sable furs beneath.

Once the wedding ceremony is over, as the groom walks back to his steed and the bride to her sleigh, everything is prepared in the same order as before. When the groom dismounts his steed and the bride steps out of her sleigh to take her seat at the table, the same arrangements are made. When they rise from the table and leave the chamber, carpets are laid out before the groom and bride once more. Upon arriving at the groom’s estate, when he dismounts his steed and the bride steps out of her sleigh, the same ritual is followed all the way to the vestibule.

An Alternate Wedding Order #

When the young prince (groom) arrives at the courtyard, the bride should be seated in place, with the svakha beside her, along with her father, mother, and invited boyars and boyarinas. The invited boyars greet the young prince in the courtyard, and as he enters the hall, the bride’s father, mother, svakha, and boyarinas rise, while the bride remains seated, covered by a piece of kamka. The young prince sits next to her, and everyone takes their places according to rank: the groom’s father and mother, the tysyatsky, and the boyars sit in their assigned spots and wait a while.

The druzhka, upon entering, receives the blessing from the groom’s father and mother, while the svakha also rises, but without speaking and without leaving her place, bowing with the icon to the four corners, as does the druzhka. The druzhka then lifts the veil from a platter and uses it to cover the bride from the groom’s view, then removes the hat from the bride. Through the curtain, the svakha combs the groom’s hair with a comb, and then combs the bride’s hair three times. While the svakha begins to arrange the hair of both groom and bride, the druzhka breaks the cheese and cuts the karavay.

After the hair has been combed, the bride’s braid is undone, her hair is braided anew, and the kika is placed on her head. Having prepared the young bride in this manner, she is wrapped in a veil with a cross sewn onto it. Both the druzhka and svakha bow to the icons, receive blessings from the father and mother, shower the couple, and then distribute handkerchiefs. After this, the priest officiates the engagement of the prince and princess. In the vestibule, refreshments are set up, with boyar servants seated and treated to drinks.

The Matchmaking: When the marriage is first arranged, the groom arrives at his future father-in-law’s courtyard, dressed in fine clothing and accompanied by his relatives. Either his father or elder brother should enter first, followed by the rest. The meeting may occur by the horse, at the porch, or in the vestibule, and the bride’s father greets them before they take seats according to their rank: those who arrived with the groom sit on the bench, while the locals sit on the long seat.

When the bride’s father offers the finest wines in cups, the groom’s father or elder brother will, addressing the bride’s father formally by his full name, state: “It is time we begin discussing the purpose of our gathering.” The bride’s father will then instruct the priest to recite Dostoyno, commemorating the ancestors Abraham and Sarah, Joachim and Anna, and Emperor Constantine and Helen. After a cross-blessing, they begin discussing and writing the marriage contract, negotiating the dowry and terms. Once the documents are signed and finalized, the priest chants O tebe raduyetsya (“All Creation Rejoiceth in thee”).

The bride should not be present at this gathering; however, among common folk, it is customary for the bride to be there, standing by her mother, though she does not exchange kisses and quickly departs. The gathering is lively, though a large table setting is uncommon.

The next day, or shortly after the agreement is made, the groom’s mother arrives at the home of the mother-in-law to see the bride. The bride is presented with gifts of kamka fabric and sable furs, and the groom’s mother gives her a ring. The following day, she sends a boyaryna to present the bride with a cross or panagia (an icon pendant) and fruits; the boyaryna is gifted a traditional handkerchief and a hair covering.

Once the wedding day is set, the guest list is prepared on the eve of the wedding. The groom sends his father-in-law a list of all the attendees, including the posazheny otets (ceremonial father), posazhenaya mat (ceremonial mother), the invited boyars and boyarinas, the tysyatsky, the poezhane (companions of the groom), the druzhka, and the svakha. The father-in-law also sends a message to the groom, detailing the names of the invited boyars, boyarinas, druzhka, and svakha. Both sides then gather together, preparing their outfits and horses, while the bride is placed behind a curtain on the bed.

On the appointed day, all those invited from both the groom’s and bride’s sides assemble for the meal. Tables are set separately, with the boyarinas seated together; however, the groom and bride do not eat. Prayers are recited at both the groom’s and the bride’s homes. When the time comes, the father-in-law sends a senior servant to the groom with a message, saying that the druzhka and svakha are on their way with the bed: “Prepare the vestibule and indicate where to bring it,” usually into the cellar. The servant is directed to the place and then relays the instructions.

The druzhka rides in golden attire, followed by five or six riders also dressed in gold. Around his horse, a dozen footmen walk, dressed in festive attire. The bed is transported behind him in a sleigh, with the front facing forward; in summer, it is transported headboard-first toward the driver’s seat, covered with a blanket. Two gray horses are harnessed to the sleigh, and around the sleigh, boyar servants dressed in fine attire walk. The chief postelnichy (bedchamber attendant), also dressed in gold, stands on the driver’s seat holding a sacred icon.

Following the bed, the svakha travels in festive clothing, wearing a yellow letnik (long robe) and a red fur coat, with a headscarf and beaver collar. In winter, she would also wear a fur hat. She rides alone in the front seat of the sleigh. Upon arriving at the courtyard, the footmen dismount and walk ahead of the druzhka in pairs, dressed in gold. The druzhka himself rides into the courtyard on horseback, but dismounts before reaching the steps and waits for the sleigh carrying the bed. When the bed reaches the steps, the groom’s druzhka takes charge, instructing the groom’s servants to take it, and they crowd around the sleigh, pushing aside the visiting servants to lift everything from the sleigh onto a carpet, carrying it overhead.

The local boyarinas meet the svakha at the sleigh, dressed in letniks and fur coats, and they walk with the svakha behind the bed, following closely behind the icon. The groom’s svakha meets them at the lower porch, followed by local boyarinas also in fur coats. Both druzhkas walk ahead of the bed, and the svakhas follow it. Upon entering the vestibule, the priest sprinkles holy water in the corners and on the spot where the bed will be placed. Three bundles of nine rye sheaves are set upright, with a carpet and the bed arranged on top and covered with a blanket. At the head of the bed is placed an icon, and on poles at the four corners are pairs of sable furs and loaves of fine bread. A serving table is set with twelve cups of various drinks, including honey and kvass, along with a ladle and a single smooth cup without handles, or a round bratina (communal cup) without a spout.

A table covered with gauze is also arranged at the head of the bed, where candles and karavays will be placed, with a small stand above it for two dishes, one holding a cross for the groom and the other a necklace for the bride. Two bowls are also placed here—one for the groom’s cap or hat, and the other for the bride’s kika (headdress). At the foot of the bed is another table with the clothing, one corner veiled with a curtain, and behind it a quilted mattress on a carpet with a headrest, a large jug of boiled water, two basins, a large tub, and two sheets.

Nearby, prepare two robes, one for the groom and one for the bride, along with a washstand, a basin, a towel, and two sheepskin coats. Once everything is arranged, the druzhkas and svakhas ask everyone to leave, then they exit themselves, locking and sealing the vestibule doors with their own seals. Two of the senior servants, dressed in gold, are left as postelnich to guard the doors, with the druzhkas and svakhas departing; these postelnich remain without food or drink.

