Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-31
IL UsSIan Women Two Centuries
AGO.

From Eugene schuylers Life Of Peter the Great
begun in Scribner's for February.l
The IMuscoyite ideal OF woman, founded on
the teachings and traditions of Byzantine the
ology, was purely monastlc one. The virtues
of the cloister, faith, prayer, charity, obedi-
woman. The life OF the cIoister was best suited
to preserve her purity. Socially, woman was
not an independent being; she was an inferior
creation, dependent ON her husband, for except
as wife her existence was scarcely recognized.
OF the theoretical position OF woman, abund-
ant proof is given in all the early ddactic
1t nature of Russia, and especially in the
ivan the Terrible. The wife V should sl be be
blindly obedient in all things, and for her flults
anger. Her duty is t keep the house. to look
after the food and clothing. and to see to the
comfort of her husband; 10 bear children, but
and TO play with ones children was esteemed a
sin,-a snare of the devil. The wife was bound
TO stay chiefly at home, and to be acquainted
with ,, nothing but her household work. 10 all
answer that She did not know. 1t was believed
that an element of evil lurked in the female
sex, and even the most Innocent sports be-
tween little boys and girls, or social inter-
course between young men and women, was
severely repreaenaed. The Domostroi, and even
Fososhkof. as late as the 18th century, rec
commended father to take his cudgel and break
the ribs OF his son, whom he found testing with
a girl Traces of this feeling with regard to
women are still found in current proverbs. "a
Woman's hair Is long, Fer understanding is
Short" runs one proVerO: 1.-THE wits OF women
are like the wi1dneSS Of beasts" says another;
while third SayS:-"AS a horse by the bit, so
must woman be governed by threats' The
collections OF popular stories and anecdotes are
full OF instances Of the innate wlckednesS and
devilShness of the female sex, with references
to all the weak or wicked women of sacred and
proIane history. In the "Great Mirror" COM
piled in the 18th century, we even find the OBJ
stinacy OF women eXenplitied by the we'll
known anecdote OF the drowning woman, still
making With her fingers the sign OF scissors"
Although this was the theoretical position OF
woman in Russian society, practically in small
households, where women were Important fac
tors, there were great Emergencies from the
strict rules of Demostroi. In the higher ranks
OF life the women were more carefully guarded
and restrained and in the family of The tSar
The secluslon II, in the terem: OF Women's apart
mentS, was almost complete. This was in part
due to SuperStitiOuS belief in Witchcraft the
evil eye, and charms that might affect the life
health OF fertility OF the royal race Neither the
tsaIitsa nor the pr1nceSses ever appeared openly
in public; they never went out except in closed
litter or carriage; in church they stood behind
veil,-made. il Is true, sometimes of gauze,-
and they usually timed their visits to the
churches and mOnaSterieS for the evening or the
early morning, and on these occasions no one
was admitted except the immediate attendants
Of the court. Won Meyerberg Austrian am
baSsaGor at MOSCOW in 1868. writes that out
OF thousand counters, there will hardly b.
found one who can boast that he has seen the
tsaritsa, or any OF the sisters or daughters OF
the tsar. Even their physicians are not allowed
TO see them. When it is necessary to call doc
tor for the tSaTitsa the windows are all dark
ened and he is obliged to feel her pulse through
piece OF gauZe. so as not to touch her bare
hand! Even chance encounters were severely
punished. In 1914 two chamberlainS DaShkOf
and Buturlin on suddenly turning corner in
one of the interior courts OF the palace met the
carriage OF the TSarista Natalia, who was going
to prayers at a convent. Their colleagues sue.
eeeded In getting out OF the way, Dashkof aud
Buturlin were arrested, examined and deprived
OF their offices, but as an encounter was proved
to be purely fortuitouS and unavoidable they
were in few days restored to their rank And
yet this was during the reign Of Alexis. who
was far less strict than his predecessors.