Maria Teresa Sobieska

At the table

Cossack dietary staples and habits

Cossack soldiers typically ate simple, communal meals like salamakha, a liquid dish made from boiled millet and flour water, often served from small wooden troughs using wooden spoons. When possible, they supplemented their diet with pork scraps, boiled fish, and various cereals like teterya cooked with milk or fat.

What people wore

Cost of Peasant Clothing

In the 17th century, a complete set of Ukrainian peasant clothing—including a shirt, wide trousers, a coat, and a sheepskin jacket—was valued at approximately 26.5 zlotys. Women's clothing, often more elaborate, was typically valued at nearly double that amount, around 52 zlotys.

Getting around

Common Modes of Transportation

Ordinary people typically traveled on foot or by horse-drawn carts and wagons, while wealthy individuals used carriages. Waterways were also used for travel, providing a faster and more comfortable alternative to land routes.

What it cost

Cost of Bread and Shoes

Basic items were affordable: bread cost less than one grosz, and a pair of shoes ranged from 9 to 24 grosze in the 17th century. In 1671, the price of a pair of shoes reached 19.1 grosze.

Music

Wandering theater and feast days

Common people attended wandering theater performances often tied to church feast days, especially during Holy Week. These performances were led by students or graduates of church schools who solicited food and money from the audience.

Daily life

Sleeping and eating habits

Until the end of the 18th century, beds were rare in peasant households, with most people sleeping on long benches or straw spread directly on the floor. While forks were known, they did not come into general use until the 18th century, so most people ate with their fingers and wooden spoons.