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The reality of military service and war is reflected in (and shaped by) expressive culture in many ways. In the Russian Empire the period of service was 25 years. This was not a big problem for the Empire, as before 1914 as many as 12 percent of able-bodied men worldwide were subjects of the Tsar but it was a tragedy for most of the people involved. In agricultural societies, military service and war bring serious disbalance to economic and to private life. That’s why in old-style Russian peasant songs war is generally appears in a negative light and patriotic songs are very rare. An exception are Cossack songs, as for a male Cossack war was typically the essence of life. See very briefly: Recruits’ songs (in quatrains, according to the chastushka verse) are a corner stone of male repertoire in traditional Russian music of the 20th century. Even though the genre of the ritualized recruits’ laments has vanished long ago, the farewell songs accompanied by the accordion are often performed as soon as a musician is being asked to sing a few quatrains in combination with a local instrumental tune. The texts mostly bemoan – from the perspective of the individual recruit – the perennial separation from the familiar environment, the family, friends and lovers, the hardship of the military service, the uncertainty of the return. A recurring motive is the highly humiliating procedure of the hair cut which symbolizes the irreversible transition to military life. Nekrutskaia pod pesni (starinnaia) [Old tune for recruits‘ songs]. Fieldwork by Vladimir Yarysh and Ulrich Morgenstern in Khvoinaia, Khvoininskii rayon, Novgorodskaia oblast’ (). The singer and accordion player (khromka) is Pavel Kirillovich Nosov (born 1933 in Terebut). 1. The recruits don’t need anything. No watches, no money. As long as the young girls Accompany us. 2. In the army they sheared us, But it is not going to the beloved father, Not to the beloved father, But to the commander, the scoundrel. 3. The recruits’ bench Has divided ends. On this bench, Me, poor boy, was sitting. 4. The recruits’ bag Was put onto my shoulder. The dearest mother Watered it with tears. 5. With army, recruits’ service May God spare anyone. Lugging around and bad weather. And they chase us into war. 6. [imitating female singing] [...] The dark autumn night Disquiets me. 7. Me , young lad, was called up And stood in the corner without trousers. The tears dropped on the finger, I dried them with the shirt. 8. [imitating female singing] They sheared my beloved, For four years. Four years aren’t a week, You will forget me, beloved.
