| Russian women in Society | | | | priests and their families were persecuted. Orthodox |
| RW have for a long time been competing to gain | | | | churches were closed down everywhere, |
| equal status in Russia. Although I think competing is | | | | monasteries were dismissed. The destruction of the |
| the wrong word. I think most women have resigned | | | | Temple of Christ the Savior in Moscow that was |
| themselves to the fact that they just need to wait | | | | erected in 1812 on public money to commemorate |
| for changes to take place - there is nothing they can | | | | the victory of the Russian army over Napoleon, may |
| do. | | | | serve a symbol of those years. |
| This sentiment typifies a RWs place in society. She is | | | | Communist ideology replaced Christianity for many |
| forced to go where there are opportunities for | | | | years. Believers were persecuted, those who were |
| her...and there are not many. One needs to also keep | | | | not members of Komsomol (young communists) |
| in mind the structure of Russian society. Many of our | | | | found it impossible to enter an institution of higher |
| clients look for doctors, lawyers and sometimes | | | | education. |
| engineers to marry. They do not know that in | | | | The collapse of the USSR and failure of communist |
| Russian these are the least prestigious careers with | | | | ideology were accompanied by the revival of |
| the least pay. This may not be so important to our | | | | Christianity. Orthodox churches were opened |
| clients but at least they will understand the woman's | | | | everywhere at the end of the 1990s. Missionaries |
| place in society. | | | | from the USA and West Europe extended their |
| The inferior placement of RW in society has much to | | | | sphere of activity. Alongside with the Orthodox |
| do with their role in history. Does anyone remember | | | | church, various protestant confessions - Baptists, |
| any famous women from Russian history? With the | | | | Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and |
| exception of Catherine the Great, that is impossible | | | | others are legalized and start their propaganda. |
| to do! Russian women are experiencing two | | | | Nowadays almost every Russian woman goes to the |
| revolutions, one is the reconnection with the West, | | | | church at least once a year to fire a candle to honor |
| and the other the possibility of living a life which is | | | | the memory of the dead or to prey for the health |
| not possible in Russia | | | | of the living. Many couples sanctify their marriage by |
| Up to the middle of the 19th century the woman in | | | | going through the church rite. But modern Russian |
| Russia had no legal rights. She was the property of | | | | women observe only the exterior of the rites |
| her husband and her social status depended on that | | | | without knowing the meaning if them: they go |
| of her husband. All education a woman could get was | | | | through the rite of christening and get their children |
| private, any public service (i.e., a possibility of taking | | | | christened, they go to the church on Easter and |
| some post) was out of the question. | | | | Christmas, some observe church fasts. But this is a |
| The 1860s are the period of marking a change in | | | | tribute to the tradition, religious fanatics are not |
| feminine consciousness and the starting point of | | | | numerous. The Russian Orthodox church did not |
| feminine struggle for equal rights. The idea of | | | | manage to restore its former impact on the hearts |
| emancipation was conceived by the progressive, | | | | and souls of its followers. But the link between the |
| educated part of Russian women nobility. They | | | | woman and the church is inherent in all Russian |
| strove for the right to get public education, including | | | | hearts, for they have always sought help from God |
| higher education. (In the 70s the higher courses of | | | | in difficult situations. |
| Bestuzhev were founded and existed up to the | | | | Like all poor countries, the church is seen as a focal |
| Revolution of 1917). | | | | point for women to seek comfort. Irrespective of |
| The first Russian emancipated women emphasized | | | | whether she believes in the Orthodox or Catholic |
| independence outwardly: they cut their hair short, | | | | Church, RW do believe that there is some higher |
| smoked, abandoned their families (strove to prove | | | | power guiding their hand through life. I make it my |
| they were able to support themselves), despised | | | | duty to keep God a central point of our family |
| men, considered the institution of the family a | | | | because I believe God brought us together. |
| survival of the past. | | | | An ordinary Russian woman is not a real believer in |
| Since 1917, after the Revolution, the Soviets officially | | | | Christianity, she is religious because she believes there |
| granted equal rights to men and women. But in the | | | | is something watching and protecting her. Her intuition |
| socialist state the women could exercise her equal | | | | drives her to follow Christian commandments and |
| rights in social labor only. Thus even popular women's | | | | observe Christian rites. Not many would tell you the |
| magazines were called "Rabotnitsa" ("The Industrial | | | | difference between the Orthodox church and the |
| Worker") and "Krestyanka" ("The Agricultural | | | | Roman Catholic church, but the Russian woman |
| Worker"). The significance of the feminine | | | | trusts in only one God to help her cope with her life |
| personality, individual peculiarities were artificially | | | | that is far from being straight and easy. |
| understated. This point is easily emphasized by a | | | | The Culture of Russian Women |
| comment a man once made. He said that during the | | | | Russian women are remarkable for their gifts. In the |
| 80's he had always had the impression RW were | | | | fields of sport, science and art, they have |
| cold, rough women with rough physical appearances. | | | | distinguished themselves. In the World History of |
| But after seeing me, he was forced to reconsider | | | | Arts are described the names of Russian ballet |
| this. | | | | dancers - Anna Pavlova, Maya Plisetskaya, opera |
