The main areas of activity of the Dominicans are the preaching of the Gospel, the study of sciences, education, the fight against heresies, and missionary activity.

The order is headed by a Grand Master. Each province of the order is headed by a provincial prior, each monastic community by a conventual prior. They are responsible to the general assembly - conventual, provincial or general chapter.

The Dominican Order has a third branch - the tertiaries, people who take vows, but remain in the world and live the spiritual life of the order. Dominic himself founded, under the name of the "Militia of Jesus Christ", a union of secular people of both sexes, to protect the church and to strive for moral perfection.

The motto of the order is to Praise, Bless, Preach (lat. Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare )

Story

Dominican in robes

The Dominicans were closer to traditional monastic forms of life than the Minorites. Already in 1216, Dominic founded his first monastery, followed by others. In this first monastery (near Toulouse), which served as a model for subsequent ones, each brother had his own cell, which provided the opportunity for scientific studies. Life was not significantly different from that of the Augustinians or the Premonstratensians, and the Dominicans were the same “statutory Catholics.” But in accordance with the plan of Dominic and partly under the influence of Franciscanism, in 1220, at a general council in Bologna, the renunciation of all property was proclaimed, and the order became one of the mendicants. However, due to the special tasks of the order, poverty could not be brought to such limits as among the early minorities.

To fight heretics and for the dogma of the church, knowledge was required. To acquire knowledge - the education of brothers, unthinkable without relative settlement, without libraries, difficult to implement without separate cells, which required a large and well-appointed monastery, even if located in the center of the city. The ideal of voluntary poverty and wandering adapts to the goals of the order, softening, on the one hand, acquiring the significance of a weapon of struggle, on the other. The lack of unconditional residence and vagrancy contributed to the expansion of the order’s sphere of activity and the necessary freedom of movement for Dominican preachers. The absence of personal and general (in the latter case only formal) property gave the order flexibility and focus on one goal - caring for the souls of their neighbors. In the same way, the changes they made in the life of the canons corresponded to the goals of the Dominicans. The absence of regulations on the need for physical labor made it possible to devote more time to training the brothers; asceticism and silence contributed to the internal preparation of the preacher. The existence of monasteries, only formally reconciled with the ideal of absolute poverty, made possible the systematic training of brothers and the organization of teaching. Later, each Dominican monastery had its own secondary school, and the upper-level schools introduced in 1248 in Montpellier for Provence, Bologna for Italy, Cologne for Germany and Oxford for England served to complete education. This made sending Dominicans to universities unnecessary and the desired direction of teaching possible. The organization of teaching itself was completed by a general council in 1259, which was attended by such luminaries of Dominican science as Albertus Magnus and his student Thomas Aquinas. The course of study, which had the main goal of training preachers, was designed for 6-8 years. The first two years were devoted to philosophy, the second two to basic theology, church history and law. The last two are for in-depth study of theology, for which the “Theological Summa” of Thomas Aquinas served as a guide. The most capable students at the end of this six-year course were made lecturers, and after seven years masters. Thirteen years later, having completed their bachelor's degree, they could become masters of theology - the highest rank of the order, next to which stands the rank of "general preacher", received after successful twenty-five years of preaching activity.

In the 19th century, the position of the order stabilized; Dominican monasteries developed in Europe, Latin America and the Philippines. The order is developing rapidly in the USA and Canada.

In the 20th century, the order experienced new upheavals - expulsion from Mexico in 1910, massacres of Dominican friars during the Spanish Civil War, persecution in communist countries. However, by the end of the 20th century, the state of the order stabilized again.

Symbolism and vestments

The coat of arms of the order depicts a dog carrying a burning torch in its mouth (this, and the consonance with lat. Domini canes, due to the spread of the unofficial name of the order “Dogs of the Lord”) to express the dual purpose of the order: to protect the church from heresy and to enlighten the world by preaching the truth.

The vestment is a white tunic, a leather belt with rosary, a white cape with a hood and a black cloak with a black cape with a hood.

