Ivan Mikhailovich Romanov

What people wore

Preserving festive clothing

To protect expensive holiday clothing from moths and mustiness during storage, people kept them in chests covered with water mouse skin.

Daily life

Living in a Serf Izba

Serf dwellings were one-room log cabins (izbas) with tiny windows, often covered with stretched animal bladder or mica rather than glass to conserve heat. These homes were typically heated by a large clay-based oven that took up a quarter of the floor area and doubled as a sleeping platform.

Work

Non-stop Harvest Labor

During the intense harvest season in late summer, work continued seven days a week, often lasting from dawn until dusk and sometimes continuing by moonlight or torchlight to ensure the crop was saved. This period of extreme physical exertion was a constant struggle for survival for the serf families.

Music

Destruction of Forbidden Musical Instruments

In 1636 and 1648, authorities confiscated and publicly burned carts filled with folk instruments like domras, bagpipes, and flutes to suppress performances. Owners found with these forbidden instruments faced severe punishment, including flogging and exile.

At the table

Kvass was the most common daily drink

Common folk drank kvass, a fermented beverage made from rye or barley malt, daily. Alcohol such as beer and honey-based drinks were also consumed, though rural residents often produced these at home, while urban tavern customers spent an average of about 3 rubles and 66 kopecks annually on drinks.

Getting around

Difficult Travel on Primitive Russian Roads

Travelers faced extremely poor roads that were often blocked by fallen trees and deep mud, leading to violent jolting of carriages. Due to these conditions, even wealthy people frequently traveled on horseback or waited for winter to use sleighs.

What it cost

Costs of basic food staples

Prices for basic goods included one kopeck for a kilogram of bread, while a chicken cost three kopecks, the same price as 50 eggs or 1.5 kilograms of butter.