Life in the 18th century. Everyday life in the 18th century. Topic: Russia in the XVII-XVIII centuries

The epochal reign of Peter I, as well as his numerous reforms aimed at Europeanization and the eradication of medieval survivals in everyday life and politics, had a huge impact on the way of life of all the estates of the empire.

Various innovations that were actively introduced into the everyday life and customs of Russians in the 18th century gave a strong impetus to the transformation of Russia into an enlightened European state.

Reforms of Peter I

Peter I, like Catherine II, who succeeded him on the throne, considered his main task to introduce women to secular life and accustom the upper classes of Russian society to the rules of etiquette. For this, special instructions and guidelines were created; young nobles learned the rules of court etiquette and went to study in Western countries, from where they returned inspired by the desire to make the people of Russia enlightened and more modern. Basically, the changes affected secular life, the family way of life remained unchanged - the head of the family was a man, the rest of the family members were obliged to obey him.

The life and customs of the 18th century in Russia entered into a sharp confrontation with innovations, because the flourishing absolutism, as well as feudal-serfdom relations, did not allow the Europeanization plans to be painlessly and quickly put into practice. In addition, there was a clear contrast between the lives of wealthy estates and serfs.

Court life in the 18th century

The life and customs of the royal court in the second half of the 18th century were distinguished by unprecedented luxury, which surprised even foreigners. The influence of Western trends was increasingly felt: in Moscow and St. Petersburg, educators-tutors, hairdressers, milliners appeared; French became compulsory; a special fashion was introduced for ladies who came to court.

The innovations that appeared in Paris were necessarily adopted by the Russian nobility. Court etiquette was like a theatrical performance - ceremonious bows, curtsies created an acute feeling of pretense.

Over time, the theater gained popularity. During this period, the first Russian playwrights appeared (Dmitrievsky, Sumarokov).

There is a growing interest in French literature. Representatives of the aristocracy are paying more and more attention to the education and development of a multifaceted personality - this is becoming a kind of sign of good taste.

In the 30s-40s of the 18th century, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, one of the popular entertainments, in addition to chess and checkers, was playing cards, which was previously considered indecent.

Life and customs of the 18th century in Russia: the life of the nobles

The population of the Russian Empire consisted of several classes.

The nobles of large cities, especially St. Petersburg and Moscow, were in the most advantageous position: material well-being and high position in society allowed them to lead an idle lifestyle, devoting all their time to organizing and attending secular receptions.

Close attention was paid to houses, the arrangement of which was significantly influenced by Western traditions.

The possessions of the aristocracy were distinguished by luxury and sophistication: large halls tastefully furnished with European furniture, huge chandeliers with candles, rich libraries with books by Western authors - all this was supposed to show a sense of taste and become a confirmation of the nobility of the family. The spacious rooms of the houses allowed the owners to arrange crowded balls and social receptions.

The Role of Education in the 18th Century

The life and customs of the second half of the 18th century were even more closely connected with the influence of Western culture on Russia: aristocratic salons became fashionable, where disputes about politics, art, literature were in full swing, and debates were held on philosophical topics. The French language gained great popularity, which the children of the nobility were taught from childhood by specially hired foreign teachers. Upon reaching the age of 15-17, teenagers were sent to closed educational institutions: boys were taught military strategy here, girls were taught good manners, the ability to play various musical instruments, and the basics of family life.

The Europeanization of life and the foundations of the urban population was of great importance for the development of the whole country. Innovations in art, architecture, food, clothing quickly took root in the homes of the nobility. Intertwined with old Russian habits and traditions, they determined the life and customs of the 18th century in Russia.

At the same time, innovations did not spread throughout the country, but covered only its most developed regions, once again emphasizing the gulf between the wealthy and the poor.

