Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia

Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia was the sixth son and youngest child of Grand Duke Michael Nicolaievich of Russia and a first cousin of Alexander III of Russia. He was destined to follow a career in the Russian Navy, but he died in his youth of tuberculosis.

Silver Coin Jewelry on Traditional Clothing

Tushetian women decorated their undergarments with heavy silver attachments and real Russian coins, each carefully soldered to a ring. These intricate ensembles, often featuring geometric silver pieces, remained a highly prized and distinctive part of their traditional festive attire.

Men's Traditional Georgian Attire

Georgian men wore a tightly-fitting kaftan called an arkhaluk, often topped with a chokha, a wool coat featuring distinctive cartridge holders on the chest. While the arkhaluk served as daily work attire for many, the chokha was considered essential for festive occasions and public appearances.

Festival songs at Maslenitsa

During the Maslenitsa festival, Georgian girls sang songs with the refrain "kleriar-i" while swinging on swings set up under house eaves or balconies.

Street and home musicians

A traveling musician known as a minstrel would play an instrument resembling a bagpipe for a few coins (groshes) at people's homes. Meanwhile, streets and yards in Tiflis frequently became concert spaces, with people gathering on balconies or surrounding musicians to join the performance.

Georgian Railway travel in the 1870s

The first passenger train from Poti to Tbilisi, which opened in 1872, completed the 310-kilometer journey in 15 hours. Passenger and freight tariffs were set 50% higher than on Russian railways.

Steamship travel on the Mtkvari River

In 1853, steamships began operating on the Mtkvari River, theoretically allowing goods to be transported 260 kilometers between Tiflis and Mingechaur. However, the river's dangerous rapids and shallow spots frequently forced travelers and traders to rely on overland treks instead.

Fetching water from the Mtkvari river

In Tiflis, the city did not have a piped water system, so residents relied on water carried by ox-carts, donkeys, and water-carriers from the Mtkvari River, wells, and streams.

Strict rules for schoolgirls in Tiflis

Schoolgirls in Tiflis wore standardized uniforms and were strictly prohibited from being out in public after 5 p.m. to ensure they focused on their studies.

Foraging supplemented limited food supplies

During times of food shortages, families supplemented their diet by gathering wild edible plants, roots, and young vine shoots from fields and meadows.

Peasant diet focused on corn and greens

The staple diet for ordinary peasants in the late 19th century consisted primarily of corn, millet-based gomi, greens, cheese, and seasonal fruits, with meat being a rare treat reserved for holidays.

Average daily worker wages in Tbilisi

In February 1914, a worker in Tbilisi earned an average daily wage of 2 rubles and 39 kopecks, with specific trades ranging from 80 kopecks for a day laborer to 3.5 rubles for a heater.

Cost of essential goods in Tbilisi

In Tbilisi, a worker could purchase one girvanka (409 grams) of various essential goods for a total of 1 ruble and 53.5 kopecks, such as bread for 4 kopecks and meat for 14 kopecks.

Child Labor in Shoe Factories

At the Adelkhanov Shoe Factory in Tiflis, young boys worked alongside adults, often performing manual tasks like fetching and carrying, in a harsh industrial environment. Authorities expressed significant concern regarding the impact of these factory conditions on the health and upbringing of the large number of minors employed there.

Human Carriers Replaced Furniture Vans

In Tiflis, furniture and goods were frequently transported by teams of 60 to 80 human carriers, as furniture vans were unknown. Even heavy items like pianos were moved piece by piece on the backs of these laborers.