Dog hunting in Rus'. Rules of Russian dog hunting
"Hunting ... brings us closer to nature, teaches us to be patient, and sometimes cold-blooded in the face of danger ..." I. V. Turgenev
All of us have repeatedly reviewed the film “Peculiarities of the National Hunt”, which has become popular, where the harsh Russian reality is intertwined with dreams. Riding horses, greyhounds, dogs, women in Amazons and saddles, French and stirrups...
Horse hunting with greyhounds is a primordially Russian fun, perfectly reflecting the scope of the Russian soul. Therefore, it is especially gratifying to note that in last years this type of leisure is being revived and is gaining momentum in modern Russia.
More and more equestrian clubs take up the organization of a real dog hunt for a hare and a fox, allowing participants to plunge into the past at least for one day, enjoying the spirit of the tsarist time. And although the beast is rarely caught on such hunts, active spiritual pastime completely replaces the pleasure of catching prey.
So, on January 24-25, in Mozhaisk, near Moscow, a reconstruction of horse hunting took place, organized by the Outpost horse base led by Evgeny Matuzov, a man with inexhaustible energy and incredible organizational skills.
It should be noted that simultaneously with horse hunting, a master class was held by the wonderful photographer Svetlana Petrova. 
History milestones
Horse hunting with greyhounds long years was a favorite occupation of the upper classes of Russia. Already from the middle of the 18th century, many landowners began to acquire their own kennels, where they kept up to a thousand greyhounds and hounds. 
Gradually, dog hunting began to supplant the previously widespread persecution with birds of prey. Riders (by the way, there were both men and women among them) began to participate in horse hunts with greyhounds, which were gaining popularity year after year. Such hunts were also important from a political point of view. Foreign ambassadors and diplomats were often invited to participate - this is how important state affairs were decided during the hunt. 
In 1887, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov acquired the Pershino estate in the Aleksinsky district of the Tula province, which served as the beginning of the creation of the famous Pershinsky grand ducal hunting (Pershinskaya dog hunting of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke N.N. Romanov). This hunt has become the largest canine hunt in Russia, bringing together more than 300 greyhounds (mostly Russian) and hounds. The best hunters, the best greyhounds and the best riders participated in the Pershinsky hunt. Especially for this, more than 80 horses were kept in the stables of the estate.
This hunt was famous not only in our country, but also abroad. People came from Switzerland, France, England, Belgium and even the USA to take part in it or to buy the best Persh type puppies. All hunting trips were well organized and distinguished by special pomposity. The staff of Pershinsky hunting even had its own brass band. All participants dressed in specially tailored costumes. And the Grand Duke himself acted as the main manager of the hunt. 
The time of popularity of Russian greyhounds began to be called the "golden age" of domestic canine hunting. But after the abolition of serfdom in Russia, kennels with greyhounds began to gradually disappear, and they ceased to be engaged in maintaining the characteristics of the breed. After the 1917 revolution, many greyhounds became the property of rural hunters who did not understand anything about breeding dogs. 
Our days
It is the 21st century, and equestrian hunting with greyhounds in Russia began to revive in its traditional form. People who are in Everyday life far from nature, living in fast world new technologies, they suddenly began to feel the need to break free, catch the wind in an endless field, feel the excitement of the chase and, wearing a beautiful historical costume, plunge into the past for a day or two.
In the photo - Alla Mikheeva, who made a "sharp report" for Evening Urgant.
Modern hunting provides for a number of requirements for participants, the most basic of which is excellent riding skills. The rider must not only sit firmly in the saddle at any gait, but also confidently control the horse, keep the general pace and follow the commands. The action of the hunt most often takes place in the fields, where both horses and greyhounds during the chase can suddenly change the trajectory of their movement. The task of the rider is to be ready for any maneuver at any moment. Each potential participant in the hunt must objectively assess their physical capabilities and experience. 
Another important requirement is a historical costume. In order to fully recreate the hunting of past centuries, you need to try to match the spirit of that time in everything. Therefore, a hunting suit, as an important attribute of dog hunting on horseback, must be thought out to the smallest detail. 
And the third requirement is the desire to hunt. Participants must understand that they are going to participate in hunting, and not in aimless races over rough terrain. 
In addition, there are many more important sub-clauses in the rules that each participant must take into account.
Here are some of them:
Drinking alcohol before and during the hunt is prohibited. The exception is stirrups (a glass of vodka, 25 grams. It is offered to each participant in horse hunting and is one of the traditional rituals of such events). 
During the hunt, you must strictly follow the commands of the hunting distributor and not engage in free riding. Successful hunting is possible only with the coordinated actions of the team. A free ride can frighten away the beast. 
You should not approach the greyhounds and the beast closer than 30 meters. Pack and prey behave unpredictably, and due to the inattention of the rider, they can fall under the hooves of horses. 
How is everything going?
During the hunt, riders and greyhounds line up in one line and walk straight across the field to pick up the beast lurking in the grass. As soon as he appears, the greyhounds release their dogs, and the riders begin the chase. The role of the mounted hunter is very important for several reasons. First, a trained greyhound on command can jump on a horse and continue to move along with the rider.
This is true if there is thick grass on the field and the dog does not see the prey from the height of its growth.
Secondly, part of the horsemen always moves along the edge of the field in order to prevent the beast from escaping into the forest, where the greyhound loses its advantage - speed. And thirdly, a horse hunter can recall the dogs in time in case of catching prey. Otherwise, inexperienced greyhounds can simply tear the beast to pieces, leaving the hunter without a trophy. 
What to wear for hunting?
Expert - Elena Potapova, master of historical costume:
Historical costume is beautiful and unusual. Properly selected clothes allow participants to be transported into the past, to feel like a hero of that time. Putting on a dress or uniform, we notice how our posture and manners involuntarily change. 
Almost all hunts have the same dress code - these are historical costumes of the 18th-19th centuries. At the discretion of the organizers, one certain period for example, the beginning of the 19th century. This puts the participants in a rather rigid framework, but the fact that everyone is dressed in the same style leaves an unforgettable impression. 
The main clothes of a hunter are harem pants, a short fur coat, boots and sometimes a raincoat. 
Very often, men prefer to wear hussar uniforms, consisting of chakchirs, dolman and mentic, worn one over the other.
As outerwear, depending on the season, short jackets (spencers) and short fur coats are used. Headwear is also different. In the Empire era, small-brimmed hats and berets were popular. The Romantic period is characterized by cylinders. In the middle of the 18th century, hats were added to the cylinders, and a little later - cocked hats. By the end of the 19th century, bowlers had already appeared. 
As for women, preference is mainly given to Amazons - dresses and wide skirts that fit beautifully on the horse's croup and do not hinder the movement of the rider. Amazons are different, depending on the period to which they belong. For example, in 1812-1817, Empire-style Amazon dresses were in fashion, and already in 1830-1835, Amazons in the style of romanticism became popular. 
All of them are distinguished by cut: different waist height and different sleeves. Amazons have always been dark non-marking tones: blue, green, black, brown, red. Until the middle of the 19th century, dyes were mostly natural, fabrics had "natural" colors. There were fashionistas who wore light-colored suits that required a thorough cleaning after each hunt. 
Women pay special attention to hair styling. Hairstyle for costume hunting should not interfere while riding. “It is advisable to remove the hair and carefully pin it up, otherwise, when jumping, it can get into the eyes, and they are very confused. The simplest hairstyle is a bun, you can wind the temporal part and pin the ends, this will allow the hairstyle not to be disheveled and last until the end of the event. Hanging curls on the sides are not recommended, because during the hunt they will simply develop, ”Elena Potapova shares her experience. 
