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Study of the traditions of Russian hospitality.
The author of the article is A. Samolyuk, second year student of the Department of “Management in the Hotel and Restaurant Business” of the IFPA
The chronicles equally unanimously praise the general hospitality of the Slavs, rare in other lands and until now common in all Slavic lands... Every traveler was as if sacred for them: they greeted him with affection, treated him with joy, saw him off with reverence...
N.M. Karamzin
Hospitality has always been a characteristic feature of the Russian people. It was assessed, first of all, by hospitality. In the old days, a guest was supposed to be given something to drink and feed to his fill.
Custom dictated almost forcefully feeding and drinking the guest. The owners knelt down and tearfully begged them to eat and drink “just a little more.” This was explained by the fact that villages and estates were located far from each other, and the rare guest who crossed the threshold of the house was always a joy. Since then, hospitality in Russia has always come first, and the memory of glorious folk feasts, royal, noble and merchant gastronomic feasts is still alive today.
What is the concept of hospitality?
Providing hospitality means being responsible for the well-being of a guest during the entire time he is under your roof.
A. Brillat-Savarin
In my opinion, the most comprehensive definition of “hospitality” is given in the Bible dictionary. According to him,
Hospitality is the willingness to receive guests with sincere joy, no matter who they are and no matter what time they come.
is the generosity of the human soul.
is a combination of nobility, generosity and respect for people.
– A hospitable house is never empty, and its owner is never lonely.
Other dictionaries give less detailed but similar definitions. For example, in the dictionary V.I. Dahl gives the following interpretation:
Hospitality is the cordiality in receiving and treating visitors; free reception and refreshment of travelers.
Study of the traditions of hospitality of the Russian people.
Grand Duke Vladimir Monomakh in his famous “Teachings” said that Russians always treat the foreigner with respect, since he traveled a lot and saw a lot. And if he is well received at a party, then the good reputation of the owner of the house, and of the whole country, will spread far beyond its borders.
And indeed, the guest was greeted with a bow to the ground, they tried to surround him with affection and care, treated him with special honor and respect, and treated him to the best that was in the house. When the guest was seen off, they wished him a good journey, saying “good riddance.” In those days, these words meant that the owner of the house wished the guest that his journey would be as smooth as a tablecloth.
Russian meal. Peasants at the table. 19th century
In the old days, the meal began with the owner of the house cutting off and serving to each invited guest a slice of bread with salt, which symbolized the hospitality and hospitality of this house. Since salt was a rather expensive product back then, it was used only on special occasions. Even at the royal court, salt shakers on the table were closer to the king and important guests. Therefore, salt became one of the measures of hospitality. Another measure of hospitality was how strong the tea was brewed. Depending on its strength, one could judge how the owners of the house treat the guest, how hospitable they are.
Traditional Russian tea drinking. XIX century B. Kustodiev - Moscow tavern, 1916
So, in the 17th century. The meeting of the guests and the meal itself represented a whole ceremony:
The hostess in her festive attire came out to the assembled guests and greeted them, bowing from the waist. The guests answered her with a bow to the ground. This was followed by a kissing ceremony: the owner of the house invited the guests to honor the hostess with a kiss.
The guests took turns approaching the hostess and kissing her. Then they bowed to her again, accepting a glass of vodka from her hands. When the hostess went to the special women's table, this served as a signal to sit down and start eating. The ceremonial table stood in the “red corner”, next to benches fixedly attached to the wall, sitting on which was then considered more honorable than on the benches, because it was believed that the guest was under the protection of the saints.
In addition to offering bread and salt to the guests during the meal, the host of the ceremony, as a sign of special respect or affection for one of his guests, could himself put some food from the oprichnina plate. She was specially placed next to him. With the help of his servant, the owner sent a special dish to the guest of honor. Conveying this peculiar message, the servant, as a rule, said: “May you, dear sir, eat for your health.”
Not only a special dish or a place occupied at the table could show the importance of the guest for the owner of the house. For example, it was considered a great honor if, during a feast, the king took a fur coat from his shoulder and gave it to someone present.
