SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT YONKERS, NEW YORK AND OTHER MAILING ADDRESSES ; . NO.24 KARPATSKA RUS. YONKERS,N.Y., DECEMBER 10. 1993. VOLLXVI

CHURCH IN RUINS by Oleh Ivanusiew is a increase our readership in East Europe, we offer to shocking book with many photos of the destruc­ NOTICE send issues there at a special rate of $8.00 per tion of Eastern Churches in the Peremysl area of year, which only represents the cost of postage. If Poland. Over 383 churches were confiscated. Due to lack of hard currency, our subscrip­ readers in the United States and Canada want to Some were destroyed, some used as Roman tion mailing list to Poland, Slovakia, Russia, avail themselves of this opportunity, kindly send us Catholic churches and the rest desecrated. Only Byelorussia and Ukraine is limited. Some the name and address of your relative or friend, 28 Orthodox Churches now remain. The book was Americans and Canadians pay for their relatives with a check for $8.00, and the newspaper will be written on the 40th anniversary of the ethnic and friends in East Europe. As an inducement, to sent. cleansing of the Lemko people, who were brutally expelled from their homes in 1947. Churches are still being desecrated, vandalized or torched. ********************************************

Thoughts on Russian Business

In letters to the editor of the Harvard Busi­ ness Review (July-August 1993), Christopher Crawford, managing director of the Moscow Con­ sulting Group, and Olga Peterson, director of information technology for Ernst & Young Vneshaudit, offer thier responses to Paul lawrence and Chara/ambos Vlachoutsicos' article Joint Ven­ tures in Russia: Put the Locals in Charge (January­ Stephen P. K'opestonsky February 1993.

Crawford argues that the business environ­ ment in Russia is "particularly conducive to low­ 4 cost, high \/olume businesses tnat deliver superior value to consumers on a mass scale. In many ******************************************** ******************************************** regards, the environment is similar to early twentieth-century America, which witnessed the continued from Issue #23, November 26, 1993 genre.) Even a normal smile on the face of a lay rise of such enterprises as Sears, Ford, and A&P." person was considered an "act of Satanic incite­ He notes that many opportunities still await It is well known that Slav wives were faithful ment." Harmless horovody and the sowing of Western business pioneers in the middle regions of to their husbands and there are known instances poppy and millet were also branded as "demonic Russia and the central Asian republics. He when they followed them even to their graves. gestures." A monk of the time wrote: "They believes that a key to success is gaining a funda­ Slavs, in conducting their games and horovody, danced to the beat of the drum, the blowing of mental understanding of market opportunities, always chose a young maiden of known moral trumpets and the plucking on the harp, rather than just concentrating on the mechanics of stature to lead them. Therefore, to the tales of the accompanied by jumping, stamping and kicking of dealing and trading. He also argues, that while orgies of the so-called Yarlinskiye nochi (Yarilo their legs; women and virgins contorting their flexibility and opportunism can be important for Nights), and about other acts practiced among the bodies to these rhythms, obscene songs on their managers, the ability to focus objectives is Slavs "that are not fit to print" which have been lips and whispering evil things among themselves premium. preserved in certain written memorials, one must -- all these actions defiled the character of married regard them with extreme skepticism and caution women and corrupted innocent young maidens" Peterson argues that many Russian joint because the probability is that they were greatly (Igumen Pamphily, 1505).2 .. ventures are thriving because companies are just exaggerated, altered, distorted and a figment of buying goods at government-subsidized prices the imagination of writers of the fanatic fringe, or But nature cannot be changed. Russians and then selling them on an open market. Russian invented to compel the bishops and princes to and Slavs generally, notwithstanding all the managers need only know the right people, have take severe measures against the "gatherings that exhortations and admonishments by the Christian "so-called Mafia-management skills," and be able sing wicked songs and dance seductively while the Church and her servants [clergy), notwithstanding to get around regulations. As an example she churches remain empty." the strict interdictions and chastisements by the cites a company that got around strict regulations state authorities, remained the same as they were on exporting raw copper by producing a small The Rus people, as well as other Slavs, are of old: dancers and singers. The Slavs -- Russian product out of copper to sell on the local market poetical by nature; they are of a happy