In the news1771
The 1771 Moscow Plague Epidemic
A devastating bubonic plague epidemic killed between 52,000 and 100,000 people in Moscow, about one-sixth to one-third of the city's population.
20 Apr 1773 – 20 Mar 1805
5 facts1 source
20 Apr 1773
Born
1803
A daughter is born
20 Mar 1805
Dies, aged 31
She lived through 4 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like.
General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.
In the news1771
A devastating bubonic plague epidemic killed between 52,000 and 100,000 people in Moscow, about one-sixth to one-third of the city's population.
What people wore
Peasant everyday winter and summer clothing
Peasant men wore linen shirts and trousers, while women wore long linen shirts and a checkered woolen skirt called a poneva. In winter, both wore sheepskin coats with the fur turned inward to stay warm.
Daily life
Peasant hygiene and living conditions
Peasant life included poor hygiene, as families often shared a single dirty cloth for two weeks to wipe their hands, faces, and kitchenware. In winter, young livestock were sometimes kept inside the peasant cabin, which, combined with smoky air, negatively affected living conditions and health.
In the news1773–1775
A massive peasant and Cossack uprising led by Yemelyan Pugachev broke out, threatening the social structure of the empire.
Music
Popular Portable Clavichords for Outdoor Music
Clavichords became very popular in the eighteenth century and were nicknamed picnic pianos because their small size allowed them to be easily taken outdoors to accompany people in parks.
In Europe1772–1795
Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland among themselves in three steps until, in 1795, it vanished from the map for 123 years.
Getting around
Average travel speed by carriage
In the 18th century, the average speed of travel for noble families using their own horses and carriages was about 5 km/h.