Stanisław Leszczyński

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.

Daily life

Home heating and cooking arrangements

Peasant homes were often smoke-filled, as many were built without chimneys, meaning smoke had to escape through openings in the roof. Wealthier homes and urban dwellings were more likely to feature separate kitchens to isolate cooking from living areas.

Work

Labor Obligations and Panshchyna Service

Peasants often owed labor services known as panshchyna, which could require working on the lord's land multiple days a week, sometimes including the use of their own horses or oxen.

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.

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.

Getting around

Memorable Aspects of Travel

Traveling in the Commonwealth was challenging, as there was a lack of quality inns, and journeys were often crowded with people and goods like goose fat and cracklings in wagons. Wealthy nobles displayed their status by traveling with large processions that could include hundreds of horses and servants, and occasionally even camels.

What it cost

Medical treatment cost versus cutlery price

A medical enema in the 17th century cost 15 sous, which was the same price as a gross of small whistle knives.