A splinter or twig.
“The kurilka is alive!” — this is how one sometimes greets an acquaintance they haven't heard from in a long time. However, this saying also has another, rather derogatory meaning: it is used to refer to an unpleasant person when one learns that they are still alive and continuing their business.
But who is a kurilka? In fact, it is not a person, but a burning splinter, a torch that was used in the past to light up huts. It burned dimly and produced a lot of smoke — it smoked.
The expression “The kurilka is alive!” originated from an old folk children's game called “kurilka.” Children would gather in a circle and pass a burning splinter to each other, saying: “Alive, alive, kurilka!” or singing a little song in unison: “Alive, alive, kurilka! Thin little legs, short little soul.”
The one whose splinter went out would leave the circle. In the past, similar games were popular among other peoples as well.
