Traditional Russian weddings are of grandiose scale, lasting
from two days to sometimes even a week, limited only by the family’s financial
situation. Although some marriages resemble that of a western tradition, with
priests and marriage vows, these are exceptions, rather than rule, in modern
Russia. The registry office (where marriages are officially registered) are
known as загс. Couples submit
applications a few months in advance (at least one month of a “waiting” period)
and will receive an official marriage certificate (свиде́тельство о бра́ке)
on the wedding day.
It is common to hire
a toastmaster (тамада́). This person will arrange many different parts
of the wedding, as well as announce who will be performing or announce who will
be giving toasts. In modern-day Russia, the wedding ring is called обруча́льное
кольцо́ or сва́дебное кольцо́. The distinction became no longer prevalent after 1755, when betrothal (обруче́ние)
and crowning (венча́ние) merged into the same ceremony.
Engagement rings are a fairly new idea in Russia – it is a
trait from the Western world. Wedding rings, however, are worn on the ring
finger of the right hand (similar to countries such as Germany, Austria, and
Poland, but unlike the United States or Switzerland). In Russia, a ring worn on
the left hand on the finger next to the pinky generally denotes that this
person is either widowed or divorced).
One amusing tradition that takes place on the wedding day is
after the bride arrives to the ceremony. The parents of the bride pretend to
steal her and request a ransom from the groom. The groom will pay either a
symbolic monetary figure or jewelry to save his bride. After the ransom is
paid, the bride and groom will go to the загс to register their relationship as official.
The wedding itself
is quite simple – it includes the rings, the dress, cars and the reception. The
rings are exchanged the day of the wedding and the dress is usually hand-made
specially for the occasion since it is less expensive. There is a wedding train
of several vehicles to collect the bride to go to загс and the reception
will involve the family and friends with food and liquor, naturally.
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