How people lived in the 19th century

Let's imagine Mother Moscow in the early 19th century, when the favorite places for Muscovites to walk were the railway station, Tverskoy Boulevard and Presnensky Ponds. There was only one boulevard in Moscow at that time - Tverskaya, planted with birches, later they were replaced with lindens.

Many Muscovites came to the boulevard every day. The aristocrats walked with their hats under their arms - a high hairstyle interfered. Merchants and bureaucrats stood in rows along the boulevard, not mixing with the aristocracy. Rich young people usually wore glasses, often heavily whitened. ruddy-faced and with furrowed brows. Some military men had artificially increased shoulders to appear more youthful.

Under Catherine II, ordinary people walked around Moscow in summer in dressing gowns or shirts, and in winter they wore sheepskin coats. The distinctive attire of a woman of a simple class was a veil, which was called a cape. On holidays, all the women appeared on the street - the old ones sat down on a bench at the gate to gossip. In winter, women and men skated, and sleighed from the mountains. In Kitaygorod, behind the Mytny Dvor, such a mountain was built by the famous Vanka Cain.

In the evenings, boyars and wealthy people were entertained by home cheerleaders; storytellers told stories and jokes. Wealthy houses had their own jesters and crackers, who amused our undemanding ancestors with empty and often rude jokes and antics.

Home theaters were fashionable then, where serfs and gentlemen themselves played. Among others, two theaters of Count Sheremetev were famous - in Kuskovo and Ostankino, Count Orlov - near Donskoy, Buturlin and Mamonov - in Lefortovo, near Musin-Pushkin - on Razgulay. The Apraksinsky Theater on Znamenka was especially famous. All the celebrities who visited Moscow played here, Italian opera was given.

Moscow has always been known for its hospitality.

Muzychenko usually gathered at the caretaker of the third state-owned wine warehouse on Maiden's Field on Saturdays. Here you could meet a lot of idle people. The gatekeeper of the government building identified the guests of the owner by appearance, and therefore never stopped the public passing by him. Muzychenko's apartment did not know any locks. He came who wanted and when he wanted. In the dining room there was always a herring with a side dish, bread, butter, lettuce, sausage and the inevitable forty "under the white head." If the owners were not at home, then there was a note: “Who wants tea - a samovar in the kitchen. Coal - in the stove under the stove. There is buckwheat in the oven. Just close the stove so that the spirit does not come out.

Somehow I can't even believe that all this was in today's hectic, multi-million dollar Moscow, filthy with the exquisitely ugly buildings of recent decades, choking on traffic jams.

What was, was.

"PROFESSIONS OF OUR ANCESTORS"

There are many lanes in Moscow named after the occupations of the people who lived in them. Leather workers lived in Kozhevnichesky Lane, cap makers lived in Kolpachnoye Lane, and carpenters lived in Plotnikov Lane. Oddly enough, it was not boors, but weavers who lived in Khamovnichesky Lane. And who lived in Vorotnikovsky Lane?

(Guards, or "collars.")

Translators (interpreters) used to live in Tolmachevsky Lane in Moscow, blacksmiths lived on Kuznetsky Most, and cap makers who made hats lived in Kolpachny Lane. And what was produced on Upper Bolvanovskaya Street?

(Ingots for hats. Now this street is called Upper Radishchevskaya.)

In princely times, Kiev was a real City of Masters. One of the most revered was the profession of those who were called "sorcerers working at the forge." What profession are you talking about?

(Potter - from the word "miner", i.e. "sorcerer working at the forge.")

Carpenters in Russia were unsurpassed builders. Without a single nail, they were able to cut down the church and build a bridge. But from about the 10th century, stone structures began to be erected. Not only walls, but also houses were built of stone and brick. The name of the new profession comes from the building material from which bricks were made - clay. At that time, the word "clay" sounded like "zd", or "zod". What was the name of the new profession and buildings erected by such masters?

(The architect who built the building.)

When in the 12-13 centuries. stokers in Russia went about their usual business, their main food was fish. Why?

(That's why that pirates were then called stokers, from the word "sink" ships.)

What was the standard-bearer called under Peter I?

(Once in Russia they called the banner an ensign. And under Peter I, the standard bearer was called an ensign.)

A representative of what profession in Russia was called a "goldsmith"?

(Jeweler.)

During the time of Catherine II, there was a profession whose people burned gold leaf from their uniforms. It was done this way: clothes were placed on large baking sheets and thrust into the oven. The fabric decayed, and the gold flowed into the prepared buckets. Now the name of this profession, when applied to a person, has acquired an extremely negative connotation. According to Ozhegov's dictionary, this is a rogue, a rogue, a fisted man. What is this profession?

(Burning.)

Why did fabric merchants in Russia prefer to hire short sellers?

(In the old days, the fabric was measured in elbows. The elbow is the distance from the elbow joint to the middle finger. For a small seller, the elbow is shorter, you can get more money for a piece of fabric.)

What was the second-hand dealer called: maklak or vahlak?

(Maclac.)

Who was called "ofen" in the old days: merchants or suitors?

(Merchants selling haberdashery, books, popular prints.)

Was the peddler in Russia engaged in trade or the manufacture of boxes from birch bark?

(Trade. Peddlers sold haberdashery goods, small things necessary in peasant life.)

On the way from the Embassy Court to the Kremlin, at one time it was possible to go to the so-called lousy market, where various old things were sold, and representatives of a certain profession also sat there. What kind of profession is this, if the German traveler Adom Olearius recalled that he walked around the square, as if on soft upholstery?

(Barber, hairdresser - the whole area was strewn with hair.)

Ancient Russia. A person approaches an oak, pine or linden. He has an ax and a special knife in his hands, and wood-climbing spikes on his feet. What is his profession?

(Bortnik- a person engaged in betting, from the word "bort"-tree hollow. beekeeping-the oldest form of beekeeping, in which bees live in tree cavities.)

In the Middle Ages in Russia, the spinning profession was one of the most common. There were several dozen varieties of spins that made different types of threads for different purposes. The two most basic specialties were called osnovnitsy and podochnitsy. What they were doing?