dispOSition, and otherwise -- were never Huguenots-Puritans -­ and exporting the rest as scrap. She argues that love life. Consequently, they created for them­ and never will be. such companies add negative value to society. In selves a pantheon of deities of a similar nature. her view, "Russia needs more businesses that are This is why they had difficulty in accommodating THE SLAVS are a gifted and talented interested in long-term cooperation and that bring and adapting themselves to the asceticism that people. By nature they are playful, joyful, and good Western managers to coach the Russians." was required of them by the new Christian reli­ happy; they love music and dancing. No other gion, and particularly with the demands made on people have such extremely happy -- or endlessly them by the clergy of the black order [monks] mournful -- folk songs, and, at the same time, such who, after the acceptance of Christianity, multiplied brisk and daring folk dances as are natural to the Bureaucrats block reform in the Rus not by days but by the hour. A Slav is Slavs -- and particularly to the Russians. With very susceptible of giving himself up to extremes: them folk songs were created not by the hundreds, In his opinion piece on Russian reforms, just as earlier he loved his idolatrous Slavic gods as among other peoples, but by the thousands. In Grimace and bear it: Entrenched bureaucrats excessively -- now "banished from heaven" with the Halichina alone just the so-called kdlomeiki are block Russian reform (Seattle Times 8-22-93), Tom introduction of Christianity -- so now, becoming a without number. Horovody, sung and danced by Coad argues that a free market is not developing in Christian, he hated his former gods with extreme the Slav women folk while sowing wheat, poppy, Russia because bureaucrats are doing everything distaste which verged on fanaticism,1 calling his etc., were, for practical purposes, ballet forms in possible to block it. He cites the recent currency former idols demons. embryo. With their ingenious interweaving and reform as eviden<;:e. He notes massive problems in twisting, they contained many innovative dance government-run agriculture in the Far East, where it was particularly so with Russian monks configurations, such as "gates," "bridges," "circles," about "60% of the crops harvested by State Collec­ after they read of the great podvigs (great religious "stars," etc. These were performed with preCision tives rots on the ground" and wlwre "over half the exploits) of the ascetics in the famous ancient by numerous groups even without rehearsing. The food in Russia's far eastern provinces is grown on monastery on Mt. Sinai. (The first Greek literature names of many of these dances and their charac­ about 5% of the land divided into tiny, private came to the Rus from Greece with the acceptance teristics will be considered later under the heading plots." _ of Christianity. it was mostly of the religious From Russian Far East News continued on page 2 PAGE 2 KARPATIIO RUS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1993

continued from paqe 1 "Folk Dances." Dear Editor, REQUEST OF OUR READERS As stated above, Slavs sing and dance in Enclosed are the additional 1950s happiness and in sorrow. "They experience 'mor­ Through our archives we have searched for calendars, which my late motner, Mary Kinn bid joy in sorrow'; or gush in witty slapstick giving old Lemko Calendars from the 1930s and 1940s. themselves up to 'mad dancing,'" said Professor J. Many of those old Calendars are missing. We Daduk, kept- in her library of books. Her favorite Prince.· the noted philologist and ethnograph of would like to request, from our readers, any old past-time was reading in her Slavonic language. ~ Calendars that they may have and do not need. Columbia University, in writing about the Slavs·3 This would be of help to us in researching the his­ She always told me to read evervthing. as This is certainly true. At their trizny in antiquity, that tory of our people. Thank you. this was the best school. These books are again is, during their post-funeral memorial festivals, being donated in her memory. Slavs caroused on the graves of their newly Ed. Yours truly, departed with competitive "battles" -- duels, games ******************************************** Helen (Kinn) Ostrosky and dances: morbid joy in sorrow! ... LEMKO WEDDING VIDEO Dear Ms. Ostrosky, The noted Byzantine historian, Procopius of Caesarea, noted this characteristic of the Slavs. A two hour video casette of the film LEMKO We sincerely appreciate your fine contribu­ He wrote that once, when the Greeks captured a tion, and it has already paid dividends. We ran a WEDDING is still available for sale to our readers. N group of Slavs, the latter protested, saying: "We This is the original film that was made almost 30 series on the Lemko NBorsa in Gor/ice and could have no weapons. We do not possess swords, years ago, and it should be of intense interest to not continue because we lacked the 1953 