Dominik Aleksander Kazanowski

What people wore

Traditional animal-skin footwear

For footwear, ordinary city residents and peasants frequently used naginės, which were simple, plain-soled shoes crafted from animal skin.

Daily life

Strict routines and sophisticated playthings

Wealthy children had strict routines, sometimes starting lessons at 5:30 am, but parents also promoted hygiene and manners, such as asking children to brush their teeth after meals. Girls played with sophisticated dolls that featured moving arms and legs and wore expensive dresses.

Work

The demanding daily work schedule

Peasants working with animals were mandated by law to work from sunrise to sunset, with three scheduled breaks for rest before dinner, at midday, and before evening. While labor was officially fixed at two days per week in the 1557 regulations, by the late 16th century many peasants were effectively forced to work six days a week for the manor.

Music

Elaborate Jesuit processions and music

Jesuit colleges, such as those in Vilnius, Kražiai, and Pašiaušė, held elaborate Corpus Christi processions featuring singers and orchestras, where students would play a variety of instruments to celebrate the holiday.

At the table

Urban middle-class diet in the Duchy

While middle-class city residents had more variety, they also relied heavily on cereals for bread and porridges like buckwheat, alongside peas, pickled cabbage, and turnips.

Getting around

Slow travel by cart and horseback

Travelers typically moved by foot, on horseback, or in wooden horse-drawn carts and sledges. Journeys were often slow and difficult, with night travel avoided due to the high risk of getting lost.

What it cost

Wages of workers and clerks

Around 1601, an unskilled city worker in Krakow earned 3–5 groszy per day, while a shop clerk earned 90 groszy per week.