The life of the provincial nobles

Unlike the nobility of the capital, the representatives of the provincial nobility lived more modestly, although they tried with all their might to resemble the more prosperous aristocracy. Sometimes such a desire from the side looked rather caricatured. If the metropolitan nobility lived at the expense of their vast possessions and thousands of serfs working on them, then the families of provincial cities and villages received the main income from taxing peasants and income from their small farms. The noble estate was similar to the houses of the capital's nobility, but with a significant difference - numerous outbuildings were located next to the house.

The level of education of the provincial nobles was very low, training was mainly limited to the basics of grammar and arithmetic. Men spent their leisure time hunting, and women gossiped about court life and fashion, without having a reliable idea about it.

The owners of rural estates were closely connected with the peasants, who performed the role of workers and servants in their homes. Therefore, the rural nobility was much closer to the common people than the metropolitan aristocrats. In addition, the poorly educated nobles, as well as the peasants, often turned out to be far from the innovations introduced, and if they tried to keep up with the fashion, it turned out to be more comical than elegant.

Peasants: life and customs of the 18th century in Russia

The lowest class of the Russian Empire, the serfs, had the hardest time of all.

Working six days a week for the landowner did not leave the peasant time to arrange his daily life. They had to cultivate their own patches of land on holidays and weekends, because the families of the peasants had many children, and they had to be fed somehow. The simple life of the peasants is also connected with constant employment and lack of free time and money: wooden huts, rough interiors, meager food and simple clothes. However, all this did not prevent them from inventing entertainment: on big holidays, mass games were organized, round dances were held, and songs were sung.

The children of peasants, without receiving any education, repeated the fate of their parents, also becoming courtyards and servants at noble estates.

The influence of the West on the development of Russia

The life and customs of the Russian people at the end of the 18th century, for the most part, were completely influenced by the tendencies of the Western world. Despite the stability and ossification of old Russian traditions, the trends of developed countries gradually entered the life of the population of the Russian Empire, making its prosperous part more educated and literate. This fact is confirmed by the appearance of various institutions in the service of which people who had already received a certain level of education (for example, city hospitals) consisted.

The cultural development and the gradual Europeanization of the population testify quite clearly to the history of Russia. Life and customs in the 18th century, which were modified due to the policy of education of Peter I, marked the beginning of the global cultural development of Russia and its people.

31 facts about the life and way of life of Russian people of the 18th century from the first Japanese book about our country.

For ten years, the Japanese captain Daikokuya Kodai lived in Russia and wrote down everything he saw and heard: from the appearance of people to the rules for castration of animals.
Based on these notes, the Japanese scholar Hoshu Katsuragawa wrote the book "Brief Information about the Northern Territories" ("Hokusa Bunryaku"), in which he described in great detail and scrupulously the life of the Russian people and the appearance of the country as a whole.

1. There are 31 letters in the Russian alphabet, all letters have a sound, but do not have a meaning. Put together, several letters form one word, and only then does the meaning appear.
2. In Russia, the production of five cereals is very small, so all salaries are paid in cash.
3. Churches are much taller than the houses of ordinary people, and are built in such a way that they gradually narrow upwards. The roofs are round, like an inverted pot, and in the center they put a cross covered with brass. The main building of the temple and the bell tower are the same. There are many round holes for pigeons around the roof.
4. Russians have blue eyes, very large noses, and brown hair. Russian hair grows from the day of birth, so it is very thin and soft. Both noble and common people shave their beards, only among the peasants you can meet people with beards.
5. The inhabitants of Siberia have black hair and eyes. The men generally dress like the Dutch.
6. The women all dress in German fashion. Women with ruddy faces are considered beautiful among them.

View of Red Square, 1795. Hilferding, colored engraving.

1. Throughout the country in the summer go to bed from 8 to 10 pm, and get up from 3 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes in the morning.

   In winter, they go to bed from 9 to 11 o'clock in the evening, and get up from 12 o'clock to 2 hours 40 minutes in the afternoon. This is due to the fact that the day at this time is very short, and the night is very long.

2. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, and not only there, but throughout the country, the old Russian language is not used, but often mixed with French and German. Etiquette is completely based on French rules.
3. Since the country is located close to the north, it is very cold everywhere. Usually snow falls from the end of September and lies until April-May.
4. It is especially cold in Yakutsk and St. Petersburg, because they are located closer to the north. Often there is such a frost that ears and noses fall off, and sometimes even arms and legs are left without.
5. In summer, there is no particular heat, even in unlined cloth clothes it usually does not get hot. In such a cold country, of course, five grains do not grow. Sow only buckwheat, tobacco, cucumbers, watermelons, beans, radishes, carrots, turnips and lettuce. Rice is brought from Turkey, so rice is very expensive there.
6. Officials attach a flower woven from silk to their hats: the military - a white flower, civilians - a black one.

The old building of Moscow State University, view from the Kremlin across the Neglinnaya River, 1795. Hilferding, colored engraving.

1. Both men and women, after they do their hair, sprinkle it with powder, and the hair becomes like gray. People of the lower classes use potato powder for this.
2. Both men and women ride horses, but women, sitting in the saddle, bend one leg and put it on top of the saddle, and hang the other. However, lower-class women ride in the same way as men, mounted on horseback.
3. Babies lie in hanging boxes, where a cloth mattress stuffed with bird down is laid out. When the baby cries, the box is shaken.
4. For everyone - both noble and simple - one husband has one wife, they do not have concubines.
5. Foreigners are allowed to marry Russians, but for this they must accept the Russian faith and change their first and last name. Otherwise, marriage is not allowed.
6. When a child is born, all relatives come to inquire about his health and bring money. A richer person is chosen from relatives and acquaintances, and he, as the betrothed father, gives the newborn a name.

View across the Dnieper to the Frolovsky Gates of Smolensk in 1787.

1. Medicine is not divided into therapy and surgery: one person deals with the treatment of eye, dental, female and children's diseases. In addition, there are pharmacists who are called apothecaries and run pharmacies.
2. In the capital, Negroes are always kept in the families of officials and the rich, sometimes three or four people, and sometimes seven or eight. It also happens that black men and women are brought in so that they have children. Their faces are as black as black lacquer, their noses are wide, their lips are everted and very red, only the soles of their feet are white.
3. Five versts from Petersburg there is a large island, where foreign merchant ships are constantly flowing into. This explains that, although almost nothing is produced in Russia, everything is completely satisfied with the products of other countries.
4. The author translates the Russian words “vodka”, “wine”, “beer” in his dictionary in a descriptive way: his vodka is “good sake”, wine is “bad sake”, beer is “cloudy sake”.
5. The order of meals on ordinary days is as follows: first they eat ham with bread, then chicken soup, after it beef, then fish broth, after which round dough balls filled with milk.

   This is followed by a roast goose, and at the end they eat thin porridge. Finally, sweets are served, then they wash their hands, rinse their mouths, drink coffee, smoke and get up from the table. After dinner, both noble and common people lie down to sleep for an hour.

6. A lot of sugar and butter are added to the dishes. Before cooking, fish and poultry are stuffed with grapes, white plums, oranges covered with sugar, as well as rice or cereals.

Veliky Novgorod in the 1780s. Balthasar Travers

1. For ordinary people, lunch consists of one dish - meat or fish with bread. Radish is eaten raw, sprinkled with salt. Utensils consist of pewter or wooden bowls, and spoons are made of copper or wood. Beef is an everyday food both at the top and bottom.
2. Women's roles in theaters are performed by real women, as a result of which sometimes there are cases of debauchery in the theater.
3. There are three brothels in St. Petersburg and three on Vasilyevsky Island. In addition, there are also secret lairs of individual prostitutes in various places. The rules there are very strict, and if such an illegal prostitute is found, then not only her, but also her guest is punished.
4. In Russia, neither the New Year nor the five seasonal holidays are celebrated at all, and the birthday of the Empress is considered a joyful holiday, which is celebrated throughout the country by both noble and ordinary people. . The birthdays of the heir to the throne and the grandchildren of the Empress are celebrated in the same way.
5. In Russia, many pets are castrated. Thanks to this, they grow fat well and the color of their coat becomes more beautiful.
6. Petersburg is the new capital of Russia, it was built in the highest degree beautifully. The houses are all brick, four or five stories high. The dwellings of ordinary residents do not differ much from the houses of government officials.
7. Russians are tall, large, with a correct posture, they are distinguished by a respectful and peaceful character, but at the same time they are brave, resolute and stop at nothing. They do not like idleness and idleness.

