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Countess Xenia Czernichev-Besobrasov

Paris, 11 Jun 1929 – Belgium, 20 Sep 1968

8 facts2 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 11 Jun 1929

    Born in Paris

  2. 1954–1962

    4 children are born

  3. 20 Sep 1968

    Dies in Belgium, aged 39

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 4

During her lifetime

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

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

The 1920s · Countess is born in Paris

In the news1921

Public radio broadcasting starts in 1921

Public radio broadcasting officially began in France in 1921, with regular programs transmitted from an antenna atop the Eiffel Tower.

Getting around

Railcar improvements cut travel times

Between 1928 and 1939, modernized railcars reduced the journey between St Brieuc and Paimpol from 2 hours 50 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes.

What it cost

Rising Bread Prices 1910–1925

The price of a kilogram of bread in Paris rose from 0.39 francs in 1910 to 1.58 francs by 1925.

The Spanish flu. A flu pandemic infected a third of humanity and killed some 50 million people, more than the war that had just ended.Around the world · 1918–1920

The Spanish flu. A flu pandemic infected a third of humanity and killed some 50 million people, more than the war that had just ended.

Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine · public domain

What people wore

Wartime fashion shifts for women

During World War I, the women's suit became an essential, functional wardrobe item for both shopping and the workforce, often paired with a blouse. Because of fabric shortages and the movement of women into new professions, skirts became straighter and shorter, and women even began wearing trousers for outdoor labor.

Music

Traditional and modern dances

Traditional dances like the bourrée and rigadoon were passed down through generations, while new international styles like the tango, fox trot, and Charleston became widespread favorites during the interwar period. At family gatherings, elders often performed traditional dances while young people watched.

Daily life

Memorable daily life details

A household helper, or femme de ménage, could be hired in Paris for six sous per hour, while well-to-do families identified the gender of their babies by using red ribbons for boys and blue for girls on the nurse's cap.