Russian fistfight - a fight or a valiant fun? Russian fisticuffs: Maslenitsa's main male entertainment

Fisticuffs in Rus' on Maslenitsa.

Fisticuffs- arranged in the winter during Christmas time at Shrovetide and sometimes in Semik. At the same time, preference was given to Shrovetide, the wild nature of which made it possible for the male part of the village to show their prowess and youth in front of everyone. The teams were formed on the basis of the social or territorial community of the participants. Two villages could fight each other, residents of opposite ends of one large village, "monastic" peasants with landlords, etc. Fist fights were prepared in advance: the teams jointly chose a place for the battle, agreed on the rules of the game and the number of participants, chose chieftains. In addition, the moral and physical preparation of the fighters was necessary. Men and boys took a steam bath in the baths, tried to eat more meat and bread, which, according to legend, gave strength and courage.

Some participants resorted to various kinds of magical techniques to increase fighting courage and power. So, for example, one of the Russian old medical books contains the following advice: “Kill a black snake with a saber or a knife, take your tongue out of it, screw it into green and black taffeta, put it in your left boot, and put it on in the same place . Going away, don't look back, and whoever asks where you've been, don't say anything to him." They also tried to ensure victory in a fistfight with the help of a conspiracy received from a sorcerer: “I, the servant of God, having been blessed, will go crossing myself, from the hut to the door, from gate to gate, into an open field, to the east, to east side, to the Okian-sea, and on that holy Okian-sea there is an old master husband, and at that holy Okian-sea there is a raw cracked oak, and that master husband cuts the raw oak with his damask ax, and how chips fly from that raw oak, so but from me a wrestler would fall on the damp earth, a good fellow, every day and every hour. Amen! Amen! Amen! And by those words of mine, the key is in the sea, the castle in heaven, from now on and forever. Fist fights in Russia could take place not only with fists, but also with sticks, while fist fighting was more often chosen. The fighters were supposed to have special uniforms: thick hats hemmed with tow and fur mittens that softened the blow.

Fist fighting could be carried out in two versions: “wall to wall” and “clutch-dump”.

During the “wall to wall” battle, the fighters, lining up in one row, had to keep him under pressure from the “wall” of the enemy. It was a battle in which various kinds of tactical military techniques were used. The fighters held the front, marched in a wedge - "pig", changed the fighters of the first, second, third row, retreated into an ambush, etc. The battle ended with a breakthrough of the enemy's "wall" and the flight of the enemies. It is generally accepted that this type of fisticuffs took shape no earlier than the 18th century.

During the battle "clutch-dump" everyone chose his opponent according to his strength and did not retreat until complete victory, after which he "clutched" into battle with the other. Russian fistfight, unlike a fight, went on in compliance with certain rules, which included the following: “do not beat a recumbent”, “do not fight in a maimed way”, “do not beat a smear”, that is, if the enemy has blood, finish with fight him. It was impossible to strike from behind, from the rear, but to fight only face to face. An important point fisticuffs was also the fact that its participants always belonged to the same age group. The battle was usually started by teenagers, they were replaced on the field by guys, and then young people entered the battle. married men- strong fighters. This order maintained the equality of the parties. The battle began with the passage of the main fighters, that is, guys and men, surrounded by teenagers along the village street to the chosen battlefield. On the field, the guys became two "walls" - teams against each other, demonstrating their strength in front of the enemy, slightly bullying him, assuming warlike poses, cheering themselves up with appropriate shouts. At this time, in the middle of the field, the teenagers arranged a “hitch-dump”, preparing for future fights. Then the cry of the ataman was heard, followed by a general roar, whistle, shout: "Give battle", and the battle began. The strongest fighters joined the battle at the very end. The old men who watched the fistfight discussed the actions of the young, gave advice to those who had not yet joined the fight. The battle ended with the flight of the enemy from the field and the general cheerful drinking of the guys and men participating in it. Fisticuffs have accompanied Russian festivities for many centuries.

