Russian Humor: How Our Ancestors Joked

The Russian comic tradition has long attracted the attention of prominent scholars and everyone who values jokes and tries to understand how humor is constructed. We often talk about English or Jewish humor—but what has been, and in many ways still is, Russian national laughter? It’s alive, quick-witted, bold—and often—oppositional. It’s no accident that the first homegrown wits and buffoons—skomorokhs—were persecuted by those in power. Yet they endured bans and persecutions because they were backed by people’s love.

In this book, we tell the stories of Russian fairground performers—the first actors, humorists, and storytellers of jokes. You’ll learn what our ancestors laughed at and what jokes were told long ago. Much has changed since then, but the targets of ridicule are almost the same: the rich, family commotion, ridiculous eccentrics, and other recognizable types. The book is for everyone who feels close to the “Russian” way of joking and wants to better understand the features of our country’s comic culture.