The perfect look for a lady
A calm outfit made from natural materials (wool or cloth) does not bright colors. Hair neatly pulled back or styled in a hairstyle. On the head is a hat, top hat or any other suitable headgear. Shoes - elegant and as close to historical as possible, classic riding boots are allowed. Gloves made of light leather or the color of the suit will be a good touch. The abuse of cosmetics is not welcome. 
Tired together - horses, people ... 
At the bivouac, participants of horse hunting are offered not only stirrups, but also all kinds of traditional treats! 
Horses have a harder time hunting in the snow than humans... 
Today, many horse farms in Russia are interested in the development and promotion of equestrian hunting with greyhounds. This process allows not only to plunge into the past, but also to feel all the delights of entertainment that has been so popular for several centuries. For some, such a hunt is an adrenaline rush. Someone enjoys active riding in open areas. Others see horse hunting as a fashionable trend and want to try themselves as hussars, counts and noble ladies, dressing in historical outfits and adopting the refined manners of the past. In parallel with this, there is an active revival of the Russian canine greyhound, which is an integral companion of almost any such hunt.
Photos - Valery's Skid.
Organizer - Horse Base "Outpost", Mozhaisk
Master class by Svetlana Petrova, 2015.
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Providence was pleased to create man
so that he needs sudden
shocks, delight, impulse and although
instant oblivion from everyday worries;
otherwise, in solitude, the temper becomes coarse and
various vices are introduced.
Reutt. Dog hunting.
The watchman walks around the master's house,
He yawns viciously and bangs on the board.
The sky and the distance are covered with darkness,
The autumn wind brings sadness;
Gloomy clouds are driving across the sky,
Leaves across the field - and plaintively groans ...
The master woke up, jumped out of bed,
He put on shoes and blew a horn.
Sleepy Vanka and Grishka shuddered,
Everyone shuddered, even to the baby boy.
Here, with the trembling fire of lanterns,
The long shadows of the hounds are moving.
Scream, turmoil! .. the keys rang,
The rusty hinges sang dejectedly;
They lead out with thunder, water the horses,
Time does not endure - saddle as soon as possible!
In blue Hungarians on hare's feet,
In pointed, unheard-of hats
The servants drive up to the porch in a crowd.
It's nice to look - well done to well done!
Although many have thin soles -
Yes, in frock coats, but yellow seams,
Though the bellies let down with oatmeal -
Yes, in laces under each saddle,
The horse is a feast for the eyes, two packs of dogs,
Circassian belt, arapnik and spurs.
Here is the landlord. Down with the cards!
Silently he twists his gray mustache,
Terrible in posture and magnificent attire,
Silently moves an authoritative glance.
Listens importantly to the usual report:
“The snake has died, in the slaughter of Nabat,
The falcon went mad, the blues limped.
Stroking, bending down, Nahal's favorite,
And, voluptuously agitated, impudent
He lay on his back and wagged his tail.
In strict order, at an accelerated pace
Houndsmen go over the hills and ravines.
It began to grow light; passing through the village
Smoke rises to the sky
The herd is chasing, with a painful groan
Ochep creaks (forbidden by law);
The women from the windows look fearfully,
"Look, dogs!" The boys are screaming...
Here they go up the hill slowly.
A wonderful distance opens up to the eye:
The river below the mountain runs,
The greenery of the valley glistens with frost,
And beyond the valley, slightly whitish,
A forest illuminated by a striped dawn.
But indifferently meet the psari
A bright ribbon of fiery dawn,
And the awakened nature of the picture
Not one of them enjoyed it.
“In Banniki,” the landowner shouted, “throw it!”
The wrestlers are driving apart,
And the leader of the dog team,
The screamer-reacher hid in the island.
God gave him an enviable throat:
That will blow a deafening horn,
That will shout: "Get there, dogs!"
Don’t give him, the thief, a wheelbarrow!”
Then he will yell: "Go-ho-ho! - that! - that !! - that !!!"
So they found it - they poured on the trail.
Varom-cooks a boiled flock,
The landowner listens, enthusiastically melting,
A spirit is engaged in a powerful chest,
Hearing basks in wondrous harmony!
Littermates musical barking
Takes the soul to that ideal world,
Where there are no payments to the Board of Trustees,
There are no restless police officers!
The choir is so melodious, melodic and even,
What is your Rossini! what is your Beethoven!
Closer and barking, and squealing, and screaming -
A brisk mainland hare flew out!
The landowner yelled and rushed into the field ...
That is the expanse of the landowner's will!
Through streams, gullies and ditches
Rushing furiously: do not feel sorry for the head!
In stormy movements - the greatness of power,
The voice is imbued with the power of passion,
Eyes burn with noble fire -
Something wonderful happened to him!
Here he will not be afraid, here he will not give in,
Here Croesus won't buy it for millions!
Violent prowess knows no barriers,
Death or victory - not a step back!
Death or victory! (But where, if not in a storm,
And turn around Slavic nature?)
The beast sucks, - and in mortal anguish
Weeping landowner, crouched to the bow.
The beast was caught - he screams wildly,
Instantly otpazonchil, he sticks around,
Proud of the luck of your favorite fun,
In a hare's tail wipes armor
And freezes, bowing his head
To the neck of a foam-covered horse.
They poisoned a lot, jumped a lot,
Hounds were thrown from island to island,
Suddenly failure: Fierce and Terzai
They rushed into the herd, Rugai followed them,
Behind them Ugar and Zamashka -
And they tore the lamb to pieces in a minute!
The master ordered the rebels to be whipped,
He himself spoke harshly to them.
Dogs jumped, snarled and howled
And they fled when they were let in.
Ryovma - the ill-fated shepherd roars,
Behind the forest, someone swears aloud.
The master shouts: "Shut up, animal!"
The brisk kid is not appeased.
The master got angry and jumps to the cry,
He got scared - and the man falls at his feet.
The master drove off - the man started up,
Scolding again; the bartender is back
The master waved his rapnik angrily -
The brawler barked: "Sentry, guard!"
A beaten guy pursued for a long time
The master with his poisonous scolding:
“We will beat you with a cudgel,
Together with your vociferous lackey!
But already the angry master did not listen,
Sitting down on a haystack, he ate hazel grouse,
I threw bones to Nahala, and to the kennel
He handed over the flask, having tasted it himself.
The psari drank - and were gloomy silent,
Horses chewed hay from a haystack,
And in blood-stained mustaches
Hares were licked by hungry dogs.
So rested, continue the hunt,
They jump, porskat and poison without counting.
Meanwhile, time passes imperceptibly,
The dog changes, and the horse gets tired.
A gray mist falls over the valley,
The red sun has half set
And showed up on the other side
Essay on a lifeless white moon.
Dismounted from horses; waiting at the haystack
The hounds are knocked down, summoned with three horns,
And repeat the echo of the forests
Wild sounds of discordant horns.
It's getting dark soon. quick step
They go home through the hills and ravines.
Sergey DUKHANIN
In the middle of the 18th century, during the reign of Peter III, the nobility was released from serving the royal court. It was from that time that the real history of dog hunting in Russia began. But it cannot be said that until that time there was no equestrian hunting with packs of hounds in Rus'. The imperial court invited specialists to lead flocks of hounds from England, France and Germany at the very beginning of the 18th century, but in general, horse hunting with hounds and greyhounds has its roots in the 15th century and earlier. The massive distribution of dog hunting was facilitated by the huge landowners' lands with an abundance of animals on them, a lot of free time for the nobility released from service and noble goals - the destruction of the wolf, the main pest of the landlord and peasant economy, and Russian national traits - dashing, courage, gambling, bordering on recklessness, which are fully manifested in this hunt. All this led to the fact that in all the central provinces on each noble estate they had a dog hunt, even if not very large.
