Grigory Orlov

Prince Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov was a Russian general and patron of arts who was Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (1772) and a favourite of Empress Catherine the Great. He was a leader of the 1762 coup which overthrew Catherine's husband Peter III and installed Catherine as reigning empress.

European dress reforms

Following reforms, men adopted caftans, knee-length breeches, and stockings, while women transitioned from concealing sarafans to dresses with low necklines and short sleeves.

Fines for traditional Russian clothing

People wearing traditional Russian clothing in public faced a fine of 13 altyn and 2 denga for pedestrians and 2 rubles for those on horseback.

Instruments and singing in royal life

Military and celebratory music frequently featured brass and percussion, such as trumpets, drums, and oboes, which were played during formal processions and ceremonial toasts. Peter the Great himself was known to play the drum and would occasionally sing with church choristers during services.

New ballroom dances at assemblies

At social gatherings like the Petrine assemblies, dancing became a structured activity where participants performed dances such as the polonaise, minuet, and various English-style dances. These assemblies were a significant shift for the nobility, requiring both men and women to participate in public dancing.

Slow travel speeds in 18th-century Russia

In the 18th century, travelers moved at a slow average speed of only seven versts per hour in summer and five in winter. Consequently, a journey from Moscow to Kiev took about two weeks, while Moscow to Smolensk required three days.

The postal relay and private travel systems

Travelers often used the postal relay system, which required an official document called a podorozhnaya to secure fresh horses at relay stations. Private travel using one's own horses was also common but required frequent stops to rest the animals.

Student Maintenance and Costs

Students at the Moscow Cannon School were provided with a daily allowance of two coins: one for food such as bread, fish, or meat, and another for clothing items like shirts and bast shoes.

Founding of Secular Schools

By a 1714 decree, secular numeric schools were established to provide free education for children, though some students had to be forcefully recruited or were punished with rods for attempting to flee.

Summer beer storage method

To keep beer fresh during the hot summer, people built ice cellars without roofs, layering barrels with snow and ice, then covering them with straw and boards.

Traditional hangover cure dish

To cure a hangover or feeling unwell, people ate a dish called pokhmelye, made from cold roast mutton, cucumbers, vinegar, and cucumber brine served as a spoon-eaten salad.

Food prices in Saint Petersburg

In Saint Petersburg during the 1730s and 1740s, a pood (approximately 16 kg) of rye flour cost 27 kopecks, while beef cost 80 kopecks per pood.

Annual wages for Moscow factory workers

In the first quarter of the 18th century, a skilled weaver at a Moscow textile factory earned up to 24 rubles per year, while unskilled workers earned between 6 and 12 rubles per year.

Common jobs and modest wages

Common occupations included carpenters, blacksmiths, stonemasons, and weavers. A typical monthly salary for builders or blacksmiths in St. Petersburg was 1 ruble, while skilled workers like cabinetmakers might earn 2 rubles per month.