(They made threads for the warp and weft, respectively. Wefts are transverse threads of fabric intertwined with longitudinal ones - the warp.)

According to Dahl's dictionary, since ancient times in Russia they called those who sew clothes, a simple peasant tailor. And later - a trashy little man. How?

(Trash.)

In which Russian city is the only monument in the world to barge haulers, whose hard labor made the Volga region rich?

(In the city of Rybinsk, which at one time received the unofficial status of the "capital of barge haulers".)

For which of the royal entertainments was the Jägermeister previously responsible?

(For the hunt.)

What is an assistant craftsman called?

(Journeyman.)

In Russia, a negligent apprentice craftsman could be locked up with a tool and “put on bread and water” for a whole year. Only a four-legged friend could brighten up his loneliness. The masters that resulted from such training were very skillful. What was said about those of them who, due to hunger, treated their friend in the process of training in a very uncomradely way?

(“I ate the dog in this case.”)

What is the name of the master who makes barrels?

(Cooper, or cooper.)

What name was given to all cheap cab drivers in pre-revolutionary Moscow?

(Vanka.)

A servant in a tavern was called a sexual or dishware?

(Sexual.)

How would our current bartender be called in the Russian state before the 18th century?

(The cupbearer. This is an official who was in charge of wine cellars, poured and brought drinks to the feast.)

Previously, it was a merchant, a trader, mostly foreign. And now - a familiar person whom you accept in your home. Who is this?

(A guest.)

What Russian painter liked to paint merchants, who were famous for their enterprising mind, and merchants - sleek and portly?

(Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev.)

Previously, in Russia, each person in this profession had his own teacher. The student received the right to independent work only after the death of the teacher. A person of this profession usually lived near his place of work and often, since the salary was small, he combined several more professions - he was both a trapper and a gravedigger. Name this job.

(Bell ringer.)

Representatives of what ancient profession were threatened by such two misfortunes as deafness and lightning strikes?

(To ringers.)

Guess who our ancestors called the pestun?

(A caring educator. To nurture is to carefully, lovingly grow, educate, and also nurse.)

Translate into modern language the word "protective", which served as the name of one of the professions of our ancestors.

(Bodyguard.)

In the tale of P.P. Ershov "Humpbacked Horse" we read:

A sleeping bag here with a half lope
And from all that was legs
He went to the Palace to the king.

Who is "Sleeper"?

(In the Russian state of the 11th-17th centuries - a courtier, whose duties included helping the Sovereign dress and undress.)

Previously, this word was used to call a maid who did dirty work, but now they call it a messy, dirty one. What is this word?

(Chumichka.)

What word in the old days was a derogatory name for a writer and journalist (it was used in the meaning of "scribbler")?

("Silkpen", from the phrase "to click a pen.")

What was the name of the philosopher in Russia?

(Lubomud, wisdom is philosophy.)

A clown or a clerk used to be called a "clown"?

(Clown.)

Who was called a konoval in Russia in the 18th - 19th centuries?

(A veterinarian who graduated from a special school.)

Was the interpreter or basmach in Russia an interpreter during the conversation and negotiations?

(Tolmach.)

Who is called a hack writer in Dahl's dictionary: an informer or a stenographer?

(A stenographer. Now this is an ironic name for a person who writes quickly, hastily and superficially.)

Previously, this word was used to call the owner of the inn, but today they are called the worker who maintains cleanliness and order in the yard and on the street. What is this word?

(Street cleaner.)

Who in Russia were called representatives?

(Actors.)

A figurine in the old days is ... Who?

(Magician, acrobat.)

What did the ore gun do in Russia, according to Dahl?

(He bled the sick. Usually this duty fell on the barbers.)

What did the lawyer do in Russia: jurisprudence, military affairs or cooking?

(Jurisprudence.)

A representative of what profession was called a sculptor in the old days? What about architects?

(Sculptor, architect.)

The Moscow Museum of what symbol of Russia became possible thanks to the hard work of fullers?

(Valenka Museum.)

What was the name of the worker who did the laundry?

(Laundress.)

Name the profession of people who, as a rule, were natives of Finland, carried a large spoon with a folding handle and had the right to visit baths in 19th century Petersburg for free.

(Chimney sweeps. With a spoon with a large folding handle, they scooped up ash from chimneys. In St. Petersburg in the 19th century, 2/3 of the chimney sweeps were Finns. After the revolution, they returned to their homeland.)

In Old Tallinn, they honestly fulfill all their duties. Not forgetting to bring happiness to those who touch them. Who are they?

(Chimney sweeps.)

“Without us, the human race will cease!” - Akulina Gavrilovna defended the honor of this profession in a play about the adventures of Misha Balzaminov. What is this profession?

(Matchmaker.)

Who was called a sworn attorney in 19th century Russia: a lawyer or a prosecutor?

(Lawyer.)

What was the name of the railroad workers in the century before last?

(Travelers.)

Representatives of what ancient profession use ruff, weights and cables as improvised means at work?

(Chimney sweeps.)

This profession is quite dangerous. Indeed, according to available data in Russia, of all those who were engaged in this difficult profession, only 60% survived to retirement (although they did not go on a well-deserved rest). Now we do not have this profession. What is this profession?

(Tsar. Of all the Russian tsars, only 60% died of old age, the rest were helped to die.)

Tell me, isn't it a shame that in Holy Russia
Thanks to you we don't see books until now?
What profession did A.S. Pushkin in these lines?

(To the censor.)

Pickpockets as specialist thieves appeared only in the 17th century, after the appearance of pockets on clothes. Who was the professional forerunner of pickpockets in Russia?

(Scammers. They cut off the wallet - moshnu.)

What would our Minister of Defense in Ancient Athens be called?

(Strategist. He commanded all the troops in Athens. They were Pericles, Themistocles, Alcibiades.)

In ancient Rome - a teacher who taught children the basics of linguistics - grammar. The reading teacher is a writer. A slave who accompanied children to and from school is a teacher. And what was the name of the teacher of arithmetic in ancient Rome?

(Calculator.)

