What Russian doesn't like driving fast? And fast driving in our tradition is inextricably linked with the Russian troika. It can reach speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour, which is unattainable for any harness in the world.
The mystery of the appearance
When did the Russian troika appear? Historians say that at the beginning of the 18th century, when the troika harness began to be used by the royal courier service. However, given that in conservative Rus' any innovation sometimes “infused” for centuries before entering “mass production,” this date raises some doubts. There is a version that the troika was borrowed by government services from secret “horse” cults dedicated to Elijah the Prophet, which from time immemorial have been practiced in some areas of the North of Rus'. Every year on Elijah’s day, ritual horse races were held on troikas, which symbolized the “chariot of fire and the brigade of fiery ones” that carried Elijah to heaven. To crash during the “ascension” was considered a manifestation of Grace: they said, “Ilya took him to heaven.”
Uniqueness
The innovation of the troika was that all the horses ran at different gaits. Korennik - center horse- galloped at a trot, and the lighter tethered horses galloped, bending their heads to the side. This combination " Horse power“, where the harnesses, fastened to the horseman with lines, seemed to “carry” the horseman, was aimed at ensuring that all three horses got tired more slowly, while maintaining a high speed.
Speed
The troika was capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour. No harness in the world could achieve such a result. There is such a story. Once, during the time of Catherine II, the Austrian Emperor Joseph arrived in St. Petersburg on a visit. The Empress set out to amaze the distinguished guest and give him a ride in a troika. The most daring coachman was brought to the palace, from whom Catherine asked: “Will you take the emperor to Moscow in thirty-six hours?” The daredevil answered the queen: “I’ll take you there, mother.” I’m just not sure that I’ll deliver his soul.” It remains to add that on average, the journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow on transfer roads was two to three days.
Horse breed
As a rule, the Russian troika used the horsepower of the hardy Vyatka horse breed. Wealthy gentlemen could afford to harness a troika Oryol trotters.
Application
Three-piece harness, as already mentioned, was used in the courier service. At the end of the 18th century, important passengers began to be transported on the troika. Over time, the troika became an indispensable attribute of weddings and public festivities on major holidays.
Decoration
The three-piece harness was necessarily richly decorated. For example, at first the root arch was painted with gold. This was not just foppishness: gold symbolized the lightning that accompanied the ascension of Elijah the Prophet.
Later, the arcs began to be painted with ornaments and artistic carvings. Moreover, this was not just decoration: saddlers applied so-called protective paintings to the harness, capable of protecting the troika from evil forces, from wild animals and from robbers.
"Yamskaya accordion"
If the gilded arch of the root symbolized lightning, then the ringing of bells and bells accompanied by the troika was a metaphor for the peals of thunder. People called this “musical set” a “pit accordion.” Almost every three had a unique sound. Interestingly, in some places in Russia it was believed that by taking a ride on a “loud” troika, a person was able to get rid of the spells cast by witches and sorcerers. It was believed that most often unkind people cause damage at weddings, so the ride of the newlyweds in a troika with bells became an indispensable wedding ritual.
Almost a century has passed since those times, from the streets of Russian cities, three harnessed horses, personifying the daring Russian soul, rushed past. They forever remained a national symbol, and Nikolai Gogol’s catchphrase: “What Russian doesn’t like driving fast?”- is still relevant today.
Visiting foreigners who saw with their own eyes for the first time Russian troika flying along the pavement, they froze in amazement: such beauty and dizzying speed could not be seen in any country in the world. The memory of this unique famous team, thanks to the paintings of artists, has been preserved to this day.
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According to one version, the idea of a three-horse harness was borrowed from epics and myths northern peoples relating to Elijah the Prophet. Since ancient times, in some villages of the Russian North, every year on Elijah’s day, local residents staged ritual horse races on troikas, which were a symbol of the fiery chariot that carried Elijah to heaven.
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The appearance of a paired harness of horses “for flight” became a prerequisite for the appearance of a triple harness, which did not immediately take root and was an extremely rare occurrence on the eternally bad Russian roads. However, over time, the troika gained wide popularity and at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries it began to be successfully used for postal purposes, which significantly reduced the delivery time for postal items and luggage.
