The meaning of the phraseological unit Kazan orphan and its history. Why is an orphan always Kazan? (Origin of known expressions)

Expression"Orphan of Kazan"today it is quite common, but it is used rather in the form of a kind mockery. Such phraseological unit is applied to those people who always whine and complain about their lives, make themselves helpless, deprived and offended. These people, with their complaints, try to put pressure on the interlocutor, try to call sympathy, for some of your own, most likely selfish purpose.

Let's figure out where this phrase first appeared " Orphan of Kazan". If no questions arise with the word" orphan ", then the word" Kazan "is puzzling. Why exactly" Kazan ", and not, for example," Tula "," Voronezh "or" Vladivostok "?
It turns out that all the answers are hidden in the history of the Russian Empire. 16 century, when the autocrat Ivan 4 ruled in Russia, the city of Kazan belonged to the Kazan Khanate. This rich city was ruled by special people who were called murzami.
When Ivan the Terrible decided to deal with this little khanate at his side and sent an army there, then the khanate was done away with once and for all.
However, there were still Murzas who were used to eating deliciously and sleeping sweetly. In the new conditions, when Kazan began to belong to the Russian Tsar, the Murzas needed to adapt and they rushed to express their favor to their new owner. Most of them became subjects of Ivan the Terrible. Moreover, Murzas constantly traveled to the capital and begged for all sorts of benefits and other preferences, while constantly complaining about their poor life, about their bitter fate, about the fact that their children were starving. Thus, they tried to arouse pity in the king and many of them succeeded.
The people quickly noticed all these begging and humiliation and gave these muras an apt nickname " Orphan of Kazan".

Approximately one hundred years after the described events in 17 century, when the throne of the Russian state was ruled by Alexei Mikhailovich, most of the high-ranking Tatars changed their faith. It must be admitted that they changed not because they realized, but because they were quite generously rewarded for changing their faith. Researchers of Russian history find many examples when these cunning and cunning murzas, rubbing into trust, received horses, velvet, satin, fur coats, cups, pearls, and so on as a reward. Such concern for an alien tribe is easily explained. First, it is worth mentioning flattery and toadying, which always makes a favorable impression on the interlocutor because of vanity Moreover, such a policy made it possible to make the majority of the noble Tatars loyal to the new government.

However, unlike the democratic Western countries, which would cut out all Tatars at the root, the policy of the Russian state towards small peoples, which allows them to have their own faith and their own language, is much more useful. That is why " Orphans of Kazan"who at first glance should be exterminated without exception, now live in the Russian Federation and do not experience any harassment.

In the section on the question Where did the expression "Kazan orphan" come from? given by the author Undersalt the best answer is Orphan of Kazan - this expression was born in the 16th century. After the conquest of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the Kazan murzas (princes) had to pretend to be poor and unhappy in order to get rewards and awards from the new owner. From that time on, the people mockingly call the Kazan orphan who is begging for his own benefit.
In the 17th century, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich generously rewarded those Tatars who dared to change their faith. Historical documents contain many examples when ordinary rogues and beggars received royal awards, gifts in the form of salaries, sable fur coats, silver ladles, cups, pearls, velvet, satin, horses.
"Kazan orphans" at all times were treated kindly by the royal court. Excessive concern for a foreign tribe, which has caused so much harm to the Russian people, at first glance seems unjustified. But on the other hand, this policy pulled the representatives of the Tatar nobility under the canopy of the Russian throne.

Answer from 22 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Where did the expression "Kazan orphan" come from?

Answer from Yolon[guru]
There was an orphan in Kazan. Nobody loved her. So the expression spread like a meme.