Saints and Blessed Dominicans

• Bl. Fra Angelico (1400-1455) - Early Renaissance artist
• St. Albert the Great (c. 1193-1280) - scholastic philosopher, theologian
• St. Dominic (1170-1221) - founder of the order
• Bl. Innocent V (c. 1225-1276) - Pope
• St. Margaret of Hungary (1242-1270) - princess from the Arpad dynasty
• St. Pius V (Pope) (1504-1572) - Pope of Rome
• St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639) - physician, first black American canonized by the Catholic Church
• St. Raymond de Peñafort (1175-1275) - theologian and canonist
• Bl. Henry Suso (1295/1297-1366) - poet and mystic philosopher
• St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419) - philosopher, theologian and preacher
• St. Thomas Aquinas (1225/1226-1274) - great medieval philosopher and theologian
• St. Jacek (1183/1185-1257) - missionary

Famous Dominicans

• Anna Ivanovna Abrikosova (1882-1936) - activist of the Roman Catholic Church
• Fra Bartolomeo (1469-1517) - one of the outstanding representatives of the Florentine school of painting
• Benedict XIII (Pope) (1649-1730) - Pope of Rome
• Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) - scientist and poet, later left the order
• Vincent of Beauvais (1190-1264) - theologian, encyclopedist, philosopher and educator
• Luis de Granada (1504-1588) - theologian and one of the great mystics of Spain
• Tomaso Campanella (1568-1639) - philosopher, utopian writer
• Georges Cottier (born 1922) – cardinal, theologian and philosopher
• Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566) - defender of Indian rights, opponent of slavery
• Jacques Clément (1565-1589) - assassin of the French king Henry III of Valois
• Jean Baptiste Labat (1663-1738) - missionary and traveler
• Luis de Leon (1528-1591) - mystical poet, religious writer, translator of sacred texts and literary works
• André de Longjumeau (13th century) - diplomat
• Georges Peer (1910-1969) - Nobel Peace Prize laureate ()
• Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498) - Florentine preacher and social reformer
• Johann Tauler (1300-1361) - mystic and preacher
• Johann Tetzel (c. 1465-1519) - became famous for the spread of indulgences, issued a refutation of 95 theses
• Thomas Torquemada (1420-1498) - first Grand Inquisitor of Spain
• Felix Faber (1441-1502) - traveler, historian
• Sebastian de Fuenleal (c. 1490-1547) - Bishop of Santo Domingo, served as chairman of the Second Audiencia
• Christoph Schönborn (born 1945) – cardinal, Archbishop of Vienna, theologian
• Jacob Sprenger (1436-1495) - considered co-author of the book "The Witches Hammer"
• Margaretha Ebner - (c. 1291-1351) - visionary and mystical writer
• Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) - theologian and philosopher, one of the largest Christian mystics
• Jacob of Voraginsky (1230-1298) - spiritual writer

The Dominican Republic is the second largest country in the West Indies after Cuba. Its culture has been shaped over centuries under the influence of a variety of peoples. In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered it to the whole world, after which the land was inhabited by Spanish and French colonists. The Dominican Republic was the first Spanish colony in the New World. Many traditions were adopted from the Taino Indian tribes, which long ago ceased to exist. African slaves also lived here.

Population

Energetic people who have overcome a difficult past are the heart and soul of the culture of the Dominican Republic. The fact of the existence of the native Taino people, Spanish colonists and African slaves created a special original way of true Dominican life.

Dominicans are very proud of their origins from the Taino Indian tribe.

Today, the number of people living in the Dominican Republic is 9.6 million. Of these, the vast majority are 73% - mulattoes, creoles, African Americans; 16% - white; 11% - Africans.

Material wealth

Most of the population is below the poverty line. The average (good) salary in the Dominican Republic is $250 - $300. Unemployment is rampant in the country. However, there is a division into classes according to social status. The wealthy, privileged elite includes most Spaniards and only a small percentage of people of African descent.

The lower class consists of mulattoes and Africans.

Russian tourist gives Dominican children "candy"

Often, poor Dominican residents do not have even the most basic amenities, such as running water, a bathroom, electricity and household appliances.

Character and disposition of the Dominicans

Dominicans are open and friendly people.

Although taxi drivers and souvenir sellers pester tourists, they can drive a traveler crazy with excessive emotionality and hundreds of unnecessary offers. . Dominicans are extremely hospitable. Refusing a cup of freshly ground, aromatic coffee, which is prepared in absolutely every Dominican home, can greatly offend the owners.

There is a myth that Dominicans are always carefree.

In fact, this is not so: they are simply not used to complaining and always try to look optimistically at any state of affairs.

They have a special love for holidays and have a lot of fun during carnivals.

Dominicans are a leisurely nation. The afternoon siesta lasts from 13.00 to 15.00.

