Its real author is unknown, but the most widespread version was edited by the archpriest
Silvester, an influential advisor to
Ivan IV of Russia. The text does include an
epistle entitled "64. A Father's Epistle Instructing His Son", which was written by Silvester instructing his son, Anfim, on some of the larger themes found within the
Domostroy. An updated edition of the
Domostroy was compiled by
Karion Istomin during the late 17th century. To modern researchers, it is a precious account of Russian society and the life of wealthy
boyars and merchants. The first part of the
Domostroy is written in
Russian Church Slavonic and deals with religious matters, morals, and the education of children, while the second part is written almost entirely in the Russian vernacular. Modern researchers tend to trace the origins of the
Domostroy to the 15th century
Novgorod Republic, where it could have been used as a kind of
moral codex for the wealthy. As such, it has some quotations from the
Book of Proverbs and other biblical texts, and from earlier Russian moral texts such as the
Izmaragd and the , and from some western texts such as the
Book of Christian Teachings (Czech) by
Tomáš Štítný ze Štítného and
Le Ménagier de Paris (French). == Structure ==