Answer from Alexander Fedorchuk[expert]
Since the 90s, when groups in Kazan were shooting each other


Answer from tales[guru]
The field of the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible


Answer from I-beam[master]
In October 1552, the army of Ivan the Terrible took the city of Kazan, the capital of the Tatar Kazan Khanate. A large territory of the khanate came under the rule of Moscow. To keep the Tatar population submissive, the Russian authorities tried to win over the Tatar nobility, the princes - the murz. The princes, for the most part, quite willingly went to meet the new government, trying to preserve their position and wealth. Many of them converted to Christianity, received gifts from the tsar, and went to Moscow to join the royal retinue there. Our people began to derisively call these princes and princes "Kazan orphans" - they were poor at court, trying to get as many awards and "salaries" as possible.
"Kazan Orphan" - a person pretending to be unhappy in order to arouse sympathy from pitiful people; in this sense, we still use the old nickname as a proverb.


Kazan (Kazan) orphan Razg. Iron. A person who, wanting to pity someone, pretends to be unhappy, offended, helpless. - There is no need to sing Lazarus! - Flyonushka interrupted him. - How there is a real Kazan orphan! No, dear friend, you will not pity me! (Melnikov-Pechersky. In the woods). - Initial: about the Tatar mirzes (princes), who, after the conquest of the Kazan kingdom by Ivan the Terrible, tried to get all kinds of concessions from the Russian tsars, complaining about their bitter fate. Lit .: Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language / Edited by prof. D.N.Ushakova. - M., 1940 .-- T. 4. - S. 192.

Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M .: Astrel, AST... A.I. Fedorov. 2008.

See what "Kazan (Kazan) orphan" is in other dictionaries:

    Kazan (Kazan) orphan - Spread. A person who pretends to be unhappy, resentful, helpless, etc., in order to arouse sympathy from pitiful people. FSRYa, 425; BMS 1998, 524-525; FM 2002, 432; Mokienko 1986, 33 ...

    orphan - s; pl. orphans and (colloquial) orphans; m. and f. 1. A child, teenager who has lost one or both parents. He became an orphan early. She grew up an orphan. I have neither father nor mother, I am with. Round (round) c. (without father and mother). // About a lonely person, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    ORPHAN - Kazan (Kazan) orphan. Spread. A person who pretends to be unhappy, resentful, helpless, etc., in order to arouse the sympathy of compassionate people. FSRYa, 425; BMS 1998, 524-525; FM 2002, 432; Mokienko 1986, 33. To live as an orphan in Kazan. Sib. To be… … A large dictionary of Russian sayings

    orphan - s, pl. orphans, m. and f. 1. A child, teenager who has lost one or both parents. Only I, poor man, became Sirota on my feet and was left without my mother. I. Nikitin, For what fault and misfortune. [Upmanis:] You are an orphan. You have neither father nor mother. You would die with ... Small academic dictionary

    ORPHAN - ORPHANS, orphans, pl. orphans (region orphans), husband. and wives. A child or minor whose father and mother or one of the parents have died. Round orphan (see round). Be an orphan. ❖ Kazan or Kazan orphan (colloquial iron.) Person, ... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

    orphan - Kazan or Kazan orphan (colloquial iron.) A person pretending to be unhappy, trying to pity someone n. their imaginary deprivations [from the former Tatar mirz from Kazan, after its conquest, who enjoyed the favors of the Moscow tsars]. Not … Phraseological dictionary of the Russian language

    kazan - oh, oh. Belonging to Kazan, located in it. Kazan orphan ... Dictionary of many expressions

    kazan - oh, oh. adj. to Kazan. ◊ Kazan (Kazan) orphan about a man pretending to be unhappy in order to pity someone. There's no need to sing Lazarus! .. Flenushka interrupted him. How there is a real Kazan orphan! .. No, my dear friend, I don’t ... ... Small academic dictionary

    complain about life - ▲ complain in (direction), a person's life to complain about fate. ooh and sigh. nagging. whine. whining. whine. whimpering. whine. to dissolve nuns. cry. cry [cry. owls / nesov] in a vest to whom (colloquial). lazarus to sing. | sprinkle on head ... ... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language

    KAZAN - husband., Tatars. (hence the name of the city) boiler, esp. large, embedded or embedded boiler; distillery cauldrons are called cauldrons, also flat, copper cauldrons in wax slaughterhouses, etc. Kazanok, Kazanets, kettle. Kazan bukhma kaz, dumplings. Kazan kabav ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Do you know, my dear readers, the meaning of the phraseological unit "Kazan orphan"? You've probably heard this expression! Or maybe they themselves used it in speech, with irony addressing someone?

