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Catherine Chislova

Saint Petersburg, 21 Sep 1846 – Crimea, 13 Dec 1889

6 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born21 Sep 1846, Saint Petersburgnot verified1 source
  • Died13 Dec 1889, Crimeanot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 21 Sep 1846

    Born in Saint Petersburg

  2. 1868–1877

    5 children are born

  3. 13 Dec 1889

    Dies in Crimea, aged 43

Family

See the tree

Children · 5

During her lifetime

She lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Saint Petersburg.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1840s · Catherine is born in Saint Petersburg

In the news1848

Cholera and Crop Failures in 1848

In 1848, a major cholera epidemic, coupled with a bad harvest and dry weather that caused widespread town fires, severely disrupted the lives of the agrarian population.

Getting around

Vast network of postal relay stations

The postal system maintained approximately 3,950 relay stations across the empire, utilizing over 50,000 horses to provide fresh teams for travelers and mail couriers.

In Europe1845–1852

The Great Famine in Ireland

Potato blight ruined harvests: a million Irish people died and a million more emigrated, many to America.

Daily life

Peasant cooking methods and meat consumption

In the first half of the 19th century, food was prepared in the Russian oven using clay pots, and occasionally metal cast iron pots, to preserve heat. Peasants typically ate meat only on rare occasions like Christmas or Easter due to poverty and religious fasts.

What people wore

Peasant women's daily and festive attire

Peasant women wore a woolen skirt called a ponyova over a linen shirt, and they protected their hair with headdresses like the soroka, as showing hair was shameful for married women.

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.

At the table

Everyday Drinks of the Peasantry

Kvass, a drink made from rye flour and malt, was the most common everyday beverage for ordinary people. While tea culture was starting to spread, it remained a luxury for many rural families, who often only drank it during illness or on special occasions.