5 minutes for a Dominican is 5 minutes + eternity for us. If, in response to some request, a local resident answers “tomorrow” or in Spanish. “manana”, then this most likely means never. Dominicans just don't like to upset anyone.

Dominicans marry early, however, only with the consent of their parents. Girls - from 15 years old, boys - from 16 years old. There is a very reverent attitude towards children.

Dominicans are very pious people. This is the only state in the world whose flag is decorated with the image of the Bible.

95% population profess Christianity. Most of them are Catholics. Other religious castes account for 4,8% , including Jehovah's Witnesses. The latter, let's say, are a very peculiar people. There are even entire neighborhoods in which alcohol, by the way, is prohibited for consumption and sale.

Everywhere you can find Spanish stickers with inscriptions literally translated meaning “The Lord has blessed this business” (at the entrance to the store) or ““Jesus taught me to drive, problems?” (by car).

The main language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish. On about. Samana is home to 8,000 English-speaking residents. Most Haitian immigrants speak Creole.

Art

Dominican dictator Trujillo, who ruled the republic for exactly 31 years, founded the first National School of the Arts. The main emphasis was on color and composition, so the distinctive feature of Dominican painting can be called “primitivism.” Many Dominican artists such as Ramon Oviedo, Jose Rincon-Mora, And Leopoldo Navarro, produced hundreds of paintings in both the crazy Haitian style and the style of abstract impressionism.

You can clearly see the works of artists in Santo Domingo by visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art.

It is impossible to imagine the Dominican Republic without music. It is sensual, fiery and rhythmic. National folk music of the Dominican Republic is Merengue, to which the dance of the same name is danced.

Another popular musical style is Bachata, also characteristic of many Caribbean countries. This is unhurried and gentle music that tells the story of the love of two people.

The distant exotic Dominican Republic has fallen in love with many Russians thanks to tourist trips, which are enviably popular among their compatriots. But moving to the Caribbean shores for permanent residence? It’s worth a try, decided St. Petersburg native Elizaveta Braginskaya. And she made the right decision: among the palm trees and white sand she found her second home and started a family. Lenta.ru recorded her story about everyday life in the resort town of Punta Cana.

The will of fate

I was born in Leningrad, grew up in St. Petersburg. Graduated from St. Petersburg State University with a degree in psychology. But photography became my profession - in college days it was a hobby, which then grew into a full-time job. She lived in Moscow for several years, working in the field of advertising and television business. I have been living in the Dominican Republic for five years. Here I met the man who became my husband. Artem is originally from Kazakhstan. Our son was born here in the Dominican Republic.

I came to the country purely by accident; I had no idea of ​​moving anywhere from Russia. One day I saw a vacancy for a photographer on the Internet indicating that I would be working in the Dominican Republic. I thought: why not? I contacted the employers and they accepted me. The original idea was to go away for a year, to take a break from the big city. But I liked the country, and the “vacation” turned out to be longer than planned.

Village-international

Punta Cana, where we live, is the main resort city of the country. But, of course, in the understanding of a Muscovite or St. Petersburg resident, this is more of an urban-type settlement. The city is young and one hundred percent touristic, it is a large hotel area. On the first line there are hotels, on the second - apartments and houses of local residents.

There are many expats and downshifters from all over the world in Punta Cana: Argentines, Colombians, Germans, and French come and live. There are also plenty of Russians, although many of those who lived on income received at home in rubles were forced to leave after an unfavorable change in the dollar exchange rate (it is the “green” ones that are used here, as well as, of course, the peso).

Basically, all foreigners who live here are involved in the tourism industry in one way or another. There are, of course, exceptions: I know engineers who came here to work, but they live in the capital, Santo Domingo. Here in Punta Cana, you can make money mainly in the hospitality industry.

I organized a business preparing and conducting wedding photo sessions. My husband first worked as a bartender, and now, together with a friend, he is starting his own project in the restaurant business.

Summer and Hell

In my opinion, the heat and humidity are more bearable here than, for example, in Southeast Asia. The average annual temperature is 30 degrees. In summer it is more humid, in winter it is drier, and due to this it seems cooler. Locals say: “In the Dominican Republic there is summer and there is hell.” That is, winter is like summer, and summer is very hot.

In general, the body quickly adapts to the new climate. It’s funny to say, but I don’t swim in winter anymore: like the locals, it seems to me that it’s a little cold (the air is 29 degrees, the water is 26). Dominicans wear hats and down jackets in winter. We haven't gotten to that point yet, but we can put on a leather jacket.

