Eudoxia Streshneva

At the table

Common beverages: Kvass and beer

Ordinary Russians relied on kvass, a fermented beverage made from grain, and beer as their everyday drinks. Tea was first introduced as a rare medicinal gift for the Tsar in 1638 and was not a common household drink for ordinary people.

What people wore

Footwear and practical peasant attire

Ordinary people commonly wore bast shoes woven from tree bark or vine twigs, though some used leather soles tied with belts. Zepya, or pockets, were sewn into peasant trousers, which were typically made of canvas or coarse wool.

Getting around

Tyumen transport requirements

For the Tyumen mail service, a single share of transport duty required maintaining three horses, along with sleighs, carts, and saddles for land travel.

What it cost

Cost of footwear

In the late 17th century, a pair of fine morocco leather boots cost 1 ruble, while simpler leather shoes were significantly cheaper.

Music

Banned street musicians and instruments

Authorities repeatedly banned skomorokhs, itinerant performers who used instruments like domras, gusli, and bagpipes in public spaces.

Daily life

Wooden log huts and smoky interiors

Ordinary homes were wooden log huts, often heated black-style without a chimney, forcing smoke to escape through a small window. These huts frequently lacked beds and served as shared spaces for the family and young livestock in winter.