Unfortunately, in our country the whole culture of real dog hunting has been completely lost, and this is a historical phenomenon that is unique to Russia. Connoisseurs passed away - trapping, reaching, vyzhlyatnikov, stirrups and other participants in this fascinating action, they had no one to pass on the experience of coming and driving flocks of hounds, coordinating greyhounds, and the traditions of dog hunting. Only in the old books of P.M. Machevarianov, P.M. Gubin, N.P. Kishensky one can find today information on the organization, preparation and conduct of canine and rifle hunts with packs of hounds. But these authors wrote their works, considering the hunt from the height of their position - the owners of canine hunts. The details, the subtleties, the secrets of coordinating, arriving and driving packs of hounds of dogs and organizing dog hunts have been lost, many of them forever. Bit by bit, this information is collected by the efforts of true lovers of horses, hunting with hounds and greyhounds.
Who can create a dog hunt in our time? Firstly, they must be people who are very enthusiastic about this idea - real enthusiasts, secondly, they must at least theoretically own this complex issue, thirdly, they must be people with enormous patience, so that every day doing small step forward, eventually get an independent complete dog hunting. And the last condition, one of the most important today, is that they must be sufficiently wealthy people, because keeping a dog hunt is an overhead event, but very prestigious, talking about the high culture of the owner of the hunt, about his desire to revive and preserve Russian national culture.
Dog hunting is a great work, a kind of art, science, and, like every science, it has its own laws and its own terms, its own special colorful, figurative, well-aimed language of canine hunters of past centuries.
In the history of Russian national hunting with greyhounds and hounds, the names of complete canine hunts and packs of hounds are known. No one specifically assigned these names, they arose from the stories of the participants in these hunts, from one publication or another in magazines or newspapers of those times. Names were usually associated with the location of the hunt - Pershinsky and Gatchina hunts - or with the name of the owner. Now any efficient hunter knows the names of the Tula landowners F.A. Svechin, S.V. Ozerov, the Nizhny Novgorod landowner P.M. Machevarianov, the hunting dynasties of the Glebovs and Yermolovs, who kept the dog hunting for almost two centuries. The dog hunts of these people thundered throughout Russia. The hunting of the Oryol landowner N.V. Kireevsky, a friend of L.N. Tolstoy and I.S. Turgenev, is depicted in all colors in the novel “War and Peace” in the hunting scenes of the Rostovs. N.V. Kireevsky kept up to 200 bows of Anglo-Russian hounds in the lap! These were the hunts. Russian complete hunting cannot be compared with Western parforous dog hunting. The famous Russian hunts, in the kennels of which hundreds of hounds and greyhounds were kept, would simply be cramped in the lands of Western Europe.
History has put everything in its place. Private stables have reappeared in Russia, there are kennels, which means that there will be dog hunting. What is a complete dog hunt?
A set of independent dog hunting should consist of a pack of hounds from 9 to 20 bows (a bow is two hounds connected by special collars) and from 5 to 12 packs of greyhounds (3-4 dogs in a pack). All canine hunters must be mounted. Hunters with greyhounds are called greyhounds, with hounds they are called survivors. The senior greyhound is a visiting one, and the senior survivor is a reaching one. The head of the entire complete canine hunt is the hunter, in small canine hunts this role was played by the traveler.
In addition, the set of dog hunting included netters with nets - special nets with which strong participants fenced off the islands through which the beast could “climb down” unnoticed by greyhounds. Rifle hunters were also allowed to hunt dogs, who usually located along the edges of the established nets and shot the animal walking along the nets. In the dog hunting kit - at the invitation of the owner - other hunters with their greyhounds and horses were also allowed. hunters who full set canine hunting was too expensive, holding 1-2 packs of greyhounds, were called small-grass. In Russian literature there is a work by E. Dryyansky, which is called just that - “Notes of a small-grassed one”. They say that the great L.N. Tolstoy, a great lover and connoisseur of dog hunting, wanted to write about it, but after reading “Notes ...”, he abandoned this thought, considering that it was impossible to write better.
In dog hunts, there was a uniform consisting of a caftan, trousers, a short fur coat, boots, a cloth cloak and a cap with a visor. The caftans of the surfers could be bright colors, and the caftans of the greyhounds could only be dark in color, so as not to frighten the beast that climbed out of the island. In cold weather, a short fur coat was worn under the caftan. Every hunter has hunting knife for accepting a wolf from dogs and arapnik, greyhounds - belt packs and small horns for giving signals, vyzhlyatniks - bows and ringing horns.
A hunting horse is a separate conversation. In dog hunting, geldings and mares were mainly used, they are calmer than stallions. On the hole, where the horse behaves restlessly, the beast will never come out. In the catalogs of hunting exhibitions of the 19th century, horses were indicated for hunting, mainly of domestic breeds. The horse must stand calmly, not be afraid of an animal suddenly jumping out, including a wolf, not be afraid of a shot, overcome water bodies ford or swim, walk through narrow places, and must also be calm and humble so that it is possible to attach a prey animal to it.
Hunters say: "To ride is an art, to hunt on horseback is fearlessness." A good horse for dog hunting is indispensable. It should be strong and strong, light on the go. Such a horse is a very great helper in mating greyhounds, driving and driving a flock of hounds.
Ancient canine hunters believed that the most comfortable hunting saddle should be arranged like a Cossack saddle, the bridle must be with a tie.
In dog hunting, special one-horse field carts and various carriages were also used. The main requirements for them are strength and softness on the go when driving over rough terrain.
The passion for dog hunting among hunters is indestructible, dog hunters did not get off their saddle for weeks, chased hounds, poisoned the beast with greyhounds. It is known that the famous hunter, retired general A.V. Zhikharev from Tambov, who kept the famous Zhikharevsky mountain greyhounds, hunted wolves on horseback three days before his death. And there would be nothing unusual in this fact if one did not know that he was 91 years old at that time.
They hunted with complete canine hunting both along the black trail and along the white trail, hunting differed only in the object - a hare, a fox or a wolf. They hunted near the house or in out-of-town fields.
The preparation of the hunt was carried out in advance, especially if it was necessary to hunt in away fields, when day after day, moving from island to island along certain hunting routes, a flock attacked the island and poisoned the expelled beast. Sometimes the hunting routes of outgoing fields were laid along the rivers, forest islands were taken on both banks, and dog hunting was transported by ships. Hunting in the outgoing fields continued for several months. They were conducted strictly according to certain rules, binding on all participants, any violation of these rules could lead to the disruption of the entire, even very well-prepared, hunt.
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The hounds were always thrown against the wind, so that those who arrived and the survivors could hear them. At the end of the work, it is easier for the traveler to collect the hounds remaining in the island, since now the horn in the wind will be clearly heard by the hounds.
The release of the hounds into the island was carried out at the signal of the horn after the greyhounds occupied the manholes. Greyhounds, if the beast's hole passed, for example, along a ravine, took their places on the side, without blocking it, they always stood under the cover of some bush. And if there was no shelter, then away from the island into some depression or, conversely, into the island itself, but facing into the field. During the hunt, before the hounds left the island, the greyhounds were not allowed to leave the occupied manhole. The greyhound on the manhole, when the beast appeared from the island, was obliged to freeze, even fall to the pommel of the saddle, withstood the beast and let it in moderately, taking into account both the distance and the terrain, after that, quietly zatuk, show it to the greyhounds. They pursued the dogs and the animal in silence, with an extended gallop until the moment the animal was captured or until it became clear that the animal had left.
Greyhounds for dog hunting must be well matched, the horse is driven out, a flock of hounds has arrived and driven. All this requires a lot of work from amateurs and professionals involved in dog hunting.
