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George Bagration of Mukhrani

1884–1957

Born
16 Jul 1884, Saint Petersburg
Country of birth
Russian Empire, today Russia
Died
29 Sep 1957, Madrid
facts
5
sources
1
images and files
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Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

  • Birth16 Jul 1884, Saint PetersburgProbable1 source
  • Death29 Sep 1957, MadridProbable1 source

A life in time

  1. Born · Saint Petersburg

    Birth, Saint Petersburg

  2. Child born: Princess Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani

    Birth, Tbilisi

  3. Died · Madrid

    Death, Madrid

What was it like?

The world around Saint Petersburg, 1884: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

George was born the same year as Emil Jannings, Max Brod, and Edvard Beneš.

Born the same year

  • Emil Jannings

    German actor (1884-1950)

  • Max Brod

    Bohemian-Israeli author, composer, and journalist (1884–1968)

  • Edvard Beneš

    Czechoslovak politician (1884-1948)

  • Harry S. Truman

    president of the United States from 1945 to 1953; politician (1884–1972)

  • Eleanor Roosevelt

    American diplomat and activist, First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 (1884–1962)

  • Amedeo Modigliani

    Italian painter and sculptor (1884–1920)

Fashion

Essential male headwear and belts

Men wore hats or caps constantly outdoors and felt it was improper to be seen bareheaded or without a belt. A belt or cap was so essential that a man might even leave one as a pawn in a tavern to guarantee he would return.

Rubber overshoes as rural status symbols

Rubber overshoes became a huge fashion trend in villages; people would wear them even in 30-degree summer heat just to show them off while attending church.

Music

The origins of the Russian garmon

In 1839, a Tula gunsmith purchased an imported harmonica for 40 roubles and used it to create the garmon, an instrument that became central to Russian village celebrations.

Harmonicas were popular affordable instruments

A harmonica was a common and relatively affordable instrument for villagers, often costing between 10 and 25 rubles to purchase.

Getting around

Cost of Post-Horse Travel

Travelers using post-horses paid 8 to 10 kopecks per horse per verst, making a 450-verst trip from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod cost over 100 rubles. A journey using one's own horses for a similar distance was significantly cheaper, costing only 20 to 25 rubles.

Peasant Travel by Foot and Cart

For ordinary people like peasants, traveling to the nearest town was rare, often done on foot or by horse pulling a cart in summer or a sleigh in winter. Travelers carried simple food like bread, dried crusts, and vegetables, sometimes sleeping under their cart during the journey.

Daily life

Early schooling in rural communities

Children typically began school at age seven, though girls often left after a year or two to help with household chores, while boys were more likely to complete the course. Many peasant communities hired their own teachers and rotated classroom space among homes when a dedicated school was not available.

Log cabins with multifunctional ovens

Peasant homes were typically log cabins with a large brick oven that served for both heating and cooking, and in many families, as a sleeping area. By the late 19th century, most homes were still heated black, meaning smoke escaped into the room or through the door, rather than through a chimney.

Food

Peasant diet: bread, cabbage soup, and kvass

Peasant diets centered on rye bread, cabbage soup (shchi), and various porridges, with meat being a rare luxury reserved for holidays like Christmas or Easter. Ordinary families primarily drank water, kvass—a fermented beverage made from rye bread—or occasionally tea on special occasions.

Strict rules during family meals

A strict hierarchical order was observed during family meals; no one began eating until the head of the house gave the signal and said a prayer. In large families, children were often seated separately on a bench near the stove to eat.

Prices and wages

Cheap Hot Meals for Workers

A common meal for the poor in cities was a bowl of hot cabbage soup with black bread, which could be purchased for only two kopeks.

Cost of Basic Food Staples

In the late 19th century, a pound of rye bread cost approximately 2 to 2.5 kopeks, while a pound of beef ranged from 12 to 16 kopeks.

Work

Common seasonal labor occupations

Common jobs for migrant seasonal laborers included working as teamsters, excavators, street pavers, painters, shoemakers, and tavern servants.

Grueling factory working hours

Factory workers faced long days of 12 to 14 hours before 1905, often extending to 19.5 or even 21.5 hours in emergencies at some machine-building plants.

News and letters

Daily Mail Services Introduced

By the late 19th century, authorities modernized the service, introducing daily mail pickup and delivery in provincial cities, and in some, even twice a day.

Regional Mail Delivery Times

In the Semirechye district, mail within the region typically took 10 to 15 days to deliver, while letters sent outside the region required at least 30 days.

During their lifetime

  1. 1891

    Famine and Cholera Epidemic

    A severe famine and cholera epidemic struck Russia in 1891-1892, causing widespread suffering and loss of life across the empire.

  2. 1891

    Trans-Siberian Railway Construction Begins

    The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway began in 1891, eventually connecting distant parts of the empire and opening new economic opportunities.

  3. 1898

    1898: Spain loses overseas colonies

    In 1898, the Spanish-American War resulted in the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, deeply affecting the national psyche.

  4. 1900

    1900 Work Accident Law established employer responsibility

    The 1900 Work Accident Law made employers legally responsible for workplace accidents, marking a major shift in labor rights.

  5. 1903

    Trans-Siberian Railway Completed

    The Trans-Siberian Railway was completed, boosting industrial development and enabling travel across the vast Russian Empire.

  6. 1905

    Bloody Sunday Massacre

    Troops fired on a peaceful demonstration in St. Petersburg, killing and wounding hundreds and causing a collapse in public confidence.

Family

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.