Natalya Karlova

What people wore

Peasant Footwear and Versatile Fur Coats

Peasants frequently wore bast shoes made from tree bark, but wealthier individuals wore leather boots for important occasions. In winter, both rich and poor favored sheepskin coats, which were often worn year-round and served multiple roles, including as bedding.

Getting around

Railways revolutionized long-distance travel speed

The railway between St. Petersburg and Moscow, opened in 1851, reduced travel time between the two cities from four days by carriage to 22 hours by train.

At the table

Staple foods of the Russian peasantry

The peasant diet relied heavily on cabbage soup (shchi), often made from fermented grey cabbage, along with rye bread, potatoes, and porridge. Meat was rare and typically reserved only for major religious holidays like Christmas and Easter.

Music

Improvised percussion for fast dances

During fast dances called pliaska, performers sometimes used improvised percussion instruments like wooden spoons, a metal pot, or even a scythe.

Daily life

Peasant Log Cabins and Shared Living Spaces

Peasants lived in timber log cabins, often consisting of a single living room with a large brick stove used for heating, sleeping, and cooking. Due to extreme cold, families shared these small, smoke-filled rooms with their livestock during the winter months.

What it cost

Daily food cost for a worker

In the mid-19th century, a worker's daily diet of 3 pounds of bread, a pound of meat, and simple porridge cost about 26.5 kopecks per day.