Here you can find information about home improvement, clothes and food of peasants.

Knowledge of people's way of life, traditions, and customs gives us the opportunity to preserve historical memory, to find those roots that will nourish new generations of Russians.

A peasant dwelling is a courtyard where residential and outbuildings, a garden and a kitchen garden were built.

The roofs of the buildings were thatched or wooden, often wooden figures of heads of various birds and animals were attached to the roofs.

The buildings themselves were built of wood, mostly pine and spruce. Dm and in the literal sense were chopped with an ax, but later saws also became known.

For the construction of even the largest buildings, a special foundation was not built. But instead of it, supports were laid in the corners and middles of the walls - stumps, large boulders.

The main buildings of the peasant household were: “a hut and a cage”, a room, tumblers, a hay, a barn, a barn. The hut is a common residential building. The upper room is a clean and bright building, built on top of the lower one, and here they slept and received guests. Povalushki and sennik - cold storerooms, in the summer they were living quarters.

The most important component of the peasant house was the Russian stove. They baked bread in it, cooked food, washed themselves, and slept on the upper wall.

Icons were the main decoration of the house. The images were placed in the upper corner of the chambers and covered with a curtain - a torture chamber.

Wall paintings and mirrors were banned by the Orthodox Church. Only small mirrors were brought from abroad and were part of the women's toilet.

In the home arrangement, the Russians had a noticeable custom to cover and cover everything. The floors were covered with carpets, matting, felts, benches and benches with benches, tables with tablecloths.

The houses were lit with candles and torches.

The houses of poor and rich people had the same names, structures, differed only in size and degree of decoration.

According to the cut, the clothes were the same for both the kings and the peasants.

Men's shirts were white or red, they were sewn from linen and canvas. The shirts were belted low with straps in a weak knot.

The clothes worn at home were called zipun. It was a narrow, short white dress.

Women's clothes were similar to men's, only they were longer. A flyer was worn over a long shirt. It had a slit in the front that fastened with buttons all the way to the throat.

All women wore earrings and headdresses.

The outer clothing of the peasants was a sheepskin coat. Sheepskin coats were changed for children.

Of the shoes, the peasants had bast shoes, shoes made of twigs and leather soles, which were tied to the foot with straps.

Peasant cuisine was Russian, national. The best cook was the one who knew how other housewives cook. Changes in food were introduced imperceptibly. The dishes were simple and varied.

According to the custom of the Russians to keep the posts holy, the table was divided into two parts: modest and lean, and according to supplies, the food was divided into five: fish, meat, flour, dairy and vegetable.

The floury ones included rye bread - the head of the table, various pies, loaves, casseroles, rolls; to fish - fish soup, baked dishes; for meat - side dishes, quick soups, pates and many others.

The drinks were: vodka, wine, juices, fruit drinks, berezovets, kvass, tea.

Sweets were natural: fresh fruits, fruits cooked in molasses.

I hope that my small contribution to the promotion of folk culture and way of life will partly help to ensure that this culture is preserved, knowledge of it will strengthen the mind and soul of the growing citizens and patriots of our Fatherland.

The social structure of Russian society in the 17th century was in full accordance with the feudal relations that were well-established at that time. One of the main, important and noble estates in Russian society of the 17th century was the boyars. Boyars - were the descendants of the former great and specific princes. The boyar families served the tsar and occupied leading positions in the state, the boyars owned large plots of land - estates.

Nobles occupied a more privileged position in Russian society in the 17th century. They made up the highest level of the sovereign people who served. The nobles owned estates, which were inherited, subject to the continuation of the service of the heir to the sovereign. By the middle of the 17th century, the nobility had become the main pillar of tsarist power in Russia.

It is worth noting that the only noble title that was inherited was the title of prince. The remaining ranks were not inherited, but assigned, and first of all, they meant a position, but gradually they lost their official significance. The clearest hierarchy reflecting the official significance was in the ranks of the archery troops. The regimental commanders were colonels, the commanders of individual detachments were semi-colonels, then there were heads and centurions.

