The phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language explains the meaning of the expression as follows - to lose the former disposition of someone, to be in disgrace. According to the Explanatory Dictionary of S. I. Ozhegov, disfavor is the disinclination of a strong person to those who depend on him. Recall A.S. Pushkin:
Do not be scary, your grace is terrible ("Boris Godunov").
King's disgrace
Any power, especially the supreme one, gives rise to people who try to stay close to the ruler. Proximity to the prince, king or emperor - the possibility of obtaining material wealth. The expression "fall into disgrace" means not only to lose privileges, but also to be punished. In conditions of feudal fragmentation, Russia is torn by feuds, wars, falling into disgrace of some and the nomination of others. In ancient Russian chronicles the word "opal" is found. But the consequences that princely disgrace entails are unclear.
In 1499, under Ivan the Great, two noble noble families fell into disfavor: the princes Patrikeev and Ryapolovsky, accused of sedition, that is, high treason. Voivode V.I. Patrikeev for his political and religious convictions was imprisoned in the Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery, where he died (possibly was starved to death). Voivode S. I. Ryapolovsky, formerly a companion of the tsar, was executed.
Under Ivan the Terrible, the boyars who did not want to remain in his personal inheritance (oprichnina) fell out of favor. Their possessions were crushed and distributed to the king’s close associates, the boyars themselves were sent to the outskirts.
In imperial Russia
The outstanding Russian commander A.V. Suvorov fell into disgrace under Paul I, who planted the Prussian order in the army. In 1800, Count Suvorov was banned from visiting the Winter Palace and deprived of his beloved adjutants. The name of the generalissimo, whom Europe admired, disappeared from the pages of Russian newspapers. The commander could not stand the imperial disgrace, fell ill and soon died. They buried him as a field marshal, and not as a generalissimo.
Associate of Alexander I Count A.A. Arakcheev, who was remembered by contemporaries for his pedantry and rigor, fell into disfavor twice. For the statesman, known for the lack of money-grubbing, opal became more an offense than a loss of material wealth.
In the 20th century
During the period in which JV Stalin was in power, the expression "fall into disgrace" received a new meaning. State and party leaders who made mistakes, according to Stalin, were arrested, exiled and executed.
G.I. Zhukov, who received more than 40 times personal thanks from the Generalissimo, after the war lost Stalin's favor. Charges of misappropriation of trophies and exaltation of one's own role in the Victory case were brought against him. Zhukov was removed from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces and sent to lead the Odessa Military District, in fact, in exile. In 1952, at the beginning of the arms race, Stalin again called Zhukov to Moscow.
A member of the inner circle of Stalin, the head of the NKVD L. Beria fell out of favor after the death of the leader. He was charged with British intelligence and high treason. Beria, as well as his associates from the state security organs, were convicted by a “special tribunal" without the right to defense and appeal. The measure of punishment was the confiscation of military ranks, awards, personal property and execution.