We draw information about the common people of ancient Rome mainly from epitaphs. Many inscriptions about gladiators and various artisans have been preserved. And only one single inscription conveyed to us information about the representative of this profession. His name was Furius Philokal, he lived in Capua, as the epitaph says, "poorly and honestly." Times are changing, but even now most of the representatives of this profession, well known to you, live in poverty and honesty. Name this job.

(School teacher.)

What was the name of a teacher of eloquence in ancient Rome?

(Rhetorician.)

Shortly after the first Olympiad of antiquity was held in honor of Zeus, for the first time in history, a service of “ellonodiks” was formed, who underwent serious training. What are their modern counterparts called?

(Sports judges, or arbitrators. "Ellonodik" in literal translation - "Greek judge".)

This is one of the oldest "professions", but not the oldest. Translated from the Greek, the name of this “profession” is “try”, “test”. No, this is not a test pilot. Some historians include Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Fernando Magellan among the representatives of this "profession". Now this “profession” is experiencing a rebirth. Name this widespread "profession."

(This is "pirate", from other Greek peiran.)

In ancient Rome there was a profession "argyroscope". What did people in this profession do?

(They checked the coins for a tooth.)

In ancient Rome, there were up to 7 thousand professionals who are in demand to this day. True, then it was their duty to destroy houses if something happened. Now they are doing just that. What?

(They flood burning buildings with water and foam. These are firefighters. And in those days, firefighters simply brought down the house to prevent the fire from spreading further.)

Did the Greeks call builders architects or architects?

(Architects.)

The tradition of this profession has existed for three centuries. At first, only men owned it, but by the 18th century, women completely replaced men from this profession. From Japanese, her name is translated as "man of art." What is this profession?

(A geisha is a professional dancer and singer invited to receive and entertain guests.)

What was the name given to professional spies in medieval Japan who carried out a difficult task covertly?

(Ninja.)

In the middle of the 19th century, adding machines became widespread. They were served by specially trained people who could quickly and accurately count using this device. What is the name of such a person's profession?

(Calculator.)

For centuries, the peasant family has been the guardian of Russian folk traditions. She remained true to herself in matters of education.

The Russian peasant family is a unique "organism" where children were brought up without outside help, relying on an unwritten code of laws - simple and surprisingly wise. And so this process went on from century to century and from village to village, with only slight differences.

Childhood

Many children were born in a typical peasant family, but, unfortunately, many of them died of diseases in the first years of life. And although for poor families another child meant the appearance of an “extra mouth”, and for wealthy families it meant the appearance of a potential assistant in labor, parents perceived both the birth and death of babies with equal humility. This does not mean that children were not loved - mothers, of course, experienced the most tender feelings for their children, but the cruel realities of life forced people to acquire psychological armor.

The newborn was placed in a cradle - a wicker cradle suspended from the ceiling, where he slept until he got up on his feet. Care for him was minimal: firstly, because the mother was almost always busy with work, and secondly, because her ideas about caring for the baby were peculiar.

Doctor of Medicine G. Popov in the book “Russian Folk Household Medicine” described them as follows: “Peasant women believe that it is enough to turn a child over two or three times a day so that he does not get wet. For this purpose, a bunch of rags are placed under the baby.

Having learned to walk, the little one moved around the hut, mostly in one short shirt, occupying himself with various improvised objects. Grandparents or one of the older children could look after him. In the cold season, the baby was usually indoors, since it was a little tight with winter clothes for babies at that time, and in the warm season, he went outside, where he ran barefoot on the ground, again under the supervision of young nannies, who could be about four. five years.

The basis of infant nutrition was mother's milk. If the mother did not have milk, a nurse was found for the baby or they gave him goat milk, using a horn with a cow's udder nipple put on it as a bottle. Instead of a pacifier, a peasant child had a "zhevka" - a rag with a chewed crumb of bread wrapped in it. At about six months, the baby received complementary foods in the form of milk buckwheat porridge, and in a year he tried stew.

At the age of three, the baby already ate the same as the older members of his family, slept with other children on the floor and led a completely independent life. From early morning until late at night, he could play in the street, being left to himself. Growing up, the girls played with rag or straw dolls, which they made for themselves, and the boys played with a ball or a “horse”, which was an ordinary stick. As children of different sexes grew older, there were fewer and fewer common activities, games were clearly divided into “boyish” and “girlish”.

adolescence

On his seventh birthday, the child became a boy or girl. In honor of this event, he was given the first ports (trousers) in his life or a long girl's shirt. Children were actively involved in work - of course, taking into account age characteristics: work was given according to their strength, gradually increasing the load, and in their free time they were allowed to walk.

Orders were handed out without unnecessary ceremonies - in an orderly tone, but it did not occur to any of the youths to argue in response. The authority of the father was indisputable and was emphatically supported by the mother.

From the age of ten, the boys, under the supervision of adults, already harrowed the field, from the age of twelve they plowed, and at the age of fourteen, along with their fathers, they participated in any field work. In harnessing a horse or grazing cattle, they also did not see anything supernatural. Girls from the age of eleven were put at the spinning wheel, from thirteen they were taught sewing and embroidery, at fourteen they were instructed to soak canvases. At the same time, young housewives learned how to milk cows, bake bread and do everything that was necessary in peasant life.

In addition to labor education, the youths and maidens also absorbed the concepts of peasant morality. Children were taught respect for parents and elders, mercy for the poor and the poor, reverence for hard-earned bread, taught them the basics of faith, inspired the concept of sin. True, in most families the religious upbringing of children was limited to acquaintance with the ritual side of Orthodoxy interspersed with pagan beliefs.

Youth

In boys and girls, chastity and shame were encouraged, which, along with honor and conscience, were recognized as the most important categories of morality. For this reason, adolescents were not engaged in sexual education, it was not customary to talk with them on such topics. By the way, children who grew up next to domestic animals had very clear ideas about the physiology of relations between the sexes.

There was a very thin line between modesty and its absence, visible only to the peasants themselves. So, many parents did not prevent young people from visiting the so-called evening "gatherings", where boys and girls not only looked at each other, but also formed couples for whom kissing, hugging and sitting on each other's knees were commonplace. Closer relationships before marriage were condemned in the strictest way, but prudent girls and boys were not interested in them themselves, because they were afraid of God's wrath and public opinion. If a girl changed boyfriends more than once a season, or she herself took the initiative in relationships, this was also condemned.

