Holy Flesh

On Clean Monday, merchant Rodion Yakovlevich Glebov returned to his hometown after spending time in Moscow. He planned to get home by Maslenitsa, but a little late. Although the fuss and noise of Moscow’s Maslenitsa bothered him, he managed to overcome his disgust, stayed to finish the necessary business—and now he was heading back satisfied. Yet his satisfaction showed nothing externally: he kept a strict gaze, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. He dressed the Russian way—avoiding both excessive finery and carelessness: he wore tall boots and a warm fur hat (kartooh). His lean, dark face, adorned with a long beard of steel tint, reminded one of an old-fashioned image.