Lemko only husli [a musical instrument] I. .. those readers who have not had the pleasure of Calendar. Included among your books was the viewing it. needed 1953 Calendar, and, therefore, we A life of songs, dances and games on all inserted it in this edition. occasions -- and even without an occasion -- was Cost, including postage and handling, is Ed. the natural order of living for the Slavs. This was $45.00. To order kindly send your check or an inborn characteristic and they behaved accor­ money order to KARPATSKA RUS, 556 Yonkers ******************************************** dingly. The author of these articles attempted to Avenue, Yonkers, New York, 10704 express this element of the Slavs in his ''Tradition,'' Press Fund Contributions, Nov. 1993 the introduction to his book Svarog, in which the ******************************************** Slavs themselves, their gods and even animals and Ms. Mary Kindiak $80. plants sing and dance. SUBSCRIPTION FORM Ms. Anna Baron 20. Ms. Anna Deak 10. Since the morals of the ancient Slavs coin­ Please start/renew my subscription to KAR­ Mr. John Petro Garbers 5. cided in many ways with Christian morality, the PATSKA RUS. Enclosed please find my check or sowing of Christianity by Ss. Cyril and Methodius money order for $20.jyear. Total Nov. 1993 $115. among the southern and, in part, the western Slavs occurred almost without bloodshed, as was the Name______******************************************** case in the Rus when Prince Vladimir embraced Christianity. In the meanwhile, Christianity was Address Notice planted among other peoples with fire and sword ------in a river of blood. This circumstance supports the City, State, It has been customary for individuals and assertion of foreign writers that the Slavs were a Zip Code ______organizations in the past to extend Holiday Greet­ peaceful and God-fearing people even before they ings for the New Year to our readers. If desired, were enlightened by the Light of Christ. 4 Press Fund send these greetings by December 15 to: Donation A. Herenchak The pagan names of Slav gods were ------P.O.Box 156 eventually transferred to those of the Christian Send to: Allentown, NJ 08501 deity. Thus, Svarog became God the Father. Their previous love of Dahzbog was transferred to Christ KARPATSKA RUS There is no charge for this service. the Saviour, Lada to the Most Holy Virgin, St. Yuri 556 Yonkers Avenue [George] replaced Yarilo, St. Vlasi (in Halichina, St. Yonkers, New York, 10704 ******************************************** Vasily) for Veles, St. John the Baptist for Kupalo, the Prophet lliya and St. Nicholas for Perun. The The Cooking Corner Nativity of Christ covered their Koliada and Pascha ******************************************** their Velikden' (Great Day). Most of the heathen This month, I share with you a recipe for festivals also were fused with Christian holy days. letters to the Editor Dessert Table Tarts. Making only one recipe of This is attested to by the celebration on those days these very easy tarts will have people oohing and of their heathen rites. In their ritual songs the Dear Sir, aahing if you decorate them with various toppings. pagan names of their deities were mentioned Use your artistic talents! equally with the Christian. The blending of the Please find enclosed $100. Canadian for my pagan Semik with Trinity Day may be noticed in subscription renewal and Press Fund contribution. Dessert Table Tarts the following ritual song: I enjoy your paper very much just like my mother did. I was born in Canada but have visited my 8 oz. Cream cheese. mother's beloved land, and I feel like I belong there 1/4 tsp Cornstarch Blagoslovi Troitsa, too. I would dearly love to know where I can get 1 Egg Bogoroditsa, some books about Lemko History and folklore to 1/4 cup Sugar Nam v Iyes poiti. learn even more. Can you tell me if you keep 1/2 tsp Vanilla Oi Dyid Lado! records of your papers on microfilm? You had "Nilla" or vanilla wafers back in the 1970s a very good lengthy series of Various toppings Bless [us). Trinity articles on Amroz the vagabond priest, who [And] Theotokos travelled through many villages, and I would love Bring cream cheese to room temperature. To go into the woods. to have a copy of some of his sermons and Add cornstarch, beaten egg, sugar and vanilla. Grand [father]-mother Lado! sayings. Perhaps you can reprint them for me, o Beat well until smooth. Fill muffin tins with 2 or 2 and I am sure that many other people would love 1/2 inch paper bakjng cups. Place one wafer into In Halichina on Koliada and on Shchedry to read them too. vecher (on the eve of Epiphany), besides other each cup. Add 1/2 tablespoon (about) of cream cheese mix over wafer in each cup. Bake in 350 shchedrivki, the following carol was sung: My blessings to you all. Keep up the good degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool. Before serving work. decorate tops with cherry pie filling, pineapple fill­ Shchedry vecher vsim nam, Mary Kindiak, Alberta,Canada ing, melted