In the 17th century in Russian society, most of the ranks did not have a clear division according to the type of activity. Duma ranks were considered the highest, people who were close to the tsar: duma clerk, duma nobleman, okolnichiy, boyar. Below the duma ranks were the palace or court ranks. These included: a steward, a lawyer, a military leader, diplomats, compilers of scribe books, tenants, a Moscow nobleman, an elected nobleman, a courtyard nobleman.

The lower strata of service people were recruited service people. They were archers, gunners, serving Cossacks. The peasantry in the Russian society of the 17th century consisted of two categories - the owner and the state. The owners were peasants who lived in estates or estates. They worked for their feudal lord.

State peasants lived on the outskirts, they bore hardships in favor of the state. Their life was somewhat better than that of non-state peasants. There was another caste of peasants, which is worth mentioning. These are the Palace peasants, they had their own self-government and were subordinate only to the palace clerks.

The urban population of the society of the 17th century was called the townspeople. They were mostly merchants and artisans. Craftsmen united in settlements, on a professional basis. The craftsman, like the peasants of the 17th century, bore the tax in favor of the state. A special estate in the society of the 17th century was the clergy. Representatives of this class were bishops, monks and priests. There were also simple, free people in the society of the 17th century. These are, first of all, Cossacks, as well as the children of priests, servicemen and townspeople.

In Russian society of the 17th century, the number of the class of service feudal lords of landowners sharply increased. The feudal estate became unified, and the number of landowners increased. The difficult situation of the lower strata in Russian society in the 17th century led to increased social instability and popular riots.

1. Nobility.

The ruling class - feudal lords . First of all, this boyars who had their own ancestral land holdings - estates. In the 17th century, as the Russian autocracy was asserted, the positions of nobility, which gradually turned into a new estate.

IN 1 649 Zemsky Sobor adopted a new Code, according to which the eternal right of feudal lords to dependent peasants was fixed and the transition from one owner to another was prohibited(serfdom).

By the end of the century, up to 10% of peasant households in the country belonged to the tsar, 10% to the boyars, 15% to the church, and about 60% to the nobles.

The former system of filling the highest positions in the state by birthright (the system localism ) in 1682 year was finally cancelled. All categories of feudal lords were equalized in rights.

2. Peasants.

The situation of the peasants in the 17th century deteriorated significantly. The peasantry was divided into two main groups: possessory and black-mallowed. The first is the property of the feudal lords. They could be sold, exchanged, donated. The second owned vast lands (mainly in Pomorye and Siberia) and carried state duties.

The peasants worked for the feudal lords corvée (2-4 days a week), paid natural and monetary quitrent . The taxation system has changed. Instead of land tribute was introduced by courtyard.

By the end of the century serfs from semi-slaves they became clerks, messengers, grooms, tailors, falconers, etc.

The average size of peasant plots was 1-2 hectares of land. Prosperous peasants, whose allotments reached several tens of hectares, became entrepreneurs, merchants, and merchants.

3. Urban population.

In the 17th century, the urban population grew. In new cities, after the fortresses appeared tenements. Not only Russians lived in them, but also representatives of other peoples of Russia. Crafts and trade flourished there.

Dominant positions in urban life were occupied wealthy artisans and merchants . The position of the boyars, nobles and monasteries was also privileged. servants and servants who spent their free time in trade and crafts.

Wage labor is beginning to be used, but still on a small scale.

4. Clergy.

By the end of the 17th century, the number of Russian clergy increased (110,000 people in 15,000 churches). A new church hierarchy was formed. The closest to the believers and the most numerous in composition were parish priests . The top layer was bishops, archbishops and metropolitans. Headed the church hierarchy patriarch Moscow and all Russia.

In 1649, the Council Code forbade the church to increase its land holdings and eliminated the rights of white settlements.

