Goodbye unwashed Europe

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

Often the past, information about which we draw from "historical" novels, appears in a rosy light. Let's remember The Three Musketeers. Ladies, gentlemen, honor and love, intrigue and nobility. Louvre, finally. There were, however, some problems in the palace. Not quite palace, but reflecting the peculiarities of the era. The technology that ensures the coexistence of large groups of people had not yet been worked out, which left an unpleasant-smelling imprint on everyday life. I'm talking about toilets. It turns out that there were not one of them in the huge palace. What were the architects thinking? Sublime beauty, of course. And nature is nature, so why think about it? It was not yet considered necessary to arrange latrines in the gallant era. According to an eyewitness: "In the Louvre and around it, inside the courtyard and in its vicinity, in the alleys, outside the doors - almost everywhere you can see thousands of heaps and smell the most different smells of the same thing - a product of the natural function of those living here and coming here every day" … The great Leonardo da Vinci, struck by the Louvre realities, who visited Paris at the invitation of King Francois I, hastily designed a toilet with a water flush for the monarch. But, as you know, many ideas of the genius outstripped modernity for centuries. A water toilet for a French courtyard is no exception. For our contemporaries, it all looks wild, but "which is natural" … The Medieval Louvre is not an exception, but only a part of the whole. They simply did not know how to take any specific measures to solve hygienic problems and lived as they had to. Residents of Parisian high-rise buildings simply got rid of slop - they poured it out the window. And in order not to accidentally douse a gaping passer-by from above, they adhered to the rule: before pouring out the slops, the townspeople shouted loudly three times: "Caution, pouring out!" It cannot be said that the authorities did not fight the phenomenon. The first law to prohibit pouring the contents of chamber pots into a window was passed as early as 1270. But bans alone are not enough, and the city sewage system did not yet exist. The aristocrats wore silk underwear under exquisite attire. The reason for its popularity is simple. In the slippery matter, parasites, fleas and lice were not found, they had nothing to cling to. The fact that insects were a problem is evidenced by examples of ingenious devices that can be found even in the Hermitage. It's about flea traps. Noble people ordered them from precious metals. Devices with a bait - a piece of fur soaked in blood, were laid in lush wigs, often adorning shaved heads. From the point of view of a modern hygienist, the spread of insects was not unusual. Hygiene requirements are a product of later times. And in the Middle Ages, even noble ladies took a bath no more than a couple of times a year. The famous Sun King, son of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV, generally washed only twice in his life, and then on the insistent recommendations of doctors. Against such a civilized European background, some Russian customs looked at least strange. Louis XIV even sent special spies to the court of Peter I in order to find out what exactly the Most Serene Menshikov was doing in solitude, who visited the bathhouse on a weekly basis. The Sun King, who was not on friendly terms with water, is understandable. It did not fit into his head that you can wash yourself so often. However, baths were baths, and in general, the fragrance of the streets of Russian cities was not much different from European ones. Moscow newspapers wrote about the "stinking streams" at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky as early as 1871. Among all Russian cities and settlements of the beginning of the 20th century, and there were more than a thousand of them, only eleven had sewerage systems. Over the past hundred years, the life of the townspeople has changed dramatically. It is worth remembering this, and, while poeticizing the past, appreciate the present.

