I was going through old things and came across a small recording from 5 years ago.

I sat and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

I have no idea what prompted me to write this handwriting. Probably the fact that then I was quite deeply immersed in the “Silver Age”.

In short, a letter of revelation from some young man late XIX century, suffering from the blues, written by himself.

Just don't spit, please. I know it turned out pretty wild...

The type of young man who wrote the letter. I imagine him something like this.

And here is the letter itself:

“My respects, sir. How often do you have a conversation with time?

You don't have to answer this question for me.

The problem is that my head is ready to explode for some unknown reason, and I am unable to find a way to express what is tormenting me.

One could try to explain this by a semblance of love and hatred at the same time. But know that these feelings are quite strong.

My own, rather melancholy, cannot be compared with them.

Maybe I'm a pedant? Maybe he's just selfish?..

But I am me, and I can’t do anything about it.

Many people are now scribbling on sheets of yellow paper just like me, and translating it in vain.

In the spring, winter ice has a habit of melting and turning into water.

Not every stream that flows into a river is destined to chase ships or tease children on a rocky beach.

My meager mind is not able to express all the passions of my heart with the sophistication of words. I should take a dictionary. But I’m afraid that he is not able to convey the music of words, with the magnificent power with which they begin to sound when collected into a story, story or poem.

Oh, song of words! What sonority can they carry?

Oh, singing feather! It's a symphony, like Ludwig van Beethoven's “Koralle”.

I'm lonely. And all the bitterness lies in the fact that I am too heavy and boring for the fluttering butterflies. And for learned men he is too ignorant.

Ah, my lovely sister! My darling. There is no creature more sweet and merciful. There is so much compassion in her heart, so much love for humanity, selflessness and kindness.

Not everyone can stand my difficult temperament.

But she, oh my angel, not only does not reproach me for this, but I know for sure that she loves me with all her heart.

I don’t know why the Lord gave me such a callous heart.

Maybe it's all due to my considerable sensitivity.

Oh, how many times did I rave as a child? How many times has my mind become red-hot and the heat rushed me to bed. How many times have I tried to get up, screamed and cried, consumed by the heat...

But time passed, and from a cute imp I turned into a disgusting devil, withdrawn into himself...

It's funny, but people find my appearance quite cute.

The ladies don't take their eyes off me. Everyone is chirping about how amazing my eyes are.

I, on the contrary, find them steely and cold...

Well, dear friend, I probably tired you with my story.

But who else should I talk about if not myself.

To spend so much time alone with yourself and not talk about yourself, in my opinion, is the height of absurdity..."

With that, let me take my leave)

Mood: an awkward silence

Nomination "Stylization"

Choose one of the suggested quotes and try to write it in such a way as to reflect the calligraphic features of the period in which this idea was expressed.

You can refer to the samples below for reference.

Statements about language (for the category “Stylization”)

What you can do well, don’t forget, and what you can’t do, learn it - like my father, sitting at home, knew five languages, that’s why he received honor from other countries. Laziness is the mother of everything: what someone knows how to do, he will forget, and what he doesn’t know how to do, he will not learn.

"Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh"

Neither a ship can be made without nails, nor a righteous person without reading books, and just as captives have their parents on their minds, so a righteous person has reading books. Beauty is a weapon for a warrior, and sails for a ship, and reading books for a righteous man.

“The Word of a Certain Monk on Reading Books” (from the “Izbornik” of 1073)

After all, people benefit greatly from bookish teaching; We are guided and taught by books on the path of repentance, for from the words of books we gain wisdom and self-control. These are rivers that water the entire universe, these are sources of wisdom; There is immeasurable depth in books; they console us in our sorrows...

"The Tale of Bygone Years", 1038

You cannot recapture a bird that was quickly lost, nor can you return a word that has flown out of your mouth.

Collection "Bee"

Strive to enrich the mind and beautify the Russian word.

M. V. Lomonosov

In Russia, verbal sciences will never allow the Russian word to decline.

M. V. Lomonosov

The beauty, splendor, strength and richness of the Russian language is abundantly clear from books written in past centuries, when our ancestors did not only know any rules for writing, but they hardly even thought that they existed or could exist.

M. V. Lomonosov

The enrichment and purity of the language have never been as necessary for other peoples as they have become necessary for us, despite the real wealth and beauty and strength of the Russian language.

E. R. Dashkova

The perception of other people's words, especially without necessity, is not enrichment, but damage to the language.

A. P. Sumarokov

May there be honor and glory to our language, which in its native richness, almost without any foreign admixture, flows like a proud, majestic river - it makes noise, thunders - and suddenly, if necessary, softens, gurgles like a gentle brook and sweetly pours into the soul, forming all measures that consist only in the fall and rise of the human voice.

N. M. Karamzin

You marvel at the preciousness of our language: every sound is a gift: everything is grainy, large, like the pearl itself, and, truly, another name is even more precious than the thing itself.

N.V. Gogol

There is no word that would be so sweeping, lively, would burst out from under the very heart, would seethe and vibrate so much as a well-spoken Russian word.

N.V. Gogol

Language is the history of the people. Language is the path of civilization and culture. That is why learning and preserving the Russian language is not an idle hobby with nothing to do, but an urgent necessity.

A. I. Kuprin

The Russian language in skillful hands and experienced lips is beautiful, melodious, expressive, flexible, obedient, dexterous and capacious.

A. I. Kuprin

The greatest wealth of a people is its language! For thousands of years, countless treasures of human thought and experience accumulate and live forever in the word.

M. A. Sholokhov

What is language? First of all, it is not only a way to express your thoughts, but also to create your thoughts. Language has the opposite effect. A person who turns his thoughts, his ideas, his feelings into language... he is also, as it were, permeated by this way of expression.