chocolate, butterscotch topping, rasp­ Shchastliva hodina! berry jam, etc. You may add whipped topping, Porodila Diva Syna. Dear Ms. Kindiak, sprinkles, etc. The more variety -- the better. Lado, Lado, Lado, The Orthodox Herald Vse [vsyo] na switi rado. Thank you for your fine contribution and Shchedry vecher na zemli. beautiful letter. Under separate cover we are send­ ******************************************** ing you our lengthy Histoiy of Lemkovina in the Bounteous evening for us all, original language and a short History of Lem­ A happy hour! kovina in English all without charge. We are The Virgin gave birth to a Son. attempting to translate the entire History in IN APPRECIATION Lado, Lado, Lado, English, but as you can understand, it is a difficult Everything on earth is glad. undertaking and it will be some time before it is We extend our thanks for help in producing this Bounteous evening on the earth. finished. I trust that our present running series on week's issue of Karpatska Rus to Svetlana Slav Mythology interests you since some of the Ledenieva. Christian carols that were sung in Halichina folklore of our ancient people continues to the pre­ Ed. and Kholmshchina were composed by monks to sent day. replace and extirpate the heathen carols. In this Ed. case, even the monk could not completely free himself of the p~gan influence. With good nature,

continued on page 3 PAGE 3 KARPATHO RUS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10,1993

.:c'·;,;nued from page 2 finest, sumptuous foods were prepared and placed on a decorated table for the Svyatyye Dzyady. to a horse's tail and dragged down Borichev [street] to the similarly to his monk-brother who called the Rus­ After the feasting (by the family) was over and the stream. He appointed twelve men to beat the idol with sticks, sians grandsons of Dazhbog, he equated the sup­ dzyady departed to their "heaven," the celebration not because he thought the wood was sensitive, but to affront posedly bounteous goddess Lada with the Holy was concluded without any participation what­ the demon who had deceived man in this guise, that he might Virgin, in whose honor on those particular days a soever on the part of the Christian Church. receive chastisement at the hands of men .... While the idol was bounteous supper of 12 entrees was prepared. In being dragged along the street to the Dnieper, the unbelievers Great Rus, to kill of the Shchedry vecher they As everywhere in the Rus, the feasting of the wept over it, for they had not yet received baptism. After they called it Kholodnoi kutyei (Cold Kutya). ancestors -- the rodzitseli -- among the Byelorus­ had thus dragged the idol along, they cast it into the Dnieper. sians was carried out on the Tuesday after St. But Vladimir had given the injunction, 'If it halts anywhere, RUSSIAN Slavs with great respect, called Thomas Sunday. On this day requiem services then push it out from the bank, until it goes over the rapids. their heavenly gods -- dyedy (the Byelorussians (panikhidy) were served -- the same as today -- on Then let it loose.' His command was duly-obeyed. When the called them dziady) , and the goddesses baby. the graves of relatives, prepared food was brought men let the idol go, and it passed through the falls, the wind They prefixed the word dyed to the word god, to the graves in advance and then the rodzitseli cast it out on the bank, which since that time has been called forming their god Dyed-Bog, with the adjectival were asked to eat "bread and salt." After the feast­ Perun's sandbank, a name that it bears to this very day." meaning of "Great"-God, and to the goddesses the ing they say: Moi rodzitseli, vybachaitse, ne word baba or dyeda with the same connotation of divites', chem hata bohata tyem rada! This feast­ Concerning Novgorod, Nestor wrote: "When Dobrynia meaning. Earthly godlings, bodiless spirits [spirits ing and entertaining of the gods must be [uncle of Prince Vladimir and one of his intimate druzhinniki) = modern gremlins], not born but created on earth understood not in the literal, but in a ritualistic­ came to Novogorod, he set up an idol beside the river Volk­ together with people by their god Svarog, were poetic sense, since all the foods were really eaten hov." The Novgorodian Chronicle describes the fate of this called dyedki (in Byelorussian = byeluny), and by the hosts. The casting of food crumbs (and idol thusly: "Arriving at Novgorod, Akim, the archbishop of earthly goddesses -- babki or Babochki (who sup- sometimes food), or the pouring of drinks on the Kherson, demanded that the idol be destroyed, and that graves, and burning fragrant incense, must be Perun be flogged, and urged that he be tied with ropes, posedly appeared to people from time to time as dragged over filthy dung, beaten with rods and cast into the fluttering butterflies). In Halichina, even to the pre­ understood as symbolic signs of respect and thanksgiving. Volkhov." sent time, the word dyed is used in poetry or in classical style writing