The groom’s druzhka and svakha then ride to the bride’s father’s courtyard. They are escorted by the groom’s druzhka to his horse and by the svakha to the lower porch, with the local boyarinas accompanying them to the sleigh. The visiting druzhka and svakha do not enter the chambers, nor do the invited boyars and boyarinas greet or see them off. While the bed is being prepared, those accompanying it, along with the druzhka and svakha, are treated in the courtyard with tables and benches set up for them.

After escorting the bed, the druzhka and svakha return to the groom, where the table in his chambers is already set, complete with dishes, bread, and kalachi for everyone, down to the last guest. The groom’s father sits at the head of the table, with the tysyatsky seated at the corner. The groom sits in the place of honor, with his mother beside him, and beyond her, the invited boyarinas, all dressed in yellow letniks and red fur coats, with beaver-trimmed headscarves, and in winter, fur hats. Opposite the boyarinas on a bench are the invited boyars. At the side table, seated on benches, are the poezhane (groom’s retinue), dressed in gold.

The svechnik (candle bearer) is girded with his feresi draped, wearing a gilded or colorful kaftan, a gorlach hat, and carrying a velvet or damask pouch or sash over his shoulder for the candle, which weighs a pood and a quarter. Two karavayniki, with their feresi also draped over their shoulders and wearing double sashes, carry a karavay covered in velvet or kamka on a tray, the handles of the tray wrapped in velvet or kamka, and the karavay itself covered with a napkin or a gold-woven sash. There is a full serving tray and another in the vestibule.

The horses are kept ready in harness, with rattling chains under gilded covers. Once preparations are complete, the groom’s druzhka is summoned, and, bowing to the four corners, he approaches the groom’s father, who sends him with greetings to the bride’s father, the tysyatsky, the boyars, and the entire procession. The druzhka then departs, preceded by five or six men on horseback in gold attire, with many footmen in fine clothes alongside the horses.

Once druzhka arrives at the courtyard, his attendants dismount beyond the gates and proceed ahead of him on foot. Within, another large table is prepared at the back wall, with a cloth, tableware, and the father-in-law at the head of the table, while the mother-in-law sits on the bench, with the invited boyars seated behind her. Across from them, the invited boyars sit along a bench.

A ceremonial place is arranged in the middle of the room opposite the doors, where two decorated pillows are laid for the bride and groom, along with a table covered by two cloths, set with dishes, a kalach, and pies. On the table, one platter holds a karavay and another cheese. On the other side of the place is the seat of the tysyatsky, while beside the bride, two seats are prepared for the svakhi, with two or four poezhane across from them on the bench facing the bride and groom, and the priest’s place behind the sacramental vessels.

Nearby, local boyars take their places with particular items: one holds the kika on a platter, another the veil, a third the volosnik, podubrusnik (the head-coverings), and other garments on a platter, and a fourth carries what will be used to sprinkle the newlyweds: three times nine sprigs of hops, three times nine sable scraps, three times nine colored scraps of kamka and tafta, along with a handful of small silver and gilded coins.

For the remaining poezhane, another table is set at the side, also adorned: the candle-bearer is belted, with his ferezi hanging down, a caftan of gilded or embroidered fabric, a gorlatnaya hat, and a pouch or sash across his shoulder for holding the candle, which weighs nearly a pood. There are also two karavayniki²⁰, dressed similarly, with sashes, and each has a karavay on a platter covered in velvet or kamka, wrapped in a gold-threaded napkin. There is a prepared set of drinks in one room and another in the entryway. Horses are kept ready in their harnesses, with rattling chains under golden coverings.

Once all is prepared, the druzhka is summoned and, bowing in all four directions, approaches the groom’s mother, delivering a formal bow on behalf of his master. He then conveys greetings from the tysyatsky and all the assembled guests and prepares to depart with the poezd. Before him, five or six riders in gold apparel ride side by side, with attendants walking nearby in splendid attire.

Upon druzhka’s arrival at the courtyard, the servants greet him at the gates, in the center, and at the staircase, while a second druzhka meets him on the porch. Inside, druzhka bows to all four corners and speaks to the father-in-law: “His Lordship (name) sent his regards,” invoking the groom’s mother’s name with a bow. He then addresses the boyare and boyars on behalf of the tysyatsky and the poezhane, delivering respect and salutations to the family. Finally, he conveys the message: “The tysyatsky (name) sends word that the groom (name) is ready to proceed to his honorable task.” The father-in-law replies, “When the time comes, we shall send for the druzhka, and he may depart.”

When the druzhka returns to the groom, the bride’s svakha is released to arrive in her carriage, richly dressed in yellow. Upon her arrival, local boyars meet her at the carriage, with another svakha waiting at the porch to greet her. As she enters the room, the boyars stand to greet her and escort her to where the bride is prepared behind a curtain. The bride wears a yellow letnik and a red fur coat, and the svakha embraces her, saying, “It is time, My Lady, for you to go to the wedding place.” Her mother blesses her, placing a necklace or panagia on her neck, kisses her, and the bride begins to weep. Meanwhile, the gathered women sing traditional songs. When it is time to proceed, the bride’s mother leads, followed by the bride escorted on the right by the senior, visiting svakha, and on the left by the local svakha. The procession of boyars follows, and they enter, bowing on all four sides.

The father-in-law, mother-in-law, and boyars take their seats at the table as the priest intones Dostoino, blessing the bride and sprinkling holy water over the wedding area. Meanwhile, the druzhka asks the bride’s parents to bless their daughter for the ceremony. They respond, “God bless you!” Candles are lit before the icons, and the priest prepares two intertwined candles for the marriage rite. Once everything is ready, they summon the groom by sending druzhka to retrieve him, and he arrives at the courtyard just as he had with the bed.

Upon the groom’s arrival, druzhka enters, bowing in all four directions and paying respects from the father-in-law to the groom’s mother and all family members. He conveys to the tysyatsky that the father-in-law has given permission for the groom to proceed.

When the groom’s druzhka leaves, the tysyatsky and the poezhane rise, bowing, and the tysyatsky says to the groom’s father (name) and mother (name), “You wished to marry your son in a lawful union, so it is time to bless him to proceed to the ceremony.” The groom’s father and mother rise from the table with their son, bowing in all four directions to the icons, and say to their son, “God bless and have mercy on you, and may He grant you a lawful wife in health and happiness.” The father blesses his son with a cross and relics on a cord, which he places upon him personally, while the mother puts a ring on his finger.

They proceed from the chambers, with druzhka leading, followed by the poezhane in two orderly rows: the younger in front and those of higher rank in the rear.

After them, the groom exits, with the tysyatsky at his right. They mount their horses, with the poezhane riding first, and as the groom takes his seat on the steed, they begin parading on their steeds around the courtyard. They exit in pairs, and beyond the gates, their servants, dressed in gold, ride before them, each with a servant holding their stirrup. Then follow the candle-bearers and karavayniki, then the priest with the cross. A short distance back, leading the poezhane, rides druzhka, with his attendants beside him, followed by the poezhane in pairs, with each man’s servant beside him, some with blankets and horse trappings, others simply accompanying their masters. Ahead of the groom and tysyatsky, two stablemen in golden livery carry switches, followed by others holding horse trappings. Near the groom, attendants in ceremonial attire proceed, and upon arrival at the test’’s courtyard, they enter in the same manner and make their way upstairs.

