Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia

Getting around

Railway Travel and Official Formalities

Rail travel revolutionized transport; the journey from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod took 14.5 hours in summer and over 15 hours in winter, while freight trains required nearly a full day. Passengers paid for tickets and had to navigate government formalities, including showing passports at multiple offices.

At the table

Strict rules during family meals

A strict hierarchical order was observed during family meals; no one began eating until the head of the house gave the signal and said a prayer. In large families, children were often seated separately on a bench near the stove to eat.

What people wore

Rubber overshoes as rural status symbols

Rubber overshoes became a huge fashion trend in villages; people would wear them even in 30-degree summer heat just to show them off while attending church.

Music

Large communal round dances

The khorovod, a traditional round dance, could involve as many as one hundred participants moving in a circle or in lines.

Daily life

Water and lighting in peasant homes

Peasant households relied on water from natural sources like rivers or wells, often using wooden buckets, and did not have indoor plumbing. Lighting was traditionally provided by burning slivers of wood, though wealthier families began adopting kerosene lamps in the late 19th century.