The struggle for piety and spiritual salvation of the people sometimes takes unexpected forms. Everyone knows about the witch-hunt of the Inquisition, but only a few people know that in the 17th century in Russia balalaikas were burned for the same purpose. The initiator of the destruction was His Serene Highness Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.
The pious descendant of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, having come to power, decided to fight with all his might against the debauchery that flourished among the people. In this regard, Alexei Mikhailovich, in one of his first decrees of 1648, proclaimed the fight against "demonic deeds and games".
Bathing in a thunderstorm, making riddles, telling fairy tales and various fables were considered unclean actions. The category of "demonic" included humorous songs, dances and even playing chess. The musicians, itinerant performers and buffoons suffered the most. All their activities now went beyond the legal framework.
Punishment for sorcery
Aleksey Mikhailovich reasoned this way: any entertainment at fairs and in entertainment establishments leads to laziness and drunkenness, which means that they distract ordinary people from work and church services.
For a long time, buffoons remained the conductors of paganism in Russia. They worshiped their own god and in every possible way embarrassed the people. The buffoons carried out their values in their performances. Hence the real fears of the king.
The decree was handed over to the governor Buturlin. For disobeying buffoons, it was supposed to be beaten with whips, and their "devil's vessels" - gusli, balalaikas and bagpipes - were burned.
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So in the middle of the 17th century, in Russia, the persecution of buffoons, guslars and actors began, as well as the burning of balalaikas and other musical instruments. Unable to earn a living, folk artists began to move “to the Ukraine”.
Sometimes they were forcibly evicted there. This is how the “marginal” territories of Russia began to be populated by guselniks, balalaika players, artists and storytellers.