Hunting is interesting only when the islands are small and they have a sufficient number of animals, especially foxes and hare. If the island is too large, and the flock of hounds is small, then even from under the fox hounds the beast rarely leaves the island, and it is hardly possible to drive the white hare out of the island at all. Therefore, hunting routes, that is, departing fields, must be prepared in advance, it is advisable to carry out a flock drive in these islands and hunt more often, then all the animal’s holes become known.
You can talk a lot about dog hunting, but in conclusion I will repeat the words of N.P. Kishinsky, one of the most famous specialists in hunting with packs of hounds: “It is much better to learn this in a field with a good flock of hounds, where a young and sharp-witted hunter flair and skill that surprise people who are little familiar with this kind of hunting.
Departing fields, sounds of hunting horns, graceful packs of greyhounds, flocks of black-and-white, crimson, black-and-white hounds, brocade caftans, scarlet jackets - all this was a long time ago, infinitely long ago, and that hunting life of our ancestors, in their original form, alas, will never be will not come back. They were surprisingly beautiful and sometimes gloomy and silent - all these dexterous, reaching, stirrup, vyzhlyatniks, hounds, screamers. They treated hunting and everything that surrounded her with great love. The old Russian hunting embodied their dream of freedom and freedom. Their beauty was in a blood relationship with nature: with grain-growing fields, with copses dressed in autumn gold, with quiet backwaters, with sunset distances and clouds floating in the heavenly heights. The beauty of the action itself was also in the fact that all this was native Rus' ...
It's time, it's time! Horns blow;
Psari in hunting gear
Why are they sitting on horseback,
Greyhounds jump on packs...
A. S. Pushkin
The history of Russian dog hunting, and primarily with greyhounds and hounds, is one of the most important pages of the past of our Fatherland, inseparable from the culture, traditions, customs and mores of Russian society. The very name “Russian canine greyhound” sounds the breadth and freedom of Russian open spaces, the antiquity of this unique breed sounds: “canine” - canine (obsolete) wool; "Greyhound" - frisky, that is, fast-running. Dog hunting, with its centuries-old traditions, is a whole layer of not only Russian but world history and culture.
N.K. Roerich. Prince hunting. Morning. 1910 
Thanks to the works of art by Pushkin, Tolstoy, Dryyansky, Machevarianov, the scientific works of Gubin, Rosen, Sabaneev, Reut, Kishinsky and others, picturesque and detailed pictures of old national hunts have been preserved, written in an original language that vividly conveys all the passions that once boiled while baiting the beast graceful greyhounds, swift hounds, dashing greyhounds.
S.S. Voroshilov. Hunting with hounds. Chuvash State Art Museum, Cheboksary
Even in the most ancient Russian sources, we meet the word "fishing". In the "Initial Chronicle", dated 1071, it is said that Prince Vsevolod near Vyshgorod in the forests "did animal catches, swept the net." In the teachings of Vladimir Monomakh, it is said that all his life he worked “fishing”, “he himself kept a hunting outfit”, that is, hunting - a stable of hawks and falcons. In the annals there are indications that already in the 12th century under Vladimir Monomakh "the animals were poisoned by dogs."
The first Europeans to see the outlandish Russian hunting dogs were the French, who in the 11th century brought to Paris not only the new bride of their king Henry I - Anna Yaroslavna, the daughter of the Grand Duke of Kiev, but also three canine greyhounds.
Alexander Gorbikov Russian hunting 2006
Vasily III was a passionate canine hunter, who went with dogs to hunt a hare. When the hunt was not entirely successful, he took his soul with cages (for a decoy hare). Up to 300 riders took part in such cages. In 1509, Vasily III formed a special Hunting Order at the court, which was in charge of “all kinds of amusing dogs, greyhounds, hounds” and from which he sent several of his greyhounds as a gift to the Danish king Christian II.
The son of Vasily III - Ivan the Terrible, like his father, loved dog hunting and observed the same crowd and splendor in its organization.
N.E. Sverchkov. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich with boyars falconry near Moscow. 1873. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
After the end of the Time of Troubles, the new Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich faced an unexpected problem - there was not a single dog in his Hunting Order. Some died during the occupation of Moscow by the Poles, the other was taken away by the retreating gentry. In 1619, “two hunters and three horse kennels” had to be sent to the lands near Novgorod and Vologda. After a couple of years, life in the kennels of the Hunting Order began to boil with renewed vigor.
Alexei Mikhailovich, who replaced Mikhail Fedorovich on the Russian throne, was also fond of hunting. Loving orderly order, harmony and "rank" in everything, the Quietest personally wrote in 1656 a detailed instruction for his falconers - "The constable or the New Code and the arrangement of the rank of the Falconer's Ways." The period of his reign also includes the appearance of the first book dedicated to complete hunting - “Hunting regulation, belonging to dog hunting” (circa 1635), written by a certain Christian von Lesin. 
N.E. Sverchkov. Hunting with greyhounds. 1889. Private collection
Peter the Great was not fond of hunting. He introduced other, European amusements for the nobility - assemblies with dances and issued a decree: “Near Moscow, in nearby places with their people through the fields and in them with a dog hunt so that they don’t go.”
But Elizabeth and Peter II were passionately ill and devoted themselves entirely to dog hunting, devoting a lot of time and money to it. Under Peter II, the Imperial kennel consisted of 420 greyhounds, 200 hounds, and there were 70 servants with dogs.
Hunting in Ropsha. 1857. Ulyanovsk Art Museum, Ulyanovsk
Paying tribute to fashion, hunting in Russia more and more became the main entertainment of nobles and landowners. By the end of the 18th century, huge kennels appeared, in which there were thousands of dogs. L.P. Sabaneev writes about this: “In those days, almost every independent landowner, especially in the provinces near Moscow, made it his duty to keep greyhounds and hounds, sometimes in significant numbers - hundreds.”
In Catherine's time, the owners of large kennels were known and noble, such as Prince G.F. Baryatinsky - the owner of the then famous thick-dog dog "The Beast", who alone, without a pack, took a seasoned wolf, Count Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky - the owner of greyhounds of all breeds . Orlov-Chesmensky, the one who brought Oryol breed horses, belonged to the initiative to set up a cage in Moscow (for a wolf, a hare), for which invitations were sent out in advance throughout Russia. 
Sergey Potapov Dog hunting 2006
The significance of hunting was then great from a political point of view. Many important state and interstate affairs were decided during them. For this purpose, foreign ambassadors and major diplomats were often invited to the sound of a hunting horn. The fate of an entire state sometimes depended on a successful hunt.
Throughout the 18th century, there was an exchange of blood borzois with Polish and Courland nobles. And in the 19th century, aristocrats from Western Europe began to buy our greyhounds. At the same time, the first clubs of Russian greyhound lovers were created in England and Germany. Since the second half of the 19th century, Russian greyhounds have already spread widely throughout Europe and America. Numerous nurseries specializing in breeding this breed have appeared. Due to its refined aristocratic appearance and complaisant nature, the greyhound quickly won the sympathy of foreign dog breeders, who saw in it no longer a hunting dog, but a show dog and a companion dog.
The "golden age" of domestic dog hunting ends with the abolition of serfdom in Russia in 1861. The owners of large kennels lost their serf kennels and the number of kennels was sharply reduced. They were preserved at that time only among the true lovers of Russian dog hunting.
Mikhail Dianov Hunting trip 2007
The centuries-old tradition of hunting with dogs has firmly entered the mentality of Russian society in pre-revolutionary Russia. Scientific works were devoted to dog hunting, specialized magazines were published, where lovers argued about the exteriors of dogs, about the order of hunting, shared stories about their leisure time in the fields. In 1873, the "Imperial Society for the Breeding of Game and Game Animals and Proper Hunting" was created, which began to organize exhibitions, show the work of dogs for playfulness and malice, with prizes and incentives. 
