For many centuries, the Russian people have embodied the love of their Fatherland in creativity, including in the oral. People composed proverbs and sayings, wrote tales and songs dedicated to their country, hometown or village. They admired the military power of Russia and then Russia, the beauty of its nature, its traditions and customs. All that the inhabitants of our country have ever been proud of is embodied in oral folk art - in proverbs and sayings.
The concept of "homeland"
Before studying proverbs about the homeland, it is necessary to determine the lexical meaning of this concept. By homeland we mean the place of birth of a person or the appearance of a thing
in the broad sense of the word. This word comes from some concepts from other languages ​​of the Slavic branch. For example, in the Ukrainian language the word “homeland” means “family”, in Serbian and Croatian it means “abundance of fruits”. Synonyms for this concept are Fatherland, Fatherland, homeland. Sometimes in proverbs the word "homeland" is replaced by these synonyms.
The origin of proverbs about the homeland
Proverbs about the homeland could not appear without national patriotism and self-awareness of the Russian people as a great nation, which has something to be proud of. Patriotism here acts as an emotional category that helps to create new things, including art, expressed in folk art. The special mentality of Russian people determines their attachment to the place of their birth, a feeling of deep sadness if you have to leave somewhere.
In the modern world, the proverbial homeland is most often meant our country as a whole, and not the place of birth or place of residence (small homeland). This is due to the fact that today the political situation in the world makes us perceive Russia as a single whole, something powerful, strong, confident. That is why proverbs and sayings about the motherland speak about the country in general.
Synonyms of the word "homeland" in sayings
Proverbs about homeland may contain synonyms for this concept. For example, “walls help in your home.” The homeland is replaced by the word "home" in order to indicate the place of birth, that is, the closest corner on the planet for a person.
“For our Fatherland, all of humanity” - in this proverb the concept of “homeland” is synonymous with “Fatherland”, so they can be used interchangeably. In this particular case, the proverb was supposed to have a rhyme according to the Russian folk tradition of oral creativity. This is what determines the use of the term “Fatherland”.
“On the home side and a pebble is familiar” - in this situation, the phrase “home side” is more likely to mean the small homeland of a person, a place that he knows well.
Comparison of the homeland with other concepts in proverbs
Many proverbs and sayings about the homeland are based on comparison. This technique helps to raise their homeland in the status of something holy. For example, very often you can find a comparison of the Motherland with the mother as one whom a person has loved since childhood, with something that cannot be two. “One mother is native and one motherland” is one of the most common and well-known sayings in which this comparison is used.
Comparisons help to glorify the homeland as something beautiful, the best in the world, something that no other country can be put on a par with - "There is nothing more beautiful in the world than our Homeland." “A man without a homeland is a nightingale without a song” - in this case, the importance of the Fatherland for a person, the inability to exist without it and outside it, is emphasized.
But not all proverbs about the homeland are based on the method of comparison or metaphor (hidden comparison). Many sayings represent wisdom in simple sentences, without any expressive means based on opposition, comparison, antithesis.
The meaning of proverbs
Some proverbs of the peoples of Russia about their homeland are difficult to understand at first reading, their meaning is not obvious. Consider the proverb "Far away, the pine tree stands, and makes noise in its forest." Under the pine metaphorically refers to a person who left his homeland due to any circumstances. But such events cannot pass without a trace, a person involuntarily misses his homeland, thinks about it, watches what is happening in his native country. Thus, under the forest in this case we mean the Fatherland, a part of which a person remains even in a foreign land.
“A small bird, and even that saves its nest” - it is implied here that the status and profession of a person are not important, whatever his other characteristics are, if the enemy attacks his native country. Anyone should defend the Fatherland and fight to the end. This proverb can be attributed to two categories: “about serving your state” and “proverbs about the love of the motherland,” because it expresses the deep feelings of the Russian people to their Fatherland.
Learning proverbs about homeland
The study of proverbs and sayings about the homeland is best to begin by dividing them into thematic groups. Thus, proverbs about serving the homeland can be highlighted. They propagate the entry into the army of the state and any other actions that are aimed at the good of Russia. The second possible category is proverbs about love for the motherland. It is best to start reading reference material on these categories with the appearance and history of these statements. It is necessary to determine in which part of Russia they appeared in order to better understand what formed the basis of the sayings.
You need to understand that in our country there are a large number of peoples preaching various religions. Accordingly, proverbs that appeared in different parts of the state may have special symbolism that differ from other comparisons. Recall, for example, the saying "native bush and hare of roads." It is easy to guess that such a statement could appear only in the area where hares live. So, the people who made this proverb knew the habits of these animals, often saw them in their natural habitat.
The next stage in the study of proverbs is the decoding of characters and their meanings. Not all sayings can be understood with a simple reading. Many hide a certain cultural tradition, the folk customs of the compilers.
Especially interesting and important is the study of Russian proverbs for foreigners, because it helps to plunge into the culture of Russia, to learn new aspects of the language. That is why the knowledge and study of oral folklore, including proverbs, is so important.