The priest blesses them with the cross, and one druzhka from the bride’s side greets them on behalf of the test’, leading the way for the groom and tysyatsky, while the test’ and invited boyars remain in their places, standing on either side of the room. The tysyatsky and groom enter, bowing in all four directions, as the groom’s druzhka lifts a small boy from the groom’s seat, where he had been sitting beside the bride. The druzhka says quickly, “Your steed in the Horde, and your gold on the Ugra.”

The priest blesses the groom at the wedding place, and the tysyatsky and poezhane take their seats. The local and visiting priests order the candles to be lit around the wedding area, positioning one candle-bearer from the groom’s side across from him and another from the bride’s side across from her. The karavayniki align their trays together, and the ceremony begins. After the vows, the groom kisses the bride.

Then the two svakhi rise and, without moving from their places, bow in all four directions and say to the bride’s father and bride’s mother, “(Name), bless your children, the groom and bride, for the ceremonial combing of their hair.” The svakhi then enclose the bride and groom with a covering, and one of the svakhi combs the groom’s hair, then unbraids the bride’s hair, re-braids it, and places the kika upon her head.

During this time, the senior druzhka cuts the ceremonial loaves and cheeses into slices from four sides, placing them on one plate, breaking the cheeses into pieces, and arranging them across the plates. On the first plate, where the crusts are, he places a handkerchief, presents it to the groom, and says, “The bride greets you with bread, cheese, and a handkerchief.” The groom takes only one handkerchief, keeping it for himself, and distributes bread, cheese, and handkerchiefs to the tysyatsky and poezhane according to the register. This also applies to the bride’s parents and to invited boyars and boyarynas, each receiving a plate. Couriers deliver similar gifts to the groom’s parents, along with all invited boyars and boyarynas. Any relatives of the groom and bride, whether present or absent, also receive bread, cheese, and handkerchiefs.

Once the tysyatsky and poezhane receive their bread, the bride’s father rises and offers wine to the tysyatsky and poezhane, instructing that wine be served to all invited boyars as well as their servants in the rooms, vestibule, on the porch, and in the yard, while gifting handkerchiefs to those whom the bride’s father designates.

When the bride is veiled and carried to another room with the ceremonial crown on a plate, the senior svakha showers them with blessings, while the tysyatsky rises and lifts the groom. The priest begins with, “All my hope…” as the druzhka seeks a blessing from the bride’s parents, saying, “Bless your children to go to the crowning,” and the groom, bowing to the bride’s parents in respect, takes his bride by the hand and proceeds, with the poezhane ahead in the usual order.

In the same manner, the poezhane mount their horses, with the groom on an steed, and the bride, alone, seated in the sleigh with the two svakhas opposite her. Local boyarynyas do not accompany them to the crowning. At the ceremony, a pair of sable pelts is placed underfoot: one under the groom and the other under the bride. A handleless cup is used, which, after drinking, is broken by releasing it gently, then stomping on the pieces. After the crowning, they return to the bride’s father’s residence.

The invited boyars greet them at the horse and porch, with the bride’s father waiting in the vestibule, where he embraces the groom. Holding his bride’s hand, the groom, supported by the tysyatsky, and the bride by the svakhas, enter. The bride’s mother showers them with blessings as they bow and sit in their places. The bride’s father offers wine to the groom, fine wines being served, but he samples only the crust and cheese. The table is first adorned with a swan, presented before the groom, who places his hand upon it and commands it to be carved. The swan is divided for the bride’s parents and invited boyars and boyarynas, with a cup of Romanee wine served alongside.

After the third course, the groom rises with the tysyatsky and one druzhka and begins inviting each by name, with the druzhka saying to the bride’s father, “The groom greets you and invites you to his feast tomorrow,” extending the invitation to the bride’s mother and all invited boyars and boyarynas. As the druzhka speaks, the groom bows with his fur hat on. After the invitations, the druzhka removes the upper tablecloth, takes the plate with crusts and cheese, wraps it, and gives it to his servants to take to the vestibule.

The poezhane exit the rooms and mount their horses, while the bride’s father, taking his daughter by the hand near the doors, respectfully addresses his son-in-law by name: “By God’s providence, my daughter has received a crown with you, and you should cherish and love her in lawful marriage, as did our fathers and grandfathers.” The groom kisses the bride’s father on the shoulder, and, with the bride by his side, mounts his horse, while the bride rides in the sleigh with the svakhas, returning to their residence as before.

Upon arriving back, they proceed directly to the vestibule, where the groom’s mother showers them with blessings, while they walk along the laid pathway. Once inside, the groom and bride sit on the bed, and the tysyatsky enters, removes the bride’s veil, and says to them, “May God grant you rest in good health,” as candles and the ceremonial bread are placed in their designated spots, along with the cap and kika.

Evening prayers are held, and the groom removes his attire, while the bride is undressed behind a curtain. The tysyatsky, with all the poezhane, goes to the groom’s father’s rooms, while two druzhkas, two svakhas, and the chamberlain remain with the newlyweds in the vestibule, and certain trusted boyars and boyarynyas assist them with undressing. The groom dons a simple fur coat, and the bride, a telogreya cloak, both wearing tall hats, and they dismiss the druzhkas and svakhas, leaving only those who assist with their footwear, then fulfilling their duties.

The tysyatsky, poezhane, druzhka, and senior svakha proceed to the groom’s father, announcing, “By God’s mercy, your children are resting peacefully after the crowning.” Meanwhile, other attendants travel to the bride’s parents with similar news, and two chamberlains keep vigilant by the door. When the groom calls for the chamberlain, he asks for a nearby boyaryna, then steps behind the curtain, washing himself and donning a dressing gown and fur coat. The bride, accompanied by the boyaryna, also washes, with her undergarments placed in the basins. She then puts on a dressing gown and coat, calling for the druzhka, as the groom settles on the main bed and the bride on a feather cushion behind the curtain.

When the druzhka arrives, they dispatch him to the bride’s parents with the message, “By God’s grace and your parental care, we are well and greet you with deep gratitude.” Upon hearing this, the bride’s father embraces the druzhka, offering a small cup or ladle, while the bride’s mother receives a handkerchief. Thus, joyous celebrations commence at both homes.

As the evening progresses, with the betrothal and crowning, vespers in the vestibule, and on the next morning as the bride emerges from the bath, prayers, matins, a molieben, and canonical hours are held in full ritual observance. As the groom’s mother, druzhka, and svakha leave the vestibule, the couple does as they wish. Horses are tethered by the steps, neighing as they observe one another. Finally, the poezhane, invited boyars and boyarynas, druzhkas, and svakhas depart to their homes, while relatives may remain overnight, with candles burning until dawn. At sunrise, the baths are stoked in preparation.