| In modern Russia the situation is different. Still, | | | | singers - Elena Obrztsova, Galina Vishnevskaya, Irina |
| keeping in mind that Russian women nowadays may, | | | | Arkhipova, the primadonna of the Russian pop-art |
| though, volunteer army service, publish their works, | | | | Alla Pugachova, poets Marina Tsvetayeva, Anna |
| play football and hockey there is a certain | | | | Akhmatova. This list could be extended. |
| discrimination. This it is more difficult for a woman | | | | Introducing a child to the world of arts is an integral |
| than a man to find a well-paid job, to start her own | | | | part of education in Russia. Even if the girl's aptitudes |
| business, to launch a political career. Women account | | | | are not outstanding, it is a Russian tradition to have |
| for 53 per cent of the population of Russia but this | | | | her take a course in some arts, at least at the basic |
| majority is represented in Parliament by only 10 per | | | | level: there are music and arts schools, courses, |
| cent of its members. Women are usually treated as if | | | | societies in big cities and small towns. It is every |
| they are meant to serve the whims of their male | | | | mothers dream to see their daughter develop great |
| counterparts. | | | | skill in a musical instrument. |
| One friend told me about her experience in finding a | | | | Thus, even a remote provincial town can provide a |
| job. She managed to find a job which paid only 100 | | | | girl with an opportunity to study classical, folk and |
| rubles a day. She is attractive and young, and has | | | | ballet dancing, playing different folk instruments, the |
| been the object of much attention from men. She is | | | | violin and the piano, vocal singing and singing in a choir. |
| a bright intelligent person who strives to succeed. | | | | At the age of four children may start attending |
| The owner of the shop kept postponing her weekly | | | | schools of general esthetical education and have |
| payments until the end of the month. He then told | | | | classes in music, drawing, rhythmics. Naturally, not all |
| her that he would not pay her unless she slept with | | | | girls will become professional artists, singers, ballet |
| him. Stories liken these are common and | | | | dancers or musicians, but the Russian woman keeps |
| demonstrates the hardship RW face. | | | | her interest for erudition in arts for the rest of her |
| I'd like to draw your attention to the fact, that the | | | | life. |
| social structure has a direct impact on the formation | | | | Russian women not only create art but also spread it |
| of a woman's image and the social status of women. | | | | and even save it for the generations to come. You |
| The communist universal standardization created the | | | | will see it yourself if you pay a visit to any museum, |
| I-neigh-I-bellow-I'm-a-woman-I'm-a-fellow type of | | | | art gallery, library in any Russian town. What would |
| women (A popular Russian rhyme used to say that a | | | | you think, who works there? You're quite right, of |
| woman has to perform the functions of both men | | | | course, women. They've selflessly devoted their lives |
| and women), but it didn't raise the woman to the | | | | to serving art, in bitterly cold halls that need repairs |
| level of state affairs. Perestroika (restructuring) and | | | | badly, for pitiful salaries. You would wonder, who |
| democracy that accompanied it helped the Russian | | | | drives them? Firstly, their love for the art. Secondly, |
| woman feel a Woman once again, expanded the | | | | their genuine desire to showcase their culture. It is |
| range of available professions, previously considered | | | | art alone that can provide the spiritual resurrection of |
| masculine, but they didn't radically change the public | | | | the nation. |
| set of mind: the woman is still identified with the | | | | Aesthetic tastes the modern Russian woman are |
| house, kitchen and children, while political games are | | | | wide ranging. They depend on several things: a |
| played mostly by men. | | | | woman's social status, her education, upbringing, |
| This explains why RW need to be married at such a | | | | family traditions, her location (the capital - a regional |
| young age. They believe it is there duty to get | | | | center - the county), her personality, temperament, |
| married and be good mothers and wives. If not | | | | mood. Tastes, i.e. musical. Artistic, theatrical, differ. |
| married by the age of at least 25, RW are | | | | Some will listen to nothing but folk choir, others - to |
| considered to be old and seen through critical eyes. | | | | symphony orchestra, the third - to rock groups, the |
| Religion in a Russian Womans life | | | | fourth - to pop groups. Or still better, one day a |
| RWs lives in the age of the Czar can easily be | | | | woman listens to Bach's fugues, another - she is |
| described as pitiful at the least. Comfort could only | | | | picking up the tune of a pop song of Alla Pugachova. |
| be found in the Church. And that is where women | | | | It is not only in the arts that RW distinguish |
| took to shelter. They were, like it or not, tied up | | | | themselves. One need only look at the field of |
| with the church: the rites of baptizing, marriage, burial | | | | science to see RW making an impact. Such names as |
| were performed under the holy laws only. Before the | | | | Valentina Tereschkova standout as inspiration to |
| Revolution people in Russia austerely observed fasts, | | | | young women. |
| each settlement had its own strictly revered saint | | | | Thus it can be said that RW excel because they are |
| and celebrated a holiday in his honor. | | | | determined to be the best. Potential husbands for |
| When the bolsheviks came to power in 1917 the | | | | RW should bear this in mind. While all internet dating |
| situation was abruptly changed. The state home | | | | agencies proclaim all RW to only be interested in a |
| policy was directed against the church. The church | | | | marriage and family, that may change after she |
| was removed from the state affairs. The slogan of | | | | adjusts to her new surroundings. |
| those years was "Religion is opium for people". Many | | | | |