Nikolai Komarov Royal Hunt
The history of Russian canine hunting keeps the memory of outstanding connoisseurs-craftsmen, artists of their craft. These are Feopen Ivanovich from E. E. Dryyansky’s Notes of a Small Herb, Danilo from L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”, Akimka from F. A. Svechin’s story “Two Souls”, Leonty from the story of I. A. Bunin “ Huntsman, the tsarist hunter V. R. Dits, famous throughout Russia, the famous travelers of the Pershinsky hunt of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich Romanov - Efim Aleksanov and Mikhail Mamkin, this is the mysterious magician and wizard "B" from the story of N. N. Karamzin " Canine hunting”, efficient hunters from the hunt of K. V. Sumarokov, M. I. Alekseev and N. P. Pakhomov – Krasov, Pavlov, Milovanov and Nikitin and many others…
In the second half of the 19th century, in the village of Pershino, Tula province, the Pershinsky Dog Hunting of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke N. N. Romanov was created. Contemporaries noted that Pershinsky hunting was the only canine hunting in Russia at that time on such a large scale, with such thoroughbred dogs, with such knowledgeable hunters and with such a device for leading dogs. 
Alexey Shalaev Russian dog hunting (sketch) 2007
Pershinsky hunt consisted of 365 dogs, including 125 Russian canine greyhounds, 15 English greyhound greyhounds and two packs of hounds of 45 dogs each: one pack of crimson Russian blood color, the other - nightingale-piebald (white with marks). Pershinsky "bloods" were supported by young animals - there were constantly about 100 puppies in the hunt, mostly greyhounds and hounds.
This hunt was known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. People from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, France, England, the USA came here to buy elite hunting dogs of the Pershinsky type, to participate in the hunt ...
Alexander Sychev Wolf hunting 2004
“Thirty versts from the city of Tula to the west, 4 versts from the large old Kaluga dirt road, on the elevated bank of the Upa River, the beautiful estate of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich of Pershinsky’s estate is widely spread,” this is how his story begins about the Pershinsky imperial hunt in a monograph published in 1913 by General D. P. Valtsov, the manager of this hunt.
The estate in Pershin was built back in the time of Empress Catherine II by the famous Russian banker Lazarev. The old Russian word "estate" itself comes from the verb "plant": the tsar then "planted" service people on the ground and gave them the opportunity to arrange life in their own way. Once upon a time, Russia was decorated with estates, like a meadow with flowers. About the Russian estate, the poet Fet wrote: “This is a house and a garden arranged in the bosom of nature, when the human is one with the natural in the deepest, organic flowering and renewal, when the poetry of native nature develops the soul hand in hand with the beauty of the fine arts, and under the roof of a manor house a special music of domestic life arises, living in the change of labor activity and idle fun, joyful love and pure contemplation.
Alexander Sychev Hunting expectations 2003
Under Lazarev, a magnificent two-story palace was erected, and the temple built here in 1696 in the name of the Kazan Mother of God was put in order. In the future, the estate changed its owners several times. In 1887, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov acquired Pershino as a hunting residence. The manor was rebuilt, many new buildings appeared, including stables for thoroughbred horses, carriage and barnyards, kennels.
The palace flaunted against the dark background of an amazing park with centuries-old linden alleys, and in front of it on a wide area were flower beds with a circular path, poured out with crushed brick powder. Hunting dogs were led out along the path for the guests. Spectators admired such broods from the lower terrace.
The interior of the imperial hunting palace was designed according to the purpose of this residence. The walls of the vestibule are hung with hunting paintings and portraits of purebred dogs from Pershinsky hunting. Stuffed wolves stood on the landing of the stairs. In the large dining room on the second floor, the walls were decorated with medallions of the heads of bison, bears, wolves, lynxes, wild boars, elks, deer, goats, capercaillie. Stuffed huge bears stood in the corners, holding lamps in their raised paws, and at the balcony door there was a stuffed animal of a seasoned wolf baring its powerful fangs.
Lots of interesting hunting stories heard the walls of this dining room from the guests of the owner of the estate. But even more heated conversations and disputes were held in a room on the ground floor, called the "club". Greyhounds were examined here, deals were made for the sale of puppies, hunting was discussed. On the walls of the "club" hung portraits of the best producers of the Pershinsky hunt by the artist and passionate hunter G. K. von Meyer.
Vladimir Doronin
Already in 1898, the greyhounds of the Grand Duke began their victorious march through the exhibition rings in Russia and abroad. At the same time, few people could compete with them in the fields.
The type of Russian canine greyhound is a calm, balanced dog, the true character of which wakes up only at the sight of the beast rising in front of it. Pershinsky greyhounds were distinguished by a special nobility of appearance, powerful frets, exquisitely shaped heads, a dressing hound and had exceptional agility. Among them were the so-called spiteful men who worked furiously for the wolf.
A real old dog hunt has always been a “complete” one: it consisted of a set that included 5-12 packs of greyhounds (20-36 dogs), a pack of hounds (18-40 dogs), as well as a whole staff serving the hunt and consisting of a senior in hunting - hunter, greyhounds (with greyhounds), vyzhlyatnikov (with hounds), driving (senior over greyhounds), reaching (senior over vyzhlyatniks), stirrup (responsible for the greyhound packs of the owner of the hunt), several laborers-houndmasters, a special convoy for "departing fields ”, i.e. for hunting trips away from home, riding and draft horses.
In addition to greyhounds, the “set” of the Pershinsky hunt included a crimson flock of hounds, famous throughout Russia. According to the exterior, they were very tall, powerful hounds with excellent bones, rather dry, very well dressed, with a thick undercoat. The dogs of this pack were distinguished by malice and perfectly worked on the wolves. Many of them had voices with a bay. A flock of nightingale and piebald foxhound hounds worked here - mostly fox dogs.
Natalya Baronetskaya Royal Hunt 2007
N. P. Kashkarov, who repeatedly judged domestic hounds in the rings of Russia in those years, wrote: “Hounds of different breeds are common among Russian hunters, in the vast majority of mixed breeds; hounds of pure breeds are now almost never found ... Between modern hounds, a brilliant exception is the crimson flock of "Pershin" hounds ... "
Persh hunting was served by a whole range of livestock and poultry farming: blood herds of Swiss cows, English sheep, herds of Kabardian and Arden horses, Tamier pigs, Rouen ducks, French chickens, etc. - all this was kept in exemplary order and under the personal eye of the Great Prince Nikolai Nikolaevich. In addition, there were nine stone houses for greyhounds with rooms and kitchens, walking areas, kennels for hounds, a hospital for dogs and horses, a boarding house for "pensioners" - dogs that had worked out due to age or injuries.
Sergey Potapov Falconry 2006
In Pershin, old dogs were not destroyed. They were kept until death. And when the dog fell, she was supposed to have a separate grave and a cast-iron slab indicating: when she was born, when she fell, who her parents were. Strict tribal records and pedigree books were kept. In addition to local peasants, 78 former soldiers of the Life Guards of the Imperial Hussars worked here, headed by Grand Duke N. N. Romanov.
In the vicinity of the estate, a wolf-hut with an area of 10 hectares, with three ponds, a hare with an area of about 30 hectares and a pheasant house located on an area of more than 50 hectares were arranged. Wolves were brought to the wolf hut, hunted in autumn by greyhounds in the surrounding forests. Their separate maintenance was arranged there: a department for over-flyers (last year's wolves) and profitable ones (born this year). Young greyhounds and hounds were taught on the newly arrived wolves, they hunted with them in cages. About 3 thousand hares, regularly brought here from Siberia, were kept in the rabbitry. At least 2,000 pheasants were constantly kept in the pheasant farm.