The next morning, the druzhkas and svakhas gather at both households. The younger druzhka from the bride’s side sends servants with bathing utensils and additional items to the groom’s senior druzhka. These include a copper kettle with a lid, two basins, two standard ladles, and two plain ladles for water. The younger druzhka instructs the groom’s druzhka to announce when the groom wakes up. When the groom is ready to rise, he calls for the chamberlain and asks the druzhka to come to him and sends the bath attendants to prepare the bathhouse. Once all is ready, and the druzhka arrives, the groom, having put on his shoes and draped himself in a simple fur coat and soft cap, proceeds, shielding himself with his sleeve. Meanwhile, the bride lies in bed, covered with a blanket, until the svakha and local boyarynyas enter and begin to rouse her.

At this point, the surna sounds, trumpets play, and drums resound. The bride, now lifted, is dressed in a white letnik, a gilded coat, and a tall fur hat. Covered by veils, she proceeds to the rooms, where a small bed awaits her behind a curtain, where she will lie down.

The groom’s druzhka then sends word to the bride’s father, informing him that the groom has gone to the bathhouse and the bride has departed. At this, the other svakha departs to join the bride, and the bride’s father releases the druzhka to take the ceremonial gifts to the groom, who, adorned in gold, travels with attendants as before, and the gifts are carried in sleighs following him.

Upon arriving at the bathhouse, the druzhka arranges the items, distributing to the servants the shirt, trousers, belt with a purse (containing gold coins), sash, undergarments, stockings, shoes, coat, simple fur coat, and leather hat. Initially, the groom receives a dressing gown and shoes. At the bathhouse, the poezhane, the tysyatsky with companions, and attendants arrive, with drink stands prepared for those who wish to partake, and drums play, with handkerchiefs distributed to the bath attendants. After bathing, the groom returns to the vestibule to rest briefly. The bride does not visit the bathhouse but is washed in her chambers. When the time comes, she is dressed with the kika and full attire, accompanied by the svakhas to the vestibule, while the groom, with his attendants, heads to his rooms to adorn himself in gold. According to the betrothal rites, the bride is seated on the bed, veiled by the svakhas, while the groom, fully dressed, enters the vestibule and sits beside her. The tysyatsky and poezhane sit in proper order.

The groom’s father enters with the invited boyars, kissing his son and offering well-wishes for marriage, then unveiling the bride, extending blessings for her health in marriage. All guests offer their congratulations. The groom’s father presents the couple with icons, crosses, or panagias, and possibly ancestral estates. A rooster and kasha are also presented, which the groom tastes. The groom then accompanies his father and poezhane to their rooms, while the bride, now unveiled, goes with the svakhas to another room with the groom’s mother, where she is embraced, congratulated, and blessed with crosses or panagias and rings by the groom’s mother and the boyarynas. Meanwhile, drinks and refreshments are prepared.

When the time comes, everyone gathers in the main room, where the table is set with fruits on a tablecloth without dishes or bread. Their garments are arranged—light robes for summer, fur coats for winter—and the boyarynas are seated in white letniks or red coats with sleeves, wearing winter hoods. The groom’s parents sit at the head of the table, with the bride and groom in seats of honor beside the svakhas and invited boyarynas. The tysyatsky and invited boyars are seated on a bench, while the poezhane sit at a side table. Drinks are served, and a druzhka arrives from the bride’s father bearing gifts on plates, offering a shirt and trousers to the groom’s father, announcing, “The bride greets you,” and the groom’s father accepts them while the bride bows. The groom’s mother receives kamka fabric, and each boyaryna a piece of taffeta, as presented by a servant with similar words and a bow from the bride. In simpler weddings, the groom’s mother receives taffeta or similar cloth, and the invited boyarynas receive a shirt, handkerchief, or veil; invited boyars receive shirts and trousers, but the poezhane receive nothing.

After enjoying the fruits, the parents bless their son with icons, golden garments, a fur coat, household vessels, horses in ornamental gear, and serfs or estates, with the mother adding her blessing. The bride is then adorned with jewelry, attire, and vessels. The tysyatsky and invited boyars bestow gifts on the bride and groom, as they wish.

Returning to their rooms, they prepare the horses and, when ready, dress in golden attire, proceeding in the same order as for the wedding to the bride’s parents’ home: the priest at the front with the cross, followed by the poezhane, then the tysyatsky with the groom. Upon entering the yard, the bride’s family greets them with drums and trumpets, and a grand reception commences, with servants at the gates and near the horses, and relatives greet them in the vestibule, where the bride’s father embraces the groom, the tysyatsky, and the poezhane. In the rooms, at the place of honor, the bride’s mother and invited boyarynas await.

At the table, fruits are laid on a cloth without dishes, and the father, joined by the invited guests, enters the room first, with everyone taking their seats. The groom, tysyatsky, and one druzhka enter, followed by another local druzhka, while the poezhane follow the groom. The bride’s mother rises slightly, asking after her son-in-law’s health and exchanging a kiss through a handkerchief, and the invited boyarynas greet the groom similarly, some with handkerchiefs and others directly. The boyarynas sit in order on a bench, with the groom seated beside the bride’s mother, and the tysyatsky at the corner, with the bride’s father at the table’s end and the invited boyars on a bench, and the poezhane at a side table as before.

Following the fruit course, the bride’s father offers wine and drinks are served, with fruit being consumed. Once the fruits are cleared, everyone changes attire, and breakfast, an ample spread, is served. The boyarynas remain in the same garments, seated in white letniks and red coats. After the meal, the groom rises from the table, accompanied by the tysyatsky, and the druzhka calls the bride’s father and mother, as well as the honored boyars and boyarynas, each by name: “The groom invites you to dine and feast with him today.” Exiting to the vestibule, they don their golden garments and return home in the same procession.

Upon arrival, they rest briefly while the table is prepared. When the time comes, the bride is dressed in her main attire, and the druzhka is sent to invite the bride’s father, mother, and all the invited boyars and boyarynas to dine.

The bride’s father arrives in golden attire, accompanied by invited boyars similarly dressed, proceeding two by two with their servants walking alongside. The bride’s mother arrives in a sleigh, dressed in golden letniks and veils, with each boyaryna in separate sleighs.

As the party arrives at the groom’s parents’ yard, the boyars head to one set of steps, and the boyarynas to another, where boyars greet the boyars and boyarynas greet the boyarynas at the porch or in the vestibule, depending on their rank. In the dining area, the table is adorned with fruits.

The boyarynas arrive first, with the bride’s mother seated at the place of honor, followed by the bride and the svakhas, then the visiting boyarynas, and finally the local boyarynas, with the groom’s mother seated lowest. The bride’s father sits at the table’s end, with the groom’s father beside him, while invited boyars take seats on the bench in order of rank, followed by the local invited boyars. The groom sits beside his father, while the tysyatsky and poezhane are seated at a side table.

