Fiers vs Truffaldino: Sketches of Russian and European Culture

Abstract

In this article, we discuss the interaction of those in positions of power and the subordination of the servant in different cultural traditions. The author contrasts the European practice of rational subordination with the subordination in the more fundamental practice of Russian culture. Speaking about the practices of subordination in the culture, the author is inclined to contrast the collective image of the European servant provided by Truffaldino with the popular collective image of the lackey within the framework of Russian culture as provided by Fiers. The author believes that these primeval service-providers possess features that complement each other and become one. As well, each type mentioned may be specific to the political practices of those in power in a particular cultural tradition. The author examines the similarities and differences in the practical services of the chosen servants in the context of behavioral strategies in detail. Selection strategy, in turn, is communicated within defined constraints. In totalitarian discourse conditions, the servants are unlikely to have a chance of achieving a more-or-less independent positioning or high mobility. The cultural context constructs a hierarchical submission, its structure, and functionality. Therefore, the rational life in European culture can be contrasted with the more-sweeping economic style taking place in Russian cultural tradition. The respect for the servant in the European culture associated with the contractual principle of service is impossible in Russian cultural practice, where the dependence of the servants on the lord seems to be much more fundamental.