Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia

Getting around

Railways revolutionized long-distance travel speed

The railway between St. Petersburg and Moscow, opened in 1851, reduced travel time between the two cities from four days by carriage to 22 hours by train.

At the table

Peasant diet: bread, cabbage soup, and kvass

Peasant diets centered on rye bread, cabbage soup (shchi), and various porridges, with meat being a rare luxury reserved for holidays like Christmas or Easter. Ordinary families primarily drank water, kvass—a fermented beverage made from rye bread—or occasionally tea on special occasions.

What people wore

Essential male headwear and belts

Men wore hats or caps constantly outdoors and felt it was improper to be seen bareheaded or without a belt. A belt or cap was so essential that a man might even leave one as a pawn in a tavern to guarantee he would return.

Music

Khorovod communal round dance

The khorovod was a popular communal round dance where up to a hundred people moved in a circle, often in a sunwise direction.

Daily life

Peasant Log Cabins and Shared Living Spaces

Peasants lived in timber log cabins, often consisting of a single living room with a large brick stove used for heating, sleeping, and cooking. Due to extreme cold, families shared these small, smoke-filled rooms with their livestock during the winter months.