Royal feast. XVI century
With the appearance in the 17th century. taverns, and later restaurants, the traditions of hospitality migrated to them. According to V.I. Volkova, the guest was treated with respect and reverence. They greeted us with a bow. They took care of him. They tried to please the slightest whim of the guest. The service staff knew not only the guest's name, but also his tastes and preferences. Throughout the entire stay in the restaurant, the guest felt necessary and important.
I will show how the meeting of the guest, his service and farewell to him took place using the example of an excerpt from the book by E.P. Ivanov. "Village fairs, bazaars and taverns":
Here the heavy oak door was opened by a doorman who bowed respectfully. It was written on his face that it was you he expected to see. He handed you over to other employees who led you to the cloakroom. There they worked on your exposure so deftly and carefully that you did not notice how you found yourself without a coat - one person took it, without a hat - another took it, a third took care of the cane and galoshes (if it was autumn time). Next, you were greeted at the threshold of the hall by the majestic head waiter. With a most serious look, he accompanied you around the hall.
— Where will you be comfortable? Closer to the stage, or will noise disturb you? Finally the place was chosen. We sat down.
It was as if two waiters had emerged from the ground. They do not dare enter into conversations, but only wait for orders from the head waiter, and he, in a cooing voice, using the French names of wines and snacks, finds out what you will eat or drink. Finally, inaudibly for you, he gives orders to the waiters, who instantly reappear with additional serving and appetizers. The head waiter leaves you to come back in a minute and check if everything is in order. Two waiters stand at a distance, relentlessly watching your every move. You reach for salt, the waiter is already here with a salt shaker. You took out your cigarette case, it was with a lit match. At a sign from the head waiter, some dishes are replaced by others. We were always amazed by the dexterity of the waiters and the memory of the head waiter, who did not dare to forget or confuse what you ordered. When you left, everyone bowed respectfully to you, dressed you just as carefully, and escorted you to the door.
Reflection of the traditions of hospitality of the Russian people in the modern activities of enterprises in the hospitality industry.
Time passed. Hotels and restaurants developed, and the traditions of hospitality became an integral part of their activities. Service standards incorporate various features of these traditions.
Today we can find reflections of certain traditions in receiving guests everywhere. For example:
Meeting guests at the doorstep of a house can be compared to meeting important guests in restaurants or hotels, when the director of the establishment himself greets the arrivals.
Meeting guests: Palace Hotel Seliger.
But in its pure form, the tradition of serving bread and salt and a shot of vodka to a guest in modern conditions can only be observed during cultural festivals and stylized elements of official events, when meeting foreign delegations at the airport; the custom of respectful attitude towards a guest in the house has been preserved by Russians literally for as long as level of historical memory.
Treating guests to a glass of vodka or a special oprichnina dish can be compared to a “compliment” in a restaurant, i.e. a free drink or meal at the establishment's expense, which is offered to all guests.
As mentioned above, it was considered a great honor if, during a feast, the king took a fur coat from his shoulder and gave it to someone present. So, today, if a guest comes to the hotel on his birthday, or the newlyweds check into the hotel, then a bottle of champagne will be waiting for them in the room. Or the restaurant may give you a bottle of expensive vintage wine.
Previously, it was considered honorable to sit on side benches, or closer to the owner and mistress of the house. Today, honored guests of restaurants or clubs can sit in separate booths.
Anticipating the guest's wishes, like the salt and matches example mentioned above, is today considered first-class service, which can be seen in first-class restaurants. And in hotels this is expressed by the fact that hotel staff try to please the slightest whim of the guest, and during his next visit, all wishes will be taken into account.
There are many traditions of hospitality in Russia. Some traditions are successfully used today in the hospitality industry, while others, like the custom of Chukotka residents to give their wife to a guest for the night, have been preserved only in chronicles and folk art.
Thus, the use of folk traditions of hospitality is very important for the successful development of the restaurant and hotel business not only in our country, but also in any other country. By taking care of the guest and creating the right atmosphere around him, you can motivate the visitor to leave the restaurant (hotel) in a good mood and return to it again and again.