Girls with an impeccable reputation were highly respected in the village - they occupied places of honor at gatherings, they were the first to be chosen in a round dance and they looked after the bride in the first place. Of course, if they also possessed other qualities necessary for marriage: obedience, hard work, respect for people, as well as physical endurance.

Marriages among the peasantry were early. In the 18th century, the age of 14-15 was considered quite suitable for family life. From the middle of the 19th century, boys from the age of 18 could legally marry, and girls from the age of 16. Peasant girls were often given in marriage without their consent, and the opinion of young grooms was also not always interested. But the children attached great importance to the parental blessing.

Education

Until the 18th century, the peasants had practically no chance of education. Even during the reign of Peter the Great, when new schools were opened everywhere, the entrance to them was closed to peasant children. Only a few of the children managed to get into the so-called bishops' schools, which were arranged under the supervision of bishops at their homes.

The situation began to change after the decree “On Educational Institutions” was issued in 1804, according to which all schools were declared classless, accessible and free (although the children of serfs were still not accepted in them). Parish schools became widespread. On the initiative of the villagers themselves, “literacy schools” began to appear, which could be organized right in some peasant hut with the help of a teacher from “passing literate people”.

Many landowners also contributed to the improvement of public literacy. For example, Count L.N. Tolstoy contributed to the opening of more than 20 schools in the vicinity of Yasnaya Polyana, and in one of them he taught personally. “When I enter a school and see this crowd ... thin children with their bright eyes and so often angelic expressions, anxiety comes over me, horror, like that which I would experience at the sight of drowning people ... I want education for the people in order to save the Pushkins, Ostrogradskys, Lomonosovs there ... And they are swarming in every school! he wrote in one of his letters.

After the October Revolution, all kinds of schools, colleges and gymnasiums were transformed into a single labor school. At the same time, the way of life of the peasants began to lose its originality.

Visual arts

Pre-revolutionary HR, or Forgotten professions on the canvases of Russian artists

The labor market does not stand still. Some professions are corrected by technical progress, others go into oblivion. What occupations were in demand in past centuries? Ofenya, a water carrier, a batman ... We are examining paintings by Russian painters.

water carrier

Sergei Gribkov. Water carrier. 1873

If in a Russian village almost every yard had its own well dug, then in the city it was difficult to get water. In the central regions, water in rivers and ponds was most often undrinkable, so the townspeople had to bring clean water. Delivery was handled by a water carrier. To become one, one had to have a horse-drawn cart or two-wheeled wagon and a large barrel. In St. Petersburg, the color of the barrel spoke of the quality of the water in it: water from the canals was transported in green barrels, and drinking water - in white ones. Often the water carrier was accompanied by a dog: it notified the inhabitants of the arrival of the wagon with a loud bark. In large cities, this profession persisted until the beginning of the 20th century, until a centralized water supply system appeared.

In 1873, the work of a water carrier was captured in his painting by the artist Sergei Gribkov. At that time, this profession was considered prestigious and, importantly, very profitable: this can also be judged by the good clothes of the worker. Water carriers often took advantage of the fact that the townspeople had no choice, and charged them at exorbitant prices.

Batman

Pavel Fedotov. Officer and orderly. 1850–1851

Orderlies were called soldiers of the Russian army, who were in permanent service with an officer in the position of servants. According to historians, the name is derived from the French de jour, which means "orderly, on duty." The batman conveyed the orders of the officer to his subordinates, cleaned his uniform and boots, and, if necessary, acted as a bodyguard. Under Peter I, not only commoners, but also people from a noble family served in this post. The latter, as a rule, carried out the diplomatic and secret orders of the king. This "profession" was abolished in 1881, however, batmen unofficially existed during the Great Patriotic War. Their duties were performed by drivers.

Lamplighter

Leonid Solomatkin. Morning at the tavern. 1873

The profession of a lamplighter in a more simplified form existed in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome: even then, at night, the streets were lit with oil lamps and torches. In Russia in the 19th century, retired military men were taken to the position of a lamplighter, who could work night and day. In an hour, they walked around at least 50 lanterns: they adjusted the wicks and poured hemp oil. There was no theft. To stop this, turpentine was added to the oil, and later it was completely replaced with kerosene. With the advent of electric lights, the work was somewhat facilitated, although they were still turned on and off manually. Only after the 30s of the XX century did the automatic ignition of lanterns appear, and this once prestigious profession has sunk into oblivion. In some cities, you can still meet a lamplighter, although this is more an attempt to preserve traditions than a necessity.

In the painting by Leonid Solomatkin “Morning at the Tavern”, you can see how the lamplighter, having climbed the ladder, goes about his business - extinguishing a candle. Each worker also had a long pole with which he lit and refueled the lanterns.

Saddler

Mikhail Klodt. Saddler. 1860s

Blinkers were called eyecups that closed the view of the horse on the sides. This is where the word "blinded" came from - this is the name of people who are unable to accept other points of view. The element of the harness gave the name to the whole profession. However, the master was engaged in the manufacture of all horse ammunition: saddles, bridles, stirrups. Each harness had to be unique. The first saddlers existed in Ancient Russia, and now only rare specialists decorate thoroughbred horses for racing.

A painting by Mikhail Klodt shows a saddler at work. The craft was laborious and required skillful skills. What did it cost to choose the right skin! And it was also necessary to flash the belts, put rivets. Everything was done by hand with the simplest tools. Each craftsman adhered to certain rules. For example, it was possible to bend the arcs only during the summer sap flow, and to dry them only in the shade.

Cooper

Traditionally, wooden barrels are used for pickling cucumbers and aging wine. In the old days, a cooper was engaged in their manufacture. Widespread in Russia, this profession came to naught in the 20th century. Previously, the number of professional coopers reached a thousand people in each province, but now there are only a few of them. Filling the barrels was extremely difficult. Suffice it to recall an episode from a book about Robinson Crusoe: on the island he tried to learn how to make barrels. I pored over for several weeks, knocking together planks, but still I couldn’t do anything worthwhile.