Let's find out with you the origin of this phrase. Indeed, it sometimes happens that you know the meaning and meaning, you understand its definition and what it means. But it would be interesting to know what is the exact historical origin of the expression “Kazan orphan”, where it came from.

If everything is more or less clear with the first word from this catch phrase, then with the second it is somehow not very good. Why is it the Kazan orphan, and not the Moscow or, for example, Krasnodar? Are there any special orphans in Kazan, or what? 😆

Questions, questions ... And there are also answers to them, and even several. And they are all connected with the history of the Russian state, with Russian rulers.

The first version is the most common and plausible. As a result of only the fifth attempt, Ivan-4 managed to take the city of Kazan, the capital of the Kazan Khanate. Even from defeat, the defeated Tatar princes - the Murza - decided to extract more benefits for themselves.

Already once having received material gifts from the king for their obedience and obedience, some of them regularly sought a royal audience. Presenting themselves as very unhappy and impoverished, while complaining about their hard life, which was, of course, not true, they begged for additional favors.

Some openly flattered the tsar, and some voluntarily adopted Christianity, as this was encouraged by rich gifts and high positions. It is precisely such hypocritical "poor" and such complainers who are mockingly called by the people the Orphans of Kazan.

From there it started: those who call themselves poor, destitute, constantly complain about their hard lot in the hope of getting some benefit for themselves, but, in fact, they are not, they are called an orphan, and even Kazan.

Most often, this expression is used with sarcasm.

Version number 2. How to profit from someone else's misfortune

There is another option to explain this, in general, common phraseological unit. Here, too, Ivan-4 was not without. After the Russian tsar managed to destroy the Kazan Khanate and capture its capital, he showed everyone his character. No wonder, nevertheless, Grozny was called formidable.

A few days after Kazan began to belong to the Russians, by order of the tsar, an old cart, a cart, was rolled out to the central square of the city. The entire male population of the city was forced to pass by this cart.

The condition was as follows: the one who was taller than the wheel of this cart, which means that he was already an adult who could well take part in the battle against the Russian troops and defend the city, was immediately executed, beheaded. The city was drowning in blood. Only women, old people and children without fathers, orphans survived.

And then the king ordered them to go and everywhere tell about the fall of the khanate. So the children walked in groups of several people, telling everyone about who they were and where they came from, begging for alms. This is how this expression appeared. Seeing beggars, hungry children, people said: "This is a Kazan orphan." Naturally, they felt sorry for the children, helped them, gave them food and clothes.

But over time, people began to speculate on this, and together with, indeed, Kazan orphans, everyone went and begged for alms - both Kazan and non-Kazan ones, while telling fictitious "compassionate" stories.

The people found out about this, and the attitude changed. After that, they began to say with mockery: “There is a Kazan orphan coming,” which means, a deceiver, a rogue. Does this remind you of anything today? The world has changed little over the centuries ... 😀

Version number 3. Not an orphan of Kazan, but the Empress of Russia!

There is another version, something like a historical anecdote. Another crowned person is already participating here: Ekaterina-2. In short, you get such a story of the origin of this, in general, common phraseological unit.

The Empress, who arrived in Kazan, was greeted with numerous gifts and honors. To which she allegedly said: “You meet me with such pomp, as if I myself have nothing. As if I were a Kazan orphan.

By the way, the memory of this visit to the royal person has been preserved in Kazan for many centuries. There are still many items in the museums of the city as a reminder of this event.

One of these historical exhibits is the carriage of Empress Catherine II. The original is kept in the museum, but a life-size copy is now available to anyone. It is located on the famous pedestrian street Bauman in Kazan, where everyone can feel like a king or queen, taking a picture sitting in the "royal" place.

