The executioner is a specific profession that is no longer relevant today, but it was in great demand during the existence of Russia and not only. The main occupation of the foremen's back affairs was the execution of the order and the execution of the death penalty. However, not everyone could become an executioner.
Professional executioners were quite wealthy and famous people. They were easily recognized when they met, because they did not wear masks when carrying out orders. There was no need to hide the face, since, in fact, the executioner did not influence the sentence, but was only a "tool" for its implementation.
Selection criteria for executioners
1. There is confirmation of the fact that in some cases only the executioner's son could become the executioner, i.e. this profession was inherited.
2. "Punisher" or "kat", as the person of this profession was also called, had to have excellent physical fitness. Especially during the existence of the death penalty in Russia, craftsmen were valued who immediately cut off a person's head with one blow. And this is very difficult to do.
3. Psychological resilience for a representative of this profession is a prerequisite, since he was entrusted not only with execution. His functions also included organizing the torture of the accused. This business demanded accuracy: it was necessary not to overdo it and not kill the victim before the execution. The executioners studied the fears of the convicts and put pressure on them, using individual torture. In general, the executioners in Russia were distinguished by their special cruelty and ruthlessness, each of them could masterly apply at least 10 different types of torture.
4. "Jewelry" skill - the executioner had to cope with his task on the first try, since the execution process was public in nature, and the people were waiting first of all for a spectacle. In Russia, the executioners constantly improved their skills, training hard. In their free time, they practiced strikes on a wooden mare, as well as on a dummy of a human body made of birch bark.
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5. When the executioner retired and ended his career (as a rule, he could not change his profession), he had to offer a "worthy" candidate for his place.
6. At a later time (XVIII-XIX centuries), the authorities, in order to pay a small salary or not pay at all for the work of the punisher, came up with the following move: they chose the executioners from among the former jailers, distinguished by special cruelty.