What Russian doesn't like driving fast? And fast driving in our tradition is inextricably linked with the Russian troika. It can reach speeds of up to sixty kilometers per hour, which is unattainable for any harness in the world.
The mystery of the appearance
When did the Russian troika appear? Historians say that at the beginning of the 18th century, when the troika harness began to be used by the tsarist courier service. However, given that in conservative Russia any innovation was sometimes “insisted” for centuries before entering “mass production”, this date raises some doubts. There is a version that the troika was borrowed by government services from secret "horse" cults dedicated to Elijah the Prophet, which have been practiced in some areas of the North of Russia for centuries. Every year, on Ilya's day, ritual horse races were arranged in troikas, which symbolized "a chariot of fire and no fiery one" that took Elijah to heaven. To break during the "ascension" was considered a manifestation of Grace: they said, "Ilya took him to heaven."
Uniqueness
The innovation of the troika was that all horses ran with a different gait. The root horse, the center horse, was galloping at a trot, while the lighter tie-down horses galloped at a gallop, bending their heads to the side. This combination of "horsepower", where the riders, fastened to the root by strings, as if "carried" the root, was aimed at making all three horses get tired more slowly, while maintaining a high speed.
Promotional video:
Speed
The troika was capable of speeds up to 60 km per hour. No other harness in the world could achieve such a result. There is such a bike. Once, during the reign of Catherine II, the Austrian Emperor Joseph arrived in St. Petersburg on a visit. The Empress set out to impress the distinguished guest and ride him in a troika. The most daring coachman was brought to the palace, from whom Catherine asked: "Will you take the emperor to Moscow in thirty-six hours?" The dashing man answered the queen: “I'll take you, mother. But I'm not sure if I will bring his soul. " It remains to add that, on average, the journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow on the checkpoints was two or three days.
Horse breed
As a rule, the Russian troika used the horsepower of the hardy breed of the Vyatka horse. Wealthy gentlemen could afford to harness the three Oryol trotters.
Application
The three-point harness, as already mentioned, was used in the courier service. At the end of the 18th century, important passengers began to be transported in the troika. Over time, the troika has become an indispensable attribute of weddings and festivities on big holidays.
Decoration
The three-piece harness was necessarily richly decorated. For example, at first, the arch of the root was painted with gilding. This was not just foolishness: gold symbolized the lightning that accompanied the ascension of Elijah the Prophet.
Later, the arcs began to be painted with ornaments and artistic carvings. Moreover, it was not just decoration: the saddlers applied so-called protective paintings to the harness, which could save the troika from evil forces, from a wild beast and from robbers.
Yamskaya accordion
If the gilded arch of the rootstand symbolized lightning, then the ringing of bells and bells, accompanied by a triplet, was a metaphor for thunder. The people called this "musical set" "accordion hole". Almost every trio had a unique sound. It is interesting that in some places in Russia it was believed that having taken a ride on a "loud" troika, a person is able to get rid of the spells sent by witches and sorcerers. It was believed that most often unkind people cause damage at weddings, so the trip of the newlyweds in a troika with bells became an indispensable wedding ceremony.