Who in Russia was called "tsarist privet", and why it was work for the elite

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In old Russia there was a profession called priyuch or birich. This word was called heralds, that is, people close to the prince, whose duties included the announcement of the prince's will and the reading of decrees in the squares and streets. The heralds had to quickly spread information, and sometimes advertise some goods. Read who was hired for this service, what the requirements were for heralds, and why such a job was dangerous.

Who are the tsarist primers and what requirements were imposed on them

The researchers found a mention of the heralds in the Laurentian Chronicle. It says that they were "sent to the regiments." Prince Vladimir did this to find volunteers for a duel with the Pechenezh hero. And even earlier, back in 1148, Izyaslav Mstislavovich used heralds to invite the nobility of Novgorod to a feast.

They also worked priestly under the kings. They were a kind of "telephone" between the people and the ruler. The heralds went out into a crowded place and loudly shouted the latest news. This could be information about the search for fugitive criminals, recruiting for the war, that copper money is prohibited, and even about setting traps.

Desire alone was not enough to become privet. One had to know the letter: the herald read the tsar's decree, and this should be done clearly, loudly, without hesitation. At the same time, in case of any questions, it was necessary to be able to clearly explain to people what was at stake. A timid man with a weak voice, stuttering or with diction defects could not count on such a position. As they would say now, the vacancy in the state service for him was closed forever.

Governors and governors also hired privet, sometimes several, and the requirements were just as strict. As for the status, it was the same as that of the jailers and executioners. Priyuchas were paid well. From the outside, getting to such a job was not easy even for those who had a loud voice and legible speech: they usually hired trusted people, highly appreciating loyalty

Heralds, the word of God, bearers and barkers as a prototype of modern advertisers

Clergymen also resorted to the services of heralds. They wanted to increase their reach and spread the Word of God, and preaching was not enough. Here another requirement arose: one should not only read fluently, but also know the Law of God. Biryuch had to have an unblemished reputation, otherwise he had no right to lecture and instruct parishioners. After a while, at the Stoglav Cathedral in 1551, heralds were equated with frivolous people, buffoons, deceivers and swindlers. It was believed that they could start "singing, jumping, and singing Sotonin songs."

There were also civilian heralds, that is, those who were not in government and church service. They were invited to fairs by enterprising shopkeepers and merchants. They called such privet barkers, and chose dexterous, quick-witted and cunning workers for work. The merchant's income depended on the professionalism of the barker. The herald had to understand human psychology and advertise the product so that the buyer would definitely pay attention to it. Musical instruments were used, and the talker was replete with jokes.

Advertising pictures were used at fairs, but without a barker they did not particularly interest the visitors. There was a fun "rayok", that is, a folk theater, consisting of a box with magnifying glasses in front, inside which pictures change. When the barker was working, there were more people who wanted to look at the images. The drawings could not only be entertaining, but also reported the latest news, covered important political events.

Beautiful athletes - that is what they would be called today and why it was very important in ancient times

To make the herald clearly visible, he was dressed in a bright (usually red) caftan and given a staff with bells. Appearance was no less important. The advantages were high, personable, broad-shouldered heralds who looked well-groomed, neat. No crumbs in an unkempt beard! Historians argue that the privet profession began to form back in the days of paganism. At that time, the peasants were responsible for the dissemination of information, from which later heralds "grew". To work with dedication, it took remarkable physical strength, endurance, because kaliki covered huge distances.

Another important feature was sociable, the ability to win over the people. To attract the audience, not only wands with bells were used, but also musical instruments (gusli). Artistry helped to retain the attention of the population. Such qualities as physical strength and endurance were later appreciated by the sovereign. After all, they could disappear at work for weeks, or even months, bypassing the territory, eating somehow and not being able to rest properly.

What dangers lay in wait for the heralds

Possession of information always involves danger. There were cases when the heralds were kidnapped, they could be sold or killed, forced to read a decree concocted by a swindler and prove to the population that it was true. To prevent this from happening, not only physical strength was needed, but also fortitude - sometimes it is not easy to resist bribery, especially when a considerable jackpot is offered. Heralds had to be able to fight and wield weapons to ensure their safety. There were so-called "privet wars". For example, in the Time of Troubles, False Dmitry had a whole army of heralds, who daily entered into armed conflicts with the princely and boyar prizes.

Of course, there were other ways of spreading information before the telegraph, besides oral speech. For example, drums, smoke and other communication options in ancient times.