Domra - an old russian ancient musical instrument. Etymological finding in related slavic languages show, that the term "domra" not a slavic origin since simila roots in them are absent. Probably, a word "domra" of a Turkic origin (tanbur, dombur, dunbara, dumbra, domb, a domra). Unfortunately, neither time of occurrence of a domra in Russia, not its a little authentic kept copies are not known. Scientists assume, that an ancient ancestor of our Russian domra was the Egyptian tool which has received from the Greek historians the name "pandura", and second-hand already for some millenia up to our time. The instrument this under the name "tanbur", probably, has penetrated to us through Persia trading with Transcaucasia. At peoples occupying an intermediate geographical position between slavic and Asian, is completely similar instruments with similar names: at the Georgian - chunguri and panduri, at southern slavs - tanbura, at Turkmens - duatar, at Mongols - dombur, at Kirghiz and Tatars - dymra, at ostakov - dombra, at Kalmyks - domras.The lute began subsequently ancestral such multistring instruments, as viola, a mandoline, a guitar.

Not having however, straight linees the indication that the question is a domra, is possible to put forward a hypothesis about presence of such instrument at east slavs.

It is possible to count the first Russian historical written certificate on a domra record in the ancient Novgorod book of the end XV - the beginnings of XVI centuries about Kalinke - "domrachee". In rewroutable documents of this period of a trade "domrachey" meet repeatedly.

The direct name of the tool is found out only in monuments of XVII century. In 1627 the Russian painter Simon Ushakov has made the description of an ancient wall list of Faceted chamber of the Moscow Kremlin (which construction concerns to 1487-1491). In description Ushakov twice mentions the name of the tool: " the person plays a domra " and " people sit near a table on a bench and play a psaltery both in a violin and in a pipe both in delays and in domras ". Mentions of a domra in the administrative documentation of XVII century are numerous: in decrees, letters, memories, messages. The domra appears in them as attribute skomoroh's crafts, is usual in aggregate with other instruments: a psaltery, delays, etc.

They give an occasion to assume, that the accent in the name of the tool fell on last "?".

So, the word "domra" appears in different references of Russian origin. Besides we have variants of names "domrishka", " a domra big bass ". Others were probably used also: tenor domras.

Being based on materials it is possible to come to a conclusion about popularity of a domra not only in the national environment, but also in a palace life XVII in.

The main executors on domras were buffoons and there were they not only musicians, but also actors, плясунами, acrobats and jokers. (the word "buffoon" occurs from Arabian "maskhora" - laughter, a sneer.) In Ancient Russia the centre of a settlement of buffoons became Great Novgorod. Representatives of this trade used in "free" city big Honour. Buffoons were the main instigators of songs and dancings. The fun they not only entertained people, but also forced to imitate themselves. Therefore, at Alexey Mihajlovicha's reign nicknamed "quietest" under the initiative of the patriarch persecutions on singers and buffoons have begun.

Since 1648 a number of the imperial decrees forbidding tool music has followed. In Moscow it was ordered to collect all instruments and when them have collected having loaded with them 5 carts have taken for the Moscow - river and there сожгли. Since then taking priority value at a court yard is got by singers of spiritual verses. Despite of rather often mentions of a domra us has not reached images of this tool. Therefore long time did not know to what sort of instruments of it to attribute. Only at the end of XIX century in Vjatskoj province the small string tool with round form of the case was found. The tool has soon come into the hands of Vasily Vasil'evicha Andreeva just in that time engaging in searches and restoration of the samples of ancient Russian instruments kept in people.

Andreev checking the found instruments with images on ancient basten to pictures and engravings, and also under the description, has assumed in him for a long time a searched domra. Occurrence of this tool is caused by the increased necessity for increase of a sound range of a domra.

The generality building designs with a mandoline and a violin makes accessible to it the enormous repertoir written for these instruments. A sound of a four-string domra rather weaker, that is caused by design features of multistring instruments therefore now in balalaika's-domra's- orchestras mainly three-stringed domras though are frequent also four-string are used. Four-string domras use the greatest popularity in territory of Ukraine, and also on Ural (in Ekaterinburg).

Due to the performing opportunities of a domra in an orchestra make the basic melodic group. Except for that the domra finds the application as the solo tool. For it write concert plays and products. Pleases that with each year appears the talented composers