What is a barber? This is the name of a profession that no longer exists. A mixture of a hairdresser, bath attendant, dental surgeon. The word "barber" has long gone out of use. This is archaism, which has no modern counterpart. According to Dahl’s dictionary, the synonyms of this noun are “beard-cutter”, “ore-thrower”, “gearworm”. That is, the barber is the one who shaves beards, cuts and sometimes pulls out teeth. Fortunately, there are no specialists of such a wide profile today.
Medieval barbers
In the twelfth century, such masters worked in every bathhouse. They pulled out diseased teeth, applied dressings for wounds and fractures. Another procedure performed by barbers was bloodletting. Until the 19th century, this method was considered very useful. The fact is that many ailments, according to the traditions of ancient and medieval healing, were caused by stagnation of bad blood, which certainly must be released from the body. They did not know anything about disinfection in the Middle Ages. And therefore, the procedures carried out by the barber often contributed to the occurrence of infectious diseases.
How did this specialist differ from a professional doctor? The latter was educated in the works of Hippocrates, Galen, Aristotle, and most importantly, studied at the university. True, the specialty of the barber was not so easy to acquire. It took several years. The separation of the profession of surgeon and hairdresser began around the 17th century. Prior to this, surgery was not part of traditional medicine.
The Barber of Seville
Beaumarchais wrote this play in 1884. The main character is Figaro. He is persistent, mocking, agile, has inexhaustible energy. Figaro is a rogue. He tried many professions, but did not succeed. He loses his position as a veterinarian, tries his hand at writing, but in the literary field the competition is too great. Figaro becomes a stray barber. Thanks to worldly wisdom, unusual wit, he perceives any sorrows with irony, which charms those around him.
The Siberian Barber
This film shows the events of the late XIX - early XX centuries. Once an eccentric inventor comes to Russia, dreaming of introducing his miracle technology into local production. A young adventurer helps him. The girl, thanks to her beauty and charm, captivates one of the Russian officials.
The Siberian Barber is an allusion to the works of Beaumarchais. Why did Mikhalkov name his film that way? Firstly, a foreign inventor created a machine called the Siberian Barber. Secondly, the climax in the film takes place during the premiere of the play based on Beaumarchais. And finally, thirdly, the main character is somewhat reminiscent of Figaro. There are no barbers, that is, specialists in hairdressing and surgical procedures.