A Russian blessing

[Svitlana Kobets]

>>My candidate for the blessing is
>>
>>Mnogoe leto
>
> I believe it should be "mnogaja leta". Please correct me if I am wrong.
>
"Mnogaia leta" is indeed a blessing but not something to be used in a
casual situation. It can be part of a public prayer  (moleben vo zdravie).
It is also a toast (zdravitsa). It was in use before the revolution. I
believe that in the Soviet period it went out of use, becoming an archaic
expression. Kuprin's short story "Anafema" (see www.lib.ru) is a beautiful
illustration of its usage. Can anyone think of its mention in a more
contemporary text?
In vernacular Ukrainian "mnohaia lita" has never ceased to be in use both
as a toast and a birthday blessing/wish in the Western part of Ukraine and
in Diaspora. It goes without saying that it was preserved as a part of
church culture. As to Russified and Sovietized Ukrainians, I believe they
followed the same pattern as Russians. I mean they had a gap in the usage
of "mnohaia lita" which coincides with the Soviet period.

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