Yuri Ostasenko-Bogdanoff

Getting around

Cost and speed of troika travel

Travelers could hire a troika, a carriage with three horses, for approximately 100 rubles to travel from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, a journey covering over 400 versts that took about 4 days.

At the table

Fasting and feasting cycles

Religious observance meant peasants had over 200 fasting days a year, where they replaced animal fats with vegetable oils like hempseed or sunflower. During festivals, however, they would feast on varied dishes like pancakes, pies with fish, and meat.

What people wore

Versatile Outerwear and Fashionable Galoshes

A sheepskin coat (polushubok) was a vital, multi-purpose garment for many ordinary people, serving as both clothing and bedding regardless of the season. By the early 20th century, fashionable country women began wearing galoshes even in hot weather as a status symbol.

Music

The origins of the Russian garmon

In 1839, a Tula gunsmith purchased an imported harmonica for 40 roubles and used it to create the garmon, an instrument that became central to Russian village celebrations.

Daily life

Crowded Communal Living Arrangements

Most urban families lived in communal apartments, where several families shared a single kitchen and bathroom while occupying only one room each. Residents were allotted just 9 square meters per person, leading to severe overcrowding and a lack of privacy.