View source for Rayok

{{Short description|Folk theatre}}

[[File:Raek 2.jpg|280px|thumbnail|Rayok. 19th century]]
A '''rayok''' ({{lang-rus|раёк|p=rɐˈjɵk}}, {{literally}} "small [[paradise]]") was a Russian fairground [[Raree show|peep show]]. Performed using a box with pictures viewed through magnifying lenses, these were accompanied by lewd rhymed jokes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Novik |first1=Alina |title=«Народная косморама»: происхождение русского райка в контексте истории оптических медиа XIX века |journal=“Новое литературное обозрение |date=2019 |volume=156 |issue=2 |url=https://www.nlobooks.ru/magazines/novoe_literaturnoe_obozrenie/156_nlo_2_2019/article/20888/ |language=ru}}</ref> ''The Fall of Adam and Eve'' was one of the most popular topics. The term rayok has also come to be applied to rhymed humorous [[talk show]]s, without peeping, featuring a kind of [[rhymed prose]]. The expression "to talk rayok", говорить райком, thus means to speak in a rhymed, humorous way, to [[patter]]. Rayok, in both its peep show and talk show forms, has been an occupation of wandering artists called "rayoshniks". When used as the title for a piece of music, rayok implies a scurrilous entertainment, as in:

*''[[Rayok (Mussorgsky)|Rayok]]'', an extended song by [[Modest Mussorgsky]] also known as ''Peep-Show''
*''[[Anti-formalist Rayok]]'', a [[cantata]] by [[Dmitri Shostakovich]] also known as ''Little Paradise'', ''The Gods'' and ''A Learner's Manual''

==See also==
{{Commons category|Rayok}}
*[[Petrushka]]
*[[Vertep]]
*[[Zograscope]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Music of Russia]]
[[Category:Russian humour]]


{{Russia-culture-stub}}