In the painting by Sergei Skachkov, you can see a cooper at work. With the help of an ax and improvised carpentry tools, he attaches wooden or iron hoops to the body. Planks should be knocked down so tightly to each other that they do not let water through.

5 City of Masters

The names of ancient Russian cities come from the names of their founders: the city of Vladimir is named after Vladimir Monomakh, a Russian prince, Yaroslavl is named after another famous prince, Yaroslav the Wise. But still, the names of most cities came from the names of the rivers on which they were built. For example, Moscow on the Moscow River.

The names of the cities were given by the professions of their inhabitants. Even a small town in the old days was famous for some trade or craft. For example, in the town of Bronnitsy in the Moscow region there lived gunsmiths who made armor, and in Mytishchi, another town near Moscow, the collection of myta (duties) took place. The names of streets in ancient Russian cities, for the most part, also came from the occupations of their inhabitants - Armory, Kuznetskaya, Myasnitskaya, Goncharnaya, Kozhevnicheskaya. These names have survived in modern cities.

Ancient clothes: 1 - hair; 2, 3 - gloves; 4 - caftan

Tailor at work. From a 16th century drawing.

Shoe shop in Moscow. From a 17th century engraving. Antique shoes: 1, 2 - boots; 3 - shoes; 4 - piston

Artisans fed and clothed the townspeople. These were crepe makers, bakers, butchers, satirists, artisans "in costume" who sewed clothes. Tanners processed leather and made various items from it, including shoes. Carpenters built houses and made wood products. Blacksmiths and casters owned the secrets of forging and casting metal products. Artisans were very proud of their skills, not without reason they said: "There are many artisans, but few craftsmen."

Peasant and craftsman of the XII century. Reconstruction

Imagine a bearded blacksmith, cropped in a circle, dressed in a caftan just above the knees, an apron and boots. His main tool is a hammer and pincers. He knows for sure that it is impossible to overexpose the molten metal at a high temperature, that it is necessary to remove the finished product from the furnace in time. Each blacksmith understood that if the metal cools down, it will become hard and it will no longer be possible to forge it. This is where the modern saying “strike while the iron is hot” comes from, which means “make haste to do things on time”. And so that outsiders would not interfere with such a complex matter as metal casting, blacksmiths spread various false rumors. Onlookers dispersed, and it was possible to calmly do business. This is where the word “fill in” comes from, that is, “deceive”.

The craft of potters was difficult. They sculpted pots from clay rims, which they put one on top of the other, aligned and molded together. At first they were made by hand, and later invented Potter's wheel- a special rotating device with which the walls of the dishes could be molded even. When the dishes were ready, they dried them in the sun and fired them in ovens. The craftsmen were very proud of their products, giving affectionate names to individual parts of the vessels - spout, neck, handle, body, leg.

If the life of an urban craftsman took place in the workshop, then the merchant spent all his time at the auction. Oriental goods were in special demand - peppers, raisins, nuts, glassware, cloth, which were bought in large skeins - pieces. Russian people brought honey, wax, leather, furs, linen to the auction. In addition to goods, merchants also brought fresh news, stories about overseas countries and customs.

In addition to artisans and merchants, ancient cities were inhabited by coachmen- people who kept horses to transport people, mail and goods. Their houses stood near the most important roads leading out of the city. In the city fortresses there were also serving military people - shooters, gunners. They served to protect the city, and in peacetime they were also engaged in crafts and trade.

Church ministers also lived in the cities - priests and monks. The latter lived in monasteries near the city or in farmsteads in the city itself. There were a lot of churches in the cities, almost on every street. Near the churches, near the walls of the monasteries one could see a huge number of beggars.

The inhabitants of ancient cities were a little like modern townspeople. They dressed completely differently. Remember the tale of A. S. Pushkin about the fisherman and the fish? The old man did not recognize his old woman when she became rich:

On the porch stands his old woman

In an expensive sable shower jacket,

Brocade on the top of the kichka,

Pearls weighed down the neck,

On the hands of gold rings,

On her feet are red boots.

Boyars, wealthy merchants wore wide loose clothes of bright colors, embroidered with gold and pearls. The sleeves and hems of the caftans were necessarily trimmed with materials of a different color. Large collars, decorated with precious stones, were fastened separately.

Sagittarius 17th century

Moscow dandy of the 17th century.

1. Caftan 2. Elegant caftan 3. Feryaz 4. Ohaben

Wide and long (up to toe) clothes in the old days were called hazards. They were sewn from silk or fine cloth, lined, with a slit in front and very long sleeves. Under the sleeves, holes were made for the arms, and the sleeves themselves were tied in a knot on the back. Opashni were decorated with beautiful buttons and necklace- a collar embroidered with gold and pearls. Apparently, this rich summer outfit was worn when leaving the house in fine weather. They wore it “on the edge”, that is, in a cape (hence the name “opashen”, as well as the word “smell”).

In the XVI century. appeared feryaz- a wide and long festive dress without a collar. Feryaz was sewn from silk, velvet, brocade, lined with fur. The feryaz was decorated in front samples- embroidered with silk and gold buttonholes. Initially, the feryaz was on ties, which were later replaced with buttons. The feryazi, like the opashny, had long sleeves. One of them, gathered in folds, was passed through the hand, and the other was left hanging to the floor. Sometimes the sleeves were tied at the back.

throat caps and cap. Engraving. 17th century

Wealthy citizens were very fond of fur coats. They were worn even in not very cold weather to show their wealth. And if it was hot, then a beautiful sable collar was attached to the clothes. Fur coats were always sewn with fur inside and covered with cloth or silk on top. On the sides of the cut in front, stripes were made from another matter. They were sewn on loops and buttons. Fur coats were usually in the old days wide swing long, with turn-down collars.

The subject of panache was not only furs, but also buttons, which in those days cost much more than the dress itself. But the most fashionable piece of clothing was a stand-up collar - trump. The word "trump" meant in the old days "to put on airs".

Trump. Parsun "Mikhail Vasilievich Skopin-Shuisky". 17th century

An indispensable part of clothing in Russia was a belt. Only children could go outside without a belt. Rich people specially girdled high under the chest so that the stomach protruded. In Ancient Russia, to deprive a person of a belt meant to dishonor him (hence the well-known expression “unbelt”, which meant “disgrace”).