In the monograph of D. P. Valtsov, we find information that a special train was used to transport people, horses, dogs, tents, kitchens, carriages and much more to the hunting place, consisting of 42 freight cars, including two passenger first and second classes . The Grand Duke himself and his guests arrived by separate train. 
Natalia Baronetskaya Hunt 2006
More than 100 greyhounds, the same number of foxhounds and rangers took part in the hunt. Horses for hunting were specially selected, as were packs of greyhounds and foxhounds. When the whole group arrived at the place where, according to preliminary data, there were wolves, plans were made, preparations were made and the hunt began.
The beaters, accompanied by a pack of foxhounds, drove the animal, usually a wolf, out of the forest into an open field, where mounted hunters were waiting for them at a respectful distance, each with a trio of greyhounds on a leash - one female and two males. When the beast showed up, the hunter let the dogs off the leash. The greyhounds chased the wolf, and the hunters rode after them. After an exciting chase, if the wolf could not escape, the greyhounds had to grab it and keep it until the hunters arrived, who hurried at full speed to the place of the fight, so that, according to the accepted custom, they immediately got involved in the fight, plugged the wolf's mouth and tied it. After this, the wolf was often released and, of course, in next time he behaved smarter and much more careful. A fascinating story about such a hunt can be read in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.
And what hunts Valtsov himself described! The heart stops when you read: “... the yellowish color of his coat and his head held high proved that the mainland favors me. Knowing the edge of the forest close behind me, I was very afraid to let the beast loose and, moving towards it, pointed it out to the dogs. I had three males of my own pack and among them the handsome Armavir. Noticing the sleeping dogs, the wolf turned to the left, and they had to get him in good measure in very deep snow. All three males rushed to him together, and where they caught up, they laid him down, but I didn’t have time to drive up, the wolf broke and just rushed to the edge, when Golovin’s three dogs, hurrying to help me, covered him; six dogs squeezed the wolf into the snow, forming a star, I was already three steps away from them, how, in an incomprehensible way for me, the wolf twisted out from under a bunch of dogs from below and, while they managed and rushed after him, moved away 30 steps and in all legs laid down to the edge.
A.S.Stepanov. Hunting. 1885. Memorial Museum-estate of the artist N.A. Yaroshenko, Kislovodsk
Many times I have seen persecution by the most vicious dogs of the blood of Nazim and Novikov, and always in such conditions seasoned wolves left; having broken after two tricks at a nearby edge, the mainland no longer allowed itself to be reached, especially along the heavy field, and then my heart trembled: “It will leave!”. But the playfulness of the Persh dogs again came to the rescue: the red bitch from Golovin’s pack flew out of the heap of dogs, pulled out the wolf with a terrible throw and hung on his neck, the males covered him and lifted him into the air at the feet of Golovin, who had jumped off the sleigh ... "
First World War, the revolution and the civil war that followed them became a sad milestone in the history of domestic canine hunting and the development of hunting dog breeds. Keeping, for example, greyhounds at that time in Russia became almost impossible. Their main elite composition was taken abroad, and those who remained at home were declared "lordly" and subject to mass extermination.
N.E. Sverchkov. Horses and greyhounds
With the outbreak of war, the reduction of the Pershinsky hunt began, and the World Hunting Academy, as it was once called by numerous foreign guests, ended its existence in 1919. Most of the greyhounds were taken to Czechoslovakia, the hounds and the remaining greyhounds went to the hands of the local population.
This eradication of "bourgeois survivals" continued for more than 15 years. As a result, the Russian population of greyhounds and hounds was inflicted huge damage. It seemed to many at that time that everything had gone to dust and domestic dog breeding could no longer be revived.
The October Revolution was a disaster for canine hunting and dog breeding. Was it up to dogs when they blew up temples and burned estates. For several years, the breed of domestic greyhounds practically died. And it's not that they killed out of hatred for the attribute of a class enemy. The population, hunters-traders dismantled dogs in the yards without any idea about the appraisal and selection work with them. But in a purebred dog, the main thing is “pure blood”.
It is possible to restore an architectural monument according to the drawings, but a line of breeding animals, even once having launched alien blood into it, will not return many generations to purity. Dissolved blood greyhounds at that time among the balls and tuzikov. There were greyhounds, but there were “selections”. The rescue and restoration of the wonderful breed, and with it the re-creation of Russian canine hunting, is a long, dramatic story.
The fate of the Russian hounds was somewhat more successful. And only because they were more adapted to the Russian climate and did not look as aristocratic as greyhounds.
As for the Russian greyhounds, it was only after the end of the Great Patriotic War the first blood representatives of this breed, found in the nurseries of occupied Germany, returned to Soviet Russia. Then the gradual return of the Russian canine greyhound to his homeland began.
In 1962, the nursery "De Norois" was registered in Switzerland in the name of Ursula Vera Trueb. being hundreds of kilometers from Russia, the breeder of the kennel then, and then in the next more than 40 years, devoted herself to the preservation and breeding of the classic type of Russian greyhound. And before starting breeding greyhounds, this amazing woman studied the history and culture of Russia, visited Pershino. It is impossible to recreate the breed without getting acquainted with its origins, roots, as Ursula believed. Today, the positive impact of the De Norua kennel on the restoration and conservation of the number of greyhounds in our country, which already number several thousand, is well known.
An even more difficult task turned out to be the revival of the once world-famous Pershinsky type of greyhounds ... Moscow, Rusich kennel, breeder Irina Korshunova: about twenty years ago, Irina brought a greyhound from Germany, the roots of which went to the dogs of the Pershinsky hunt. This dog was also of Pershin type. Today in the kennel it was possible to restore and consolidate this type of Russian greyhounds.
The metropolitan nursery "Lunnaya Raduga", breeder Elena Balakireva, today specializes in breeding thick-dog Russian greyhounds of the Pershinsky type and has the most titled pack of Russia.
Kennel "Borzoi Romanovs" (Moscow), breeder Inna Estrina, working in close contact with the nursery from Sweden "De Norua". It was from this nursery that Inna once brought Hurricane. It was a dog, a real hunter, full of dignity and some kind of masculine strength. Hurricane aroused respect for himself not with a formidable look and a roar that put everyone in their places, but there was something special in his large, expressive dark eyes that spoke of him as a person.
And some time later in this kennel, from the parents of the blood of the kennel "De Norua", a fiery-bred aristocrat, a black-and-tan male of the Pershinsky type Bursh was born .... So in Russia in the last century this type of Russian canine greyhounds was recreated ...
Kirill Datsouk
Kirill Datsuk title:
"Fox hunting in Kostomloty on the feast of the patron saint of hunters St. Hubert" 
The beginning of the 80s of the last century is on the calendar ... In those years, Vasily Terentyevich Urvachev, an honorary hunter, was a frequent guest of our family regional society hunters, a native of the village of Pershino. We lived side by side and had a lot in common. Urvachev helped me in preparing a book on the history of the region, advised me on the creation of museum expositions, where I worked as a director at that time, and often went hunting together. How many then were lucky to hear hunting stories from the lips of this amazing person and talented hunter. About, for example, how he hunted in the local forests with academician Boris Stechkin, the main developer in the Soviet Union of rocket engines for spacecraft. But that, like many others, is another story...
N.E. Sverchkov. Hunting. 1881. National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk
Urvachev was born in 1902 and from childhood he was a witness, and then a participant in the royal hunts, which came to his native places in spring and autumn. His father, Terenty Eliseevich, served in the Hunt of His Imperial Highness and early began to accustom his son to hunting tricks, caring for hunting dogs.
