SUPERSTITIONS IN THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600020029-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 3, 2002
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: March 19, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

KKOOH
II
NO. OF ENCLS.
WSMU BF-LOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REFORT NO.
1. In the USSR, as in other countries of the world, all sorts of religious super-
stitions and predictions continue to exist. The most widely distributed ones
which are encountered most frequently in daily life are given belowx
(a) A black cat crosses the path of a passerby. Some kind of misfortune
rod 11 happen.,
(b) A rabbit crosses the path of a passerby. That is not a good omen.
(c) Af er the evnn?':a listed in points n,) and b) above, it Is necessA*o
to turn aicund three times on the same spot and then proceed on your
way.
(d) The number 13 is an unlucky number.
(e) Monday is a bad day. It is not recommended to undertake a long trip
on this day as there will be some u,, leasantness.
(#) The floor should not be swept or. the ..ay when someone from the household
or circle of close friends departs on a trip. This allegedly would
swoop away his spirit.
(g) A cricket appears in the house. This means that residents will be
evicted or driven out of their house. And therefore residents make
every effort to catch or destroy he cricket and stou its chirping.
(h) A dog howls near the house. means that he smells or senses either
a fire or a corpse,
(i) A parson is oi:t of spirits (in s bad mood). Means he stopped on his
right foot as he got out of bed, So it is beat to stop on the left foot
first in getting out of bed.
(j) It is not good to meet a funeral procession. Same is true of meeting a
priest. In such oamos it is reoomnended to take hold of a button on
your clcthing.
(k) In came of nearby lightning and clap of thunder it is necessary to cross
oneself and say a prayer, thereby cleansing the soul bbfore the Almighty.
(1) On Ivanov's day (a religious holiday) forget'-me-note (wildflower which
grows boat on sandy soil) are picked, one for each member of the family.
They are fastenod to the ceiling in an orderly arrangement so that each
flower stand, for one individual in the family. If any of the flowers
do not open up, that is a s.'gn that the individual will die during
the year.
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(m) On Trinity (religious holiday) in the villages a small birch tree is
stuck into the ground before the house. This is done no that in case
God comes there will be 1 place for him to sit in the shade.
(n In a house where there is a corpse, the mirrors are covered.
(o) A wr_tch is kept at the coffin of a doad person at night. Allegedly
they are protecting the spirit, which on. the 40th day will rise to
heaven
(p) A coffin containing a corpse is always carried foot first.
(q) An illness in the fa:nily or some misfortune means that it is the wrath
of God on account of sins which have been co,nmitted.
(r) A cow begins to give less milk. A child grows sickly. Means that it
is the work of the evil eye.
(s) The palm of your hand itches. leans you will roocive money.
(t) Your eyelid Itches during the daytime. The left eyelid - means good
luck, night eyelid - moans bad luok. When the eyelid itches at nights
the left eyelid means had luck, the right eyelid moans good luck?
(u) When you find a needle, if the sharp end lies away from you, that is
good, if the sharp end is toward you, that is bad.
(:) When you find a horse shoe, if the open and lies toward you, that is
good, If the open end lies away from you, that is bad. In general,
horseshoes are considered lucky or ooadu;ivo to good,. So people put
them in their houses. Are happy to find them.
(w, Yihon a wood fire is burning in a fireplace, if sparks fly off, it
means that a fucst will arrive.,
(x) if the cat wanhos his face with his paw while lying with his back to
the door, it means that a stranger will visit the house. Today this
could mean that the MVD is about to pay a visit.
(y) If a mirror is dropped from the hand and is broken, it means some kind
of misfortune?
(z) A broken dish 9,s a sign of good luck,, An example of this can be seen
in the practice of actually breaking a plate or dish for good luck when
a member of the family is going away, as for example a husband or
son off to the front, The dish is broken just at the moment of
departure,
(aa) B fot a departure of an individual. or a group on a long trip,, all
munbe:,s of the _",:nily and friends present should sit down quietly for
a few minutes. Then the traveler loaves immediately. This is for
good luck on the trip.
(bb) A horse is ill-at-ease (disturbed in his stal' or in the barn). Means
it is the work of the hobgoblins (or house spx its)?
(no) The and of your nose itches. You must take a look-into a glass (take
a drink of vodka).
(dd) A woman crosses the road with empty buckets -? this is not good. If
with full buckets, that is good. When a woman carrying empty buckets
suspended to a shoulder yoke is walking in a direction across yours,
she will stop and allow you to proceed ^irsa. You will nod to her or
say something in thanks for her courtosy. Only a bad-mannered woman
would cross your path in front of you while carrying empty buckets?
Another superstitution is that it in not good for a woman carrying two
buckets of water with shoulder yoke to allow two people to drink from
the buckets at the same time. This might cause her to have twins.
(ee) If you sit -t the corner of a table, you won't marry for a long time
or not at all.
(g1') It is bad to whistle in the house (a custom).
(gg) When a spider comes down his web fro,n the ceiling, that is a sign that
you will receive some kind of news or a letter,
2.. This list contains only a small portion of the superstitions and prophecies.
Among the people very many old ceremonies and customs (religious and wedding)
have boon preserved. To a certain extent the belief in miracles, visions end
all kinds of signs still exists I an not ahlj to describe them since, as a
result of my own convictions, during my life in the USSR T was very far removed
from the ,ossibility of understs.ndin' such nonsense.
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