Once seated, the groom’s father and the visiting boyars bow to the groom’s mother and the local boyarynas, inquiring after their health and exchanging kisses, before changing into different attire in the vestibule. After returning to the table, they are served wine, fruits, and drinks, and once the fruits are removed, the main courses are served. The groom rises, offering drinks to his father and father-in-law and serving his mother-in-law cups of wine and fine mead. When the meal concludes, the bride’s father stands, and the second druzhka addresses the groom’s father by name, saying, “The groom requests the pleasure of your company at his table tomorrow.” The druzhka calls out the names of the groom’s father, mother, invited boyars, and boyarynas to be guests, and the groom’s father bows as the groom offers drinks to his father-in-law and the visiting boyars.

At an appropriate time, gifts are brought forth: a double cup or lidded goblet, velvet or kamka fabric, and, after filling the vessels with mead, the groom’s father speaks to the bride’s father, saying, “May God grant us a good life with our children,” naming his son and daughter-in-law, “and may they have many years with their children.” The senior druzhka then announces, calling the bride’s father by name: “Your son-in-law (name) greets you!” offering a gilded double cup, matching velvet, and forty sable pelts, while he presents the bride’s mother with a bratina or cup, kamka, and forty sables, saying, “The son-in-law greets you and sends these gifts.”

Afterward, the boyarynas accompany the bride to her chambers, where they dress for departure. The bride’s parents and visiting boyars then depart in the same order, escorted to their horses, while the boyarynas are accompanied to their sleighs by the boyars. Joyous celebrations continue in both households, with druzhkas and svakhas waiting until the bride and groom enter the vestibule to retire, whereupon they leave for their homes.

The following day, the bath is prepared, and the druzhka arrives from the bride’s father with smaller bath gifts than before: a shirt, trousers, belt, towel, and possibly an additional item. After bathing, the groom is dressed in the vestibule, and he proceeds with the poezhane to his parents’ chambers to pay respects, where fruits are prepared as before.

At the table, the groom’s mother, bride, svakhas, invited boyarynas, and boyars are seated in rank, enjoying fruits and drinks. The druzhka from the bride’s father arrives, inviting the groom’s parents, bride, groom, and invited boyars and boyarynas. After refreshments, they change attire for breakfast.

The bride’s father arranges tables set with fruits, and at the appointed time, the druzhka summons them to dine. The groom’s father rides on the groom’s right, with the tysyatsky on his left, while the poezhane lead the procession in full regalia, followed by the invited boyars. The groom’s mother and the bride ride in a sleigh, opposite one another, with the invited boyarynas and svakhas in individual sleighs, with the svakhas seated opposite the leading boyarynas.

Upon arrival, everyone is greeted with proper ceremony: the bride’s father welcomes the groom’s father and son-in-law, while the bride’s mother welcomes the groom’s mother and daughter. They all enter the dining room, where tables are adorned with fruit, and the visiting boyars exchange greetings with the local boyarynas. Wine and drinks are served, and they enjoy the fruits. When the time comes, the boyarynas return to their rooms, and, after dessert, the dowry is inspected, with any disputes deferred to another day. The men and women then dine separately, with the bride’s father blessing the groom with icons and gifts—cups, velvet, kamka, sable pelts, horses, and armor, extending congratulations. The fathers and the tysyatsky drink cups with one another, and afterward, dressed in finery, the father, groom, tysyatsky, and senior boyars go to the ladies’ chambers, where the bride’s father blesses his daughter with icons, garments, vessels, rings, land, and gifted servants.

The bride’s mother blesses the groom with icons, garments, and vessels, and then blesses her daughter, adorning her with outfits and attire. The couple returns home in the same manner and continues to celebrate with guests over the following days, as they please.

A Simple Wedding Ceremony #

In cases where a full ceremonial wedding is unfeasible due to circumstances, the groom arrives with his family to meet the bride’s father and discuss the contents of the dowry and the terms of the marriage contract. For external observers, the contract may list a larger dowry than is expected to be claimed, to enhance the appearance of the arrangement. After the marriage contracts are drawn up, the families exchange congratulations and documents, and the bride’s father blesses the groom with an icon, whether valuable or simple, and may gift him some silk or even a bow. The couple then proceeds to the bride’s mother, who inquires about his health and exchanges a kiss through a handkerchief, while the bride kisses the groom’s father in the same manner. In some regions, the groom even kisses the bride when she presents him with a handkerchief.

On the day appointed for the wedding, the groom, having received a blessing from his parents, departs the table with the poezhane and sends ahead a druzhka to announce his arrival, ensuring all is prepared. The druzhka checks the bedchamber, locks it, and assigns a chamberlain to guard it.

Meanwhile, the bride is seated in her designated place, with the svakha and relatives gathered around the table set with loaves, cakes, ceremonial bread, cheese, embroidered cloths, a veil, and other wedding items. The groom’s servants, carrying candles and ceremonial bread, arrive before him, with two attendants bearing trays of bread taking their places. The groom, dressed in formal attire, enters after the candles and bread bearers, accompanied by the priest with the cross, the druzhka, poezhane, and finally, the groom and the tysyatsky. Following blessings from the bride’s parents, the groom takes his place, with the poezhane seated in proper order, and the priest performs the betrothal rites according to custom, after which the groom kisses the bride. The svakha rises, bows, and requests a blessing to style the bride’s and groom’s hair.

At this time, the druzhka slices the ceremonial loaves and cheeses, arranging handkerchiefs on the plates and presenting them to the groom, the tysyatsky, and the poezhane, announcing, “The bride sends her greetings to you.” Meanwhile, the bride’s father offers drinks to the tysyatsky and poezhane.

When the bride is covered with the ceremonial veil, the svakha sprinkles her with the prepared grains. Upon rising from the table, as they depart for the crowning ceremony and return, the bride’s mother and father sprinkle the newlyweds again on the porch. Local relatives greet them on the porch and in the vestibule, exchanging kisses with the groom, the tysyatsky, and the poezhane. They take their seats, and the bride’s father offers wine, followed by food. Guests sit as they wish; some rise after the third course, while others remain seated since no one is expected to depart, and the groom does not invite his parents-in-law to his own home—everything is hosted here.

When it is time for the groom to take his bride to their bed, the bride’s father, standing at the door, formally hands over his daughter to the groom, addressing him by his full name: “By God’s providence, my daughter has received the crown with you, and may you strive to love her in lawful marriage, as our fathers and forefathers have done.” The groom kisses his father-in-law on the shoulder in response, and the couple proceeds with the group to the lower chamber, where the bride’s mother once again sprinkles them since the groom’s mother is absent.

They walk along the laid path, and once in the chamber, the bride’s father sits briefly on the bed, then unveils his daughter before departing. A rooster and kasha are brought in, and evening prayers are held. The groom’s outer garments are removed, and everyone exits. Later, when the groom sends word through the druzhka that all is in order, the bride’s mother arrives to serve food herself, carrying the dishes in her arms.

The next day, at the appointed time, the groom goes to the bathhouse, and the bride’s father sends the necessary bathing gifts, including shirts and trousers. The groom returns from the bathhouse to the lower chamber, where the tysyatsky and all the poezhane gather with him. When the time comes, fruits are prepared at the bride’s father’s table, and all the female guests sit down in order of rank. The groom enters with his poezhane, and the bride’s parents inquire after his health, exchanging kisses with the groom’s mother and the guests through a handkerchief. Wine and drinks are offered to everyone. After a suitable time, everyone exits to change attire, and when the table is ready, they sit down in order, sometimes together with the bride and female guests, and sometimes separately.