For a long time, Urvachev's words that dog hunting, unlike gun hunting, is not the extermination of animals, will be remembered for a long time. This is, first of all, sports, adrenaline and a beautiful sight. This is a competition between two animals - wild and bred, grown by man. There are no wounded animals in dog hunting. Hunting is carried out in strictly limited terms, when there are no more young hares and pregnant hares. The hunting greyhound herself practically does not touch the hares, because she only knows how to poison and catch up. If the animal is gone, good. It means a strong animal. Overwinter and give healthy offspring. More than once, the old hunter expressed regret that after the revolution, along with thoroughbred hunting dogs, national dog hunting also disappeared into oblivion, and today's greyhounds are mainly urban "sofa" dogs ...
N.E. Sverchkov. Hunter. A hunting halt. Nizhny Novgorod Art Museum, Nizhny Novgorod
Two more decades have passed since those meetings with a well-known hunter in the Tulshchina. And I happened to be at the head of the development of the project for the recreation of the Pershinsky dog hunt, to take part in the beginning of the return to the original homeland of the Pershinsky type of greyhounds. Alas, all this is far from being so simple in our today's world, with its predominantly technocratic mentality...
And although central and local publications wrote about the work that had begun at one time, there were reports on television, the first dog hunts with greyhounds took place, so far it has not been possible to break the minds of many that Pershino should stand in Russia, on Tula land in one row with Yasnaya Polyana, Polenov, Kulikovo field.
N.E. Sverchkov. Wolf hunting. 1873. Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk
And with the revival of the national dog hunting here, perhaps even brighter, more significant ...
But everything in the world once returns "to its own circle." That is why I want to end this essay with the words of a passionate hunter, a talented Russian writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev:
“Now I will limit myself to the desire that hunting, this fun that brings us closer to nature, accustoms us to patience, and sometimes to composure in the face of danger, gives our body health and strength, vigor and freshness to the spirit ... - would still flourish for a long time in our Motherland!"
Russian manor hunting, which does not mean the extraction of an animal for food and not military training, which Genghis Khan arranged, for example, for his soldiers, but some kind of theatrical performance for the upper class, is not only inseparable from the Russian estate, but is one of the most striking components of the estate life.
It lasted only a century and a half, but during this time a certain code of honor, its own rules, and its own lexicon managed to develop. With the extravaganza of the Russian manor hunting, no other, even the English parfors hunting, could be compared, although it is also very spectacular. Its essence is as follows: following a flock of hounds (foxhounds or other breeds), hunters on horseback in obligatory red suits, overcoming natural obstacles (as a rule, numerous fences in England), strive to be the first of all the other participants in the race to snatch the tail of a fox from a flock of hounds. The one who succeeds is declared the winner. For a modest English scale, this was a spectacle, but the Russian expanses, which were not available in Europe, required a different scale ...
Russian estate hunting can be divided into two subspecies: regular or complete and gun hunting. But we will talk about each one in turn.
A. Kivshenko. persecuted
1. Hunting as such in Rus' has existed for a long time, there is a mention of catching in the Teachings of Vladimir Monomakh. Fragments with hunting scenes have also been preserved on the frescoes of the St. Sophia Novgorod Cathedral. But this is mainly hunting with birds. As early as the middle of the 17th century, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, a great lover and connoisseur of hunting, wrote his "Supervisor or the New Code and Order of the Order of the Falconer's Ways."
It was then that the saying "Falconry - royal, canine - boyar, gun - kennel" arose. And although the Riga German Christian von Lessin wrote at the same time his "Hunting Regulations for Owned and Dog Hunting", the nobility did little hunting with a gun and dogs. There were few dogs, mostly English exports, foreigners also dealt with them, and black - firearms in the hunt for a red beast (wolf, fox) always preferred white - horns and knives.
However, from the same 17th century, falconry began to gradually lose ground and by the beginning of the 18th century it had almost disappeared, gradually being replaced by canine hunting. Oddly enough, but real dog hunting originates in Russia in the Kostroma and Yaroslavl regions.
N. Kuznetsov. On vacation
After the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible and the conquest of the Tatar Khanate, he settled the conquered Tatar aristocracy in the northeastern regions, and they also bring their eastern and hounds there. But it was difficult for the heat-loving southern dogs not only to hunt among forests and small glades, but even to survive. And therefore, in a natural way, new breeds of hunting dogs began to appear, which subsequently made up the whole beauty of the estate hunting. This applied to both greyhounds and hounds.
The latter, of course, have undergone much lesser changes; maybe dressed a little richer and adapted to the rugged terrain. And even in the 17th century, the Russian aristocracy rode out with hounds not to catch the beast, but to listen to the amazing choirs of the hounds, selected by voices.
Here is how later, when there were no such choirs, Nekrasov described it:
Varom-cooks a boiled flock,
The landowner listens, enthusiastically melting,
A spirit is engaged in a powerful chest,
Hearing basks in wondrous harmony!
Littermates musical barking
Takes the soul to that ideal world,
Where there are no payments to the Board of Trustees,
There are no restless police officers!
The choir is so melodious, melodic and even,
What is your Rossini! What is your Beethoven!
N. Sverchkov. Hunting with greyhounds
Compiling a pack according to voices was considered a real art, and a lot of money was paid for the right dog. The classification of votes has not changed to this day. The voices of the hounds are divided into bashur - a low bass, languid with a vile - similar to a mournful cry, figured - with graces and with a bay, when the dog barks for several voices in turn. Two hundred years later, in 1892, A. Safonov even wrote scientific work"The flock as a subject of musical study".
In it, in particular, he writes: “There are voices that are thick, velvety, juicy, soft; there are liquid, sharp, piercing, extremely unpleasant for hearing; is also very different ... Judging by hearing, I think that the limiting notes of dog voices are: down - F under the first line of the bass clef and up - F over the eighth of the treble clef ...
In their voices, one can observe, firstly, an endless variety of timbres, registers, ranges and strength, then - tonality and, finally, an abundance of forms ... As a vivid example, he gives a description of a survivor named Budilo: "His wonderful velvety bassocontente had a range from B flat to the second octave, which gave the impression of a whole aria ... With measured recitatives, Budilo reasoned with himself, checked his thoughts ... his voice took on an increasingly passionate character, drawn-out exclamations captured an increasing number of tones ... finally, he he screamed piercingly and burst into hysterical sobbing in the highest register ... "What is it like? There is another interesting work on this topic - the book of the musician Artynov "Dog Chorus". Kostroma hounds were especially famous for their voices.
But we are a little off topic. So, by the end of the 17th century, two breeds of Russian dog hunting had developed: and Russian hounds. However, the real beginning of estate hunting dates back to the era of Peter III, when his Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility of 1762, service people were exempted from compulsory public service. It was from that time that the real history of estates with their specific life began - and estate hunting as a phenomenon of this culture. The origin of this phenomenon is based, in general, on only three successfully combined conditions. Firstly, the nobility had free time that could be spent on improving and decorating life. Secondly, the huge landlord lands with an abundance of animals on them and the noble goals - the destruction of the wolf, the main pest of the landlord and peasant economy, contributed to the mass distribution of dog hunting.
And thirdly, not the last role was played by Russian national traits - dashing, courage, gambling, bordering on recklessness, which are fully manifested in this hunt. Apparently, in some way, dog hunting met the deepest needs of the Russian people. And it was not in vain that Nekrasov already in 1846, at the last ebb of Russian dog hunting, wrote:
We have no ban on the open field
Amuse the steppe and violent will.
Blessed is the one who surrenders to power
Military fun: he knows passion,
And to gray hair young impulses
It will be preserved, beautiful and alive,
Black thought will not come to him,
In idle peace, the soul does not fall asleep.
Who does not like dog hunting,
He will fall asleep in himself and destroy his soul.
