Olga Nikolaevna of Russia

At the table

Meat as a rare luxury

Meat was a luxury for many families, typically consumed only on major religious holidays like Christmas and Easter.

What people wore

Protective patches in peasant shirts

Peasant women stitched scarlet calico patches into the armpits of their linen shirts, serving as both decoration and an amulet to protect the body from unclean forces.

Getting around

Variable speeds of land travel

Travel speeds were generally slow, averaging about 50 to 70 kilometers a day, though elite couriers or royal carriages could achieve much higher speeds, sometimes reaching 18 kilometers per hour on favorable routes. During winter, sleighs often moved faster than wheeled vehicles on the packed snow and ice.

What it cost

Marriage requirements and net worth

To obtain permission to marry, a couple often needed to prove a minimum net worth of 100 to 200 guilders.

Music

Village musicians and popular instruments

During festival gatherings, village musicians played instruments including the balalaika, violin, horn, and the dudka, a flute-like pipe used primarily by men.

Daily life

Sourcing drinking water

Most city residents lacked their own water source and relied on water carriers who transported water from rivers or lakes, which was often contaminated. Even well water in towns was frequently dirty and contained significant limestone impurities.