When the meal concludes, the groom returns to the lower chamber with his poezhane to rest, entertained by merrymakers. The bride stays with her mother.

When it is time for the tysyatsky and the poezhane to depart, the groom sends for the bride, and they retire.

The next day, the bathhouse ceremony is repeated, with another shirt and pair of trousers sent to the groom. Upon returning to the lower chamber from the bathhouse, the tysyatsky and the poezhane gather around him. Later, they all enter the bride’s father’s chambers for a fruit table, where a formal inspection of the dowry takes place, with notes on the value of each piece of jewelry and attire, followed by the signing of the marriage contract, which is then exchanged between the families.

After completing this, they proceed to the bride’s mother’s chambers, where the bride is dressed, and fruits are set out. The bride’s mother serves wine to the groom, the tysyatsky, and the poezhane. After sampling the fruits and drinks, they exit to change attire again before returning to the dining table. Following the meal, toasts are made with cups, and the bride’s father offers his blessing to the groom, bestowing upon him gifts as he chooses. Only after this final blessing does the family depart, returning to their respective homes. The bride’s parents bless their daughter and offer her gifts as they take leave.

Upon returning to his parents’ home, the groom is welcomed by all relatives, guests, and honored ladies who have gathered. The groom sends word of his arrival ahead, and as he approaches, he and his entourage pay their respects to his father, while the bride goes to greet her mother-in-law. They change out of their traveling clothes and dress in customary attire. When ready, the groom’s father greets his daughter-in-law, inquiring after her health and offering a kiss, while she presents him with a handkerchief. The groom’s mother greets the female guests with traditional headscarves.

The groom then, with the poezhane, also pays his respects to his mother, who asks about his health and kisses him. Then, all sit down at a common table. The female guests are seated first, followed by the male guests, and gifts are brought to the groom’s father on a plate: a shirt and trousers, presented by the druzhka, while the bride bows. The groom’s mother receives kamka or taffeta, a shirt, or an embroidered cloth, and relatives receive shirts and trousers, while female guests receive shirts, embroidered cloths, or sometimes headscarves. Each item is presented by the druzhka, with the bride bowing.

Then, as agreed, the meal proceeds either together or separately. If the poezhane return late, the fruit, gift-giving, and feast may be postponed to the next day or even the third day. Following the feast, the groom’s parents offer congratulations, blessing the groom with icons and presenting gifts to their son and daughter-in-law. Relatives then offer their blessings, gifting the newlyweds icons, while female guests present the bride with crosses or rings, marking the beginning of the final celebration.

Regarding the wedding arrangements #

Candles are prepared in different sizes, both large and medium. The groom’s main candle weighs five pounds and is three-quarters of an arshin (approximately 21 inches) in length, while the bride’s candle weighs four pounds and measures up to seven vershoks (approximately 12.25 inches). By custom, the bride’s candle is shorter, thinner, and smaller, made according to their means. There are also two ceremonial loaves, one for the groom and one for the bride. Trays are sent from the bride’s side, while the covering cloth comes from the groom’s side, with a cross sewn onto it. The trays for the loaves, provided by the groom’s side, are modestly sized—not too large, but neither small. For the crowning ceremony, the drinks and glassware come from the bride’s side.

The groom’s parents receive sweets and gifts from the bride’s family, although sometimes sweets are sent without other gifts. During the engagement, the groom and bride exchange rings: simple rings or bands with signets, either gold or silver. Bent rings with stones, however, are not used in wedding ceremonies.

When heading to the crowning ceremony, both the groom and bride leave their designated places and walk to their horses and sleighs without a carpeted path. They step off from the spot plainly, without a laid path.

Upon arriving at the church where the wedding will be held, they dismount, and the bride is helped from the sleigh. As they ascend the steps to the church porch, from the porch up to the church doors, across the threshold, and into the middle of the church, a carpeted path is laid for them. The bride and groom stand on this path in the church.

This pathway, provided by the bride’s parents, is laid out with whatever cloth they have—whether it be taffeta, zendeni, or kindyaki. After the crowning, when leaving the church, the couple returns to their horses and sleighs without any carpeted path. When the newlyweds return to the bride’s parents’ home, the poezhane head to their rooms, while the bride and groom proceed to the lower chamber. From the sleigh, up the steps, across the porch, through the vestibule, and all the way to the bed in the lower chamber, a carpeted path is laid underfoot. This path may also be laid in the groom’s parents’ home, using kamka, taffeta, kindyaki, or even cloth.

As soon as the newlyweds pass by, the path is lifted behind them, carried forward, and laid out again along their route.

When the couple reaches the lower chamber, the bride’s mother, dressed in a fur coat inside-out, stands at the door and sprinkles them with seeds before returning to her quarters, while the couple enters the chamber and sits on the bed. Accompanying them in the chamber are the svakha, the druzhka, visiting boyarynas, and a few trusted local women. A boiled chicken with kasha is brought for the groom, who breaks off pieces of the chicken and returns it, while sampling a small portion of the kasha. The bride is also offered some kasha, which is set aside and brought back to the chamber early the next morning, as they later bring it to the bride’s parents.

The druzhka assists the groom in undressing and then returns to the quarters, while the svakha and local women help the bride undress and place her with the groom in the bed before leaving. Chamber attendants remain by the lower chamber to guard the couple from disturbances, while the groom fulfills his marital duty, by which children are conceived. After about half an hour, the druzhka returns to check on the groom, who then sends him to the parents to pay respects and inquire after their health. The parents instruct the druzhka to tell the groom they will visit shortly. The druzhka and the svakha, along with the boyarynyas who previously assisted with the bride’s attire, go back to the groom and announce that his parents are coming to visit him.

The groom rises, puts on shoes, and covers himself with a simple fur coat or whatever suitable garment is available. The women help the bride rise from the bed, dressing her in a modest coat and hat, though without shoes, and seat her on the bed opposite the parents.

When the parents enter, they congratulate the couple and serve them food. Meanwhile, the druzhka rides to the bride’s parents to deliver respects and provide an update on the proceedings.

Early the next morning, after the bath, the druzhka goes to the bride’s parents with the kasha that was served to the groom in the lower chamber, along with the bridal nightshirts. These shirts are brought back, sealed with the mother’s stamp.

A Father’s Message and Counsel to His Son #

The blessing of Silvester, priest of the Annunciation, to my beloved only son, Anfim.

My dear, precious child! Listen to the counsel of your father, who brought you into this world and raised you with good instruction in God’s commandments, taught you the fear of God, the sacred scriptures, and the entire Christian law. I have guided you in the pursuit of goodness, in all types of trades, and the handling of all goods; you carry a bishop’s blessing upon you, and have received favor from the Tsar and the Tsarina, from his brothers and all the boyars. You associate with good people, engage in substantial trade, and have friendships with many foreigners. You have received all these blessings, so may you act accordingly, in a godly manner. All this, you know, was initiated through our care, and may God sustain this way of life for you beyond our time.