with the above meaning: 2 The Christ-lover Pamphily was extremely agitated: " A Dyed Beskid, Dyed Slavutitsa Dniester, etc. In Before the Fall (of Adam and Eve), accord­ ing to popular belief of that time, the earth Christian should not play at satanic games, that is, dance, their dialect, Galician-Russians use the old fiddle, sing demonic songs and make sacrifices to idols." etymological orthography, but the b (yat') is pro­ swarmed with dyedki and babki, who performed all the work on the earth, thus making a paradise for nounced asa soft "i," so that what in literary Rus­ Nestor (who lived not long after the introduction of sian is pronounced dyed in Little Russian it is dyid, the people. During this period, man did absolutely nothing, not even as much as closing his eyelids; Christianity into the Rus) was disturbed also: "Do we not live which coincides with the refrain of the horovod ·Oi like pagans? It is part and parcel of Satan's teaching ... who Dyid Lado!" dyedki or babki closed them for him. After the Fall, deceives us and alienates us from God by all manner of craft, however, when the Chornaya Pot'ma ("Black through trumpets and clowns, through harps and pagan festi­ Certain mythologists consider the Dyedki as Cloud") cast them back again to the earth from vals. For we behold the playgrounds worn bare by the foot­ the souls of ancestors, but ancestral souls were their abode in the hell of Chorny Svet, the earth steps of a great multitude, who jostle each other while they respected and honored and their names were again swarmed with them, but now not as helpers make a spectacle of a thing invented by the devil. The chur­ never used in vain. Dyedki were spurned and of the people, but as vile despoilers. As man ches still stand; but when the hour of prayer is come, few wor­ scorned and when their names were mentioned it strove to do any kind of work, hundreds of these shipers are found in the church .... " was in a pejorative sense. On the other hand, the diminutive dyedki laid in wait to upset things and souls of the ancestors (progenitors) in the Rus do harm. The Metropolitan Kirill wrote: "We still see the mainte­ were called by various names: navii, chury, nance of devilish customs .of the thrice-cursed Hellenes on 5 shchury or prashchury. Some of them were con­ If you were not careful, they surely would divine feastdays, by the performance of disgraceful acts of the sidered as invisible defenders and guardians of the make trouble for you. They were all over the devil: by whistling, yelling, wailing, while drunkards batter family hearth ("home sprites"). But the chury were place: in the fields, in the forests, in the air, in the each other with clubs, stealing each other's purses." not. They descended from the dyedki-despoilers, water, and of course, behind every tree. Just as while the "home sprites" were called domovyye (in before the Fall they were bearers of good, now, Halichina -- hovanetz; in Czechia -- pikulik). If the after the Fall, they became perpetually evil and The Stoglav [Church Council of One Hundred Chap­ chury were not making trouble, but helping the "became the instigators of all the misfortunes of ters, held in Moscow in 15511 dec/ares: "At bath houses master of the household, it was only because the mankind in this bright world." The Russian people, adolescents are defiled and virgins corrupted ... and when the master was shrewd enough to satisfy them with always the poets in all things, explained to them­ church bells beg"in their call to prayer early in the morn, those something and thus dominate them. Byelorus­ selves also the evil of this world poetically, having participating in the orgies go to their homes, falling as if dead sians say about the master who is lucky (= personified it not only in the Poganoye Idolishche, from their seething passions." prosperous): Mabutz s byelunomznayetztza; in Gorynych, the Chornaya Pot'ma and devils, but 3 Halichina also they whisper: S dyidkom znayesia. also in the dyedki -- the godlings who had sinned. In an article, "Slav and Celt," reprinted in the book In Hutsulshchina, they "employed" or "hired" the Fragments from Babel, Columbia University Press. dyidko to do their work (!). The master prepared A Russian writer (Nikolsky), in a mytholo­ 4 and cooked a corn gruel, called malamyga. At gical essay on the history of the Rus by Pokrovsky, I.I.Sreznevsky wrote: "Abjuring pagan superstitions midnight he placed the utensil with the gruel on the convinced himself that the "wild Slav" on the when they accepted Christianity, the Slavs had no need to boundary of his land. After exorcizing (adjuring) Dnieper, not being able to raise himself up to an renounce certain of their basic beliefs, but only to purify them. the dyidki, the master departed. Supposedly, the understanding of one God, "saw gods behind Even before accepting Christianity they believed in one God, dyidko was "hired"! every tree," not even "making a distinction mytho­ the Saviour of the world and the Ruler of its destiny, and