TOP 6 facts from peasant life

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Today, those who want to get acquainted with the history of the activities and life of peasants can visit ethnographic museums, because they try to recreate the atmosphere of rural life of past times as much as possible. Only there they show the most ennobled version of reality, not always showing the real, albeit not the most attractive, aspects of the life of ordinary workers who worked on the earth.

We bring to your attention the "six" little-known facts about the life of peasants, which you will not see in ethnographic museums.

1. About the features of heating houses

Often, two types of heating were used in peasant houses: "black" and "white". However, it was the first one that was more widespread. This choice was influenced by several reasons at once: the preparation of firewood, provided that the majority of the villagers had axes, and not saws, was a rather laborious body.

In addition, much more logs were required for heating "like a white". Therefore, the "in black" method was not only widely used earlier - it can still be found now, however, now only when heating baths.

2. About the interior decoration of the house

The interior of the peasant hut was very sparse: the main elements of the decoration were a stove, as well as a red corner, where one or several icons were always located.

Platforms and benches were installed along the walls; it was on them that the inhabitants of the house not only sat, but also slept. In addition, often the decoration of the peasant hut did not provide for the presence of shelves for dishes - all utensils were kept under the same benches, and clothes were kept in chests.

3. About the absence of windows

In colder areas, where black heating was more common, so-called chicken huts were often built. They are distinguished by the absence of windows - they were replaced by small holes in the walls for smoke to escape, and after the furnace was fired, they were closed.

True, in such houses, chimneys were sometimes also placed, including brick ones. But in the southern regions, the huts had windows, because the problem of keeping heat in the house was not so acute.

4. About floor material

In ethnographic museums, peasant huts often have wooden floors. However, in reality this was not always the case: there was a dependence on the location. So, in a number of areas, sandy floors were made in houses: they were carefully tamped down to make it hard. And sometimes the huts were completely dug into the ground.

5. About the peasant diet

The food of the peasants was quite simple and unpretentious in preparation, because they simply did not have time to create delicacies or rare complex dishes.

Often, the menu of an ordinary family consisted of bread, cakes made from buckwheat and oat flour, porridge and vegetables. The first course was usually cabbage soup. And meat was eaten extremely rarely, and it was either dried or dried in the oven - the lack of refrigerators affected.

6. About clothes

Domestic peasants dressed in everyday life much easier than it is usually drawn. First of all, it is simply impossible for those who literally work on the ground with their hands to wear embroidered shirts, white blouses and bright dresses and scarves. Therefore, most of the clothes were presented in gray-black shades.

The material for shirts and skirts was usually thick home cloth. For the sake of justice, it should be clarified that the peasants, of course, did have smart clothes - otherwise museums and art would not have them either - but they were worn only on holidays.