The 18th century is usually called the era of a turning point, which is confirmed, first of all, by the Peter the Great reforms aimed at creating a new system of state government, a new army, navy and a new culture. It was Peter's reforms that contributed to the creation of one of the brightest cultures that mankind has only known. The product of the Petrine era was the Russian nobility as we see it in the 18th - 19th centuries. The material from which this estate was composed was the pre-Petrine nobility of Muscovite Russia. It was a "service class", that is, it consisted of professional servants of the state, who were "made up" by villages and peasants for their service. When he ceased to serve, the nobleman was obliged to return the lands to the treasury or put a new warrior in his place. True, for special merits, lands could be welcomed into hereditary possession, and the "warrior" became a "votchinnik". "The patriotism of the "votchinnik"-boyar was no longer so brightly colored by personal devotion to the sovereign; he was associated with attachment to the land, with the memory of the service As far back as the 17th century, the distinction between the estate and the patrimony began to blur, and the decree of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich (1682), announcing the destruction of localism, showed that the nobility would be the dominant force in the state.

The psychology of the service class was the foundation of the self-consciousness of the nobleman of the 18th century. It was through service that he recognized himself as part of the class. Peter I stimulated this feeling in every possible way - both by personal example and by a number of legislative acts. The apex of them was the Table of Ranks, which abolished the distribution of places by blood. The main idea of ​​the Table of Ranks was the following consideration; people should occupy positions according to their abilities and real contribution to the state cause. All types of service, respectively, the Table of Ranks were divided into military, civil and court. All ranks were divided into 14 classes. The table of ranks placed military service in a privileged position. This was expressed, in particular, in the fact that all 14 classes in the military service gave the right to hereditary nobility, while in the civil service such a right was given only starting from the VIII class. This meant that the lowest senior officer rank in military service already gave hereditary nobility, while in civilian life it was necessary to rise to the rank of collegiate assessor or court adviser. From this provision, the distinction between hereditary (“pillar”) nobles and personal nobles subsequently followed. The latter included civil and court officials of the XIV - IX ranks. Subsequently, personal nobility was given orders and academic titles. A personal nobleman enjoyed a number of class rights of the nobility, but he could not transfer these rights to his children, did not have the right to own peasants, participate in noble assemblies and hold noble elective positions. Such a wording of the law opened, according to Peter I, access to the highest state class to people of different social groups who distinguished themselves in the service, and, on the contrary, closed access to "impudent and parasites."

Military service was considered mainly noble service, civil service was not considered "noble". She was called "podyacheska", she always had more raznochintsy. Only in the time of Alexander and later, in the time of Nikolaev, did the state official begin to lay claim to public respect next to the officer to a certain extent. The table of ranks created the military-bureaucratic machine of state administration. The power of the state rested on two figures - an officer and an official. "Officer" comes from the word "chin", which in the Old Russian language meant "order". An official is a man of salary, his well-being directly depends on the state. The intricacy of laws and the general spirit of state arbitrariness led to the fact that Russian culture of the 18th century practically did not created images of an impartial judge, a fair administrator.In the public mind, an official was associated with chicanery and bribery.The Russian bureaucracy left almost no trace in the spiritual life of Russia: it did not create its own culture, or even its own ideology.A person in Russia, if he did not belong to taxable class, could not help but serve. Without service, it was impossible to get a rank, and a person without a rank had to sign: "a minor such and such." If a nobleman really never served, then his relatives arranged a fictitious service for him. A noble nobleman could serve fictitiously where sometime in the court service.Such a person was not interested in ranks, and a gifted official could break into the people, get the nobility. In the circles of the local nobility, often well-born, it was considered good form to demonstrate contempt for the rank.

