Anna Sroczycka

At the table

Beer as a daily staple

Beer was the most common everyday drink, often served as soup with breadcrumbs or given to children and pregnant women for strength.

What people wore

Valuation of peasant clothing sets

A full set of clothing for an ordinary Ukrainian peasant was valued at 26.5 zlotys for men and 52 zlotys for women, with the women's set including a shirt, skirt, and corset. Those who possessed such a complete set were considered wealthy by their community.

Getting around

Security for goods in transit

A merchant in 1586 paid four guilders to hire two Tartars to transport his goods, reflecting common practice to ensure security during travel.

What it cost

Wages and shoe prices in Kraków

In the first half of the 16th century, an unskilled daily worker in Kraków earned approximately 2 grossi per day, while a pair of shoes cost about 7 to 8 grossi.

Music

Carnival sleigh rides and masquerade balls

During the carnival season, the Polish gentry organized festive sleigh rides from mansion to mansion, accompanied by musicians playing dance music, which often culminated in a masquerade ball where nobles dressed as peasants, Jews, or Gypsies.

Daily life

Modest wooden peasant homes

Peasant homesteads were modest wooden houses, often with a single stove and no chimney, sometimes using oiled paper or animal bladders for windows. In some regions like Samogitia, families still lived in traditional numas with central fireplaces.