Good and not cheap

I can’t say that life here is much cheaper than in Moscow or St. Petersburg. At the same time, the average salary for locals is $300, so they mostly live modestly.

Our monthly expenses are 1500-2000 dollars. This is a sufficient amount for a normal standard of living, but without any expensive entertainment and travel.

We live in the Bavaro beaches area in an apartment that is located in a fenced protected area, there is a kitchen-living room, two bedrooms, a terrace and two bathrooms. We pay $500 a month for this apartment. In theory, you could rent an entire villa with this money, but without a local private security company. I’ll tell you why it’s better not to skimp on security a little later.

We pay about a hundred dollars a month for electricity, which is expensive here. Internet and two mobile phones cost the same. Another hundred a month goes to pay for health insurance. We buy $100 worth of groceries a week. Gasoline costs one and a half dollars per liter.

No need to make a cult out of food

The inhabitants of the republic are descendants of slaves, and their cuisine is very simple. The most popular products are rice, chicken, and bean gravy. There are also a lot of “relatives” of potatoes - yucca, sweet potatoes, yams. They love platano - it’s a kind of banana, but unsweetened; it’s beaten and fried like potatoes. Local fruits, exotic by our standards, are inexpensive, but simple apples are already imported and cost a decent amount.

The menu of local cafes does not have the abundance that you get used to in a big Russian city; there are also some products that are popular in our homeland, especially dairy products. They are not held in high esteem here at all because of the heat.

We miss loose leaf tea - they drink coffee here, and even buying a kettle turned out to be a problem (we found it, naturally, in Ikea). But if you really want something, you can always get it: there are Russian families here who prepare and sell the usual fermented milk products, pickle cucumbers, and so on. Clients and friends bring edible gifts from Russia that you won’t find here - halva, gingerbread, dried bread.

Childbirth: let's begin by praying

State Dominican medicine, frankly speaking, leaves much to be desired. Perhaps there are good budget doctors here, but they do not have the necessary equipment for examinations. Nevertheless, local residents mainly use free healthcare (if you remember the price of insurance and the average salary, it will become clear why).

We apply for insurance to private clinics. They are very good here, somewhat similar to the American ones - both in the reception area and in the management of patients. I also gave birth to a child here in the Dominican Republic, the birth was included in the insurance (without it it would have cost about a thousand dollars).

My birth is worthy of a separate story, because in the Russian sense it was quite unusual. While preparing me for the operation, the nurses cheerfully chatted among themselves about something feminine in the style of “What is he? And she?”, and the surgeons prayed before starting! So everyone took it together and read the prayer. When the son was already being taken out, everyone suddenly started singing “Que lindo, que lindo...” (“How wonderful, how wonderful...”). It was so touching and very Dominican, we didn’t expect it at all.

In general, pregnant women and children in the Dominican Republic are treated very kindly. Everyone loves babies. When we returned home from the maternity hospital, the security guards of our residence, adult 40-year-old men, ran up with smiles to congratulate us and wish us health.

Features of national anti-stress

The Dominican Republic always ranks high in the relevant world rankings in terms of happiness. The local people are very positive. There are no problems for them at all - everything is always good. There is a saying in use here: if a problem can be solved, it is no longer a problem, there is nothing to worry about, and if it cannot be solved, it is all the more pointless to be upset.

Dominicans are very religious and constantly remember God, the phrase “Si Dios quiere” is especially popular. Sometimes this sounds quite comical: for example, you wonder if a plumber will come to you today, and the answer is: “If the Lord wills.”

Here, of course, we also became calm and unhurried. We especially notice this when we communicate with tourists who come from Russia.

Social circle: less is more

After five years in Punta Cana, we assimilated. Learned Spanish. I make mistakes, but overall it was not difficult, because before that I already knew English, French, and German.

Nevertheless, we communicate here mainly with Russian speakers. But there are also Spanish-speaking friends from Israel, and our closest neighbor is Turkish.

When I left Russia, I had a very wide circle of friends, many friends from Moscow and St. Petersburg. But now, after five years abroad, many of my acquaintances have fallen off. When you live in a big city, there are a lot of nice, interesting people around, but not all of them can really be called friends. Emigration puts everything in its place: communication is maintained only with truly close ones. Now, perhaps, in my homeland I have about ten people left from my inner circle with whom I keep in touch.