The development of serfdom changed the very concept of the word "landowner". This was no longer the conditional holder of the sovereign's land, but the absolute and hereditary owner of both the land and the peasants sitting on it. With the strengthening of the independence of the nobility, it began to be burdened by the two main principles of the Peter the Great concept of service: its obligatory nature and the possibility for a non-nobleman to become a nobleman by rank and service. Both of these principles have come under vigorous attack since the second third of the 18th century. The separation of noble privileges from compulsory personal service and the assertion that the very fact of belonging to a class gives the right to soul and land ownership was formalized by two decrees: the decree of Peter III of February 20, 1762 ("Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility") and Catherine II of 21 April 1785 ("Charter on the rights, liberties and advantages of the noble Russian nobility"). According to these documents, the granting of estate rights to the nobles: exemption from compulsory service, from corporal punishment, the right to "travel freely to foreign lands" and "join the services of the allied powers" - received a broader interpretation. In the Letter of Catherine II it was written: We confirm for eternity in hereditary childbirth the freedom and freedom of the Russian noble nobility "- At the same time, the nobleman was guaranteed the inviolability of "honor, life and estate."

Thus, a peculiar socio-cultural situation was created: the nobility was finally fixed as the ruling class. Moreover, precisely due to the position of the peasants, who, after the decree on December 13, 1760 (which gave the landowners the right to exile the peasants to Siberia for settlement "with their inclusion in recruits" ") and January 17, 1765 (which expanded this right to the possibility of landlords at their own discretion send objectionable peasants to hard labor) were practically reduced to the level of slaves ("the peasant is dead in law," wrote Radishchev), the nobility in Russia received liberty and freedom. The cultural paradox of the situation in Russia was that the rights of the ruling class were formulated precisely in the terms in which Enlightenment philosophers described the ideal of human rights.

We talked about how the moral character of a person of the 18th century developed and took shape, while talking about men. Meanwhile, the woman of this time was not only included in the stream of rapidly changing life, but began to play an ever greater role in it. And the woman changed a lot. The Petrine era involved a woman in the world of literature: she needed literacy. Already in Fonvizin, an illiterate woman is a satirical image. Fiction, while maintaining and increasing its independence from the direct teachings of the state, wins the place of the spiritual leader of society. By the end of the 18th century, a new concept appeared - the women's library. Remaining still the world of feelings, the world of nursery and household, the "women's world" becomes more and more spiritual. The women's home libraries of the late 18th century shaped the image of people in 1812 and the Decembrist era.

In the 18th century, the reforms of Peter I turned not only public life, but also the way of life upside down. The first consequence of the reforms for women is the desire to outwardly change their appearance, to approach the type of a Western European woman. The family at the beginning of the 18th century underwent superficial Europeanization. A woman began to consider it fashionable to have a lover, without this she was "behind" the times. Coquetry, balls, dancing - these are women's activities. Family, household, children receded into the background; the child grew up almost without a mother. Then important changes took place. By the 70s of the 18th century, romanticism was emerging in Europe, and it became fashionable to strive for nature, for naturalness. This also affected the family. Throughout Europe, breastfeeding has become a sign of morality. From the same period, they began to appreciate the child, childhood. Previously, a child was seen as a small adult, which was very noticeable in children's clothes: at the beginning of the 11th century, children were sewn small, but in style - adult clothes. Gradually, the idea that a child is a normal person enters the culture. Appears children's clothes, a children's room, there is an idea that it's good to play. This is how humane relations are introduced into domestic life, and this is the merit of a woman. It is the woman who creates the children's world, and for this she needs to go through a lot, to feel it. And here literature helps - in the 70s - 90s of the XV11I century, a woman becomes a reader. The first in the Enlightenment to prepare a circle of women's and children's reading was set by N.I. Novikov. Under his leadership, N.M. began his educational activities. Karamzin. Together with his friend A.P. Petrov, he edited the Novikovsky magazine "Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind" "(1785 - 1789). The question of the place of a woman in society was invariably associated with the attitude towards her education. In the Peter's era, the problem of women's education arose in an exceptionally peculiar form; Peter ordered by special decree illiterate noble girls who cannot sign at least their surname should not be married.

