Why in the old days water carriers were respected so much, and Where can you find monuments to this disappeared profession?

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

It is difficult for modern city dwellers to imagine that once there was no running water in their houses, and yet some 100-150 years ago, not all citizens could afford such a luxury. The profession "water carrier", which was so in demand at the beginning of the last century, alas, became one of the practically extinct ones. And now, when we think about it, only the song of a water carrier from the old film "Volga-Volga" comes to mind.

The demand for this profession in cities in past centuries is evidenced by the fact that before the revolution there were several thousand water carriers in Moscow. Alas, with the advent of central water supply in the capital, the number of water carriers and water carriers began to decrease in proportion to the increase in the number of houses with running water.

To become a water carrier, it was enough to buy a barrel and a cart (cart) with a horse. By the way, in the old days there were also water carriers - such a person differed from a water carrier only in that he carried the container himself, without the help of a horse - in a cart or sleigh.

Sometimes the person who sold the water took his dog with him. The four-legged assistant informed the local residents that they would bring water by loud barking.

Water carriers in the city were in great demand, because usually the water in city ponds or rivers, even in the old days, was not drinkable enough, so they took and brought it from already proven places - wells, water pumps, pools or clean rivers.

It is interesting that in St. Petersburg, for example, by the color of the barrel of a water carrier it was possible to determine what quality of water it sells. In the whites they brought drinking water, and in the green ones - not so clean - from the canals.

It was profitable to work as a water carrier. Taking advantage of the fact that, as it is sung in a Soviet song, "without water and not here, and not syudy", they sold it in the city at times at an overpriced. The townspeople, of course, had no choice, and they were forced to pay the amount they were told.

Moreover, the water carrier generally felt respected and even inviolable in the city. Such a person always behaved with dignity and, as Anton Chekhov wrote, was not afraid of anyone - neither a client nor a policeman, and it was impossible to complain about him.

The modern generation is reminded of this profession by monuments to water carriers, of which there are many in the world. So, for example, in St. Petersburg at the beginning of this century, such a sculptural composition was installed near the first water tower in the city, which is located on Shpalernaya Street. This is symbolic, because it was here, back in 1863, that the era of centralized water supply in St. Petersburg began.

The water carrier with a barrel is made of bronze in full size and, of course, a running dog is depicted in front of the human figure - a faithful assistant.

And in Kolomna, a sculptural composition, also representing a man with a barrel and a dog, can be seen at the end of the alley, which is called Vodovozny. The monument was erected relatively recently, in 2012.

By the rich clothes of the water carrier depicted by the sculptor, one can judge how wealthy the representatives of this profession were. By the way, townspeople and guests of the city throw coins into the mug-piggy bank. The money is then donated to a charitable foundation.

The Kronstadt water carrier is made in the original style, the character is depicted pouring water into a barrel.

I must say that this profession was especially important for Kronstadt, because the water supply system was launched in the city only a hundred years after its foundation, in 1804 (the pipes were, by the way, made of wood). And even then, at first, the local water supply served only the city barracks and the hospital. Only closer to the middle of the 20th century did such convenience in Kronstadt come en masse to residential buildings.

And in Ulyanovsk there is a monument to the "Simbirsk water carrier" (recall that Lenin's hometown was formerly called Simbirsk). It is a fountain with a sculptural composition. The monument appeared here about nine years ago, it was erected in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Simbirsk water pipeline.

There is no dog near the figure of a man with a horse-drawn cart. But nearby, in the pool of the fountain, "water" characters are depicted - a fish and a frog. Locals are sure that the frog makes wishes come true - all you need to do is stroke her and make your dreams.

There is also a sculpture that perpetuated the profession of a water carrier in Kazan, a city rich in interesting monuments. The plot of the composition is interesting: a water carrier pours water to a town woman using a large scoop with a long handle.

By the way, a funny fact is connected with the history of the creation of the monument. As the author of the composition recalled, the head of the city “Vodokanal” (the organization that ordered the monument) personally introduced a couple of important changes from his point of view to the project. He asked for the sculpture of a water carrier to add a purse-bag for collecting water fees, and bells in the horse on an arc. By the way, they are real on the monument and even ring.

Maybe this is bad, and maybe it's good, but not only water carriers with the development of civilization went into oblivion. There are others forgotten Russian professions.