What eyewitnesses wrote about the first Russian Old New Year

“For the first time, Russia is celebrating the New Year in a new style. The year 1918, which has just expired, will thus remain shortened by almost two weeks in Russian history. For lovers of everything old, and, unfortunately, there are still a lot of them in the Soviet Republic, such a shortened year is associated with the breakdown of an entire worldview with an internal spiritual upheaval.

From a philistine point of view, the “new year” comes out too early in a new way. Even the old calendar that still hangs on the wall shows that there are still many days until the “real” New Year. Only the Bolshevik government decided to immediately do away with the old calendar. The question of introducing a new style arose under the old regime. But the autocracy could not resolve it.

It turned out that With a change in the calendar, the foundations of the monarchy may be shaken. Scientists of all specialties were involved in the issue of Russia’s transition to a new style: mathematicians, astronomers, historians and, of course, representatives of the clergy. It seems that they discussed this issue for thirty years and still did not resolve it. And it’s good that they didn’t allow it! Let posterity know that even the introduction of a new calendar in Russia is connected with the October Revolution.” (from the note “New “New Year””, published in “Krasnaya Gazeta” on January 1, 1919).

About the feast

“The “old” year of 1918 has ended. The new “old” year, of course, is not officially celebrated, all presences and trade will be open as usual, and the Church celebrates the new year as before, i.e. on January 14th of the new style. The faithful bourgeoisie also practice the Old Believers, and all today they were remembering with longing how they used to celebrate the New Year, and many of them will still celebrate it “in the old way” in the full sense of the word, that is, with good drinks and plentiful snacks.” (from the memoirs of shipping company agent Nikita Okunev, published under the title “Diary of a Muscovite,” January 13, 1919).

“Tomorrow is New Year, and Christmas will soon be there. Only a year has passed, but so many terrible changes! Bread will no longer be provided for the holiday (only for children’s cards), but they give out oats, real oats, horse oats in the 1st category.” (from the memoirs of high school student Lyubov Martynova, January 12, 1919).

“The “old” New Year was celebrated in the usual way at the wife’s parents’ house – rejoiced at two black flour pies and drank sweet wine since it was impossible to get either vodka or champagne, with which they used to see off and welcome the year; yesterday, again, there were remnants of bourgeoisism – lunch at E. A. Gauthier – instead of the abyss of dishes that were once there that day, there was ham and potatoes, and everyone was amazed at the luxury of the table: these are the pictures of the hunger that is dragging us down.” (from the memoirs of the chief librarian of the Rumyantsev Museum (now the Russian State Library) Yuri Gauthier, “My Notes,” January 15, 1919).

About traditions

“I celebrated the New Year with M-me Lewison, a very interesting and educated lady who lives in her own mansion on 5th Avenue (New York.— “Kommersant”)… But here the New Year is not celebrated solemnly, there are no clocks slowly striking twelve strokes, no one gets up, feeling the solemnity of the moment and indulging in dreams, desires or memories during these twelve strokes, the owner with a raised glass does not proclaim the first toast… Yes , Here they celebrate the New Year in a childish, stupid, fun and empty way. Maybe there is even a deeper unconscious wisdom in this childishness. But there is no poetry. So, 1919. The year 1918 turned out to be thirteen days shorter, since I met it according to the old style, now a thing of the past.» (from the diary of composer Sergei Prokofiev, 1919).

Citizen in a rush

Rubs your forehead tightly

And he doesn’t know when

Celebrate New Year!

The citizen mutters passionately:

“Which of the two matches –

Does the style belong to the old

Celebrating the New Year?

Or, shaken off for good luck

Age-old dust,

Celebrate the New Year differently

“Breaking up” a new style?

The citizen is accustomed from childhood

Obey in everything

Commands of the authorities

Hit him with your forehead.

And now I’m perplexed

What to do here?

Whose command to fulfill,

So that there won’t be trouble?

And the poor man’s skin

A shiver runs through:

It’s not good to disobey “those”,

Yes, “these” too.

Citizen! Cast aside doubts!

Throw off the yoke of worries!

There is a way out – without difficulty

Celebrate New Year!

New style easy with old

Can you reconcile

And in accordance with the circular, hold the holiday.

Both orders need to be carried out without hassle –

And for this… to celebrate the New Year twice!

(from the newspaper “New Siberia”, December 31, 1919).

Since freedom broke out,

Everything in the world is nothing to me.

I rule two New Years a year

And two Christmases

(from the memoirs of Vladimir Gilyarovsky “Moscow and Muscovites”, January 12, 1924).

“The growing socialist construction is increasingly compressing the ring around NEP. The only consolation is drinking in your own circle, with the windows curtained. The best reason for this is to celebrate the “old New Year”, according to the old style. The working people have already advanced thirteen days in 1927, and the NEP is just saying goodbye to 1926 with drunken tears. Somewhere they rented silver sets, expensive jugs with delicate paintings, bought at the Smolensk market. On the plates from the times of Napoleon – Mosselprom sausage, next to it – white chrysanthemums, caviar in an Azryba jar, and in a small crystal vessel – Olivier salad.” (from the note “Holiday for Nepach”, published in the magazine “Ogonyok” in January 1927).

Prepared by Elena Fedotova