*SEEING OFF THE RECRUIT*

"The Conscription" usually happens in November. A week before the appointed day, the merrymaking of recruits was particularly enhanced, and for two or three days, they begin to visit their relatives, starting with the closest ones.
When a recruit goes out, his mother gives him the following lament:
"Please listen to me, you, the birth of my heart,
A lost a pearl-berry,
Where are you going?
You dance and twist
With friends with brothers,
With brave migratory lads.
You dance not in the old way,
You party as not you used to.
Faints my heart zealous.
You go to visit people, not of your own will.
You're going to honour a favourite host,
Which will not be the first, but the last one.
You'd come home to your own aunt,
Sit down at the oak tables,
Cross your brave face
Before the icon of God.
You would be wined and dined.
And celebrated, with green wine,
You do not get drunk, my dear heart."

The recruit goes to visit relatives together with peers. A relative (let's her be aunt) meets him, hugging with one shoulder and starts to wail:

"Glory, glory to thee, O Lord,
I finally met my lovely nephew,
a guest long-awaited,
in his house favourite.
So, I put my bright eyes
At my loving nephew.
He goes with friends, with brothers,
With brave migratory lads.
Oh, I look, your poor aunt
At you, good fellow, loving nephew,
As you go away against your free will.
Your frisky legs are tired,
Your hands are down,
Your bright eyes became foggy,
And face became white
From the great grief.
Sit down, my friend, loving nephew
To the tables of the oak
With your good friends.
I put, your poor aunt, the oak tables
With white tablecloths,
Brought the peasant food,
But not the landlord's food."

The recruit is offered a glass of wine, and the host treats him:

"Drink please, love my nephew,
Green wine
Not in the first time, but in the last."

The future soldier sits with his friends at the table covered with a cloth, boiling the samovar, and are different snacks: pretzels, cookies, candies, and indeed a fish cake. He drinks a little wine and snacks and tries to get out of the table. The hostess bows and thanks him:

"Thank you, love my nephew,
that you didn't snob me."

From the house, the recruit led backwards, i.e. the face to the red corner and the back to the door with that thought that soon again he will visit.
With the same ceremonies, recruits walk over to other relatives. When in the evening, almost heavily drunk, he returned home, a mother meets him with laments:

"Glory, glory to thee, O Lord,
I finally see again
My dear brave,
Good young man.
So, you were at a fair favourite party,
And what told you your beloved aunt,
What are the omens and signs?
What can I do for you on my own side
In the old way, and the same way?"

Before the day of departure for the place of army draw, recruits usually turn to local sorcerers and witches who were using tarot cards, beans or some other ways to predict the fortune of the recruit. Sometimes on the eve of departure, bolder women asked about the fate of recruit, even the "evil forces." For the most part, in this case, they refer to a "house spirit."
On the day of departure in the house, gather all of the recruit relatives and a lot of curious neighbours.
 The feast is prepared for the immediate family. Everybody tries to take care of the recruit and service his slightest wish. After dinner, all pray to God and recruit often provides some "covenant of God" (vow) in the case of his release from military service. Parents bless the recruit and lead him out of the house, holding his hands. When a recruit says goodbye to his mother, she wraps her hands around him and begins to wail:

"You say goodbye to the native countryside,
You are my dearest heart,
To a fast-little river,
With all of the vast fields,
With the green meadows.
You say goodbye, my heart-warming child.
With gracious Transfiguration church
And with all the temples of the Lord.
As you will arrive at the distant place,
They will take you to the government-owned reception
And will take from you
Your peasant dress
And a beautiful white shirt,
And will look at you around and inspect,
And will lead you to the czar's service,
under the rule by the government.
And the judge's roar - the authorities are not merciful,
Their hearts are not pitiful.
Your frisky legs get weak,
Your white hands get limb,
Your heart got scared.
They will bring you a German razor,
Will shave your head so violently,
And cut loose the golden curls.
Please gather all of your blond hair,
Golden curls.
Wrap them into a thin white paper
And send it to me, your inconsolable mother.
Until I am alive,
Your poor, unlucky mother
I will keep them close to my heart...
Your daring friends,
All your pals and comrades will go
To the fair on the annual holiday,
I look, unfortunate mother
In a crystal-clear window
On the broad village street,
I look at your fellow comrades,
Start looking and searching to find you,
You are my dearest heart,
Start looking out by the appearance and age,
By the excellent way of walking.
Here will stop my zealous heart
That there is nowhere in sight of my son.
Oh, my son was clever and wise,
Attentive to good people,
With great sorrow that I have
I pull out from my warm pocket,
Take in my unhappy hands
Your yellow curls
From your unruly head
And apply them to my heart
As if to look at you, my dearest soul,
It's as if I have a word with you."

When the recruit gets in the sleigh, people watch the horse. It is a bad omen if it is not standing still but shifts its weight from foot to foot.
The recruit goes with one of the close male relatives - father or brother. At the place of the draft, you will not hear wailing, as women rarely go there.
But now, the lot is taken, a medical examination is passed, and the recruit gets a haircut and becomes a new soldier. Before going to his service, he still comes for a week or two to have fun. Then the rookie starts carousing in the vast expanse of the Russian soul. He dresses in the best peasant outfit - made of the wool jacket, a bright coloured scarf and a fur hat. Family and distant relatives give him coloured scarves, which he links together by the ends, and they are always with him. Now starts a high-spirited revelry of recruits. They are paying visits on the three horse's carriage with the bells, playing harmonica and singing, waving coloured handkerchiefs. The constant companions of the recruit are two or three young friends, who lead him by the arms.
There comes a departure date for the service. Mother and female relatives cry all the time. Once again, the recruit is parting with his relatives, accompanied by a lavish feast: at home at this time, his belongings are being packed, and bread for travel is being baked.
  On the day of departure, the recruit house visits almost the entire village. Mother is not only unable to wail, but even to cry, but only groans and moans. A touching farewell starts. The recruit falls at the feet of all your family and close relatives, beginning with his father. They pick him up and hug him, with strangers he just embraces. The young man walks around the house: he prays to God in each room and falls to the ground. Then he goes into the backyard - to say goodbye to the cattle. Before each beast, he bows to the ground and thanks them for their faithful service to him. When the last time he says goodbye to his mother, she hugs him and gives him the following laments:

"Will you go, my sweetheart,
But not in the old way and not the same path.
They will give you not an excellent soldier shirt
For your white body.
They will give you the army coat
That doesn't fit the bones and shoulders,
And will provide you with a soldier's cap
That doesn't fit your smart head
And the boots that hurt feet,
And gloves that don't fit your hands.
They will send you to the big road,
Portages will be long,
And miles will not be measured,
And you will go through dark high forest,
You will go, my dear son
To the cities unknown,
All peoples are so unfamiliar.
As you reach a church of the LORD,
A sacred place,
Please place the candle to the King of Heaven,
The Blessed Virgin,
And recite prayers for the great grace
So that Christ would give you
The true mind
To live in a faraway land.
You should serve faithfully and truthfully,
Hold on to the Christian faith
And obey authorities, merciful judges,
Commanders, officers
And ordinary soldiers.
Let the judges and authorities have mercy,
And their hearts to be compassionate."