The most common belt in Russia was a sash. It was wide and long; it was wrapped several times around the waist. Its ends were sometimes left free, and sometimes tucked in from the sides. Behind the sash, according to Asian custom, hung a dagger.

The high hat was called throaty, because they sewed it from the skins from the throats of animals. She was an indispensable attribute of the attire of a wealthy citizen.

Not far behind the men and the townspeople. They wore even wider and brighter clothes. Long sleeves folded back, hands were not thrust into them. The girls wore crowns and woven ribbons into their braids. And women carefully removed their hair under a scarf or headdress - kiku. Kika had a high forehead part, expanding upwards, - forehead It was usually made from a silver sheet covered with elegant fabric and decorated with gold, pearls and precious stones. The back of the kiki - slap- was made of dense matter, sable or beaver fur. A fringe was fastened along the edge of the kiki, most often from pearls, which was called lower.

On their feet, rich townspeople and townswomen wore soft boots, and the poor wore shoes made of bast. The expression "not a bastard" meant that a person is not an ordinary person.

Vintage women's hats

N. Konchalovskaya in the book "Our Ancient Capital" describes the clothes in which Muscovites used to go:

Oh, you guests are well done,

Long-haired merchants!

And boyars and nobles,

Citizens and peasants

Who is in shirts and pants,

Who is in short zipuns.

And such dandies were:

They wore a long coat

Sleeves to the ground

Dust swept across the street.

And in winter, in frost, in Moscow

They put on a fur coat, two.

And the noblewoman, it happened,

She wore three coats.

They love to dress up on holidays.

Our Russian girls:

Necklaces, earrings, beads,

Ribbons in braids to the ground.

And the youngsters under the rubble

Hiding their hair

In the old days there was a braid

Only girlish beauty!

The clothes of the artisans were simple: shirts, ports and caftans. Ports were sewn from fine cloth - trousers and tucked into boots (the word "trousers" comes from this name). Hats were made from felted cloth. They cut their hair in a circle and wore beards.

1. Letnik 2. Kika and dushepreya 3. Summer clothes of wealthy women

Telogreya

The wives and daughters of artisans, like peasant women, were very fond of wearing sundresses. Worn over them body warmers and dushegrei - wide and short sweaters, and on the head - a kichka or kokoshnik. It was covered with bright fabric and embroidered. They also wore scarves - fly. The townspeople loved glass and copper bracelets, bone pendants for headdresses, hoops and rings made of wood and bone.

And the craftsman, and the merchant, and the boyar - all the townspeople necessarily had a garden, a field plot and a barn with cows, pigs, birds. And not somewhere outside the city, but in the city itself. In addition to the garden, the city dweller always had a garden, which he loved very much and carefully looked after. Until now, vegetables and fruits are known, the cultivation of which the ancient cities were famous for: “Vladimirka” - cherries from Vladimir, Nezhin cucumbers, Pavlovsk melons and watermelons.

There were in the old days in the cities and special hay trades. The fact is that the cities had their own hayfields and pastures for livestock. The urban landscape was characterized by stretched nets and fishermen sitting on the banks of a river or lake. It was not by chance that fish were depicted on many ancient coats of arms of cities. (In general, coats of arms can tell us a lot about the occupations of the inhabitants of the ancient city.)

Thus, each citizen, in addition to his main profession, was also engaged in peasant labor, providing his family with everything necessary. That is why the old towns looked so much like villages.

Boyar of the end of the 17th century.

Questions and tasks

1. List all those who lived in the old days in a Russian city. What were they doing? How did the townspeople dress before?

2. Try to draw the coat of arms of one of the Russian cities. Is it possible to determine the occupations of the townspeople by the painted coat of arms?

3. What craft would you like to do if you were in the place of a city dweller-artisan? Sculpt from clay or plasticine a product that was made by artisans of this profession.

4. Rewrite, insert the missing letters and explain the meaning of the words:

r-craftsmen

k-zhevenniki

l-teyshchiki

p-courtyard

m-stera-arable land

to-to look

r-plated hat

s-r-fan

k-koshnik

5. Why do you think the riddle “Seventy clothes, and all without fasteners” arose in a Russian city? How does it relate to the habits of the townspeople?

6. Remember songs, jokes and riddles about Russian clothes. How were clothes treated in the old days?

I'm bored girl

Alone in the light

Sew patterns with silver!

And without a mother dear

My favorite sundress

I put it on in the evening.

In a multi-colored round dance

I played free

And laughed like a child!

A. I. Polezhaev. Sarafan

You, Nazar, you, Nazar,

Go to the market

Buy me a sundress

Neither long nor short

Not to go to the forest

Don't catch rabbits.

7. Guess Russian folk riddles about clothes. You can draw answers. Which of these garments were worn in the old days?

1. I walked along the road,

Found two roads

Went to both.

2. I'm sitting on horseback

I don't know who

meeting a friend,

I'll jump off - I'll welcome you.

3. Happy hoop,

Serpent at night.

Guesses: belt, hat, pants.

Curious fact. Do you know the history of the origin of winged words and expressions? For example, today you can hear the words: “Do not bring me to white heat!” It turns out that we owe their appearance to artisan blacksmiths. They gradually heated the metal to such an extent that, when heated, it turned from red to white. Then he was given the desired shape with a hammer. The expression "to chop one's nose" meant (and still means) "to remember." And in the old days, a “nose” was called a tablet that illiterate people carried with them to make various notes and notches on it. "Cut on the nose" meant "make notches on the board so as not to forget."

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06.07.2018

Every society in different periods of its development has a different need for professional labor. In Russia, the people never sat idle - either they beat the buckets, or sharpened the laces, there were many professions, each fed the family, depending on the origin and abilities. It is now that there are many technical means that facilitate work, but before everything was done by skillful calloused hands and a piece of soul was invested in every business.

Many professions and crafts have sunk into the past, while others have now found their second birth. After all, in our time of mass consumption of "plastic", artificially grown and machine-made products, the craving for "live", natural, natural - native is increasing.

We offer you to get acquainted with some of those professions and thereby learn more about your past, captured in the bowels of the Tribal memory.

The first and most necessary were the professions associated with the construction of dwellings, the extraction of food and the creation of clothes, shoes and household items: tillers, mowers, bast workers, blacksmiths, coopers, fullers, lace makers, pearl divers and many others ...

You weave loops on yourself
And sharpen your swords.
I'm looking in vain: is there between you
Dawn hungry in the night?

I have a poor sermyag,
Skinny shoes on my feet
But how much joy and good
Shows through in desecrated features.

You mix ashes in my bread,
Bitter poison in wine
But I, like the sky, wisely bright
And I don't know how it is.

You have traveled the seas and the land,
Ships hoisted to the constellations,
And only me - a worldly soul,
How miserable rubbish, neglected.

Worker of the homeland of the free
In the field of life and work,
Can I you, like a worthless thorn,
Not uproot forever?

Nikolai Klyuev

Plowman

A plowman, also called a walker behind a plow, an ancient field worker or a tiller, is a person who is engaged in plowing the land for the needs of agriculture.

In Slavic mythology, the plowman was a real cultural hero who, in accordance with the widespread folklore plot, managed to expel primitive giants from the earth, embodying the wild, unbridled forces of mother nature.

Repin I.E. "Plowman L.N. Tolstoy on arable land"

Mower

Mowing grass has long been perceived in Russia as a common cause. However, the main "strike force" was still mowers - usually very strong and hardy men. If those were not enough, both women and old people went out to mow. By the way, some older people could give odds to young guys. They started mowing at the first dew, which moistened the grass and facilitated the course of the scythe. A certain position of the hands, a wave of the scythe, its direction - there are many subtleties in this work. How well the scythe worked directly depended on what product the cattle in the barn and the person on the table would receive. Usually, during mowing, they sang - together, cheerfully, thereby creating the necessary rhythm of work, because if one of the mowers hesitates, it’s not far from trouble. Haymaking is one of the most popular subjects in Russian art. Easy to mow, you say. Of course, but only if it's not about mowing the grass.

Cooper

Traditionally, wooden barrels are used for pickling cucumbers and aging wine. In the old days, a cooper was engaged in their manufacture. Widespread in Russia, this profession came to naught in the 20th century. Previously, the number of professional coopers reached a thousand people in each province, but now they are few. Filling the barrels was extremely difficult.

The cooper, using an ax and other carpentry tools, adjusts the staves of the barrel one to the other, cuts them out, makes folds (chute) with a chime, drives the bottom into them and ties everything with wooden or iron hoops.

Tar and tar

Degtekurs drove tar from birch bark. This profession was massive, because. tar was used in the production of black yuft (a special leather dressing with a pleasant resinous smell), from which shoes and harnesses were later made. The lower crowns of wooden log cabins were also smeared with tar, thereby protecting them from moisture; lubricated locks, wheel axles, etc.; later - impregnated sleepers. And the resin workers were engaged in the extraction of resin from coniferous trees by distillation.

Lapotnik

Bast weaving masters - bast shoes, and under a different name "lychaks", were also common among Belarusians, Karelians, Mordovians, Tatars, Finns, Estonians, Chuvashs. A similar type of footwear was used by the Japanese, the North American Indians, and even the Australian Aborigines. .

Shoemaker

Burlak

Barge haulers were hired workers who, walking along the shore, pulled the ship against the current. “Oh, bludgeon, let’s go,” the foreman of the artel, a bump, dragged on, and the barge haulers began their hard and monotonous work. To facilitate work, it was necessary to go synchronously, swaying evenly. And it was good if the wind was fair. They hired workers, as a rule, for the season - in spring and autumn. In the USSR, barge hauling was banned in 1929. In some countries, such as Bangladesh, you can still see the poor pulling barges.

At the mention of barge haulers, images from the famous painting by Repin immediately appear before my eyes, but the first Russian artist to depict this hard work was Vasily Vereshchagin (picture below). Living in 1866 in his uncle's estate in the village of Lyubets, he observed barge haulers on the banks of the Sheksna River. Making sketches of hard workers, he planned to create a large canvas in order to draw attention to the inhuman working conditions of barge haulers. However, soon Vereshchagin went to serve in Turkestan and did not finish the large-scale picture.

There were many skilled craftsmen in Russia. Old Russian crafts were divided into women's (sewing, embroidery, weaving, weaving, painting, etc.) and men's (jewellery, furriery, blacksmithing, pottery, etc.). Those things that served for beauty were mainly performed by female hands. Male artisans were engaged in more crude and complex cases.

Weaver

An artisan who makes wicker products from a wicker: household utensils and containers for various purposes, such as boxes, baskets, vases, etc., furniture (tables, chairs, chests, cradles), etc. A vine means any natural material of plant origin that is capable of certain processing, it is easy to bend, and under normal conditions to keep its shape.

Blacksmith

Blacksmithing is one of the oldest crafts. The blacksmith, earlier than other craftsmen, had to stop doing other things (for example, simultaneously plowing, weaving, doing subsistence farming, and so on) and fully concentrate on his occupation, which requires rather complex technological processes. To other peasants (or nomads) this was not always clear and seemed mysterious. In addition, due to the danger of fire, blacksmiths usually settled on the outskirts, which created additional mystery. Forge in the modern economy.

Potter

At first, pottery was a craft that served to prepare vessels for food or to preserve liquid and loose bodies; but over time it developed and enriched with new articles of manufacture, namely refractory bricks, stoneware, tiles, tiles, drainage pipes, architectural decorations and similar products.

Lozhkar

Wooden spoons in Russia in the 19th century. were manufactured in quantities of at least 150 million pieces (worth over a million rubles) per year. The material for spoons is: aspen, birch, partly alder and mountain ash, and occasionally only maple and palm (boxwood), and in the western provinces and the Caucasus - pear.

Toyman

A craftsman who makes toys from various natural materials. In Russia, they were carved from wood, molded from clay or woven from straw.

Dyer

Dyer - an artisan who dyes yarn, fabrics, leather, etc.

The work of a dyer was hard. Wielding a stirrer and relying not on spectral analysis, but on his own eye and instinct, the dyer did not even suspect that chemistry and physics were related to the mystery of his craft.