© Shkolazhizni.ru Often the past, information about which we draw from "historical" novels, appears in a rosy light. Let's remember The Three Musketeers. Ladies, gentlemen, honor and love, intrigue and nobility. Louvre, finally. There were, however, some problems in the palace. Not quite palace, but reflecting the peculiarities of the era. The technology that ensures the coexistence of large groups of people had not yet been worked out, which left an unpleasant-smelling imprint on everyday life. I'm talking about toilets. It turns out that there were not one of them in the huge palace. What were the architects thinking? Sublime beauty, of course. And nature is nature, so why think about it? It was not yet considered necessary to arrange latrines in the gallant era. According to an eyewitness: "In the Louvre and around it, inside the courtyard and in its vicinity, in the alleys, outside the doors - almost everywhere you can see thousands of heaps and smell the most different smells of the same thing - a product of the natural function of those living here and coming here every day" … The great Leonardo da Vinci, struck by the Louvre realities, who visited Paris at the invitation of King Francois I, hastily designed a toilet with a water flush for the monarch. But, as you know, many ideas of the genius outstripped modernity for centuries. A water toilet for a French courtyard is no exception. For our contemporaries, it all looks wild, but "which is natural" … The Medieval Louvre is not an exception, but only a part of the whole. They simply did not know how to take any specific measures to solve hygienic problems and lived as they had to. Residents of Parisian high-rise buildings simply got rid of slop - they poured it out the window. And in order not to accidentally douse a gaping passer-by from above, they adhered to the rule: before pouring out the slops, the townspeople shouted loudly three times: "Caution, pouring out!" It cannot be said that the authorities did not fight the phenomenon. The first law to prohibit pouring the contents of chamber pots into a window was passed as early as 1270. But bans alone are not enough, and the city sewage system did not yet exist. The aristocrats wore silk underwear under exquisite attire. The reason for its popularity is simple. In the slippery matter, parasites, fleas and lice were not found, they had nothing to cling to. The fact that insects were a problem is evidenced by examples of ingenious devices that can be found even in the Hermitage. It's about flea traps. Noble people ordered them from precious metals. Devices with a bait - a piece of fur soaked in blood, were laid in lush wigs, often adorning shaved heads. From the point of view of a modern hygienist, the spread of insects was not unusual. Hygiene requirements are a product of later times. And in the Middle Ages, even noble ladies took a bath no more than a couple of times a year. The famous Sun King, son of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV, generally washed only twice in his life, and then on the insistent recommendations of doctors. Against such a civilized European background, some Russian customs looked at least strange. Louis XIV even sent special spies to the court of Peter I in order to find out what exactly the Most Serene Menshikov was doing in solitude, who visited the bathhouse on a weekly basis. The Sun King, who was not on friendly terms with water, is understandable. It did not fit into his head that you can wash yourself so often. However, baths were baths, and in general, the fragrance of the streets of Russian cities was not much different from European ones. Moscow newspapers wrote about the "stinking streams" at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky as early as 1871. Among all Russian cities and settlements of the beginning of the 20th century, and there were more than a thousand of them, only eleven had sewerage systems. Over the past hundred years, the life of the townspeople has changed dramatically. It is worth remembering this, and, while poeticizing the past, appreciate the present.