Having appreciated the incredible speed, amazing endurance, high load capacity and good maneuverability, the troika was officially legalized and began to be used not only for mail delivery. They transported civil servants, couriers and passengers using sleighs, tarantasses, wagons, and strollers. However, the troika was never harnessed to carriage harnesses.
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In the center the team was harnessed"коренника"- сильную и крупную лошадь, которая должна была идти "четкой и быстрой рысью", а по бокам - "присяжных" лошадей, скачущих галопом и изогнувших головы в сторону. Такая расстановка «лошадиных сил» в запряжке давала возможность лошадям развивать головокружительную скорость. Выходило так, что коренника как бы несли за собой пристяжные лошади. Это и было секретом малой утомляемости и огромной скорости русских троек. Ну а ежели удалой кучер хотел немного "полихачить", он пускал коренника в галоп и тогда, казалось, что тройка летит над землей.!}
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-troyuka-0013.jpg" alt=" Troika.
There is still a story that says that during the reign of Catherine the Great, Emperor Joseph of Austria came to St. Petersburg for a visit. The Russian Empress, having decided to surprise the distinguished guest, wanted to take him on a ride in a Russian troika to Moscow.
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/image-03.jpg" alt="They carried it.
And here it is time to remember the words of the Russian classic N.V. Gogol, who described the image of Russia in this way, comparing it with a “three bird”: "Не так ли и ты, Русь, что бойкая необгонимая тройка несешься? Дымом дымится под тобою дорога, гремят мосты, все отстает и остается позади... Остановился пораженный божьим чудом созерцатель: не молния ли это, сброшенная с неба? Что значит это наводящее ужас движение? И что за неведомая сила заключена в сих неведомых светом конях?" !}
Selection of trotters for triple harness
https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/0-troyuka-0004.jpg" alt=" Russian troika of Oryol trotters.
Russian troika decoration
The decoration of the harness is a special article of the cult of the Russian troika, so it was impossible to imagine a root warrior without an arch decorated with gilding. A little later, the arcs were decorated with ornamental paintings or carvings. Moreover, this was not only of an aesthetic nature, but also served as a talisman against evil forces, against wild animals and robbers.
Each “C” coachman tried to decorate his troika in an unusual, bright and recognizable way, so the troikas were unique. In the second half of the 19th century, gilded arcs were replaced by painted, carved, inlaid copper, and by the end of the century they began to be painted in one color and wrapped with multi-colored ribbons.
Troikas with the ringing of bells
Over time, horse transport filled the streets of cities, and since the rules traffic did not exist, then for high-speed triple harness they began to use bells and bells, which could be heard 2 miles away. This made it possible for townspeople and cab drivers to clear the way in time for the rapidly rushing “bird three”.
At the very beginning, they were allowed to be hung only on postal troikas and courier carriers carrying important state dispatches. Hearing the ringing of the bell, postal workers had time to prepare a replacement troika of horses so as not to delay the delivery of urgent mail. And a little later, riding troikas with bells became widely popular not only among postal drivers.
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The era of the famous Russian troikas came to an end in the middle of the 19th century; they gradually began to be replaced by railway and road transport in rural areas. And at the beginning of the 20th century, the two-hundred-year history of the troika was put to an end, but it remained popular and indispensable in traditional folk festivities.
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The popularity of triplets knew no bounds and always evoked a spirit of competition. Therefore, starting from 1840, equestrian competitions began to be held in Moscow at the hippodrome. And in 1911, the Russian troika was first seen in Europe, namely in London at the World Exhibition. During Soviet times, competition teams were almost always made up of Oryol trotters, which looked incredibly gorgeous.
Russian troikas were also a worthy present for high-ranking officials of many countries. To this day, competitions where Russian troikas participate are very spectacular and popular.
There are many unimaginable things in the world that delight with their exotic appearance.
The troika of horses and everything connected with it is primordially Russian, having no analogues in any country in the world. A foreigner who came to Russia for the first time and saw the Russian troika literally froze in amazement.
And there was a reason! In his homeland there was no team equal in speed and beauty to the Russian troika.