A genuine revolution in the pedagogical ideas of Russian society in the 18th century was brought about by the idea of ​​the need for specifics in women's education. The idea of ​​enlightening all noble women arose, so it was necessary to develop a system of women's education. The problem of educational institutions immediately arose. Educational institutions for girls took on a twofold character: private boarding schools appeared, but at the same time a state education system arose. Its formation is associated with the name of the famous cultural figure of the XVIII century I.I. Betsky. Betskoy was close to government circles and generally reflected the mood of Catherine II. And as a result, that educational institution was created, which then existed for a long time and was called by the room where the eye was located, the Smolny Institute, and its students - Smolyanka. The bulk of the students were girls of noble origin, but at the institute there was a "School for young girls" of non-noble origin. The training lasted nine years, during which the girls were practically isolated from home.

Education was superficial, the only exception was languages. In this area of ​​knowledge, the requirements were indeed very serious, and the pupils achieved great success. Of the other subjects, only dances and needlework were actually given importance. Physics was reduced to funny tricks, mathematics - to the most elementary knowledge. Only literature was taught a little better, especially in the 19th century, in the Pushkin era, when A.V. Nikitenko, a well-known writer and censor, and P.A. Pletnev, a friend of Pushkin, to whom the poet dedicated "Eugene Onegin". Smolny was not the only educational institution; private boarding houses arose. By the end of the 18th century, upon verification, there were several dozen in St. Petersburg, ten in Moscow, and a number in the provinces. Boarding houses were foreign. The type of Russian educated woman, especially in the capitals, began to take shape already in the 30s of the 18th century. Let us recall at least the contribution to the culture of Catherine II and her ally Princess Dashkova. However, in general, women's education in Russia in the 18th - early 19th centuries did not have its own Lyceum, nor its own Moscow or Dorpat University. The type of a highly spiritual Russian woman was formed under the influence of Russian literature and culture of the era. This issue is covered according to the book by Yu.M. Lotman "Conversations about Russian culture: Life and traditions of the Russian nobility (XVIII-early XIX century)". - St. Petersburg, 1994. - 399 p.

In the XVIII century. great changes took place not only in state affairs and artistic culture, but also in the daily life of Russian people, especially the privileged class - the nobility. In today's lesson, you will learn about housing, clothing, food and leisure of the main sections of Russian society.

Topic: Russia in the XVII-XVIII centuries.

Lesson: Everyday life inXVIIIcentury

In housing construction of the XVIII century. class differences are most evident. The state palaces of the Russian emperors at the end of the century had nothing in common not only with the royal mansions of the 17th century, but also with the modest dwellings of the Petrine era. At least 20,000 candles and 150,000 lamps were required to illuminate just one of them on holidays. Built in the Baroque style, they were richly decorated with stucco patterns, wall paintings, mirrors, paintings, gilding, carpets, weapons. The dwellings of the ordinary urban population and peasants were still built of wood. In the event of even a small fire in the city, there was a threat of burnout of entire neighborhoods and even cities. For the first time in the 18th century the numbering of houses on the streets appeared (previously it was not serial and next to house number 24 there could be house number 3265). The city houses themselves were now built differently. If earlier there was a stove in the center of the house, around which the living quarters were located, now the central place was occupied by a corridor into which most of the rooms went. Increasingly, even in poor city houses, glass was inserted into the windows, and not mica, as before. Peasant houses were built and maintained in the old way.