in His logically that these "gods behind the trees" were almighty Providence. They believed that. their deity saves In Boikovshchina they "hired" the dyidko on not gods at all but earthly spirits of a lower caliber those who follow His laws and shun evil. They acknowledged the eve of the feastday of St. Yuri [George]. The which he (the "wild Slav") despised and cursed and their duty to love their neighbor by expressing their solicitude master of the household baked ten unsalted loaves by habit still curses them today." for orphans and the poor, and compassion for captives. Their of bread. Before midnight he placed them at the hospitality to strangers was so obvious that it astounded all crossroads nearby, saying: "Come, dyedki, have But the writer himself (Nikolsky) sitting com­ foreigners." (0 yazycheskikh verovaniyakh drevnikh slavian some bread!" After this symbolic gesture, the fortably in his study, writing his essay from [The Pagan Beliefs of the Ancient Slavs]). At the same time, dyedki were accepted and were considered as memorials and books of other authors, did not Sreznevsky cites evidence that the ancient Slavs, just as the "hired" to faithfully serve their masters and never to know his topic and was unable to relate critically to Christians, believed in the immortality of the soul and in the make any trouble for them. his subject since he was never in touch personally life hereafter - either in Paradise or Hell. with the people. Not being acquainted with the 5 Dzyady is the name of a well-known people's innate poetic frame of mind, he also did The worship of clan ancestors constituted what was ritualistic festival in Byelorussia. It was nbt a festi­ not understand their personification in the most historically the deepest stratum of Russian beliefs. This was val commemorating ancestral souls as was beautiful terms of all appearances and phenomena connected with a more general idea of propagation as the thought generally. The dzyady were gods, and it of nature round about them. As a result, the writer basic force behind each clan and family. More specifically, was they that were feasted on this festival. On this was surely not in a state of mind to take into each clan ve~erated its progenitor (prashchur) and ,each day the people thanked the gods for whatever account fully the lively imagination of the "people­ household invoked the protection of its guardian, the domovoi good they thought they received from them. In the poet" and ascribed to their way of seeing and ("home sprite"). exorcisms of the dzyady'that are still extant, there thinking the term "wild." To reason in this manner, is nothing said about ancestral souls. They begin it would follow that all the engrossing fiction of the Our knowledge of the religion of the ancient Slavs is with svyatyye dsyady and conclude with TSiaper most famous of poets and writers is also "wild." He far from adequate, due to the paucity of sources. Moreover, it idzitse na nebo! ("Now, be on your way to did not understand that the Slav prechristian reli­ is not easy to differentiate between the beliefs common to all the Slavic tribes and those peculiar to each of them. From heaven"). This says more about the gods~zyady gion was in all its manifestations of the purest fan­ than about the dzyady-souls of the ancestors who tasy and imagery, forming a grandiose poem as if this point of view it would be difficult to establish any definite are not called "holy" in any memorial rituals, and created by an unknown Slavic Homer. boundaries between Slavic paganism at large and Russian are not sent on their way to the heavens. paganism as the religion of the Russian Slavs. In any case, it may be said that the Russian paganism undoubtedly pos­ Everywhere in the Rus, and also among the sessed some characteristics of its own and presented more Byelorussians, all the prechristian Slav memorial To be continued variety of beliefs than the religion of any other Slavic tribe due ancestral days continued to be carried out, but to the geographic background of Russia. Even more con­ with Christian rituals. On such days people visited spicuously than with the religions of other tribes, the Russian the graves of their ancestors, a priest was called to The Monk Nestor wrote in his Primary Chronicle: paganism was not a unified system of dogmas but rather a serve a requiem service (very much as today). On " ... And he set up idols on the hills outside the castle with the complex body of heterogeneous religious beliefs. There must the festival of dzyady, this was not done. But the hall: one of Perun, made of wood with a head of silver and a have been so much diversity in the religion of the Russian homes were brought to an ideal cleanliness, the mustache of gold .... " After the baptism of the Rus, this same Slavs that it would perhaps be more accurate to speak of two, members of the family bathed and dressed in their Nestor wrote: "Vladimir ordered that Perun should be bound or even three, old Russian religions instead of one.