These are the variants of what the expression means and why they say so "Kazan orphan". But to choose - what to believe and what not - it's up to you exclusively.

Well, if you are going to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, then you will definitely not regret the days spent here. will not leave anyone indifferent. There are a lot of them here, and they can satisfy any interests of a tourist. The places where I managed to visit are marked on this map.

Or maybe you have other information: where this expression came from, what events preceded its occurrence. Write about it in your comments. I will be very glad and grateful.

The meaning of the phraseological unit "Kazan orphan" and its history What does the expression "Kazan orphan" mean, most likely everyone knows, because in speech we very often use this phraseological unit. But what is the story, and why the Kazan orphan is exactly what we will try to answer to this question. The Russian language is rich in phraseological units. For example, a person who tries to arouse self-pity, shows himself unfairly offended and disadvantaged, is often called a "Kazan orphan". The meaning of the phraseological unit is very simple and understandable. It carries in itself at the same time pity, and a share of mockery, irony over someone who is trying to seem pathetic. Very often, a person who constantly complains about his failures, but is to blame for them, is also called a "Kazan orphan". Now this phrase is so firmly entrenched in our speech that sometimes we don’t think about the original meaning of this epithet - "Kazan orphan". The meaning and origin of the phraseological unit, meanwhile, are very interesting and have their roots in the distant past. A bit of history We all remember the numerous conquests of Ivan the Terrible. "Kazan took, Astrakhan took, Rhubarb took" - the famous catch phrase from a comedy film. The meaning of the phraseological unit "Kazan orphan" and its history just refer to the valiant time of the capture of Kazan. The soldiers of Ivan the Terrible tried to seize the Kazan Khanate three times, but their attempts were unsuccessful. There was no order and coordination in the army. And so Ivan the Terrible came up with a cunning move, which consisted in besieging the city and gradually narrowing the "ring", as a result of which the city was left without sources of food and aid. The idea succeeded, and Kazan was taken even faster than the most experienced warriors expected. The Crimean Khan did not have time to help, which also played into the hands of the Russian tsar. What did Ivan the Terrible do with the captured Kazan princes? I tried to make them allies. He left them all their possessions, gave them generously, put them in government service with a good salary - everything so that there were loyal subjects in the Kazan Khanate. The origin of the phrase "Kazan orphan" So we come to the most important thing: the meaning of the phraseological unit "Kazan orphan" was formed at the time of the capture of Kazan. So they began to call those very Kazan khans, showered with all kinds of favors, but all the time complaining about their bitter fate and begging for more and more new benefits for themselves. In petitions to the king, they often called themselves "orphans." The Russian boyars, seeing one of these would-be khans, would say with a grin: “Here is a Kazan orphan! "The expression quickly spread, penetrated into all corners of a large country and after a short time acquired a figurative meaning - exactly the one in which we use this phrase to this day. Another version There is another point of view that explains the phrase" Kazan orphan. " dates back to the same historical era - the capture of the Kazan Khanate by Ivan the Terrible.The fact is that after the conquest of Kazan, many families were completely killed, and in some only small children survived. They were ordered to give them up to the peasants, boyars and even nobles in various cities and villages of Rus. Such children began to be called Kazan orphans. But the use of the phrase in this sense did not have an ironic meaning. Rather, it was sympathetic: the phrase was used in relation to a child left without parents and given into the care of strangers, alien to him. culture Phraseologism in our days Although many years have passed since those distant events, the phraseologism "Kazan orphan" is firmly entrenched in speech and but used to this day. It can be heard in everyday communication, seen on the pages of works of fiction. Let not everyone ponder the historical meaning of the expression, but they use it quite often. The meaning of the phraseological unit "Kazan orphan" is played out in the touching New Year's film by Vladimir Mashkov, but the meaning is more sympathetic than mocking. A film about a Russian girl, a teacher, trying to find her father, who did not even know about her birth. Three men responded to her letter at once, each of whom could be the one she was looking for. This is how the girl, who was recently considered an orphan, found three wonderful fathers at once!