A New Friend and the American Dream

We got a dog, a golden retriever. We specially chose a breed that is good with children: our Baloo is a nanny dog. But the Dominicans don’t understand anything about dogs: they are afraid of our good-natured bumpkin, who, the most he can do, is lick him to death. In general, in my opinion, the locals are afraid of any living creatures larger than a matchbox.

My husband and I joke that here, in the Dominican Republic, we accidentally created a life for ourselves in the “American Dream” style: a child, a retriever, a green lawn, the only thing missing is a white fence around the house.

Safety

In my opinion, the crime rate in the Dominican Republic is about the same as in Moscow, it’s just different here.

There are disadvantaged areas in Santo Domingo - for example, where Haitians live, even locals will not go there. But it still seems to me that it is safer here than in Russia. Crime is somehow more predictable: follow certain rules of the game or don’t be surprised that, for example, you are robbed on the street. There is no need, relatively speaking, to stand in a dark alley and, highlighting your iPhone, count your cash.

It’s not like in Moscow - you’re on the subway, you meet the eyes of someone hostile and it starts: “Eh, why are you looking like that, let’s go out,” and so on. Dominicans don’t even really know how to fight - they just kick and kick.

But robberies are indeed a reality. And here it is important to remember the golden rule (which, however, is relevant in any country): if they threaten you with a weapon, give what they ask for. There have been stories of tourists trying to resist, and it always ends badly.

Local thieves are very fond of yellow gold. They may not look at white or platinum, but they are not indifferent to the classics.

Nevertheless, I think it’s wrong when guides intimidate everyone in the style of “stay in hotels, it’s very dangerous all around.” As I already said, you just need to know and follow the rules.

Leisure

My husband loves surfing. So, as a rule, he spends his free time on weekdays and weekends on the beach; this is the best vacation for him. I can’t call myself a sports person, healthy lifestyle has bypassed me, so I prefer reading, cinema, meeting with friends. Of course, sometimes I go out to the ocean.

The birth of a child has limited our movements, but we still try to go on interesting trips around the island - for birthdays and holidays. Everyone thinks that the Dominican Republic is just about lying on the beach, but this is not so, there is a lot to see here, and the nature is different everywhere.

Travelers definitely need to visit Santo Domingo. There are many attractions there - for example, Las Damas, the oldest street in the New World.

In addition to beaches with the famous white sand, there are beaches with black, pink, and pebble. There is the Oviedo Lagoon, where pink flamingos live; There are stone islands in the water, iguanas live on them. Near the border with Haiti there is the Bay of Eagles, where huge turtles are found. Enriquillo is an interesting lake that was formed as a result of the shift of tectonic plates a million years ago; crocodiles live there.

Very beautiful beaches on the Samana Peninsula. Between February and March you can see humpback whales there - they are huge, 14 meters. In general, the nature there is somewhat similar to the Thai islands - green hills, mountains. There is a French community on the peninsula, so the cuisine in the cafe is different from that in Punta Cana. When you come to breakfast to try croissants, you can hear “bonjour, madame” from the waiter.

With an overnight stay, it’s good to go to Peak Duarte, the main mountain peak of the Dominican Republic. You can pitch a tent there and watch a beautiful sunrise.

The Constanta Valley is called the Switzerland of the Caribbean: it is not hot there, at night the temperature can drop to 13 degrees. There are many good, cozy hotels in Constanta.

In the Dominican Republic, you should never stay in a hotel. Study the information on the Internet, plan a route and see the country yourself.

Visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg

We see our family infrequently, about once a year. My mother lives in Israel, my grandparents live in St. Petersburg. It’s not cheap to visit them all, and if you also go to Moscow, where you also have close people, then it’s quite expensive. Even considering that our income is in dollars. A charter flight to Moscow costs about $700-800 per person (round trip).

Plans

While your son does not go to school and even while he is in elementary school, you can live in the Dominican Republic, but then, most likely, you will have to look for a country where he can get a decent education. There are, of course, good private schools in the Dominican Republic, but they are quite expensive. Tuition in the lower grades costs about $500 a month, and further on it costs more. At the same time, you cannot pay by month; money is paid immediately for the year.

The Dominican Republic has become a second home for us. There is a completely different rhythm of life here, there is no feeling of the heaviness of life, as in Russia, the relationships between people are different. It will be very difficult to return home. Most likely, we will look for another country to move to.