The word “summer” in Rus’ was used not only for the season but also for a measure of time: everything was counted in summers. I remember seeing in a publication a version claiming that the word “year” started being used to denote time in Russia by a decree of Peter I. Allegedly, the first Russian Emperor loved all German and Dutch things, and for these nations “year” means “God”. Allegedly, in most other Slavic languages there is no such word to denote time. Nonsense, of course… “Year” comes from the Old Russian “goditi”, meaning “to be suitable for something”.
And summer is the most suitable time for preparing an abundant future harvest. For us summer means vegetables, fruits, and the first rich grains… No wonder that artists often depict it as a rosy-cheeked hero-farmer with a wreath of wildflowers on his head, a cup full of sparkling wine, and an armful of wheat.
“O, summer fair! I would have loved you, too // Except for heat and dust and gnats and flies…” Alexander Pushkin wrote.
I confess, mature summer – July and August – is my favourite season. Especially in the Moscow region, where at that time everything is green, blooming, and generally not very hot. It’s just a pity that this sunny period is quite short here.
To reconcile readers of Russian Mind with such a ruthless domestic climatic reality (“Autumn is soon. August is outside the window. The bushes darkened from the rain,” – the wonderful poetess Inna Goff anticipated the imminent farewell to the honey days), we offer them, as always, a very diverse new issue of the magazine.
Here you will find the history of the Russian Empire, a tribute to the creative work of Ilya Repin, Konstantin Makovsky, and Vera Mukhina, and the 130th anniversary of the birth of the unforgettable “gloomy humourist” Mikhail Zoshchenko… And, of course, pages from the past of the Russian diaspora and the literary section with the continuation of works by Alisa Danshokh, Vladimir Malyshev, and Valery Povolyayev.
Summer also has the holy feasts of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Dormition of the Mother of God. Not to mention that 28 July is the Day of the Baptism of Rus’, our national holiday for all times.
And, undoubtedly, the peak of summer, its apex, is 7 July, Ivan Kupala’s day. It is believed that summer begins to wane after it. Nothing doing: the Russian summer is short, oh, how short it is! Yet how joyful it is! Its tribute used to be hot summer bonfires on Ivan Kupala’s day, which our ancestors jumped over to undergo ritual purification for the entire coming year. You might say – paganism? Partly, for sure. However, while singing and dancing around bonfires lit near full water, people got acquainted with each other, tried to size each other up, and chose a partner or a companion for the time of the ancient holiday – and sometimes for life.
Don’t be sad, bidding farewell to summer, my friends! For the golden Russian autumn, believe me, is wonderful too.
Kirill Privalov