© Shkolazhizni.ru What was hygiene in medieval Europe? Often the past, information about which we draw from "historical" novels, appears in a rosy light. Let's remember The Three Musketeers. Ladies, gentlemen, honor and love, intrigue and nobility. Louvre, finally. There were, however, some problems in the palace. Not quite palace, but reflecting the peculiarities of the era. The technology that ensures the coexistence of large groups of people had not yet been worked out, which left an unpleasant-smelling imprint on everyday life. I'm talking about toilets. It turns out that there were not one of them in the huge palace. What were the architects thinking? Sublime beauty, of course. And nature is nature, so why think about it? It was not yet considered necessary to arrange latrines in the gallant era. According to an eyewitness: "In the Louvre and around it, inside the courtyard and in its vicinity, in the alleys, outside the doors - almost everywhere you can see thousands of heaps and smell the most different smells of the same thing - a product of the natural function of those living here and coming here every day" … The great Leonardo da Vinci, struck by the Louvre realities, who visited Paris at the invitation of King Francois I, hastily designed a toilet with a water flush for the monarch. But, as you know, many ideas of the genius outstripped modernity for centuries. A water toilet for a French courtyard is no exception. For our contemporaries, it all looks wild, but "which is natural" … The Medieval Louvre is not an exception, but only a part of the whole. They simply did not know how to take any specific measures to solve hygienic problems and lived as they had to. Residents of Parisian high-rise buildings simply got rid of slop - they poured it out the window. And in order not to accidentally douse a gaping passer-by from above, they adhered to the rule: before pouring out the slops, the townspeople shouted loudly three times: "Caution, pouring out!" It cannot be said that the authorities did not fight the phenomenon. The first law to prohibit pouring the contents of chamber pots into a window was passed as early as 1270. But bans alone are not enough, and the city sewage system did not yet exist. The aristocrats wore silk underwear under exquisite attire. The reason for its popularity is simple. In the slippery matter, parasites, fleas and lice were not found, they had nothing to cling to. The fact that insects were a problem is evidenced by examples of ingenious devices that can be found even in the Hermitage. It's about flea traps. Noble people ordered them from precious metals. Devices with a bait - a piece of fur soaked in blood, were laid in lush wigs, often adorning shaved heads. From the point of view of a modern hygienist, the spread of insects was not unusual. Hygiene requirements are a product of later times. And in the Middle Ages, even noble ladies took a bath no more than a couple of times a year. The famous Sun King, son of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV, generally washed only twice in his life, and then on the insistent recommendations of doctors. Against such a civilized European background, some Russian customs looked at least strange. Louis XIV even sent special spies to the court of Peter I in order to find out what exactly the Most Serene Menshikov was doing in solitude, who visited the bathhouse on a weekly basis. The Sun King, who was not on friendly terms with water, is understandable. It did not fit into his head that you can wash yourself so often. However, baths were baths, and in general, the fragrance of the streets of Russian cities was not much different from European ones. Moscow newspapers wrote about the "stinking streams" at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky as early as 1871. Among all Russian cities and settlements of the beginning of the 20th century, and there were more than a thousand of them, only eleven had sewerage systems. Over the past hundred years, the life of the townspeople has changed dramatically. It is worth remembering this, and, while poeticizing the past, appreciate the present.

© Shkolazhizni.ru What was hygiene in medieval Europe? Often the past, information about which we draw from "historical" novels, appears in a rosy light. Let's remember The Three Musketeers. Ladies, gentlemen, honor and love, intrigue and nobility. Louvre, finally. There were, however, some problems in the palace. Not quite palace, but reflecting the peculiarities of the era. The technology that ensures the coexistence of large groups of people had not yet been worked out, which left an unpleasant-smelling imprint on everyday life. I'm talking about toilets. It turns out that there were not one of them in the huge palace. What were the architects thinking? Sublime beauty, of course. And nature is nature, so why think about it? It was not yet considered necessary to arrange latrines in the gallant era. According to an eyewitness: "In the Louvre and around it, inside the courtyard and in its vicinity, in the alleys, outside the doors - almost everywhere you can see thousands of heaps and smell the most different smells of the same thing - a product of the natural function of those living here and coming here every day" … The great Leonardo da Vinci, struck by the Louvre realities, who visited Paris at the invitation of King Francois I, hastily designed a toilet with a water flush for the monarch. But, as you know, many ideas of the genius outstripped modernity for centuries. A water toilet for a French courtyard is no exception. For our contemporaries, it all looks wild, but "which is natural" … The Medieval Louvre is not an exception, but only a part of the whole. They simply did not know how to take any specific measures to solve hygienic problems and lived as they had to. Residents of Parisian high-rise buildings simply got rid of slop - they poured it out the window. And in order not to accidentally douse a gaping passer-by from above, they adhered to the rule: before pouring out the slops, the townspeople shouted loudly three times: "Caution, pouring out!" It cannot be said that the authorities did not fight the phenomenon. The first law to prohibit pouring the contents of chamber pots into a window was passed as early as 1270. But bans alone are not enough, and the city sewage system did not yet exist. The aristocrats wore silk underwear under exquisite attire. The reason for its popularity is simple. In the slippery matter, parasites, fleas and lice were not found, they had nothing to cling to. The fact that insects were a problem is evidenced by examples of ingenious devices that can be found even in the Hermitage. It's about flea traps. Noble people ordered them from precious metals. Devices with a bait - a piece of fur soaked in blood, were laid in lush wigs, often adorning shaved heads. From the point of view of a modern hygienist, the spread of insects was not unusual. Hygiene requirements are a product of later times. And in the Middle Ages, even noble ladies took a bath no more than a couple of times a year. The famous Sun King, son of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV, generally washed only twice in his life, and then on the insistent recommendations of doctors. Against such a civilized European background, some Russian customs looked at least strange. Louis XIV even sent special spies to the court of Peter I in order to find out what exactly the Most Serene Menshikov was doing in solitude, who visited the bathhouse on a weekly basis. The Sun King, who was not on friendly terms with water, is understandable. It did not fit into his head that you can wash yourself so often. However, baths were baths, and in general, the fragrance of the streets of Russian cities was not much different from European ones. Moscow newspapers wrote about the "stinking streams" at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky as early as 1871. Among all Russian cities and settlements of the beginning of the 20th century, and there were more than a thousand of them, only eleven had sewerage systems. Over the past hundred years, the life of the townspeople has changed dramatically. It is worth remembering this, and, while poeticizing the past, appreciate the present.