P. Sokolov. Hunting fees. At the porch
All this led to the fact that dog hunting, even if not very large, was on every noble estate in all central and Volga provinces. Moreover, landlords appeared who literally spent their whole lives on improving hunting and its techniques, breeding dogs and developing a code of its unwritten rules. There were enthusiasts who hunted from the age of 14-15 to a ripe old age and died on the hunt (or immediately after it). And even now, every efficient (that is, a real hunter) remembers the names of Machavarianov, Yermolov, Zhikharev, Baryatinsky.
It is to them that Russian hunting is obliged, for example, by the rule not to take nesting wolves, but only perennials (one-year-olds) - this was a correct and subtle environmental policy that made it possible to maintain balance in the surrounding nature. It was they who also introduced the tradition of naming dogs by breed. Even today hounds are often called by their voices: Flute, Sobbing, Bassoon, and greyhounds - by crown tactics: Grab, Boa, Fly, Torzay. And they imperceptibly aestheticized hunting, turning it from a rude entertainment into a noble spectacle. Russian hunting has always been a highly moral phenomenon, surprisingly combining strict science and free art.
Hunting is inextricably linked with the estate - and as the golden age of the estates falls on the first half of the 19th century, so did the estate hunting experience its zenith at that time. During these years, even a kind of dictionary was created - at least 500 words, which at that time were known to almost all the inhabitants of the estate, and now even three-quarters of the hunters do not know. As an example, let us give at least the names of the tails of different animals: for a hound it was called a rut, for a greyhound it was a rule, y for a log, y for a rod or feather, a fox for a pipe, a hare for a flower or puff. We refer those interested to the excellent book by I.P. Myatlev "Words and expressions used in dog hunting". It can be read as a fascinating novel even now. What is worth even the expression "on the splashes", when the dog hunts while all the snow in the spring turns bloody, in some places it melts completely, and splashes fly from under the dogs on large bald patches.
R. Franz. Boyar hunting of the times of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich
Everyone remembers the description of canine hunting in "War and Peace", in the verses of the same Nekrasov ... There is also a wonderful and undeservedly forgotten Russian writer who gave his soul and pen to hunting - I'm talking about Dryyansky and his psychologically amazing "Notes of a small-grass ". Poor landowners, perhaps, did not have royal scope, but no less nobility was always present.
I must say that the content of the hunt (until 1917 this term meant not the process itself, but a pack of hounds, a pack of greyhounds, their servants and maintenance) was really very expensive. For a real complete hunt, it was necessary to keep at least 20 bows (2 dogs each) of hounds and 10 packs (3-4 dogs each) of greyhounds. It was already a lot. In addition, the dogs needed kennels. True, greyhounds, as a rule, lived in the house, ate and slept with the owners, but these are still separate favorites; the main part was kept separately.
And the hounds were kept completely in the kennels - as one hunter-writer said, "the most unfortunate of the Russian breeds", since it is the hounds who find the beast and drive it tirelessly, and when only a little bit remains before the prey, they are taken to the bow and the triumph goes released greyhound. And the kennels were huge, arranged according to the latest veterinary science. In addition, after the abolition of serfdom, it was necessary to maintain psars, the composition of which was approximately as follows: with hounds - vyzhlyatniki led by a driver; with greyhounds - greyhounds, led by a visiting, and also - the main hunter. And the form, and the training of dogs! Young hounds first had to be whipped, greyhounds - to be welded, that is, to walk on a bundle. In addition to trained dogs, especially trained horses and supplies were needed, since the hunt could last from several days to a month in favorable weather.
Now, probably, it's time to tell how the hunt itself took place.
R. Franz. Huntsman with three greyhounds
It began with reconnaissance, that is, observing the surrounding broods and howling, when a wolf howl imitation specialist thus determined the number and age of animals. Then came the exit. Here is how a contemporary writes about his solemnity: “The picture was breathtakingly beautiful when, in turn, a flock of crimson hounds with reaching and vyzhlyatniks lined up in front of the audience, having mounted greyhounds with dark-colored greyhounds in a pack on both sides, and then a flock of piebald hounds and greyhounds with 18 packs of greyhounds of piebald and light colors; like an echo of distant better times, the call of sonorous horns sounded in the quiet air; as if rooted to the spot, people and horses stood, near each different poses amateurishly selected breed packs settled down. The whole picture, illuminated by the rays of the setting sun against the backdrop of a rural landscape, breathed some kind of extraordinary strength and charm, understandable to one hunter.
We stood in silence, and fantasy was carried away into autumn fields and forests, where this flock would roar, and dashing packs would rush like a whirlwind. Quietly approached us one of the oldest canine hunters. "This, gentlemen, is nowhere else to be seen," he told us. "And has there ever been anything like it," one of us replied.
In principle, the departure retained many features of the gathering of the princely squad in Rus'. This is evidenced by the archaism of the rite itself, and the actions preceding it. Thus, a hunter before hunting had to take care of the purity of his soul and body, and more than once an unsuccessful hunt was attributed to some hot young man who could not resist spending the night with a woman. The celebration of trophies, accompanied by horn signals and cups accompanied by the singing of "Let's drink, brothers, on the blood," refers to the old Slavic feast.
But the hunt has begun. The initial alignment of the forces of the hunters is carried out and the attack of the hounds is carried out to the cries of the approaching "Ululu!". Then follows the exit “to the manholes” and the “view of the greyhounds”, after the burping of the hounds, that is, the recall of the dogs with the command “Open!”, the command to the greyhounds “Atu!”, chasing them after the beast and, finally, the reception (killing) or strutting ( tying) a wolf and taking a fox or a hare. And this whole process was accompanied by emotions of such strength that they were comparable only with the heat of a real battle or a frenzy of passion.
V. Serov. Peter I on a dog hunt
But by the middle of the 19th century, dog hunting began to yield more and more to rifle hunting. Already in 1860, Khomyakov wrote in Moskvityanin: “We also had hunting in the old days, perhaps not as advanced as in England, but very diverse and intricate, perhaps showing an even more excess of courage and strength of the people. But was ... yes, overgrown with past, and now it’s almost a shame to talk about her.
And in 1861, in general, dealt a crushing blow to the manor dog hunting. Total number complete hunts decreased by more than three quarters. The vast majority of landlords, having lost their source of income, sought to get rid of hunting. The sad fact is known that in the sixties the production of kid leather greatly increased ... Where did it come from, I think it is not necessary to explain.
Only after 1872, after the creation of the Imperial Society of Proper Hunting, did it begin to revive, but not in droves, but mainly among nobles and grand dukes. So famous was the Gatchina imperial hunt in Marienburg. A whole Jaeger settlement was built there: houses for huntsmen, a two-story house for the chief huntsman, office buildings, bakeries, shops, a school. By the way, hurry up, the remains of the settlement can still be seen. The dogs were already trained beyond Gatchina, near Verolanitsy. “Ahead is a gray-haired senior ranger on a horse with a large copper horn. Behind him, forming a square, the rest of the huntsmen, also with horns and rapniks. In the center of the square are hounds, some in groups of five. "With God!" - this is how an eyewitness describes the trip to the nataska.
The Pershinsky hunt near Tula of the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich Jr., which consisted of 100-200 dogs, became not only a large breeding center (its area occupied more than 400 acres), whose dogs still remain the standard, but also the swan song of a complete dog hunt. After the revolution, both hunts were sold to the West, the remaining dogs were exterminated by the peasantry, and the brilliant part of Russian culture ceased to exist forever, like the estates that gave birth to it.
Manor hunting ceased to exist forever.
Now many attempts are being made to revive it, however, as they are trying to revive the estates. But, alas, farmstead hunting, like a farmstead, is not a single event, in a separate place and at a separate time - it, like any cultural phenomenon, required an environment for its development, which now does not exist and cannot exist ...
And yet, I really want the Russian estate hunting to remain, at least in memory, that festive, beautiful and noble act that it was and captivated souls - because this is our history, our language and our literature.
Maria Barykova
