Mother is called the wife of the priest, the woman who raised the children, as well as the natural objects of the feminine, which have become truly native (Volga-mother). But the dictionary also gives another use of the word - with reference to the whole country, expressing the idea of its maternal essence: Mother Russia. How and when did this symbol appear? What does it mean today?
The origin of the symbol
The idea appeared in ancient Russia. At the first stage, the word Mother was associated with the phrase raw earth, which was a variant of the Great Mother Goddess. Russian land seemed to be a living creature in maternal guise. Starting from the XVI century, under the influence of the works of Andrei Kurbsky and Maxim the Greek, the name Holy Russia appeared, and mother earth acquired the appearance of Svyatorusskaya. The idea was developed in the works of V. Trediakovsky, F. Prokopovich, M. Lomonosov and in the XVIII century, although in those days more often a different symbolic designation was used for the country - the Fatherland. Peter I did a lot to strengthen the symbol of Russia in the female appearance, whose plot was used in the manufacture of a personal seal.
The image was visualized by F. Becker, who introduced Peter I after sculpting the figure of Russia in the form of a woman. In her hands were a power and a scepter, and a crown crowned her head. The ruler personified the male principle, giving the female form and filling her soul with content. The idea dates back to the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion. The symbols Tsar-Father and Mother Russia were finally formed by the beginning of the 19th century, for during the reign of Catherine II the word Mother was firmly fixed to the ruler herself.
Holy marriage
The Patriotic War of 1812 stirred up a real wave of popular resistance of the French army of invaders. The image of the Motherland was associated among the defenders with a woman-mother, which was embodied in the medal "People’s Militia" (1816). It depicts Russia delivering weapons to its defenders - sons. This gender approach was typical for all European countries, but only in our country did symbolization of imperial unity and mobilization to fight against an external enemy take place. In fact, it was a question of the sacred marriage of the Tsar-priest with mother Russia.
This played into the hands of the authorities during the revolution. In the Tsaritsyno Monastery, an image is preserved in which rioters flee in fear from a mother woman with a sword. After the October events, the White movement strengthened both visual propaganda and rhetoric, calling for a battle with the oppressors of the Motherland. Mother Russia was portrayed with tied hands, in need of the help of its sons and the protection of the Tsar Father. That is why the Bolsheviks abandoned the existing symbol, returning to it only in the 30s.
Character return
The authorities used the concept of Homeland, but the image of Mother embodied in art and literature in relation to the country was so recognizable and revered that returning to it was only a matter of time. Already in the welcome telegram to the Chelyuskinites they were called worthy sons of the great Motherland. This marked the beginning of the synthesis of the concepts of Homeland and Revolution. During the Great Patriotic War, the image of the mother was embodied in the poster of I. Toidze, which became a symbol of the era. In Mother Motherland, not only suffering and strength are visible, but also a call - an appeal to a sense of duty. In films and literary work, she appeared to be a vulnerable, scorched war, in memorials and monuments - a mourning, and in a sculpture on Mamaev Kurgan - a warrior who could lead her.
To replace the Soviet Motherland, inseparable from the state, the image of a woman was returned to the country in the Russian period. But she seemed to be in the form of a stepmother, then - a corrupt whore, which was associated with a huge number of dissatisfied reforms. Today, Mother Russia is a newly sought after image. Symbols, like border guards, divide people into friends and foes. The time has come to unite and rally citizens both within the country and abroad in the interests of the nation.
New time - new songs
Gennady Fedorovich Georgiev is a famous poet. Having passed away in 2000 at the age of 62, he left behind some wonderful poetry collections (“Heart Attraction”, “My Good Old Friend”, “First in Dew”). But his main achievement was the songs performed by such famous artists as Joseph Kobzon, Lyudmila Zykina, Renat Ibragimov, Valentina Tolkunova, Lyudmila Nikolaeva. "Mother Russia" is one of them. In the dashing nineties, Gennady Fedorovich wrote it in collaboration with composer V.I. Temnov. With trepidation, turning to the image of Mother Russia, he conveys faith in the revival of the country. From the native nature and chimes of bells Russians gain strength. And the time will come when the troubles of the country will end and sorrows will fly away.
In the 2000s, the singer Jasmine performed a whole series of works included in the collection "From love to love." For the popular performer, they were rather uncharacteristic, but remarkably symbolized the beginning of a new time. One of Jasmine’s songs is “Mother Russia” by A. Zubkov to the verses by I. Kaminsky. For the first time, she performed it at Rescue Day. What is fundamentally new in this song? If faith and hope are present in G. Georgiev’s verses, here it is categorically said that Russia will find happiness after centuries of shedding tears. The performer with a soul conveys the desire to preserve in memory everything that was with the country, and give her her heart.
Afterword
Symbols, of course, carry a propaganda and political burden, as warned by Western authors. One of the sensational recent books on this subject is “Mother Russia” by Maurice Hindrus. We can agree that with the interweaving of the image of Russia with the Ruler, many negative points arise:
- This interferes with democracy and forms a person who is unable to critically evaluate the actions of the authorities.
- The banner of chauvinism and nationalism rises to the pedestal, turning the symbol into a sign of backwardness and archaism.
- Representatives of the nation are skewed towards the glorified feminine principle.
But poetry penetrates the listener's heart through the senses. The response is found only by sincere and felt lines. Exactly what songwriters presented. Mother Russia is a special symbol for the inhabitants of the country. Having a centuries-old history, it is sung by the best representatives of culture. And everyone from school remembers the lines told by K. Ushinsky that we are all nourished by the waters of Russia, which has taught us its language and protects, like a mother, from enemies.