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Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia

Pushkin, 17 Oct 1853 – Zurich, 24 Oct 1920

8 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 17 Oct 1853

    Born in Pushkin

  2. 1874–1884

    6 children are born

  3. 24 Oct 1920

    Dies in Zurich, aged 67

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 6

During her lifetime

She lived through 8 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Pushkin.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1850s · Grand is born in Pushkin

In the news1850

Introduction of the Swiss franc in 1850

In 1850, Switzerland adopted the Swiss franc as a single national currency, replacing various local cantonal currencies.

What people wore

Uniform Men's Shirts and Diverse Women's Finery

Men's clothing remained relatively uniform, featuring a signature shirt with a side-fastening collar worn untucked and belted. In contrast, women's festive attire was highly diverse, often intricately decorated with embroidery, lace, ribbons, and precious metal threads.

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.

In the news1852

1852 Railway Act promotes industrial growth

The 1852 Railway Act empowered private companies to build Switzerland's rail network, which became a vital driver of industrial modernization.

Music

Khorovod communal round dance

The khorovod was a popular communal round dance where up to a hundred people moved in a circle, often in a sunwise direction.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

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.