Grand Duchess Elizabeth Nikolaevna of Russia

At the table

Kvass as the universal drink

Kvass, a fermented drink made from rye flour and malt, served as the universal daily beverage for the lower classes.

What people wore

Lifelong festive peasant clothing

A peasant family would prepare a festive outfit meant to last a lifetime, which was stored carefully and worn only on the most important holidays.

Getting around

Variable speeds of land travel

Travel speeds were generally slow, averaging about 50 to 70 kilometers a day, though elite couriers or royal carriages could achieve much higher speeds, sometimes reaching 18 kilometers per hour on favorable routes. During winter, sleighs often moved faster than wheeled vehicles on the packed snow and ice.

Work

The daily routine and working hours

Work schedules were strictly set by the head of the household, known as the bolshak, who distributed tasks daily. During harvest and threshing, families worked intensely, often starting as early as 2:00 in the morning to finish by 10:00 in the morning.

Music

Church ban on folk musical instruments

Russian Orthodoxy officially rejected folk instruments, and the church once famously burned five carriages filled with them in the 17th century. Consequently, no musical instruments were permitted in Orthodox church services during this period.

Daily life

Sourcing drinking water

Most city residents lacked their own water source and relied on water carriers who transported water from rivers or lakes, which was often contaminated. Even well water in towns was frequently dirty and contained significant limestone impurities.