A. N. Tolstoy

Many Russian words themselves radiate poetry, just as precious stones radiate a mysterious shine...

K. G. Paustovsky

Language is like the sea. On one shore the waters of the sea are clear and salty, on the other they are desalinated by the river flowing into it and are full of its turbidity. And all this at the same time, only at different points in space.

Lev Uspensky

Historical reference

The earliest form of the Cyrillic font became charter. The letters of this font had almost square proportions, with clear angles and lines. There were no spaces between the words, but the distance between the letters themselves was quite large.

Old Russian Cyrillic script (charter of the 11th century)

A sample of the Old Russian charter of the 11th century. Font "Ostromir Gospel" in artistic treatment V.V. Lazursky.

Fragment of the Ostromir Gospel (XI century)

Half-charter

From the middle of the 14th century it became widespread semi-charter. It was less beautiful than the charter, but it allowed you to write faster. The letters acquired an inclination and became more rounded. The text began to be divided into words.

Sample semi-charter of Russian early printed books. Font from “The Apostle” of 1564 by Ivan Fedorov in artistic adaptation by V. V. Lazursky. Moscow, 1946

Fragment of a page from “The Apostle” by Ivan Fedorov, 1564

In the 15th century, the half-rut was replaced by cursive.

To increase the speed of writing, letters began to be connected to each other. The letter becomes expansive, with many variants of spelling each letter appearing. And since each scribe developed his own handwriting, such a letter was sometimes very difficult to read!

Cursive writing samples.

18th century font

Language, I remembered one incident, absolutely unremarkable in all other respects.

Having been, in my distant youth, invited to a friend’s birthday celebration, for some reason I was forced to look for a gift along the way. Having dropped into the first bookstore I came across, I think it was “Bukinist” on Morskoy, I began to leaf through all the books in a row, hoping to find something suitable for a gift.

I didn’t have enough capital for expensive academic publications, and all the other books were randomly empty, meaningless, and in no way suitable not only as a gift, but for anything else in the world. Being late, I leafed through them faster and faster, one by one, and after going through three or four dozen of them, I was already inclined to think about buying a cookbook, when in a dusty, unfrequented corner I found a nondescript book.
These were letters from some Russian traveler of either the 18th or 19th centuries, whose name had disappeared from my memory over the years, addressed to his relatives. The letters began with approximately the following words: “My dear mother and father, as well as sisters Nadenka and Olenka,” and in the few pages that I looked through, absolutely no remarkable events occurred. The man was traveling somewhere, eating something, describing the customs of the inhabitants of some Astrakhan province, through which his quiet horse was taking him at that moment, shaking and dropping cakes into the dust, and it seemed like nothing more. So I mumbled apologetically, handing the birthday boy a book, but the language in it was somehow strange. Nice.
I meant Russian.
A couple of years later, during a chance meeting, that friend himself reminded me of the book and said that he was using it as a model for writing letters. The language in it is very pleasant.

Perhaps in ancient letters one can find that unspoiled language, and use it not as a model for direct imitation (a lot of time has passed since those horses), but as a basis, a basis on which one can rely in the sense of language.

It may be objected to me that that language was the language of a small enlightened stratum, the cultural elite of that time, and the peasants spoke much simpler, and we, today, social status We are more likely to correspond to the peasants of that time. So the pollution of our language is excusable. But why should we look for excuses for ourselves if no one accuses us?
Moreover, the current “cultural elite” is producing this entire mutilated language for us.

I searched the Internet for old letters, but found sheer tears. And even then through one masons, foreigners or completely incomprehensible personalities. I'll post a couple anyway.
Therefore, I would like to ask those who have books with old letters, as well as time and desire, on occasion, to rewrite one or two of the ones they liked the most and post them here.
It's very interesting.

M. V. Lomonosov - I. I. Shuvalov

Dear Sovereign Ivan Ivanovich!

No one in my life has hurt me more than Your Excellency. Summoned
you take me to your place this day. I thought maybe there would be some joy in my
fair requests. You called me back and thus beckoned me. Suddenly I hear: make peace with
Sumarokov! that is, make laughter and shame. Get in touch with the kind of person everyone runs from and
not for your own sake. Contact that person who says nothing else, as soon as everyone
scolds, praises himself and places his poor rhyming above all human knowledge.
He only scolds Taubert and Miller because they don’t publish his works; and not for the sake of the general
benefits. I forget all his bitterness, and I don’t want to take revenge in any way, and God didn’t give me
evil heart. I just can’t be friends with him and treat him in any way, having experienced through
many cases, but knowing what it’s like to be in nettles...
Not wanting to offend you by refusing you in front of many gentlemen, I showed you obedience;
I just assure you that this is the last time. And if, despite my zeal, you become angry;
I rely on the help of the Almighty, Who was my protector in life and never left,
when I shed tears before Him in my justice...

Mr. Sumarokov, having become attached to me for an hour, so much nonsense
I said something that would last for the rest of my life, and I’m glad that God took it away from me. According to various sciences
I have so much to do that I have given up all companies; my wife and daughter are used to staying at home,
and do not want to treat comedians. I don’t like to hear empty chatter and self-praise.
And to this day we have lived in unanimity. Now, according to your peacemaking, we must enter
into a new bad atmosphere. If you are pleased with the dissemination of science in Russia; if my to
your zeal has not disappeared from your memory; try for the speedy fulfillment of my fair wishes
petitions for the benefit of the Fatherland, but about reconciling me with Sumarokov as a petty matter,
forget it. Expecting a fair answer from you, I remain with ancient high reverence

Your Excellency's humble and humble servant
Mikhailo Lomonosov.
1761
January 19th day.

