Pre-Modern Seminar No 35: Roman Voitehhovitsh

On Monday September 29th Roman Voitehhovitsh (PhD) from the University of Tartu will give a talk called:

“Europeans about Russian Traditions: to Beat or not to Beat.”

The seminar will take place in the library of Skandinavistika (Ülikooli 17, 3rd floor, room 305) at 18.15.
 

Roman has sent us a short presentation of the lecture:

"The long-standing tradition of the Russian gentry to educate and bring up the vassals by beating is traced back in the report to the times of Vasili III (1479-1533) and is shown to extrapolate onto other categories of population, namely women and children. Paradoxically this “le knut” policy was often equated to the measure of husband’s love in the family, the belief that even now is spelt out in Russian sayings. Rather curiously, too, some travelers from Europe also followed the trend and lapsed into beating their vassals and sweethearts often at the expense of their lives. Some cultural implications of this custom will be touched upon in the talk."

Everybody is welcome!