Jan Stanisław Jabłonowski

What people wore

Special occasion versus daily wear

Ordinary people kept finer linen shirts in their chests for special occasions like church services, while everyday clothes were often made from coarser materials like plain woven linen or wool.

Daily life

Archaic smoke-filled stoves in Polissia

In the early 17th century, many homes in the Polissia region utilized archaic stoves where smoke exited directly into the room through special roof openings.

Work

Maintenance duties of townspeople

Townspeople were responsible for infrastructure maintenance, such as repairing city walls, towers, fences, bridges, and mills, as well as supplying firewood for the castle.

Music

Popular musical instruments for festivals and dance

Cossacks and villagers played instruments like the kobza, violin, bagpipes (duda), and cimbaloms to accompany dancing and celebrations. These instruments were commonly used at weddings and festivals to entertain both rural and urban communities.

At the table

Salamakha: a dual-purpose Cossack field meal

Cossacks on military campaigns prepared a sour dish called salamakha, which served as both food and drink, made by mixing boiled millet with water-diluted flour.

Getting around

Common methods of travel and transport

People traveled by foot, horseback, or in various horse-drawn wagons and carriages, such as the covered carts called 'kolybka' or 'palub'. Boats were used for water travel, though navigation on the Dnieper was restricted by rapids.

What it cost

Cost of livestock

In the first half of the 17th century, a goose cost 4 to 5 groszy, while a good cow was valued at 10 zlotys (300 groszy).