5. Cossacks.

The Cossacks became a new estate for Russia, military class , which included the population of a number of outlying areas of Russia (Don, Yaik, Urals, Terek, Left-bank Ukraine). It enjoyed special rights and benefits on the terms of compulsory and general military service.

The basis of the economic life of the Cossacks was trades- hunting, fishing, cattle breeding and agriculture. The main part of the income was received in the form of state salaries and military booty.

The most important issues in the life of the Cossacks were discussed at a general gathering ("circle"). Elected leaders chieftains and petty officers s. The ownership of the land belonged to the entire community.

In the 17th century, the population of Russia consisted of 3 large groups: privileged, taxable and townspeople. The vast majority of the population belonged to the peasants. It was in the 17th century that the stage of enslavement of the peasants was completely completed. First, the period of investigation of the fugitives was increased to 10 years, then to 15. Later, in 1649, according to the conciliar code, the peasants became the property of the feudal lords for life.

By the end of the 17th century, more than 10 million people already lived in Russia. The country was agricultural. Over 98% of the population lived in rural areas. Russia has significantly expanded its territories, becoming the largest country in the world in terms of population. At the same time, in terms of population, the country was inferior to France, Germany and Italy.

Nobles and boyars

The population of Russia in the 17th century "from above" was mainly concentrated among the boyars and the nobility. At the same time, if back in the 16th century the main power of the elite belonged to the boyars, and the nobles occupied secondary values, then in the 17th century these estates began to change roles. Gradually, the boyars, as a class, were eliminated, and the government of the state was gradually transferred to the nobles.

The basis of the power of the privileged estates was the possession of serfs. Nobles and boyars for a long time insisted that the serfs be transferred to them for life. This was legalized by the Council Code of 1649. Interesting statistics on the ownership of peasant farms by various layers of the Russian elite of the 17th century:

• 10% - belonged to the king
• 10% - belonged to the boyars
• 20% - belonged to the church
• 60% - owned by nobles

This shows that already from the middle of the century, the main role, as the main elite of society, was played by the nobility and the clergy.

Clergy

In Russia in the 17th century, there were 2 types of spiritual estates:

• White - about 110 thousand people by the end of the century.
• Black (monks) - about 10 thousand people by the end of the century.

It has already been noted above that approximately 20% of all peasant farms were under the control of the church. The clergy of all types were exempted from paying taxes and other duties. An important feature of this estate is that it could not be judged. Considering the clergy of Russia in the 17th century, it is important to note that it had a strong stratification: there were simple ministers, the middle class and leaders. Their position, rights and opportunities were very different. For example, the bishops in their wealth and way of life were not much inferior to the boyars and nobles.

Peasants

The basis of the population of Russia in the 17th century were peasants. They accounted for about 90% of the total population. All the peasantry was divided into 2 categories:

• Serfs (ownership). They were directly dependent on the privileged strata of the population (the king, boyars, nobles, clergy).
• Chernososhnye. They retained partial independence. They worked on land allocated by the community and were not exempt from taxes.

Serfs in the 17th century were completely deprived of their rights. They could be sold, even if a person "pulled out" for this from the family. Peasants could be sold or donated. In everyday life, they were completely dependent on the feudal lords, paying 2 types of taxes: corvee and quitrent. Corvee - work on landowners' lands. In some cases, it was 5 days a week. Quit - a tax in kind (food) or in cash.

Urban population

By the end of the 17th century, the urban population of Russia was approximately 3% of the total. In total, there were about 250 cities in the country, in which about 500 people lived on average. The largest city is Moscow (27 thousand households). Other large cities: Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Pskov, Kostroma.

