Yuri Ostasenko-Bogdanoff

Getting around

Cost and speed of troika travel

Travelers could hire a troika, a carriage with three horses, for approximately 100 rubles to travel from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, a journey covering over 400 versts that took about 4 days.

At the table

Stale bread and sparse peasant meals

Peasant families typically ate cabbage soup and porridge, often without meat, and purposefully consumed stale bread because it was more economical. Milk was usually reserved strictly for the children.

What people wore

Men's Peasant Attire and Festive Shirts

Peasant men commonly wore a shirt belted over trousers, often paired with a felt cap and boots or bast shoes. For festive occasions, they might wear shirts made from red calico instead of everyday homespun fabric.

Music

Youth Gatherings and Chastushki Songs

Youth gatherings known as posidelki were common in the autumn-winter, where young people socialized, played games, and performed fast-paced, humorous satirical songs called chastushki. These performances were often accompanied by instruments like the accordion, guitar, or balalaika.

Daily life

Rural school life and meals

During the winter school days, children often walked long distances to class and typically ate only bread washed down with water for their midday meal. While attendance was consistent, only about one in three children who enrolled actually completed the three-grade primary school program.