Rice. 1. Manor of the XVIII century. ()

XVIII century was marked by a revolution in the clothes of the nobility. The study of Petrine legislation made it possible to draw conclusions, on the one hand, about the breadth of the reforms that had begun, and, on the other hand, about the caution and correctness in carrying out the “costume” reform. The national adjustment of European clothing standards was expressed in the use of mainly cloth, furs, and a bright palette of costumes. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, fashionable French standards were finally established. Catherine II tried, along with French fashions, to introduce English trends, and both correlated with national traditions. The nobles wore thin shirts with lace, ties and bows, short and narrow camisoles. From above, caftans made of velvet or thick silk were worn. The sleeves were decorated with gold embroidery and pearls. The most fashionable shoes were square-toed shoes with low heels. Their buckles were even decorated with diamonds. Accessories were obligatory items of the toilet: gloves, watches, canes, powdered wigs. A corset was an indispensable attribute of a ladies' attire; they tightened it with all their might so that the waist seemed very thin. The skirts were puffy, on crinolines (frames). They sewed dresses from expensive fabrics. It was considered indecent to appear in the world several times in the same outfit. Secular ladies wore jewelry. Such a luxury was not available to small-scale nobles and poor officials. However, they also sought to follow the fashion at least in the styles of clothing. The peasants continued to wear the same sheepskin coats, coats, coats.

Nutrition of the main part of the population of Russia in the XVIII century. remained traditional. The wealthy and middle-aged urban population had innovations on the table: sausages and sausages, zrazy, salads, sausages, cutlets. The main principle of the pre-Petrine “separate” power supply system was violated. If earlier the carcass of a bird or a pig was roasted whole on a spit, now the meat was cut into pieces, for which for the first time stoves and pans were used. Western cuisine was popular with aristocrats. The French chef Olivier invented the recipe for the most famous salad today. Following the Western fashion in food led to the fact that ordinary Russian dishes were consumed by the nobles at home. Shchi and stews have disappeared from official receptions and dinners. Instead, they served broths and soups. Russian pies are replaced with puff pastries in the French style.

The nobles participated in balls, masquerades, and dinner parties. At the same time, they considered themselves very busy. It was customary to dance at the balls. It was fashionable to visit the theater. In 1756, a theater was created in St. Petersburg - the Russian Imperial Drama Theater. The theater has firmly entered the life of Muscovites. Theatrical announcements are printed in every issue of Moskovskie Vedomosti. On December 30, 1780, the Petrovsky Theater was opened (by the name of the street). Collecting paintings, sculptures, snuff boxes, jewelry, canes, etc. was considered one of the most popular activities in high society. The townspeople took part in the holidays of aristocrats. On the days of coronations, they were treated to beer, pies, mead, fireworks. The townspeople fell in love with folk festivals - New Year's, Shrovetide; there was a circus, a carousel, booths.

The peasants had no free time. In their free time, they most often did housework or went to church. On winter holidays, they rode from the mountains; on Christmas Eve - from Christmas to Epiphany - they caroled, danced round dances.

In everyday life, the daily life of Russians, the contradictions between the high society and the poor strata of society are deepening more and more.

List of references on the topic "Daily life in XVIIIcentury":

1. History of the state and peoples of Russia. XVI-XVIII centuries - M .: Bustard, 2003

2. Krasnobaev B.I. Essays on Russian culture of the 18th century. - M., 1987

3. Culture and life of Russia from ancient times to the twentieth century. / Compiled by M. V. Korotkova. - M .: Bustard, 2009

4. Markov B.V. Culture of everyday life. Proc. allowance / B. V. Markov. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2008

5. Tereshchenko A. V. History of the culture of the Russian people / A. V. Tereshchenko. — M.: Eksmo, 2007

3. Russian educational portal ().

Homework

1. What changes have occurred in the construction of palaces and estates for aristocrats?

2. What's new in the clothes of the nobles?

3. What changes have taken place in the Russians' food, in the way of cooking?

4. Describe the leisure activities of representatives of the upper strata?

5. Why changes in the life of the XVIII century. mainly affected only the upper strata of society?