M. I. Kovalensky - G. Skovoroda

My dear Mainguard! *

I received your letter from Taganrog. Both your memories and your letters are in me
produce heartfelt consolation. In the crowd of social gatherings the most pleasant feeling
there are truths and integrity. And in these names I always introduce myself to you! Where are you now
are you finding it?
I am healthy, by the grace of my God, with my dear family. I set off again into the local sea, yes
I can reach the pier more conveniently. Will everything become boring: the great, the glorious, and the wondrous? essence
nothing for the human spirit.

Adio, mio ​​caro Mangard! Your friend Mikhaila Kovalensky.
February 18, 1782

* "Skovoroda's friendly nickname is Daniil Meingard, named after a Swiss
friend M.I. Kovalensky" - source note

N.M. Karamzin
Letter to P. A. Vyazemsky

St. Petersburg, January 11, 1826

Dear Prince! I am writing to you, with Mr. Pogodin, and all the more sincerely I can say how much
we were glad that the stormy cloud did not touch you with either the edge or the slightest movement
air. Just for the sake of God and friendship, do not intercede in conversations for the unfortunate
criminals, although not equally guilty, but guilty according to universal and eternal justice.
The main ones, as you can hear, do not dare to justify themselves. Letters from Nikita Muravyov to
his wife and mother are touching: he blames his blind pride, dooming himself to execution
legitimate in the pangs of conscience. I don’t want to mention murderers, robbers, vile villains;
but aren’t all the others criminals, insane or reckless, like evil children? Is it possible
be here different opinions, about which you speak in your last letter from some
significance special? If my wife and I made a mistake in the meaning and application, then everything
what I said is destroyed by itself; There will only be a feeling of tender friendship for you,
belonging to our heart life!
Alexander is gone: the connection and charm have disappeared for me; I see without glasses, I judge without purchase and
I am humbled in spirit more than ever. I also repeat from the bottom of my heart: don’t make me happy
Izvetnikov not with the most innocent immodesty! You have a wife and children, neighbors, friends, intelligence,
talent, fortune, good name: something to cherish. I don't require an answer. Notify only about health
children are cute and their own. I kiss the hand of the most kind princess, hugging you all tenderly. Your

N. Karamzin.

V. A. Zhukovsky - S. L. Pushkin

March 13, 1837 [Petersburg].

Thank you for your letter, venerable Sergei Lvovich. Don't blame me for not
conveyed your letters to the Emperor; it is much more decent if it is sent from you
in the usual way: I rejected this matter not because I didn’t want to
fulfill your wishes, I hope and you are sure of this. Taking advantage of the departure of Mr. Bartenev,
I am sending you a box with three masks, one for you, another for Nashchokin, the third for
Baratynsky, whom you hug for me. A package with letters from I. I. Dmitriev, please
hand it over to him. We are now engaged in publishing Sovremennik; but we are seven nannies,
and that’s why nothing moves forward.
Sorry, I hug you. May God give you the strength to endure your unbearable misfortune.

Zhukovsky.
March 13, 1837
Enclosing packages with letters from Nashchokin and Baratynsky, I ask you to give them to them.
I will send the package with letters from I.I. Dmitriev later.

P.S. True, there are some conditions: these must be letters from pre-revolutionary times, addressed to friends, relatives, etc., that is, purely everyday letters and obviously not intended for prying eyes.

Letters specially written with an eye to publication (“in the epistolary genre”), or even with an eye to the possibility of publication (a common case among celebrities), since their language is too deliberately artistic, with beauty and pathos, are not suitable for these purposes.

From postal history

In the Moscow state of the second half of the 17th century, letters were written very rarely, and the majority avoided sending them by mail, as they were extremely distrustful of mail, this “German” innovation. Oddly enough, but now distrust in Russian mail has revived again. A letter sent from one end of the city to the other takes at least a week! But this is so, a small digression.
The word “letter” came into general use only from the 18th century. Before that, in Rus' they used the name “gramota”, “gramotka” (messenger letter), and later for some time it was in use, which migrated to us from Western Europe, the word “epistole” (hence the epistolary genre).

Defining a letter as “one of the ways of exchanging thoughts and feelings,” and humorously noting that “a letter is such a noun, without which postal officials would sit behind the staff, and postage stamps would not be sold,” A.P. Chekhov in In the story “The Newest Letter Writer,” he instructed: “Letters should be written clearly and with understanding. Politeness, respectfulness and modesty in expressions serve as decoration for any letter; in a letter to elders, one should, in addition, be guided by the table of ranks, prefacing the addressee’s name with his full title: for example, “Your Excellency, father and benefactor, Ivan Ivanovich.”

Dear Ivan Ivanovich! Dear General! Your Royal Majesty! Dear Katerina Matveevna! So respectfully and modestly, or almost so, our contemporary would begin his letter briefly and clearly, free from the conventions in the address of our ancestors who lived in the 14th, 15th, 16th, and partly 17th centuries - conventions that, however, played a role in public life much big role, than now.

Russian letters of the 17th century were distinguished by extreme verbosity, prolixity and florid style. Here is an appeal in one of the letters to the boyar:
- “The State's blessing to the famous and brave conqueror of enemies, protected by a strong scepter, firmly standing for the Orthodox faith, a great armorer, my gracious sovereign (name”).
Or in another letter - to a landowner living in the village:
- “To him who lives in peace and prosperity and flourishes in all good virtues, who is satisfied with the true Christian faith, my sovereign (name).”
IN official letters in Rus' until the 18th century, the custom of calling the boss “father” in official letters remained. “My gracious father and sovereign Fyodor Matveevich,” boyar Kikin began his letter to the Azov governor Count Apraksin.
And here is a letter from a postal official to the Tsar, clearly characterizing the style of the 17th century (1678). Translated into modern language, the semantic content of this message would be reduced to a simple phrase: “I ask you to grant me a vacation.” But in those days it was not customary to write like that, and so, observing the traditions and rules of his time, the official writes:

- “To the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich, of all Great and Lesser and White Russia, the autocrat is struck with his brow by your servant Fadeiko Kryzhevsky. By your Great Sovereign, I was ordered to be in charge of the Vilna post office in the village of Mignovichi on the Lithuanian border. Merciful Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke of all Great and Little and White Russia, autocrat, have pity on me, your slave, the Sovereign commanded, let me go to Moscow for a while for my affairs, and there will be no delay in the mail without me, and that’s what they commanded, Sovereign, send your Sovereign’s letter to Smolensk. Tsar, Sovereign, have mercy."

The style was much simpler and less pompous family letters. Several such letters were published in the Temporary of the Imperial Moscow Society of History and Russian Antiquities, one of which was addressed to A.N. Bezobrazov (the steward under Tsars Alexei and Fedor). Under Peter he was a governor. This letter from his nephew begins with the words:
- “To my uncle Andrei Ilyich, your nephew Vaska Semenov beats his forehead, for many years, sir, hello uncle, for many years and with your aunt with Agafya Vasilyevna and with all your righteous house, and perhaps, sir, order me to write about your long-term health and about your aunt "

Characteristic of the writing of that time was the self-deprecation of the authors, not only in addressing the lower to the higher (“your slave Fadeiko”), but also between people of equal status. Even the most important people called themselves derogatory half-names in their letters. So, for example, Prince Yuri Romodanovsky wrote to Prince Vasily Golitsyn: “Yushka hits you with his forehead.” Prince Golitsyn's wife signed her letters to her husband: “Your fiancé, Dunka, beats a lot of people to the face of the earth.” Boyar Kikin ended his letter to Apraksin with the words: “Your Excellency’s servant Petrushka Kikin.”

Even Peter I, in his letters dating back to the 17th century, adhered to the accepted forms, signing his letters to his relatives: “unworthy Petrushka.”
However, already in 1701, Peter I, by his decree, ordered, from January 1, 1702, people of all ranks to “be written in full names with nicknames.”
The right to use the “nickname” was strictly regulated. Writing with -vich (i.e. with the patronymic - “Ivanovich”) was allowed with the royal favor. Until 1780, hierarchy and gradualism were observed in this regard: the highest ranks - up to the collegiate adviser - were written with “vich” and entered into the official lists, court advisers and majors - ... ov son” (Ivan, Petrov son) and the following ranks - without a patronymic at all .

In addition, Peter commanded not to beat the forehead and instead of slaves to be called slaves. To introduce European morals into correspondence, he ordered in 1708 to translate from German language the book “Butts, how different complements are written”, in which the address to a person was replaced by the address to you.

Along with the assimilation of European morals and customs under Peter the Great, the previous form of Russian writing also changed. Already in the 20s of the 18th century, in private correspondence, it became customary to call the correspondent without excessive servility - my dear sir or simply my merciful sovereign and sign ready for service, obedient servant, obedient slave, obedient and faithful servant, and the like. Thus, gradually improving, the current style of writing was formed, meeting the requirements of the time and the pace of modern life.

Since then, writing letters has long become commonplace, familiar to all segments of society, almost standard forms of addressing the addressee and various styles of writing have been developed, depending on its purpose and nature. How to write business letter, a love letter, a letter from a husband to his wife, a father, a church hierarch - answers to these and similar questions could be found in manuals and letter books. When there were no manuals or scribes, traditions and unwritten rules operated.

If in the personal correspondence of our contemporary, conventions are discarded and close people are most often addressed with the words dear, dear, dear, beloved, then in official office work the forms of written office work are strictly regulated and samples business correspondence included in computer programs and numerous manuals.

(Based on materials from the magazines “Post-Telegraph Journal”, “Post-Telegraph Bulletin”, “Post-Telegraph Echo”.)

: I propose: speech etiquette in the Russian Empire of the early twentieth century in everyday life and in the army. From janitor to emperor.We read books, watch movies and TV series, go to theaters... We encounter “your excellency” and “your excellency.” However, clear canons regulating the norms of circulation in detail are difficult to find, and those works that exist are fragmentary and of little use. How's the dark?

The word “etiquette” was introduced into use by the French king Louis XIV in the 17th century. At one of the magnificent receptions of this monarch, the invitees were given cards with rules of behavior that guests must observe. From the French name for cards - “labels” - the concept of “etiquette” comes from - good manners, good manners, ability to behave in society. At the courts of European monarchs, court etiquette was strictly observed, the implementation of which required both the august persons and those around them to comply with strictly regulated rules and norms of behavior, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity. For example, the Spanish king Philip III preferred to burn in front of his fireplace (his lace caught fire) than to put out the fire himself (the person responsible for the court fire ceremony was absent).

Speech etiquette – “nationally specific rules speech behavior, implemented in a system of stable formulas and expressions in situations of “polite” contact with an interlocutor accepted and prescribed by society. Such situations are: addressing the interlocutor and attracting his attention, greeting, introduction, farewell, apology, gratitude, etc.” (Russian language. Encyclopedia).

Thus, speech etiquette represents the norms of social adaptation of people to each other; it is intended to help organize effective interaction, restrain aggression (both one’s own and that of others), serve as a means of creating an image of “one’s own” in a given culture, in a given situation.

Speech etiquette in the narrow sense of understanding this term is used in etiquette communication situations when performing certain etiquette actions. These actions can have the meaning of motivation (request, advice, proposal, command, order, demand), reaction (reactive speech acts: agreement, disagreement, objection, refusal, permission), social contact in the conditions of establishing contact (apology, gratitude, congratulations) , its continuation and completion.

Accordingly, the main etiquette genres are: greeting, farewell, apology, gratitude, congratulations, request, consolation, refusal, objection... Speech etiquette extends to oral and written communication.

Moreover, each speech genre of speech etiquette is characterized by a wealth of synonymous formulas, the choice of which is determined by the sphere of communication, the characteristics of the communicative situation and the nature of the relationship between the communicators. For example, in a greeting situation: Hello! Good morning! Good afternoon Good evening! (Very) glad to welcome (see) you! Let me welcome you! Welcome! My regards! Hello! What a meeting! What a meeting! Who do I see! and etc.

Thus, greeting helps not only to perform the appropriate etiquette speech action when meeting, but also to set a certain frame of communication, to signal official ( Let me welcome you!) or unofficial ( Hello! What a meeting!) relationships, set a certain tone, for example, humorous, if the young man answers the greeting: My regards! etc. The rest of the label formulas are similarly distributed according to their scope of use.

Addressing (orally or in writing) to persons with ranks was strictly regulated and was called a title. All slaves should have known these sweet words as “OUR FATHER.” OTHERWISE THERE COULD BE BIG TROUBLES!!!

Subjects of the Russian sovereign were certainly punished for registering the royal title. And also the punishment depended on the seriousness of the offense. Punishment on this issue was the prerogative of the highest authority. The measure of punishment was fixed either in the royal decree or in the royal decree with a boyar sentence. The most common punishments were whipping or whipping, and short term imprisonment. Not only the fact of distorting the title of the Russian sovereign, but also the application of one or more of its formulas to a person who did not have royal dignity was subject to inevitable punishment. Even in an allegorical sense, subjects of the Moscow sovereign were forbidden to use the words “tsar”, “majesty”, etc. in relation to each other. If such a fact occurred, it served as a reason for starting a search operation and was placed under the control of the highest authorities. An indicative example is the “Tsar’s personal decree “On cutting the tongue of Pronka Kozulin, if the search turns out that he called Demka Prokofiev the king of Ivashka Tatariinov.” It can be said that during the period under review, an attack on the royal title was actually equated with an attack on the sovereign.

Noble etiquette.

The following title formulas were used: respectful and official address was “Dear sir, dear madam.” This is how they addressed strangers, either during a sudden cooling or aggravation of relations. In addition, all official documents began with such appeals.

Then the first syllable was dropped and the words appeared "sir, madam". This is how they began to address wealthy and educated people, usually strangers.

In the official environment (civilian and military), the following rules of address existed: the junior in rank and title was required to address the senior in title - from “Your Honor” to “Your Excellency”; to persons of the royal family - “Your Highness” and “Your Majesty”; the emperor and his wife were addressed as “Your Imperial Majesty”; Grand Dukes (close relatives of the Emperor and his wife) were titled “Imperial Highness.”

Often the adjective “imperial” was omitted, and when communicating, only the words “Majesty” and “Highness” were used (“To His Majesty with an errand ...”).

Princes who did not belong to the reigning house, and counts with their wives and unmarried daughters, were titled “Your Excellency”, the most serene princes - “Your Grace”.

Higher-ranking officials addressed their subordinates with the word “Mr.,” with the addition of their surname or rank (position). People equal in title addressed each other without a title formula (for example, “Listen, Count...”).

Common people, who did not know ranks and insignia, used such addresses as master, mistress, father, mother, sir, madam, and for girls - young lady. And the most respectful form of addressing a master, regardless of his rank, was “Your Honor.”

Military etiquette. The system of appeals corresponded to the system military ranks. Full generals are supposed to say Your Excellency, lieutenant generals and major generals - Your Excellency. Officers, sub-ensigns and candidates for a class position are called superiors and senior staff and chief officers by rank, adding the word Mr., for example, Mr. Captain, Mr. Colonel, other lower ranks title staff officers and captains - Your Highness, other chief officers - Your Honor (those with a count or princely title - Your Excellency).

Departmental etiquette used largely the same system of addresses as the military one.

In the Russian state in the 16th - 17th centuries, there was a practice of maintaining “ranks” - rank books, in which records were annually made of the appointments of service people to the highest military and government positions and about royal commissions to individual officials.

The first discharge book was compiled in 1556 under Ivan the Terrible and covered all appointments for 80 years from 1475 (starting from the reign of Ivan III). The book was kept in the Discharge Order. In parallel, the order of the Grand Palace kept a book of “palace ranks”, in which “everyday records” were entered about appointments and assignments in the court services of serving people. Rank books were abolished under Peter I, who introduced unified system ranks, enshrined in the Table of Ranks of 1722.

“Table of ranks of all military, civil and court ranks”- order law civil service in the Russian Empire (ratio of ranks by seniority, sequence of ranks). Approved on January 24 (February 4), 1722 by Emperor Peter I, it existed with numerous changes until the 1917 revolution.

Quote: “Table of ranks of all ranks, military, civil and courtiers, who are in which rank; and who are in the same class"- Peter I January 24, 1722

The Table of Ranks established the ranks of 14 classes, each of which corresponded to a specific position in the military, naval, civil or court service.

In russian language term "rank" means degree of distinction, rank, rank, rank, category, class. By decree of the Soviet government of December 16, 1917, all ranks, class ranks and titles were abolished. Nowadays, the term "rank" is preserved in Navy Russia (captain of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd rank), in the hierarchy of diplomats and employees of a number of other departments.

When addressing persons who had certain ranks of the “Table of Ranks,” persons of equal or lower rank were required to use the following titles (depending on the class):

“YOUR EXCELLENCY” - to persons in the ranks of 1st and 2nd classes;

“YOUR EXCELLENCY” - to persons in the ranks of 3 and 4 classes;

“YOUR HIGHNESS” - to persons in the ranks of 5th class;

“YOUR HONOR” - to persons in the ranks of grades 6–8;

“YOUR NOBILITY” - to persons in the ranks of grades 9–14.

In addition, in Russia there were titles used when addressing members of the Imperial House of Romanov and persons of noble origin:

"YOUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY" - to the Emperor, Empress and Empress Dowager;

“YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS” - to the grand dukes (the children and grandchildren of the emperor, and in 1797–1886, the great-grandsons and great-great-grandchildren of the emperor);

“YOUR HIGHness” - to the princes of the imperial blood;

“YOUR LORDSHIP” - to the younger children of the great-grandsons of the emperor and their male descendants, as well as to the most serene princes by grant;

“YOUR LORD” - to princes, counts, dukes and barons;

“YOUR NOBILITY” - to all other nobles.

When addressing clergy in Russia, the following titles were used:

“YOUR EMPLOYMENT” - to metropolitans and archbishops;

“YOUR Eminence” - to the bishops;

“YOUR REVERENCE” - to archimandrites and abbots of monasteries, archpriests and priests;

“YOUR REVERENCE” - to archdeacons and deacons.

If an official was appointed to a position of a class that was higher than his rank, he used the general title of the position (for example, the provincial leader of the nobility used the title of III-IV classes - “your excellency”, even if by rank or origin he had the title “your nobility"). When written by official When lower officials addressed higher officials, both titles were called, and the private one was used both by position and by rank and followed the general title (for example, “His Excellency Comrade Minister of Finance Privy Councilor”). From ser. 19th century the private title by rank and surname began to be omitted. When addressing a lower official in a similar manner, only the private title of the position was retained (the surname was not indicated). Equal officials addressed each other either as inferiors, or by name and patronymic, indicating the common title and surname in the margins of the document. Honorary titles (except for the title of member of the State Council) were usually also included in the title, and in this case the private title by rank was usually omitted. Persons who did not have a rank used a general title in accordance with the classes to which the title belonging to them was equated (for example, chamber cadets and manufactory advisers received the right to the general title “your honor”). When speaking orally to higher ranks, a general title was used; to equal and inferior citizens. ranks were addressed by first and patronymic or last name; to the military ranks - by rank with or without the addition of a surname. Lower ranks had to address sub-ensigns and non-commissioned officers by rank with the addition of the word “Mr.” (for example, “Mr. Sergeant Major”). There were also titles by origin (by “dignity”).

A special system of private and general titles existed for the clergy. The monastic (black) clergy was divided into 5 ranks: the metropolitan and archbishop were titled “your eminence”, the bishop – “your eminence”, the archimandrite and abbot – “your eminence”. The three highest ranks were also called bishops, and they could be addressed with the general title "sovereign". The white clergy had 4 ranks: archpriest and priest (priest) were titled - “your reverence”, protodeacon and deacon - “your reverence”.
All persons who had ranks (military, civil, courtiers) wore uniforms, according to their type of service and rank class. The ranks of the I-IV classes had a red lining in their overcoats. Special uniforms were reserved for persons who held honorary titles (secretary of state, chamberlain, etc.). The ranks of the imperial retinue wore shoulder straps and epaulets with the imperial monogram and aiguillettes.

The conferment of ranks and honorary titles, as well as the appointment to positions, the awarding of orders, etc., was formalized by the orders of the tsar in military and civil matters. and court departments and was noted in the official (service) lists. The latter were introduced back in 1771, but received their final form and began to be carried out systematically in 1798 as a mandatory document for each of the persons who were in the state. service. These lists are important historical source when studying the official biography of these individuals. Since 1773, lists of citizens began to be published annually. ranks (including courtiers) of classes I-VIII; after 1858, the publication of lists of ranks I-III and separately IV classes continued. Similar lists of generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels and army captains were also published, as well as “List of persons who were in the naval department and fleet admirals, staff and chief officers...”.

After the February Revolution of 1917, the title system was simplified. Ranks, ranks and titles were abolished by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 10. 1917 “On the destruction of estates and civil ranks.”

In everyday business settings (business, work situations), speech etiquette formulas are also used. For example, when summing up the results of work, when determining the results of selling goods or participating in exhibitions, when organizing various events, meetings, the need arises to thank someone or, conversely, to reprimand or make a remark. At any job, in any organization, someone may have the need to give advice, make a proposal, make a request, express consent, allow, prohibit, or refuse someone.

Here are the speech cliches that are used in these situations.

Expression of gratitude:

Let me (let me) express my (great, great) gratitude to Nikolai Petrovich Bystrov for the excellent (excellent) organized exhibition.

The company (directorate, administration) expresses gratitude to all employees (teaching staff) for…

I must express my gratitude to the head of the supply department for...

Let me (let me) express my great (huge) gratitude...

For the provision of any service, for help, an important message, or a gift, it is customary to thank with the following words:

I am grateful to you for...

-(Big, huge) thank you (you) for...

-(I am) very (so) grateful to you!

The emotionality and expressiveness of expressing gratitude is enhanced if you say:

There are no words to express (my) gratitude to you!

I am so grateful to you that it is difficult for me to find words!

You can't imagine how grateful I am to you!

– My gratitude has no (knows) no boundaries!

Note, warning:

The company (directorate, board, editorial office) is forced to issue a (serious) warning (remark)…

To (great) regret (chagrin), I must (force) make a remark (condemn) ...

Often people, especially those in power, consider it necessary to express their suggestions, advice in categorical form:

All (you) must (must)…

You should definitely do this...

Advice and suggestions expressed in this form are similar to orders or instructions and do not always give rise to a desire to follow them, especially if the conversation takes place between colleagues of the same rank. Inducement to action by advice or suggestion can be expressed in a delicate, polite or neutral form:

Let me (let me) give you advice (advise you)…

Let me offer you...

-(I) want (I would like, I would like) to advise (offer) you...

I would advise (suggest) you...

I advise (suggest) you...

Appeal with the request should be delicate, extremely polite, but without excessive ingratiation:

Do me a favor and fulfill (my) request...

If it’s not difficult for you (it won’t be difficult for you)…

Don’t consider it a labor, please take it...

-(Can) I ask you...

- (Please), (I beg you) allow me...

The request can be expressed with some categoricalness:

I urgently (convincingly, very) ask you (you) ...

Agreement, The resolution is formulated as follows:

-(Now, immediately) will be done (completed).

Please (I allow, I don’t object).

I agree to let you go.

I agree, do (do) as you think.

In case of failure expressions used:

-(I) cannot (unable, unable) to help (allow, assist).

-(I) cannot (unable, unable) to fulfill your request.

It is currently not possible to do this.

Understand that now is not the time to ask (make such a request).

Sorry, but we (I) cannot (can) fulfill your request.

– I am forced to prohibit (refuse, not allow).

Among business people of any rank, it is customary to resolve issues that are especially important to them in a semi-official setting. For this purpose, hunting, fishing, outings are organized, followed by an invitation to a dacha, a restaurant, a sauna. Speech etiquette also changes in accordance with the situation; it becomes less formal and acquires a relaxed, emotionally expressive character. But even in such an environment, subordination is observed, a familiar tone of expression, or speech “looseness” is not allowed.

An important component of speech etiquette is compliment. Said tactfully and at the right time, it lifts the mood of the recipient and sets him up for a positive attitude towards his opponent. A compliment is said at the beginning of a conversation, during a meeting, acquaintance, or during a conversation, when parting. A compliment is always nice. Only an insincere compliment, a compliment for the sake of a compliment, an overly enthusiastic compliment are dangerous.

The compliment refers to appearance, testifies to the excellent professional abilities of the addressee, his high morality, gives an overall positive assessment:

You look good (excellent, wonderful, excellent, magnificent, young).

You do not change (have not changed, do not grow old).

Time spares you (does not take you).

You are (so, very) charming (smart, quick-witted, resourceful, reasonable, practical).

You are a good (excellent, excellent, excellent) specialist (economist, manager, entrepreneur, partner).

You run (your) business (business, trade, construction) well (excellent, excellent, excellent).

You know how to lead (manage) people well (excellently) and organize them.

It’s a pleasure (good, excellent) to do business (work, cooperate) with you.

Communication presupposes the presence of one more term, one more component, which manifests itself throughout the entire communication, is its integral part, and serves as a bridge from one replica to another. And at the same time, the norm of use and the form of the term itself have not been finally established, cause disagreement, and are a sore point of Russian speech etiquette.

This is eloquently stated in a letter published in Komsomolskaya Pravda (24.01.91) for signed by Andrey. They posted a letter entitled “Extra People.” Let's give it without abbreviations:

We are probably the only country in the world where people do not address each other. We don't know how to contact a person! Man, woman, girl, granny, comrade, citizen - ugh! Or maybe a female person, a male person! And easier - hey! We are nobody! Neither for the state, nor for each other!

The author of the letter, in an emotional form, quite sharply, using language data, raises the question of the position of man in our state. Thus, the syntactic unit is appeal– becomes a socially significant category.

To understand this, it is necessary to understand what is unique about address in the Russian language and what its history is.

From time immemorial, circulation has performed several functions. The main one is to attract the attention of the interlocutor. This - vocative function.

Since they are used as proper names as addresses (Anna Sergeevna, Igor, Sasha), and names of people according to degree of relationship (father, uncle, grandfather), by position in society, by profession, position (president, general, minister, director, accountant), by age and gender (old man, boy, girl), address other than vocative function indicates the corresponding sign.

Finally, appeals can be expressive and emotionally charged, contain an assessment: Lyubochka, Marinusya, Lyubka, a blockhead, a dunce, a klutz, a rogue, a smart girl, a beauty. The peculiarity of such addresses is that they characterize both the addressee and the addressee himself, the degree of his education, attitude towards the interlocutor, and emotional state.

The given address words are used in an informal situation, only some of them, for example, proper names (in their basic form), names of professions, positions, serve as addresses in official speech.

A distinctive feature of officially accepted appeals in Rus' was the reflection social stratification society, such a characteristic feature as veneration of rank.

Isn’t that why the root in Russian is rank proved to be prolific, giving life

In words: official, bureaucracy, dean, deanery, love of rank, veneration of rank, bureaucrat, officialdom, disorderly, disorderly, destroyer of rank, destroyer of rank, admirer of rank, stealer of rank, decorum, decency, submit, subordination,

Word combinations: not by rank, distribute by rank, rank by rank, large rank, without sorting ranks, without rank, rank by rank;

Proverbs: Honor the rank of the rank, and sit on the edge of the youngest; The bullet does not distinguish the officials; For a fool of great rank, there is room everywhere; There are two whole ranks: a fool and a fool; And he would be in rank, but it’s a pity, his pockets are empty.