© Shkolazhizni.ru What was hygiene in medieval Europe? Often the past, information about which we draw from "historical" novels, appears in a rosy light. Let's remember The Three Musketeers. Ladies, gentlemen, honor and love, intrigue and nobility. Louvre, finally. There were, however, some problems in the palace. Not quite palace, but reflecting the peculiarities of the era. The technology that ensures the coexistence of large groups of people had not yet been worked out, which left an unpleasant-smelling imprint on everyday life. I'm talking about toilets. It turns out that there were not one of them in the huge palace. What were the architects thinking? Sublime beauty, of course. And nature is nature, so why think about it? It was not yet considered necessary to arrange latrines in the gallant era. According to an eyewitness: "In the Louvre and around it, inside the courtyard and in its vicinity, in the alleys, outside the doors - almost everywhere you can see thousands of heaps and smell the most different smells of the same thing - a product of the natural function of those living here and coming here every day" … The great Leonardo da Vinci, struck by the Louvre realities, who visited Paris at the invitation of King Francois I, hastily designed a toilet with a water flush for the monarch. But, as you know, many ideas of the genius outstripped modernity for centuries. A water toilet for a French courtyard is no exception. For our contemporaries, it all looks wild, but "which is natural" … The Medieval Louvre is not an exception, but only a part of the whole. They simply did not know how to take any specific measures to solve hygienic problems and lived as they had to. Residents of Parisian high-rise buildings simply got rid of slop - they poured it out the window. And in order not to accidentally douse a gaping passer-by from above, they adhered to the rule: before pouring out the slops, the townspeople shouted loudly three times: "Caution, pouring out!" It cannot be said that the authorities did not fight the phenomenon. The first law to prohibit pouring the contents of chamber pots into a window was passed as early as 1270. But bans alone are not enough, and the city sewage system did not yet exist. The aristocrats wore silk underwear under exquisite attire. The reason for its popularity is simple. In the slippery matter, parasites, fleas and lice were not found, they had nothing to cling to. The fact that insects were a problem is evidenced by examples of ingenious devices that can be found even in the Hermitage. It's about flea traps. Noble people ordered them from precious metals. Devices with a bait - a piece of fur soaked in blood, were laid in lush wigs, often adorning shaved heads. From the point of view of a modern hygienist, the spread of insects was not unusual. Hygiene requirements are a product of later times. And in the Middle Ages, even noble ladies took a bath no more than a couple of times a year. The famous Sun King, son of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV, generally washed only twice in his life, and then on the insistent recommendations of doctors. Against such a civilized European background, some Russian customs looked at least strange. Louis XIV even sent special spies to the court of Peter I in order to find out what exactly the Most Serene Menshikov was doing in solitude, who visited the bathhouse on a weekly basis. The Sun King, who was not on friendly terms with water, is understandable. It did not fit into his head that you can wash yourself so often. However, baths were baths, and in general, the fragrance of the streets of Russian cities was not much different from European ones. Moscow newspapers wrote about the "stinking streams" at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky as early as 1871. Among all Russian cities and settlements of the beginning of the 20th century, and there were more than a thousand of them, only eleven had sewerage systems. Over the past hundred years, the life of the townspeople has changed dramatically. It is worth remembering this, and, while poeticizing the past, appreciate the present.