A detailed description of the battles of the “good fellows of the Kulashny fighters” was given by foreigners who visited Muscovy in the 16th-17th centuries. Fisticuffs taught men endurance, the ability to withstand blows, stamina, dexterity and courage. Participation in them was considered a matter of honor for every guy and young man. The exploits of the fighters were praised at men's feasts, passed from mouth to mouth, found their reflection in remote songs, epics:

Yes, they came together with spears -
Only spears, you in the rings stooped.
Yes, the heroes gathered with sticks -
Only the sticks turned away over the rubble.
They jumped off good horses,
Yes, they grabbed hand-to-hand combat.

The traditional Russian martial art was fisticuffs. What an uninitiated person from the outside could have seemed like an ordinary scuffle, was a real skill with its own wisdom, and the British called Russian fist fight. Fist fighting is mentioned in many historical testimonies.

Fisticuffs in the Middle Ages

For the first time fisticuffs are mentioned in greatest monument Ancient Rus'"The Tale of Bygone Years". The author, being an educated and Orthodox person, criticizes this rude "pagan" act. Despite such a disapproving review of fisticuffs, it was he who pointed out that this was an ancient "vile" (pagan) custom. The Russians considered Perun to be the patron of martial arts.

Fisticuffs were held on major holidays: on Maslenitsa or after Christmas until the Holy Trinity. The oldest type of fisticuffs is the so-called “clutch-dump”, or “coupling fight”. This type of martial art is a kind of pankration, only in the Russian interpretation. The fighters came out against each other in whole groups. I had to stand against each specific enemy and against all at once.

A more common type of battle was "wall to wall", when the opponents went out in two rows and each participant defended himself and his brothers. The “wall” always had a leader who, with loud cries, inspired and directed the fighters of his group.

Rules of Russian fisticuffs

You could only fight with your bare hands. Blows were delivered with the knuckles (such a blow was called a “prick with a tool”), with the edge of a palm bent into a fist (“chopping blow”) or with the back of the main phalanges (“butt”). It was allowed to hit only in the body and head. Punches to the groin and legs were forbidden. Also, it was impossible to beat the enemy who was defeated on the ground. Hence the proverb “The lying person is not beaten.” It was also forbidden to attack an opponent who had severe bleeding.

Usually the fighters sought to strike in the head, under the ribs or in the solar plexus. This tactic made it possible to quickly disable the enemy. Any weapon was strictly forbidden (that's why it was a fistfight). For violation of the rules, the judges, spectators or the participants themselves could severely punish the dishonest fighter.

Despite the fact that they fought in Rus' with their bare hands, the injuries were very serious, and the fights were exceptionally spectacular. There were also deaths. The people adored fisticuffs and watched them with pleasure, encouraging the fighters with loud cries. The winners of the battles enjoyed great honor.

Further history of fisticuffs

After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', an intensified struggle began against this pagan and "blasphemous" custom. The foundation was laid in 1274 at the cathedral in Vladimir. On it, Metropolitan Kirill decided to anathematize participants in fisticuffs. It got to the point that those killed in battles were forbidden to be buried and buried according to the church canon. Such drastic measures had their effect: in the 16th century there were no battles at all.

After some time, this tradition began to revive again, so in the 17th century, Prince Mikhail Fedorovich decided to subject the participants in such games to prosecution. Those who disobeyed were mercilessly beaten with a whip and forever exiled "to the Ukrainian cities."

The revival of Russian fisticuffs fell on the reign of Peter I. The Tsar was very fond of this fun, which showed the prowess of the Russian people. Catherine II was also an ardent fan of fisticuffs. Her favorite, Count Orlov, often participated in such competitions and was known as an excellent fighter. In 1832, "harmful pagan amusements" were again banned by decree of Nicholas I. After the revolution, fisticuffs were completely eradicated as a shameful relic of the tsarist regime.

In ancient Rus', fisticuffs were often held. They existed in Russia from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to entertainment, fisticuffs were a kind of war school that developed the people's skills necessary to defend the Motherland. To designate competitions, in addition to the term "fistfight", such as: "fists", "fight", "navkulachki", "fistfight" were used.

Story

Russia has its own martial arts traditions. The Slavs were known throughout Europe as valiant wars. Since wars in Rus' were a frequent occurrence, every man should have mastered military skills. Starting from a very early age, with the help of a variety of games, such as "king of the hill", "on an ice hill" and "a bunch of small ones", wrestling and throwing, they gradually got used to the fact that you need to be able to stand up for the Motherland, family and themselves. As the children grew older, the games developed into actual fights known as "fistfights".