I have united you in lawful marriage with a virtuous daughter of honorable parents, blessing you with all sanctities, holy crosses, and sacred icons, along with a name blessed by God—gifts I know were earned through righteous labors, and God, who guides all, affirms my words. Now, my son Anfim, I entrust and commend you to our Creator, our good guardian, Jesus Christ, to His mother, the Most Pure God-bearer and our protector and helper, and to all the saints, as Scripture instructs: “Strive to leave your children instructed in the Lord’s commandments—for that is greater than unjust wealth: it is better to live in righteous poverty than in wrongful riches.”

You too, my child, guard yourself against unjust wealth; do good deeds and, my child, have great faith in God, placing all your hopes in the Lord, for no one who trusts in Christ shall be lost! Remain steadfast in faith and always attend God’s holy churches; do not sleep through matins, nor skip the liturgy, nor miss vespers; do not forgo the compline or midnight prayers, and let the hours be sung in your home every day, for it is the duty of every Christian before God. If you can and wish to increase your devotions, you will receive greater mercy from God; in church and at home, during services, let yourself, your wife, children, and household stand with reverence, pray to God with awe, and listen attentively. During this time, speak of nothing else and do not look around unless necessary; perform services, whether private or public, in unity and purity.

Respect priests and monks: they are God’s servants, by whose labors we are cleansed from sin. They have been given the power to pray to the Lord for our sins and to invoke His mercy. Obey your spiritual father and any priest in spiritual guidance, as should your wife. Invite them to your home to pray for the health of the Tsar, the Tsarina, their children, and brothers, for priests, monks, and all Christians. Have prayer services performed for your sins and those of your household, and have water sanctified with the Life-giving Cross, holy relics, and miracle-working icons. The sick are anointed with holy oil in God’s churches, and so should you do: come with alms and offerings for health and remember departed parents with purity, that you yourself may be remembered by God.

Invite church workers, the poor, the frail, and travelers into your home, and as you are able, feed, clothe, and give alms from righteous labors, for whether at home, in the marketplace, or on the road, all sins are cleansed by such deeds. They intercede before God for our sins. Follow true righteousness and genuine love in all things; judge no one and consider your own sins, how you might overcome them. Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself. Above all, preserve bodily purity and treat your conscience as a fierce enemy, despising it as a dangerous friend; abstain from intoxicating drink for God’s sake, as drunkenness breeds disease and all wicked deeds.

If the Lord preserves you from this, you will receive all good and necessary things from God, gain respect among people, and open a path to your soul for all good deeds. Remember, child, the apostolic word: “Neither the drunkard, nor the fornicator, nor the adulterer, nor the sodomite, nor the thief, nor the robber, nor the slanderer, nor the murderer shall inherit the Kingdom of God!” And if some passion overcomes you, or you fall into sin, turn to God in sincere faith and to your spiritual father with bitter tears, lament your sins, and repent sincerely, promising never to do such things again. Keep the teachings of your spiritual father and fulfill penance: the merciful Lord loves the righteous, shows mercy to sinners, and calls all to salvation.

Above all, guard and preserve yourself in the righteous Christian covenant; keep your tongue from evil and your lips from uttering lies. Guard yourself against deception, boasting, and slander, and do not exalt yourself in any matter; humble yourself more than all people, and you will be granted God’s glory. Despise no one, my child, and in every need, remember how we have lived our lives. No one has ever left our home hungry or sad; to the best of our ability, we have provided each person with what they needed for God’s sake and comforted the sorrowful with words. We have helped each one as we could, lending assistance in the name of Christ, who invisibly sent His grace upon us in abundance.

Never have we harbored malice toward anyone, save perhaps in error but without malice. Child, honor monks, and may travelers always find food in your home; visit monasteries with alms and provisions, and visit prisoners, the poor, and the sick, giving alms according to your means.

Provide for your household, clothe them, and ensure they have enough. Love your wife and live with her according to God’s commandment: avoid intimacy on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays, during holy days, and throughout Great Lent; live in virtue, fasting, praying, and repenting. A lawful life is for the glory of God and for the sake of the eternal Kingdom, while God will judge fornicators and adulterers. What you practice yourself, my son, also teach your wife: the fear of God, various knowledge, and skills in crafts and household duties, so that she may know how to bake, cook, and manage any domestic work. Let her be skilled in all kinds of women’s handiwork—when she herself knows and is capable, she will be able to teach children and servants, instructing them and guiding them in everything. She should never drink alcohol, and neither should the children or servants in her care. Never let your wife be idle or without handiwork, except if she falls ill, and likewise for her servants.

If she goes visiting or hosts guests, let her remain sober, conversing with the women about handiwork, household matters, and the righteous Christian life, without jesting or idle chatter. Both at home and as a guest, let her neither speak nor listen to impure songs, obscene language, lewd speech, or harsh words; neither she nor her servants should know of wizards, sorcerers, or any witchcraft, nor allow any men or women who practice such things into your home. If she does not understand this, correct her firmly, saving her through fear—but do not hold anger against each other. Teach her in private, and after instructing her, comfort and reassure her; show her kindness. Do the same with your children and household members, teaching them the fear of God and all good deeds, as you will have to answer for them on the Day of Judgment. If you live according to this counsel and these writings, you will receive great grace from God and be found worthy of eternal life with your household.

Additionally, my son, keep close to good people of all ranks and imitate their good deeds. Listen carefully to their wise words and put them into practice. Read the Holy Scriptures often and hold them in your heart for your own benefit. You have seen yourself, my son, how we lived our lives in full reverence and in the fear of God, with simplicity of heart, respect for the church, and always according to the Holy Scriptures. You have seen how, by God’s grace, we were honored and loved by everyone, serving each person in need with actions, service, and humility, never with pride. I have never judged or ridiculed anyone with slanderous words, nor reproached anyone, nor argued with anyone. If offense came from someone, we endured it for God’s sake and blamed ourselves, which often turned enemies into friends.

If I have sinned before God or people, in spirit or in body, I have immediately repented of it before God, confessing my sins to my spiritual father with tears and humbly seeking forgiveness. I have obediently fulfilled any penance he prescribed. If anyone has corrected me in sin or ignorance, offered me spiritual guidance, or even reprimanded or mocked me, I accepted it with gratitude, as if it were the truth, repented of it, and distanced myself from such actions, with God’s help. Even if I was innocent and the accusations, scorn, and reproaches were unjust, I still took responsibility without defending myself before others, trusting that God in His righteousness would reveal the truth.

I have remembered the words of the Gospel: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you, offer the other cheek to the one who strikes you, and do not withhold your tunic or cloak from the one who takes it, and give to everyone who asks of you, without demanding back what is taken; and if someone compels you to go one mile, go with him two.” I also remembered the prayer during Communion: “Lord, have mercy on those who hate me, who oppose me, and who slander me, as well as those who lie about me; may none of them suffer harm because of me, a sinful and unworthy person, neither in this life nor in the age to come; rather, cleanse them with Your mercy and cover them with Your grace, O most gracious one!”