© Shkolazhizn

Romantic natures often imagine the past, information about which we draw from "historical" novels, in a rosy light. Ladies, gentlemen, honor and love, intrigue and nobility. Louvre, finally. Ah, how beautifully Alexander Dumas the Elder described all this court splendor!

However, in reality, everything was not so beautiful and fragrant then it was in the same Louvre … We are talking about toilets. It turns out that there were not one of them in the huge palace. It was not yet considered necessary to arrange latrines in the gallant era.

According to an eyewitness, in and around the Louvre, inside and around the courtyard, in the alleys, outside the doors - almost everywhere you could see thousands of heaps and smell the most varied smells of the same product - natural to humans.

Thus, the great Leonardo da Vinci, struck by the Louvre realities, who visited Paris at the invitation of King Francois I, hastily designed a toilet with a water-flush for the monarch. However, he took root far from immediately. They simply did not know how to take any specific measures to solve hygienic problems and lived as they had to.

Residents of Parisian high-rise buildings simply got rid of the slops - they poured them out the window. And in order not to accidentally douse a gaping passer-by from above, before pouring out the slops, they shouted loudly three times: "Caution, pouring out!"

It cannot be said that the authorities did not fight the problem. The first law to prohibit pouring the contents of chamber pots into a window was passed as early as 1270. But bans alone are not enough, and the city sewage system did not yet exist. So Paris smelled worse than the most stinking cesspool in the world …

Under exquisite outfits, the aristocrats wore silk underwear, the reason for its popularity is painfully simple: the slippery matter did not contain parasites, fleas and lice - they had nothing to cling to. And if there was anything, they would have clung to it with joy. For parasites in the Parisian unsanitary conditions multiplied and multiplied just the same godlessly!

The fact that insects were a problem is evidenced by examples of ingenious devices that can be found even in the Hermitage. It's about flea traps. Noble people ordered them from precious metals. Devices with a bait - a piece of fur soaked in blood - were put into lush wigs, which often adorned shaved heads.

In the Middle Ages, even noble ladies took a bath no more than a couple of times a year. The famous Sun King, son of Anne of Austria, Louis XIV, generally washed only twice in his life, and then on the insistent recommendations of doctors.

In Russia, the nobility at that time was wonderfully clean - the counts and boyars regularly went to the bathhouse, and therefore they did not have any special problems with personal hygiene. However, in general, the fragrance of the streets of Russian cities was not much different from European ones. Moscow newspapers wrote about the "stinking streams" at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky as early as 1871. Among all Russian cities and settlements of the beginning of the 20th century, and there were more than a thousand of them, only eleven had sewerage systems.

Over the past hundred years, the life of the townspeople has changed dramatically. It is worth remembering this, and, while poeticizing the past, appreciate the present.

And the Russian washes, but glad

The Russian people were surprisingly clean. Even the poorest family had a bathhouse in their yard. Depending on how it was heated, they steamed in it "in white" or "in black". If the smoke from the stove got out through the chimney, then they steamed "in white". If the smoke went directly into the steam room, then after airing the walls were poured with water, and this was called "steaming in black".

There was another original way to wash - in a Russian stove. After cooking, they put straw inside, and the person carefully, so as not to get dirty with soot, climbed into the oven. Water or kvass splashed on the walls.

From time immemorial, the bathhouse was heated on Saturdays and before major holidays. First of all, the men with the guys went to wash and always on an empty stomach. It was believed, and by the way, quite rightly, that going to the bathhouse on a full stomach leads to weight gain.

The head of the family prepared a birch broom, soaking it in hot water, sprinkled kvass on it, twisted it over the hot stones, until fragrant steam began to emanate from the broom, and the leaves became soft, but did not stick to the body. And only after that they began to wash and steam.

A video made by a talented 17-year-old girl on this subject: