An old Russian word in Church Slavonic used to refer to a smooth (often flat) surface that reflects light.
This is the mirror we know today as the "mirror".
The word often met several centuries ago in the titles of domestic and translated literature. Thanks to one of them, the mirror is strongly associated with the rules of decency.
Prism with an eagle, armor and a transparent ball
In the Russian Empire, this was the name of an indispensable attribute of every state institution. In any public place there was always a prism crowned with a double-headed eagle and demonstrating on its faces three decrees of Peter I.
In the second meaning, the mirror meant Russian combat armor and its amplifier. The first mention of the word in documents dates back to 1490.
And what did the Byzantine, and after it, the ancient Russian icon painting mean by a mirror? It was a symbol of divine foresight and destiny, which was held in the form of a transparent sphere by the depicted archangel.
Look into the mirror
The set of rules of conduct and life that existed in Russia in the pre-Petrine era and was called "Domostroy" was replaced by the famous manual for secular youth, created by order of the reformer tsar. It was a set of hostel rules, personal hygiene and etiquette.
“The Honest Mirror of Youth, or the Indication for Worldly Behavior, Collected from Various Authors” (or briefly, “The Honest Mirror of Youth”) is a monument of Russian educational literature. The book was first published in February 1717 and then reprinted many times.
I wonder if the teachings are relevant for 28th century youth today?
Here, for example, are a few rules of conduct from the "Mirror of Youth", translated from old Russian into modern:
- Keep yourself from gambling and drinking.
- Don't praise yourself too much, but don't belittle yourself either.
- Don't walk around with your head down and eyes downcast. Go straight and look at people nicely and cheerfully.
- Do not burp or cough in the face of another.
- Don't spit in the circle or to the side when talking to others.
Apparently, in any generation, the instructions for young people are the same, but in the time of Peter I, this “Mirror”, along with the alphabet, arithmetic and religious teachings, was in every school and in many homes. What has replaced this work now?
