Rayok

280px|thumbnail|Rayok. 19th century A '''rayok''' ({{lang-rus|раёк|p=rɐˈjɵk}}, {{literally}} "small paradise") was a Russian fairground 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 shows, 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'', 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