A record speed, by the standards of a horse team, 45-50 km/h, was achieved due to a peculiar combination of horse gaits. The central horse, called the “root horse,” starts at a fast trot, and the tethered horses (fastened on the sides of the root horse) gallop and seem to “carry” the root horse. With such different gaits, all three horses tire more slowly and can maintain high speed for a long time.
The Russian troika harness is extremely rational, and there is not a single unnecessary detail in it. Usually, a tall and powerful trotter was chosen to play the role of a root horse, while the draw horses were smaller and lighter horses, which, while running, had to beautifully bend their necks to the side and down.
According to written sources, the first Russian troikas began to appear in the second half of the 17th century. Before this, horses were harnessed one at a time, and if several horses were required, then in single file. Then a pair team appeared, a “take-off” harness in a row, and on its basis - a troika. But the team of three horses in a row did not take root immediately and was used extremely rarely.
By the beginning of the 18th century, the troika was appreciated. Among the advantages - high speed, endurance, large load capacity and good maneuverability. Thanks to these qualities, by the end of the 18th century, the use of three horses for transporting mail, couriers and passengers was officially legalized.
Since then, three horses have carried sleighs, carts, wagons and tarantasses with the breeze. The first half of the 19th century was the period of the real peak of popularity of the Russian troika. According to foreigners, she personified the daring Russian soul and became a symbol of Russia.
The era of the famous Russian troikas came to an end when horse-drawn transport replaced Railway and cars. From the middle of the 19th century, trains began to displace the Russian troika from post roads to rural areas. The 20th century put an end to the two-century history of the troika - it lost its national significance, but, nevertheless, retained its popularity as an invariable attribute of folk festivals.
The Russian troika has always been distinguished by an abundance of decor. Each “C” student sought to ensure that his “C” was the brightest and most recognizable.
The wooden clamps of the clamps were covered with paintings and carvings, and the leather of the saddles, harnesses, bridles and shorts was decorated with embossing and a metal set of cast parts of various shapes. Alloys of copper with nickel or zinc, silver-plated copper, and, in richer harnesses, silver were most often used. Bright tassels were attached to the bridles and harnesses.
Hardly a resident early XIX centuries could imagine the Russian troika without the famous korotnik arc. This most significant part of the harness was richly decorated with carved geometric figures and painted with gold paint so that it sparkled in the sun and was visible from afar. Later, thin black or red graphic patterns and floral patterns began to be drawn on top of the “gold.”
In the 60s of the 19th century, gilded arches were replaced by picturesque ones - they were painted with red roses, blue bunches of grapes and green herbs. The picturesque arcs looked no less bright than the gilded ones.
The fashion for large roses passed by the end of the 19th century. By this time, the arc had become thinner, so there was less space for painting. The designs became smaller, more colorful, and over time the arcs began to be painted in one color; in special cases, single-color arcs were intertwined with colored ribbons.
Horse-drawn transport filled the city streets, there were no traffic rules as such, and it was necessary to somehow solve the problem of notifying postal station employees about the arrival of the postal troika so that they could prepare a shift for the tired horses.
At that time, the postal horn was widely used in Western Europe, but this device did not take root in Russia, although Peter I issued a decree on its use by postal services.
The coachmen, according to the old Russian habit, warned of their appearance by whistling and shouting, despite fines and beatings. Thus, the postal horn became the emblem of the Russian post, but the role of the signaling device again went to a Russian invention - the bronze bell. It was tightly fastened to the middle part of the arch above the head of the root of the troika with a rawhide leather belt.
Starting from the end of the 18th century, the ringing of a bell signaled the approach of a “bird three” two miles away, so pedestrians and other carriages knew that they needed to immediately clear the way for a courier or postal cart rushing at breakneck speed. Also, such early warning significantly reduced the time it took to re-harness horses at the station - the staff had time to prepare for the arrival of the troika.
The classic expression “What Russian doesn’t like driving fast?” has long taken root in the popular lexicon. However, no one else rides troikas except our man. Why?