Also indicative are the formulas of dedications, addresses and signatures of the author himself, which were cultivated in the 18th century. For example, the work of M.V. Lomonosov's “Russian Grammar” (1755) begins with the dedication:

To the Most Serene Sovereign, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, Duke of Holstein-Schleswig, Storman and Ditmar, Count of Oldenburg and Dolmangor, and so on, to the Most Gracious Sovereign...

Then comes the appeal:

Most Serene Sovereign, Grand Duke, Most Gracious Sovereign!

And signature:

Your Imperial Majesty's most humble slave, Mikhail Lomonosov.

The social stratification of society, the inequality that existed in Russia for several centuries, was reflected in the system of official appeals.

Firstly, there was the document “Table of Ranks”, published in 1717–1721, which was then republished in a slightly modified form. It listed military (army and naval), civil and court ranks. Each category of ranks was divided into 14 classes. So, they belonged to the 3rd class lieutenant general, lieutenant general; Vice Admiral; Privy Councillor; marshal, master of horse, jägermeister, chamberlain, chief master of ceremonies; to 6th grade – colonel; captain 1st rank; collegiate advisor; camera fourier; by 12th grade – cornet, cornet; midshipman; provincial secretary.

In addition to the named ranks, which determined the system of appeals, there were Your Excellency, Your Excellency, Your Excellency, Your Highness, Your Majesty, Most Gracious (Merciful) Sovereign, Sovereign and etc.

Secondly, the monarchical system in Russia until the 20th century maintained the division of people into classes. A class-organized society was characterized by a hierarchy of rights and responsibilities, class inequality and privileges. Classes were distinguished: nobles, clergy, commoners, merchants, townspeople, peasants. Hence the appeals sir, madam towards people of privilege social groups; sir, madam - for the middle class or master, lady for both, and the lack of a uniform appeal to representatives of the lower class. Here is what Lev Uspensky writes about this:

My father was a major official and engineer. His views were very radical, and by origin he was “from the third estate” - a commoner. But even if the fantasy had even occurred to him to say on the street: “Hey, sir, on Vyborgskaya!” or: “Mr. Cabby, are you free?” he wouldn't be happy. The driver, most likely, would have taken him for a drunken guy, or he would have simply gotten angry: “It’s a sin, master, for you to break down over a simple person! Well, what kind of “master” am I to you? You should be ashamed!” (Koms. pr. 11/18/77).

In the languages ​​of other civilized countries, unlike Russian, there were addresses that were used both in relation to a person occupying a high position in society and to an ordinary citizen: Mr, Mrs, Miss(England, USA), senor, senora, senorita(Spain), signor, signora, signorina(Italy), sir, lady(Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia).

“In France,” writes L. Uspensky, “even the concierge at the entrance to the house calls the landlady “Madame”; but the hostess, albeit without any respect, will address her employee in the same way: “Bonjour, Madame I see!” A millionaire who accidentally gets into a taxi will call the driver “Monsieur,” and the taxi driver will tell him, opening the door: “Sil vou plait, Monsieur!” - “Please, sir!” There, too, this is the norm” (ibid.).

After the October Revolution, all old ranks and titles were abolished by a special decree. Universal equality is proclaimed. Appeals sir - madam, master - lady, sir - madam, dear sir (empress) gradually disappear. Only diplomatic language preserves the formulas of international politeness. Thus, the heads of monarchical states are addressed: Your Majesty, Your Excellency; foreign diplomats continue to be called Mr. - Mrs.

Instead of all the appeals that existed in Russia, starting from 1917–1918, the appeals are becoming widespread citizen And comrade. The history of these words is remarkable and instructive.

Word citizen recorded in monuments of the 11th century. It came into the Old Russian language from the Old Church Slavonic language and served as a phonetic version of the word city ​​dweller Both meant “resident of the city (city).” In this meaning citizen also found in texts related to 19th century. So A.S. Pushkin has these lines:

Not a demon - not even a gypsy,
But just a citizen of the capital.

In the 18th century, this word acquired the meaning of “a full member of society, the state.”

The most boring title, of course, was the emperor.

Who was usually called “sovereign”?

Word sovereign in Russia in the old days they used it indifferently, instead of lord, master, landowner, nobleman. In the 19th century, the tsar was addressed as the Most Gracious Sovereign, the great princes were addressed as the Most Gracious Sovereign, all private individuals were addressed as the Most Gracious Sovereign (when addressing a superior), my gracious Sovereign (to an equal), my Sovereign (to an inferior). The words sudar (also with emphasis on the second syllable), sudarik (friendly) were used mainly in oral speech.

When addressing men and women at the same time, they often say “Ladies and gentlemen!” This is an unsuccessful tracing with in English(Ladies and Gentlemen). In Russian the word gentlemen corresponds equally to singular forms sir And madam, and “madam” is included in the number of “gentlemen”.

After the October Revolution, “sir”, “madam”, “mister”, “madam” were replaced by the word "comrade". It removed differences in gender (both men and women were addressed this way) and social status (since it was impossible to address a person with a low status as “sir” or “madam”). Before the revolution, the word comrade in a surname indicated membership in a revolutionary political party, including the communists.

Words "citizen"/"citizen" were intended for those who were not yet seen as “comrades”, and are still associated today with courtroom reporting rather than with the French Revolution, which introduced them into the practice of speech. Well, after perestroika, some “comrades” became “masters”, and circulation remained only in the communist environment.