Jester Balakirev is better known today as a hero plays by Gorin. However, there are other sources telling about this hero. In particular, in the thirties of the nineteenth century, a book of “Jokes” about the jester Balakirev.
However, few people know that they are based on German stories about the antics of the jesters of medieval Europe, whence came the fashion for clowns in Russia. They first appeared in the Romanov dynasty, under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.
In the late eighteenth century, these, popular in Europe, stories have been translated into Russian language, and a literary craftsman mixed them with the realities of the life of Peter the great and his court life. And to give it credibility, tied up “Jokes” with the famous Russian Ivan Balakirev. Only for the first half-century of jokes was reprinted seventy times.
Then the stories moved to print and became a truly national reading. The splints are transported home from the fairs, where the pictures were in Vogue. But the jokes and fun that are described in the book, few are related to this person. Balakirev Ivan was born (1699) in a noble family and, as usual, was enrolled from an early age to military service, which was carried in the Preobrazhensky regiment as a guard of the Imperial family.
Popular prints of the jester Balakirev
For any merit, it was soon enrolled among the courtiers, however, the lowest degree, but his intelligence, dexterity, and insinuation Balakirev acquired graces of the most influential persons, particularly of Willem Mons, the favourite of Catherine I. Through the “middle” Balakirev Mons arrange their fraudulent business and got burned.
A year before the death of Peter I started him on trial, in which Balakirev was a witness. Balakirev was sentenced to sixty strokes of the cane and sent to prison. But a year later, immediately after the death of Peter I, once ascended the throne, Catherine I, Balakirev was released and for merit was promoted to the rank of ensign. But his military career has not worked.
During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, he enrolled in the state of jesters, of which the Empress was much. So the rank of the beloved jester of Peter Balakirev has built people, but in reality he became a fool only when Anna Ivanovna. In the forty years immediately after the death of the Empress, Ivan Alekseevich asked to retire to his village and lived in wealth, peace over twenty years until his death (1763) at the age of 64 years.
Jacobi V. I. Jesters at the court of Empress Anna Ioannovna. Fragment. Depicted 1740 year
Jester-a jester, but no fool, although a fool and there is no demand. The role of the jester was special. In it the clown, under the guise of tomfoolery, I could say some hurtful truth, but could suffer for his long tongue. Peter I, and later other Royal persons, were lovers of all the pleasures and surrounded himself with not only favorites, but drunken jesters generally came from the nobility.
In the “Anecdotes” Ivan Balakirev looks like Haji Nasreddin: clever, resourceful, witty, which can upset ham, to find a way out of a difficult situation or cheer funny joke. So the people and loved the anecdotes about Balakirev the jester: kind of like on his person at court.
The book “Anecdotes about Balakirev small, I got this accidentally from my good friend who got rid of unnecessary books. I begged, and now constitute some of the pages of this curious books about the most famous Russian clown Ivan Balakirev.
Portrait of the jester Balakirev
“Do you know Alexeitch! once said Balakirev Emperor, many officials— what is the difference between the wheel and the solicitor, that is eternal Fiat?” “Big difference,” he said, laughing, sir, but if you know something special, so tell me and I will know.”
“But see what one crooked and the other round, however, is not the miracle; and then wonder that they are like two brother native at each other like”. “You fibbed, Balakirev,” said the Emperor, no similarity between the solicitor and the wheel can’t be”. “There, uncle, and the greatest”. “What’s that?” — “Both need to be lubricated often…”
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Once one poor widow of the honored official long went to the Senate to petition for pension for service of her husband, but she was denied a famous saying: “Come, mother, tomorrow.” Finally she resorted to Balakirev, who took to help her. The next day, dressed up in her black dress and relief images in paper biletti signified with the words “come tomorrow”, in this outfit put her into the passage, where should be the Emperor.
And here comes Peter the Great, ascends to the porch, sees this woman, asks: “What does that mean?” Balakirev replied: “you’ll find out Tomorrow, I about this!” — “This hour I want!” “what!” cried Peter. “Yes, it is not enough if we want, but not all do so, and you come up first in the presence and ask the Secretary if he would not say “tomorrow”, you immediately know what it means.”
Peter, smetal this thing up in the Senate and sternly asked the Secretary: “what About asking that woman?” He turned pale, and confessed that she had been walking, but there was no time to report to Your Majesty. Peter ordered to immediately grant her request, and long after this was heard, “come tomorrow.”
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“Tell me, Balakirev, you seem to be on two legs, and meanwhile your name is often a dog, why is that?” – asked one of the court jester. “Because,” answered Balakirev – that I always affectionate, and always loyal to those who benefit me; on the contrary, it hurts to bite someone who hurts me. That’s why my name is dog, and also for the fact that I’m barking but the owner of my guard”
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“Whether they say at court that you’re a fool?” — someone asked Balakirev, wanting to enter into confusion and even shame for many individuals. But he answered: “do Not believe them, dear, they’re wrong, only people fooled, but you never know what they’re saying? They call you smart; don’t believe them, please don’t believe.”
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Jokes Balakirev was very sharp, and the clown as the favorite of Peter, he could not endure to messing with him over this fool when he was conscious in himself of the mind more than many. Behind the jokes should have sharp and very poignant comments. So, once the barb Balakirev one of the court nobleman said
“I love you to death will kill you, rogue!” Jester, frightened, ran to the Emperor and told him that promised him the court. The king answered him, then: “If he will kill you, I’ll have to hang up”. — “Yes, I don’t want it, Alexeitch, and I wanted you hanged him, as long as I live,” replied the jester.
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Shabanov A. N. Peter and Balakirev
Peter I asked the jester Balakirev on popular rumor about the new capital of St. Petersburg. “The king-your Majesty! — said Balakirev.— The people speak: on the one hand the sea, on the other — the mountain and the moss, and the fourth — ox!” Peter, raspalas with rage, screamed “get down!” and several times struck him with a club, saying what he said.
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One of the courtiers fell ill teeth, and he turned to Balakirev: “do you know why I have so unmerciful a toothache?” Balakirev replied: “Because you are constantly pounding their language.”
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A courtier, not very fond of the jester, once mockingly asked him: “How, you fool, the Palace anywhere? Balakirev immediately replied: “Yes, all through you, clever was climbing!”
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V. I. Yakobi. Jesters at the court of Anna Ioannovna. Fragment
Another court, annoyed sadewasser his jokes Balakirev, said to him: “You people are like cattle to some, marvel”. Balakirev replied: “not True, even brutes like you surprised I like a man”.
Tina Hai