The first mention of such fights was made by the chronicler Nestor in 1048:
“Aren’t we living in a filthy way ... manners with all sorts of flattering, prevablable from God, pipes and buffoons, and harps, and mermaids; we see that the game is refined, and there are a lot of people, as if to shove each other the shames of the debauchery of the planned business.

Rules and types of fisticuffs

Fisticuffs were usually held on holidays, and the rampant fighting began during Maslenitsa. According to the number of participants, they were divided into: “street to street”, “village to village”, “settlement to settlement”. In the summer, the battle took place on the squares, in the winter - on frozen rivers and lakes. Both ordinary people and merchants participated in the battles.

There were types of fisticuffs: "one on one", "wall to wall". Considered a type of fistfight "clutch-dump", in reality it is an independent martial art, the Russian analogue of pankration, a fight without rules.

The most ancient type of fight is the “clutch-dump”, which was often called “coupling fight”, “scattered dump”, “dump fight”, “coupling fight”. It was a confrontation between fighters who fought without observing the order, each for himself and against everyone. As N. Razin mentioned: “Here it was necessary to have not only dexterity and a strong blow, but also special composure.”

The most common type of fisticuffs was "wall to wall". The battle was divided into three stages: at first the boys fought, after them - unmarried young men, and at the end the adults also put up a wall. It was not allowed to beat a lying or crouched person, to grab his clothes. The task of each side was to put the enemy side to flight, or at least force them to retreat. The wall that lost the “field” (the territory on which the battle was fought) was considered defeated. Each “wall” had its own leader - “leader”, “ataman”, “combat headman”, “leader”, “old man”, who determined battle tactics and encouraged his comrades. Each of the teams also had "hope" fighters, who were intended to break the enemy's formation, pulling out several fighters from there at once. A special tactic was used against such warriors: the wall diverged, letting “hope” inside, where special fighters were waiting for him, and immediately closed, preventing the enemy’s wall from passing. The warriors who met "hope" were experienced craftsmen fight "one by one".

"Self-on-self" or "one on one" was the most revered form of combat. It was reminiscent of the old bare-handed boxing in England. But the Russian type of combat was softer, since there was a rule forbidding hitting a recumbent, while in England it was introduced only in 1743. One-on-one fights could be organized by a special person, or they could be spontaneous. In the first case, the battle was scheduled for a certain day and time, and the second variety could take place anywhere where people gathered: fairs, holidays. Fights "on his own" if necessary, served to confirm the correctness of the defendant in a lawsuit. This way to prove one's case was called "field". "Field" existed until the death of Ivan the Terrible. The fighters used only punches - what cannot be clenched into a fist is not a fistfight. Three impact surfaces were used, which corresponds to the three impact surfaces of the weapon: the heads of the metacarpal bones (a prick with a weapon), the base of the fist from the side of the little finger (a chopping blow with a weapon), and the heads of the main phalanxes (a blow with a butt). It was possible to hit in any part of the body above the waist, but they tried to hit the head, the solar plexus (“in the soul”), and under the ribs (“under the mitts”). The continuation of the duel on the ground (wrestling on the ground) was never used. There were certain rules according to which it was impossible to beat a lying person and a person with bleeding, to use any weapon, it was necessary to fight with bare hands. Failure to comply was severely punished. Despite the strict rules, fights sometimes ended in failure: a participant could be injured, and there were deaths.

Fist fight

In 1274, Metropolitan Kirill, having convened a cathedral in Vladimir, among other rules, decided: “to excommunicate those participating in fisticuffs and fights with stakes, and not to bury the dead.” The clergy considered fisticuffs to be ungodly and punished the participants according to church laws. This condemnation led to the fact that during the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich (1584 - 1598) not a single fist fight was recorded. The government itself usually did not encourage, but did not pursue fisticuffs either.

The real restriction of fisticuffs began in the 17th century. On December 9, 1641, Mikhail Fedorovich pointed out: "which all sorts of people will learn to fight in China, and in the White Stone City and in the Earthen City, and those people to have and bring to the Zemstvo order and inflict punishment." On March 19, 1686, a decree was issued prohibiting fisticuffs and assigning punishments to the participants: “Which people are confiscated in fisticuffs; and for those people, for those of their guilt, to repair for the first drive to beat batogs, and to have drive money by decree, for another drive to beat with a whip, and to have drive money twice, and for the third time to inflict cruel punishment, to beat with a whip and exile into exile in the Ukrainian cities for eternal life.

However, despite all the decrees, fisticuffs continued to exist, and the participants now began to choose from their midst the sotsky, tenth, who were trusted to monitor the implementation of all the rules of the fight.

There is evidence that Peter I liked to arrange fistfights, "in order to show the prowess of the Russian people."

In 1751, fierce battles took place on Millionnaya Street; and Elizaveta Petrovna found out about them. The Empress tried to reduce the number of dangerous fights and adopted a new decree preventing them from being held in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Under Catherine II, fisticuffs were very popular. Count Grigory Orlov was a good fighter and often invited famous fists to measure strength with him.

Nicholas I in 1832 completely banned fisticuffs "as harmful fun."

After 1917, fisticuffs were relegated to the vestiges of the tsarist regime, and, without becoming sports types struggle, passed away.

In the 90s of the XX century, attempts began to revive the schools and styles of Slavic martial arts, including fisticuffs.
Fist fights in Rus' Fist fights, history, wall to wall

Fist fight in art

In "Song about Tsar Ivan Vasilievich, young oprichnik and the daring merchant Kalashnikov” M.Yu. Lermontov describes a fist fight between the oprichnik of the tsar Kiribeevich and the merchant Kalashnikov. Stepan Paramonovich Kalashnikov won, having defended the honor of his wife, insulted by Kiribeevich, and "standing up for the truth until the last day", but was executed by Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich.

The artist Mikhail Ivanovich Peskov reflected the popularity of fisticuffs during the time of Ivan the Terrible in his painting “Fistfight under Ivan IV”.

Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov described the fisticuffs he saw in Kazan, on the ice of Lake Kaban in his "Story of Student Life".

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov painted the painting "Fistfight".

Maxim Gorky in the novel “The Life of Matvey Kozhemyakin” described the fistfight in the following way: “The townspeople are fighting with tricks ... heels of good fighters are pushed out of their“ wall ”against the chest of the Slobozhans, and when the Slobozhans, pressing on them, involuntarily stretch out like a wedge, the city unanimously strike from the sides, trying to crush the enemy. But the Sloboda people are accustomed to these tricks: having quickly retreated, they themselves encircle the townspeople in a semicircle ... "

Wall to wall - old Russian folk fun. It consists in a fist fight between two lines (“walls”). Males from 18 to 60 years old participate in the 100-foot fight. The number of participants varies from 7-10 to several hundred people. The purpose of such fights is to nurture masculine qualities in young people and support physical form the entire male population. The most massive wall-to-wall fights are held on Maslenitsa.

wall fight

Wall-to-wall fighting or wall-to-wall fighting is an old Russian folk pastime. It consists in a fist fight between two lines (“walls”). Males from 18 to 60 years old participate in the wall fight. The number of participants varies from 7-10 to several hundred people. The purpose of such fights is to educate masculine qualities among young people and maintain physical fitness among the male population. The most massive wall-to-wall fights are held on Maslenitsa.

Basic Rules

The walls are built in several rows (usually 3-4) opposite each other at a distance of 20 - 50 meters. At the command of the judge, they begin to move towards each other. The task is to push the enemy wall beyond the original position. During the approach, blows to the body and to the head, or only to the body are allowed. Kicks and attacks from behind are prohibited.

History of the Wall Fights

The so-called wall hand-to-hand combat, which has survived to this day, enjoyed special love in Russia. The popularity of the wall-to-wall form of fisticuffs, the so-called wall-to-wall fights, is also evidenced by the recollections of eyewitnesses - Pushkin and Lermontov, Bazhov and Gilyarovsky, as well as the research of the first Russian ethnographers, descriptors of folk life - Zabelin and Sakharov, lines of police protocols and state decrees. The archives contain a decree issued by Catherine I of 1726 "On fisticuffs", which determined the rules of hand-to-hand fights. There was also a decree "On the non-existence of fisticuffs without the permission of the police chief's office." The decree stated that those wishing to participate in fisticuffs were required to choose representatives who would inform the police about the place and time of the fight and be responsible for its order. An excerpt from the memoirs of M. Nazimov about fisticuffs in Arzamas explains the significance of these decrees and how fisticuffs were treated in the provinces at the beginning of the 19th century.

“The local authorities, it seems, look at this ... custom through their fingers, probably not having in mind the positive instructions of the authorities, and perhaps they themselves were surreptitiously spectators of such battles, especially since many significant people in the city are champions of antiquity, considered these amusements very useful for the development and maintenance of the physical strength and warlike inclinations of the people. Yes, and it was tricky for the Arzamas mayor, that is, the mayor, to cope with the help of 10-15 watchmen and even a full disabled team of 30-40 people with a gathering of fighters, which, in addition to the numerous spectators who provoked them, extended, according to eyewitnesses, up to 500 people.

The decree on the universal and complete prohibition of fisticuffs was included in the code of laws of Nicholas I in 1832. In Volume 14, Part 4, Article 180 succinctly says:

"Fist fights as harmful fun are completely prohibited."

The same was repeated verbatim in subsequent editions of this code of laws. But, despite all the prohibitions, fisticuffs continued. They were held on public holidays, sometimes every Sunday.

The name "wall" comes from the battle order, traditionally established and never changed in fisticuffs, in which the sides of the fighters lined up in a dense line of several rows and walked solid wall to the "enemy". Characteristic wall battle - linear formations, the need for which is dictated by the task of the competition - to displace the opposite party from the battlefield. The retreating enemy regrouped, gathered new forces and, after a respite, again joined the battle. Thus, the battle consisted of separate fights and usually lasted for several hours, until one of the parties finally defeated the other. Wall constructions have direct analogies with the constructions of the Old Russian rati.

The scale of mass fistfights was very different. They fought street against street, village against village, and so on. Sometimes fisticuffs gathered several thousand participants. Wherever fisticuffs took place, there were permanent traditional places for fighting. In winter, they usually fought on the ice of the river. This custom of fighting on a frozen river is explained by the fact that the flat, snow-covered and compacted surface of the ice was a comfortable and spacious platform for fighting. In addition, the river served as a natural border dividing a city or district into two "camps". Favorite places for fisticuffs in Moscow in the 19th century: on the Moscow River near the Babiegorod Dam, near the Simonov and Novodevichy Convents, near the Sparrow Hills, etc. In St. Petersburg, fights took place on the Neva, Fontanka, and at the Narva Gate.

The "wall" had a leader. In different regions of Russia, he was called differently: "hood", "head", "headman", "combat headman", "leader", "old man". On the eve of the battle, the leader of each side, together with a group of his fighters, developed a plan for the upcoming battle: for example, the strongest fighters were singled out and distributed in places along the entire "wall" to lead individual groups of fighters that made up the battle line of the "wall", reserves were outlined for a decisive strike and camouflage in building the main group of fighters, a special group of fighters stood out in order to knock out a specific fighter from the enemy side, etc. During the battle, the leaders of the parties, directly participating in it, encouraged their fighters, determined the moment and direction of a decisive blow. P.P. Bazhov in the tale "Broad Shoulder" is given the instruction of the hood to his fighters:

“He arranged the fighters, as it seemed to him better, and punishes, especially those who used to go to the root and were known as the most reliable.

Look, I have no pampering. There is no need for us, if you with some Grishka-Mishka for the amusement of girls and pawnbrokers will begin to measure strength. We need everyone at the same time, with a broad shoulder. Do as you are told."

To designate competitions, in addition to the term "fist fight", such as: "fists", "fight", "navkulachki", "fist striker", "strike" were used.

Story

The first mention of such fights was made by the chronicler Nestor in 1048:
“Are we not living in a filthy way ... manners with all sorts of flattering, prevablable from God, pipes and buffoons, and harps, and mermaids; we see that the game is refined, and there are a lot of people, as if to shove each other the shame of the deeds of the planned business. »
Rules and types of fisticuffs

Fisticuffs were usually held on holidays, and the rampant fighting began during Maslenitsa. According to the number of participants, they were divided into: “street to street”, “village to village”, “settlement to settlement”. In the summer, the battle took place in the squares, in the winter - on frozen rivers and lakes. Both ordinary people and merchants participated in the battles.

In Rus', they clearly distinguished between an ordinary fight and a duel "on the fists", which was held according to special rules. There were three main types of duels "one on one", "wall to wall" and "clutch-dump".

The most honorable fight was "one on one". There was even a special category of fighters who preferred only him, not participating in the “walls” and “couplings”. The names of such fighters were surrounded by legends, and many even remained in history. In the book of M. I. Pylyaev “Old Life”, published in the middle of the 19th century, it is written about such fighters: “The Tula fighters were considered the best of them in the thirties: Alyosha Rodimy, Nikita Dolgovyaz, the Pokhodkin brothers, the Zubov family, Teresh Kunkin - them with merchants carried them around the cities with honor.

In ancient times, fisticuffs were sometimes used as court fights, it was believed that the victorious fighter confirmed his case. But such cases were rare, since in such situations fights with weapons were preferred.

Some of the nobles did not shy away from one-on-one battles, since defeat in such a duel was not considered dishonorable. A well-known fist was Count Grigory Orlov, who loved to measure his strength with famous fighters. And another well-known strongman of that time, General V. G. Kostenetsky, on the contrary, categorically refused to participate in fights, fearing that he would inadvertently cripple or kill the enemy. There were legends about his strength, in battles with the French he chopped with a one and a half broadsword, which he was given from the Armory, breaking up opponents from shoulder to saddle. There were also "lucky ones" who tasted his fist. In one of the battles of 1809, he drove the French out of the Russian battery they captured, using only his fists and an artillery banner.

A rare type of one-on-one combat was the "punch-on-punch" duel. Actually, it was not a fight, but an alternate exchange of blows, from which it was impossible to evade, it was only allowed to cover the most vulnerable places with your hands. The blows were dealt by lot until one of the opponents was knocked down or recognized as defeated.

The most spectacular was always considered a “wall to wall” battle, in which more than a hundred fighters could participate. Usually such a fight was agreed in advance, agreeing on the place and the number of fighters, which could be unequal, but with a slight difference. “Village against village”, “street against street”, “one part of the town against another”, “merchants against loaders”, etc. fought. Tatars were their constant rivals. In Kherson, cloth workers fought with Karaite Jews. In Tula, battles between gunsmiths and townspeople are known; in Kostroma - wilds with sulyans.

Traditionally, fisticuffs were held in winter from Nikola (December 6) until Sunday, but Maslenitsa was considered the main time for such fun. Most often, the battlefield was a frozen river or lake. Sometimes the battle was divided into several stages: first, children fought, then young men, and after them the fight of adult fighters began. Each team tried to have a "secret weapon" - several strong "hope-fighters" who initially did not participate in the fight, remaining behind the line or among the spectators. Only at decisive moments did they engage in battle to break through the line of rivals. Each team had its own ataman (voivode) who led the battle. The side that forced the opponent to retreat won.

The hitch-dump fight was rarely held and was not popular. In this type of battle, the opponents did not follow the formation and "tumbled in all directions or in the crowd."

During fisticuffs, certain rules were strictly observed: do not beat a lying down person, do not finish off a person coming out of a fight, beat only with hands and above the waist, do not pinch anything in a fist, do not put anything in mittens. In the excitement of the battle, there were also violations, but this was strictly monitored. The guilty fighter could be withdrawn from the battle, "disqualified" for certain time and subject to some sort of penalty.

In fisticuffs, the main blows were considered: “on the sopatki” - to the head, “under the mikitki” - to the kidneys and liver, “to the soul” - to the solar plexus. Naturally, often the battles were not without serious injuries and even the death of one of the fighters. Official power has always fought fisticuffs, but sometimes these were just formal statements. Ivan the Terrible liked to amuse himself with the sight of fisticuffs, but his son Fedor categorically forbade them. Therefore, at the end of the 16th century, fisticuffs were practically not held.

In the middle of the 17th century, Mikhail Romanov issued a special decree, according to which fist fighters were supposed to "have and bring to the zemstvo order and inflict punishment." Similar prohibitions were then issued by almost all Russian monarchs, although at times they themselves liked to look at “fist fun”.

It is curious that in our time, some martial arts enthusiasts are trying to revive Russian fisticuffs, even holding fights, including “wall to wall”.