I have always found comfort in knowing that I have never neglected church service from my youth until now, except in sickness. I have never turned away the poor, the needy, the traveler, the sorrowful, or the distressed, save in ignorance; I have redeemed prisoners, debtors, and captives from imprisonment and slavery, and I have fed the hungry to the best of my ability. I freed my own slaves and gave them provisions, and others I purchased out of slavery and set free; now, as you see, our freed servants live in prosperity and pray to God for us, assisting us in every way. If any have forgotten us, may God forgive them. Now our household lives freely and in their own will. You have seen, my son, how many destitute orphans, slaves, and impoverished individuals, both men and women, in Novgorod and here in Moscow, I have raised to adulthood, educated in whatever skills they could learn. Some I taught literacy, reading, and singing; others I taught icon painting, book arts, silverwork, and many other crafts, and some I trained in trade.

Your mother raised many maidens and widows with good instruction, teaching them handiwork and all household tasks, giving them dowries and arranging marriages, while men she placed with good people. Now, by God’s grace, they are free and live in comfort, many serving as priests, deacons, clerks, and others in various ranks, each according to their calling and where God has placed them. Some engage in various crafts, others trade in shops, and many work in commerce across different lands. By God’s grace, all our dependents and wards have remained honorable, with neither loss nor disgrace nor penalty from anyone, nor quarrels with others; in all things, God has preserved us. For those who caused us losses or grievances, we endured them silently, and no one heard of it, for which God has rewarded us. Imitate this, my son, and act likewise: bear all grievances within yourself, endure, and God will reward you twice over.

I have known no other wife besides your mother; the vow I made to her I have kept. O God, Christ, grant me the grace to complete my life as a Christian and in obedience to Your commandments!

Live according to Christian law, my child—without deceit in all your actions and without any cunning, and do not believe every spirit: emulate the good, and do not welcome the wicked or those who violate the law in any way. Keep the sacred bond of marriage until the end of your life, maintain bodily purity, and know no one outside of your wife. Guard yourself from the sickness of drunkenness, as these two evils—adultery and drunkenness—are the root of all misfortune and lead to the depths of hell: they empty the home, destroy wealth, deprive a person of God’s mercy, bring dishonor from others, mockery, humiliation, and curses from parents. But if, my child, the Lord shields you from such evils, if you keep His commandments and abstain from intoxicating drink, living a virtuous life as all God-fearing people do, then God will show you mercy, people will respect you, and the Lord will fill your home with every blessing.

Remember also to welcome guests, feed those who visit, and maintain friendships with your neighbors, sharing bread, salt, and good business in all matters. When you go visiting, take modest gifts as tokens of friendship. When traveling, share your table with those accompanying you and offer drink as well. Give alms to those in need. If you live in this way, people everywhere will look forward to meeting you, seeing you off with blessings and protecting you from harm: you will not be robbed at the inn or attacked on the road. Even those with ill intent respect good people for their goodness and treat wicked people out of necessity, for it is no loss for a good person to turn even an ill-wisher toward kindness. Bread and salt are mutual gifts, as are presents, and friendship is eternal, bringing lasting good reputation.

In travel, feasting, and trade, never start a quarrel, but if anyone provokes you, endure it for God’s sake and avoid the strife; virtue overcomes evil and hatred, as the Lord resists the proud and loves the humble, granting grace to the obedient. If those under your care get into a quarrel, scold them as needed, and even strike if necessary, even if they are in the right, to bring peace and prevent further trouble and enmity. It can often help to offer bread and salt to an enemy, who might become a friend instead of a foe.

Remember, my son, God’s great mercy to us, as our protector from youth until now. I have never acted as a guarantor for anyone, nor has anyone done so for me, and I have not been a plaintiff or defendant in any trial. You have seen many skilled craftsmen in various trades: iconographers, book copyists, silversmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters, stonemasons, brickmakers, and builders. I have given them money in advance for their work—a ruble, two, three, five, or ten or more. Although some were dishonest or prone to drinking, by God’s grace, in forty years I encountered no slander, no summons, no grievance with them. All was resolved with bread and salt, drinks, gifts, and virtue, with patience. When I bought something from someone, they received kindness from me, prompt payment, and even bread and salt, making our friendship enduring and ensuring they would never sell me poor goods or overcharge me. When I sold something, I dealt honestly without deception, taking back any item that did not please the buyer and refunding the money. I have never had quarrels or disputes with anyone in buying or selling, so that good people—both our own and foreigners—trusted me in all things. I have never lied, deceived, or delayed payments, and I have never taken on debt or signed a bond.

You, my dear son Anfim, in all I have taught you and in the ways I have instructed you to live virtuously and according to God’s will, I humbly ask you for the sake of the Lord and the Most Pure Mother of God, and all the great wonder-workers, to read this with love and attention, inscribe it on your heart, and live by these words. Teach and instruct your wife, children, and household in the fear of God and a virtuous life. If you follow these ways, and guide your wife, children, servants, and those close to you, arranging your home well, you will find grace with God and attain eternal life with all those around you.

If, however, you ignore my plea and instruction and do not live by these words, as good people and God-fearing men do, disregarding the commandments of your spiritual father and neglecting the teachings of divinely inspired men, ignoring the reverence for holy Scripture and failing to care for your household, I shall bear no share of your sin. You shall answer for yourself, your household, and your wife on the Day of Judgment.

But if you keep even a few of the humble commandments in this instruction and walk my path, justifying them by your deeds, then you will be a child of light and heir to the Heavenly Kingdom. God’s mercy will descend upon you, the Most Pure Mother of God and our protector, and the great wonder-workers—Nicholas, Peter, Alexis, Sergius, Nikon, Cyril, Barlaam, and Alexander, and all the saints—will bless you, along with the prayers of your parents and my eternal blessing, now and forevermore. I bless you, my child, and forgive you in this life and the next. May God’s mercy be upon you, your wife, your children, and all your well-wishers now and forever.

My only beloved son, Anfim, by God’s will and the command of the devout Orthodox Tsar, you have been appointed to serve in the royal treasury with customs duties. I now say to you, my child, with tears in my eyes: “For the sake of the Lord, remember the Tsar’s counsel, asking God for help, wisdom, strength, and all the virtues listed here, and serve in faith and truth without cunning or deceit in any state affair. Do not be partial to friends or retaliate against foes; do not delay anyone’s needs, serve all with love, avoiding quarrels; if an issue cannot be resolved, respond kindly, and if delayed, complete it without further delay. Conduct trade courteously, ensuring that your work in the Tsar’s service does not harm your soul in any way. Be satisfied with the Tsar’s blessed wages, keep all accounts carefully, with all income and expenses recorded, obey treasurers, and be agreeable with your companions, firm yet friendly with clerks, craftsmen, and guards. Be kind to every person, and address the poor, sorrowful, needy, and captive without delay, providing food, drink, and alms to the extent you can, judging each person fairly.

“If judgment is required, treat both the wealthy and the poor, friends and foes, with justice and honesty, without delay or deceit. As the Gospel says: ‘Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment, for with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you receive.’ Glory to God the Just, now and forever.”

Amen.

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