The Russian word smirenie can best be translated into English as “humility,” “meekness,” or “submission,” but in the Russian context, the word means a great deal more: smirenie is a state of mind, the collective and persistent ideology of the Russian peasant class, serfs, which ultimately made life worth living. For it is from smirenie, the state of misery and of constantly being held down by forces more powerful than you,that one can find meaning, purpose, even pride.