The manual dyeing process was lengthy. For example, yarn or fabric was dyed with alizarin for several weeks, literally nursing a bright and durable crimson color.

Fuller

Felt boots are traditional shoes of the peoples of Eurasia, which are used for walking on dry snow. To slow down wear, boots are hemmed with leather or rubber soles or worn with galoshes. Traditionally, felt boots come in brown, black, gray, and white, but in recent years, felt boots have been produced in a variety of colors.

Weaver

Until the 19th and 20th centuries weaving was one of the most common household activities in the traditional cultures of the peoples of Russia and neighboring territories. It was used mainly in the manufacture of linen and hemp (the so-called lean) canvas for underwear, cloth for outerwear, as well as belts and trimmings. With the weaving process, especially with the critical stages of the beginning and cutting of the finished product (for example, strips of canvas), many beliefs and signs are associated. An amazing specialty is weaving.

embroiderer

Embroidery has been known since ancient times. The passion for decorating oneself and one's clothes in order to stand out from the environment is characteristic of human nature, even in its primitive, semi-wild state; so, for example, red-skinned Indians decorate blankets with various embroideries; Laplanders embroider a wide variety of patterns on their deerskin clothes... Russian folk embroidery.

Lace craftswoman

In Russia, lace was created on bobbins in three different ways in terms of technology, namely: numerical, paired and coupling. For the manufacture of lace, equipment is needed: bobbin, on which the thread is wound, a roller (“pillow”, “tambourine”) and a stand, for weaving coupling lace, in addition to traditional pins, a hook is also required. Most often, lace is woven according to a pre-drawn pattern - a chip. Modern fashion designers use the traditions of Russian lace making in their collections.

For more than two centuries, until the 1930s, the daily life of large cities could not be imagined without the "shouts" of small traders. The outskirts of the city, the densely populated quarters, woke up every morning, awakened by the exclamations of pastry workers, junk dealers, greengrocers, fish sellers, milkmen and other such people.

The work of the peddlers was very difficult. Their working day began early in the morning and ended late in the evening, or even at night. They had to stand on the street all day at any time of the year, and even with goods. Therefore, representatives of this profession, as a rule, were not old people.

Peddler

Peasants who traded throughout Russia were called peddlers, walkers or ofen. They carried their goods (usually various useful little things) in large lubok boxes, hence the name - peddlers. Their society, their code, their concept of honor, and even their slang, which only people in this profession knew, distinguished peddlers from many other Russian workers. Word formation in the Ofenei language took place in various ways: Russian words were distorted beyond recognition, replaced in sentences by borrowings from other languages, and often simply invented. The attitude of the people to the offen was different. On the one hand, ofeni were often the only sources of news, tellers of tales and gossip, on the other hand, the Russian people were somehow always distrustful of people offering to buy something.

Milkman

The milkman delivered fresh milk every day.

water carrier

If in a Russian village almost every yard had its own well dug, then in the city it was difficult to get water. In the central regions, water in rivers and ponds was most often undrinkable, so the townspeople had to bring clean water. Delivery was handled by a water carrier. To become one, one had to have a horse-drawn cart or two-wheeled cart and a large barrel. In St. Petersburg, the color of the barrel spoke of the quality of the water in it: water from the canals was transported in green barrels, and drinking water was transported in white ones. Often the water carrier was accompanied by a dog: it notified the inhabitants of the arrival of the wagon with a loud bark. In large cities, this profession persisted until the beginning of the 20th century, until a centralized water supply system appeared.

In 1873, the work of a water carrier was captured in his painting by the artist Sergei Gribkov. At that time, this profession was considered prestigious and, importantly, very profitable: this can also be judged by the good clothes of the worker. Water carriers often took advantage of the fact that the townspeople had no choice, and charged them at exorbitant prices.

Lamplighter

Occupations that have disappeared include lamplighters. Lanterns first appeared in Moscow in 1698 near the royal palace. And in 1718, Peter I issued a decree on the illumination of the city of St. Petersburg.

A team of lamplighters was created, in which each served 15 lanterns, lit and extinguished, cleaned, and replaced a burned-out wick. The first lanterns were oil, and from the middle of the XVIII century, kerosene began to come into use.

In the 19th century, gas lamps became the predominant form of street lighting. The lanterns were supposed to burn every night from dusk to 3 o'clock after midnight on all dark nights, except for moonlit ones.

The position of a lamplighter was usually taken by retired military men who could work night and day.

Only after the 30s of the XX century did the automatic ignition of lanterns appear, and this once prestigious profession has sunk into oblivion. In some cities, you can still meet a lamplighter, although this is more an attempt to preserve traditions than a necessity.

Saddler

Blinkers were called eyecups that closed the view of the horse on the sides. This is where the word “blinkered” came from - this is the name of people who are unable to accept other points of view. The element of the harness gave the name to the whole profession. However, the master was engaged in the manufacture of all horse ammunition: saddles, bridles, stirrups. Each harness had to be unique. Now only rare specialists decorate thoroughbred horses for racing.

Coachman, cab driver, cart driver

This profession was very popular until the beginning of the 20th century and was shrouded in a fair layer of romance. Translated into a modern way: coachmen are something like drivers of long-distance routes, who were also engaged in postal and freight traffic. Truckers, in a word.

But cabbies are city taxi drivers. They are also classified. For example, the “vanki” who provided “economy class” services were from the villages, renting horses and carriages. They took from 30 to 70 kopecks for the trip.

"Lomoviks", carrying goods on heavy horses, were like cargo taxis. Wealthy people used the services of “reckless drivers”, who had beautiful horses and comfortable carriages, and they delivered clients to the place already for three rubles.

There were also among the city cabbies, dressed in branded clothes, the so-called "darlings" and "frisky". They had a license plate, they could be ordered through a special exchange, and the trip cost within a ruble.

It cannot be said that all of the above professions have disappeared from our lives; references to many of them are preserved in the immortal works of the classics of Russian literature. The basic needs of people - to have food, clothes, a roof over their heads - did not become less relevant over time, but rather modernized. So those professions, being the "progenitors" of today's ones, have changed, modernized, automated ... And some have been revived.