Yurodivy

The yurodivy (accented on the second syllable, юро́дивый) is the Russian version of the holy fool. The role can be traced at least as far back as the medieval period.

The yurodivy is traditionally an eccentric figure who is outside conventional society. The madness of the yurodivy is ambiguous, and can be real or simulated. He (or she) is believed to be divinely inspired, and is therefore able to say truths which others cannot, normally in the form of indirect allusions or parables. He had a particular status in regard to the Tsars, as a figure not subject to earthly control or judgment.

The Russian Orthodox Church numbers 36 yurodivys among its saints, most prominently Saint Basil.

After the 17th century the yurodivy existed more in the arts than in real life. Prominent examples are the fool in Boris Godunov and Prince Myshkin in The Idiot. The composer Dmitri Shostakovich and the pianist Maria Yudina have been cited as 20th century examples of the type.