Cities mainly consisted of their townspeople. If there was no such population in the city, then they served exclusively for military purposes. The townspeople were divided into merchants, artisans and ordinary workers. However, most often the population of the city was divided by wealth into:

• The best are wealthy citizens. The full name was indicated with the prefix "son". for example, Ivan Vasilyev, son of Pankratov.
• The middle ones are wealthy citizens. Such people were called by their own name and the name of their father. For example, Pyotr Vasiliev or Nikolai Fedorov.
• The young are poor citizens. They were given a derogatory name and nickname. For example, Petka Portnoy or Nikolasha Khromoy.

Citizens united in communities, which included all segments of the population. The communities were heterogeneous, so conflicts often arose. However, as soon as it came to external danger, the community acted as a united front. The reason lies in the fact that the well-being and life of every citizen depended on the integrity of the city and its other inhabitants. Therefore, "strangers" were not allowed into the city.

The culture and life of the Russian people in the 17th century underwent a qualitative transformation. Upon accession to the throne of the king. Peter I, the trends of the Western world began to penetrate into Russia. Under Peter I, trade with Western Europe expanded, diplomatic relations were established with many countries. Despite the fact that the Russian people were represented in their majority by the peasantry, in the 17th century a system of secular education was formed and began to take shape. Schools of navigational and mathematical sciences were opened in Moscow. Then mining, shipbuilding and engineering schools began to open. Parish schools began to open in rural areas. In 1755, on the initiative of M.V. Lomonosov University was opened in Moscow.

Advice

To assess the changes that have taken place in the life of the people after the reforms of Pera I, it is necessary to study the historical documents of this period.

Peasants

A little about peasants

Peasants in the 17th century were the driving force that provided their families with food and gave part of their crops for rent for the master. All the peasantry were serfs and belonged to the rich serf landowners.

Peasant life

First of all, the peasant life was accompanied by hard physical work on his land allotment and working off the corvée on the lands of the landowner. The peasant family was numerous. The number of children reached 10 people, and all children from an early age were accustomed to peasant work in order to quickly become assistants to their father. The birth of sons was welcomed, who could become a support for the head of the family. Girls were considered a "cut off piece" since in marriage they became a member of the husband's family.

At what age could one get married?

According to church laws, boys could marry from the age of 15, girls from 12. Early marriages were the reason for large families.

Traditionally, a peasant yard was represented by a hut with a thatched roof, and a cage and a barn for cattle were built on the farmstead. In winter, the only source of heat in the hut was a Russian stove, which was stoked on the "black" The walls and ceiling of the hut were black from soot and soot. Small windows were covered with either a fish bladder or waxed canvas. In the evenings, a torch was used for lighting, for which a special stand was made, under which a trough with water was placed so that the charred coal of the torch fell into the water and could not cause a fire.

The situation in the hut

Peasant hut

The situation in the hut was poor. A table in the middle of the hut and wide benches along the benches, on which the household was laid down for the night. In winter cold, young livestock (pigs, calves, lambs) were transferred to the hut. The poultry was also moved here. In preparation for the winter cold, the peasants caulked the cracks of the log cabin with tow or moss to reduce the draft.

clothing

We sew a peasant shirt

Clothes were sewn from homespun cloth and animal skins were used. The legs were shod in pistons, which were two pieces of leather gathered around the ankle. Pistons were worn only in autumn or winter. In dry weather, bast shoes woven from bast were worn.

Nutrition

We lay out the Russian stove

The food was cooked in a Russian oven. The main food products were cereals: rye, wheat and oats. Oatmeal was ground from oats, which was used to make kissels, kvass and beer. Everyday bread was baked from rye flour; on holidays, bread and pies were baked from white wheat flour. A great help for the table were vegetables from the garden, which was looked after and looked after by women. Peasants learned to preserve cabbage, carrots, turnips, radishes and cucumbers until the next harvest. Cabbage and cucumbers were salted in large quantities. For the holidays, they cooked meat soup from sour cabbage. Fish appeared on the peasant's table more often than meat. The children went to the forest in a crowd to pick mushrooms, berries and nuts, which were essential additions to the table. The wealthiest peasants planted orchards.

Development of Russia in the 17th century