In a white field the troika rushes
Drive so fast that it takes your breath away. Rush across the expanses of our native Rus', gasping with delight. Isn't this the greatest pleasure! So, the horse troika is a really fast means of transportation. It is capable of reaching speeds of 60 km/h. Where did such an amazing harness principle come from? When did the troika appear in Rus'?
Historians claim that this happened at the dawn of the 18th century with the development of the postal and courier service. However, if we consider that our people always “harness for a long time,” the sudden appearance of a new means of transportation is unlikely.
There is a version that the triple harness was “stolen” (or spied) and the Old Russian Cult of the Prophet Elijah, characteristic of the northern regions. After all, it was on Elijah’s Day that mass races on horse troikas were organized. This harness symbolized the “chariot of fire” that carried the saint to Heaven. This is why accidents during racing were considered a blessing. The old men accompanied them with the words: “Elijah took him to heaven.”
Innovativeness of the invention
Three is not just a principle of combination, but a full-fledged innovation. What was it? Yes, in that each animal moved with its own gait. The central one (root) - only at a trot, and the side ones (trailers) - only at a gallop, turning their heads in different sides and completely trusting the center trotter.
The amazing combination was that the animals conserved their own strength. Korennik set the pace, and the side guys “carried” it. This way the horses were less tired, and the speed was impressive.
Travel speed
60 km/h is a pretty respectable speed, especially in the old days. No team (solo or pair) could achieve such a result. And if she had achieved it, the animals would certainly have died from fatigue.
There is such a story. In Catherine's time, the Austrian King Joseph arrived in the capital. Mother decided to impress him with Russian traditions and offered to take him for a ride in a threesome.
The most daring of the local coachmen was summoned to the palace. The Empress asked him: “Will you deliver the guest to Moscow in one and a half days?” To which he replied: “Order, mother! We can only lose our soul along the way.” By the way, the road to Moscow at that time took 2-3 days on transfer roads.
Breed
For the troika, as a rule, hardy Vyatka horses were used. Oryol trotters were in the teams of the rich. Everything depended on the degree of wealth. However, tradition was an important factor. And who would want to experiment with a breed if there is a risk of freezing to death in the fields if the bad horses die?
How the troika was used
The first use of the troika is believed to be in the courier service. By the end of the 18th century, passenger crews also appeared. True, they were not very common, they transported important people and valuable cargo.
Gradually, weddings began to “fly” in troikas. Celebrations without festively decorated teams were considered poor. The same can be said about national festivities.
How the details were decorated
Rich decoration is an indispensable condition. The root arch was often painted with gilding. Although the common people did not understand this and considered it pretentious. After all, gold was traditionally associated with Elijah.
Later, carvings and elaborate ornaments began to appear on the arches. The same applied to horse blinders. Signs of amulets were applied to them so that Dashing would not spoil the cattle, lead them astray, kill them, or lure them into the thicket.
"Yamskaya accordion"
An obligatory part of the decoration of the harness were bells under the arch of the root. Their ringing symbolized the thunder of Elijah the Prophet. Special bells were assembled, and the whole set was called “yam accordion”. And each three had its own, with a unique melodic sound.
It is noteworthy that in a number of Russian regions there was a practice of getting rid of “witch spells”. The “loud troika” helped this. That is why noisy driving to the accompaniment of bells has become a mandatory attribute of every Russian wedding.
The Russian Troika - the national Russian horse team and, at the same time, the symbol of our country in the form familiar to Russians first appeared in the middle of the 18th century.
The Russian Troika - the national Russian horse team and, at the same time, the symbol of our country in the form familiar to Russians first appeared in the middle of the 18th century. As the newspapers of that time wrote, the troika was a product of the enormous distances and ugly roads of Russia. The horse-drawn mail of the Russian Empire needed a light and fast team to cover large sections of the route between horse-drawn postal stations at an acceptable speed. The two-horse team of the European type turned out to be of little use for long journeys across the Russian virgin lands. Three horses pulled a postal van or a noble cart much more quickly. The troika turned out to be universal: in the summer the cart was placed on wheels, in the winter - on runners. In those territories of Russia where snow lies for more than six months, sledge troikas were especially popular. Like any other great tradition, the practice of triple riding has come down to our time and has undergone only minor changes over more than two centuries. Models of three-piece carriages have changed in line with fashion and tastes, but the principle of harnessing and the main elements of the harness remain unchanged.
The middle one in the trio, as it is also called, the root horse, is harnessed first, just like in the one-horse version: into two shafts with a collar, a saddle and a bow. The root driver bears the main load: he determines the direction of movement of the harness, accelerates on a straight line and restrains the crew from rolling on the slopes. The other two horses are harnesses (in a trio they are harnessed on the sides using clamps or shorts with lines that are fastened to special rollers put on the hooks of the cart) help the rootman move the carriage and maneuver it. When riding quickly with the correct gait, the root horse runs at an extended, sweeping trot, while the tethered dogs gallop. Sometimes, in the snowy winter, when driving along snow-covered roads, the troika was sometimes harnessed in a train - trail after trail.
The coachman of the troika controls the horses using four reins - long reins made of leather or braid. The driver controls the driver with two central reins. There is one rein each for the tethered horses, which, when galloping, move together - the “swan” necks are bent away from the direction of movement of the troika. It is this frantic bending of the ties, the indomitable power of the root that creates the illusion of the flight of some mythical three-headed bird.
Nowhere in the world, except Russia, was there such a wonderful team. A fast transport projectile and a “musical instrument” at the same time. It is known that in the old days the troika was called a yam accordion. And each coachman played it in his own way. Each strap, each element of the triple harness was decorated with sets of different bells, rattles and bells. Ringing and clanking warned pedestrians of the rapidly approaching troika. But even such a utilitarian thing as a warning signal provided food for Russian imagination. The musicality of the troika depended on their selection. Under the painted arc there can be from one to three so-called. "Valdai" bells, whose ringing voice can be heard several kilometers away. They were also mounted on the rootstock’s saddle. Moreover, saddle bells could be one-, two-, or three-ring. It was equipped with harness and bells (spherical bells with a shot inside). They were placed on inlaid lassos, collars, necklaces or garnishes. Each troika had its own unique sound.
The troika decor was rich. The crew of the so-called "count's" type - a spring tarantass with a leather top or a passenger sleigh with a bear canopy. The leather harness was embroidered with silver-plated chains and artistic rosettes, stars, leather tassels or brushes. Together with the arc and shafts, the main functional part of the three-piece harness is the clamp. This item has been improved over the centuries. The wooden parts of the collar are usually made of willow or elm, lined with soft leather and felt and represent two halves of an open oval. Top part The collar, like pliers, is connected firmly and flexibly with belts, and the lower ends are free and are pulled together on the horse’s neck only after the collar, arch and shafts are tied with belt tugs. Thanks to the springy effect of the arc and the horse-drawn connection, the traumatic friction of the collar on the horse's neck and shoulders is significantly reduced, especially when driving on bumpy roads.
Horses for a troika are most often selected by color, conformation and gender. The dapple gray Oryol trotters look the most advantageous in the trio. These are large, elegant in color and frisky horses- a pronounced harness type. Oryol trotters have a well-developed rib cage, long body, not always dry enough limbs, often large hooves. The mane and tail are thick and long. Among Oryol residents, only half are gray, many are black and bay, but red ones are extremely rare. In the last decades before the crisis and the collapse of Rosplemkonzavod, the Oryol trotter breed noticeably progressed in agility.
The riding of horses in a troika begins at the age of 3-4 years for root horses and 2.5-3 years for tie-down horses. The introduction and entry of horses is carried out first on horseback - three riders ride side by side and perform maneuvers at the same time. Then, gradually, all three are accustomed to harness and carriage. Improving the driving qualities and maneuverability of a modern sports three can last up to ten years. The Korennik should be larger in build and 5-10 cm higher at the withers than trailing horses, and have the correct body structure and balanced character. Ties must recognize the leader in the root. Troika horse racing has always been extremely popular in Russia, especially in winter. Historical chronicles have preserved a description of similar races on the ice of the Moscow River in 1880: " Ice path was surrounded by a wooden fence, and a huge platform for onlookers was built nearby. The platform, the embankment, and the two bridges under which the troikas raced were filled with crowds of horse racing enthusiasts. A deafening scream from hundreds of thousands of mouths rang out as the winning trio crossed the finish line."
In 1956, triple competitions according to modified pre-revolutionary rules were resumed in Moscow at VDNKh and the Central Moscow Hippodrome. One of the traditional triple competitions took place during the Russian Winter festival in Moscow. In figure riding, troikas were driven only by coachman-riders. Later, during speed races, two driver-passengers were added to them, who controlled the harnesses. Exterior of horses and appearance crew, perfection of training, coordination of actions of the troika and the coachman when overcoming special riding figures, agility in the race are assessed on a 10-point system. Horses are judged by color and build, although differences in breeds are allowed.
Three-way racing was especially developed in the Tambov region from 1955 to 1967. At this time, several troikas were created at the Tambov regional hippodrome, which regularly went to competitions in the capital. The Tambov hippodrome became famous for the Russian troikas who took part in competitions at the Central Moscow Hippodrome, in demonstration performances at the IV World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow and at the XX Summer Olympic Games. In the 50s, at one of these metropolitan super-celebrations, a amazing story worthy of a novelist's pen. At VDNKh, in the Horse Breeding pavilion, a luxurious trio of Orlov trotters from Tambov was exhibited. It was mastered by triple masters of the Tambov regional hippodrome Nikolai Aleksandrovich Isaev (a representative of one of the oldest equestrian dynasties in Russia) and Ivan Vasilyevich Ustinov. N.S. rode this trio of snow-white Russian trotters around Moscow. Khrushchev with his overseas guest, billionaire Cyrus Eaton. The three-piece beauty delighted the American guest and was eventually given to him as a gift. In 1966, a gray troika of Orlov trotters from Tambov under the control of F.M. Sukortseva won gold medal winners of the all-Union competitions at VDNKh in Moscow. And the next year, at the solemn march parade on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Soviet power, at the invitation of the Ministry of Defense, the Tambov region was again represented by four gray trotters harnessed to a machine-gun cart.
After a long break in 1998, a trio of trotters from the Tambov region (Khrustal, Osiris, Osnovnoy) took part in the ancient form of harness horse competition, the troika race, revived at the Central Moscow Hippodrome. The author who made the top three was famous trainer Firs Mikhailovich Sukortsev, senior master rider of the Volkovsky Distillery horse farm. In addition to the Tambov team, the troikas of the Central Moscow Hippodrome, the 1st Moscow Stud Farm, as well as crews from Kostroma, Orel and Yaroslavl took part in the demonstration performances. Previously, in the 60s, triple competitions included tests for correct movement (trot with the right move, gallop, accuracy of stopping, etc.), coordination of the crew and horses, figure riding and agility testing of threes with driver-passengers (they controlled tethered horses). Based on the sum of points, the expert commission determined the winner. This time, the organizers of the race limited themselves to riding passengers, figure driving and a speed test. As expected, in figure riding, the more prepared Muscovites forced the Tambovites to “collect horseshoes.” In this type of test, success largely depends on the skill of the coachman-rider, who, unlike the speed test, where he is assisted by two driver-passengers, performs solo. Minor domestic problems made themselves felt. However, the overall impression of the exterior of the gray troika from Tambov turned out to be more than favorable.
One can only envy the persistence and selflessness of the management of the Volkovsky Distillery, which is doing everything possible to revive the horse breeding traditions with which the Tambov land was once rich. These traditions are now expensive: a phaeton with a leather top, corresponding to the pre-revolutionary count's model, costs 40,000 rubles, set harness - 11,000, a purebred trotter - from 7,000 rubles. Tambov residents pay tribute and gratitude to people who spare no effort and expense in the dispute for the honor of their native land. It’s not enough, oh, how not enough just to see a three. It is necessary to see, hear and, most importantly, feel, sitting in the carriage, its incomparable flight in the wonderful chime of the singing bronze, the rumble of hooves and the whistle of the wind. Only the most sensitive ear can catch the whisper of grass and the rustle of leaves in this powerful orchestra.
