18 Facts About Youth in Tsarist Russia in the 19th Century That Might Seem Quite Weird Today

It’s hard to imagine our life today without technological gadgets, malls, amusement parks and international travel. However, in the very recent past, our ancestors didn’t need any of that: they had plenty of ways to entertain themselves.

We, from incredible.club, we decided to find out how young people in the past lived, without modern forms of entertainment. Check out!

Generally, in the 19th century, there was not a strong desire for young people to marry: young men were more attracted to married women. And no wonder: with more experienced women it was possible to talk about interests without fear of falling into the trap of marriage.

There were two special groups in Tsarist Russia who were categorically forbidden to marry: students and schoolteachers. Students could not choose their wives until they had completed their studies, while female professors were required to maintain a vow of celibacy until they retired. like those of your employees. There were no architectural extravagances, and perhaps the only difference was the issue of cleanliness. Many young nobles also did not want to manage their own family estates. Most of the time, home care fell on the shoulders of their mothers, single relatives and aunts, who dedicated themselves to the routine of household chores.

The knowledge of a foreign language, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was extremely important for life, as it provided young people with access to education and a position in society. In order to provide a bright future for their children, landowners, with good financial conditions, sought to employ French people as employees. Young people of aristocratic origin could also pay private teachers of painting and singing. There were also special schools for noblewomen, but the students were so disconnected from the real world that they could fall in love with a random visitor, a local priest, or a relative of a classmate, due to their lack of contact with the outside world. A maiden falling ill for love was considered the height of sophistication. Some Russian women, to the horror of their conservative parents, founded a new subculture in the late 19th century: that of female students called “cursistas”. They behaved like “men” by the standards of the time, cut their hair short and wore large glasses, in addition to considering themselves the intellectual elite of the time.

In the old days, much importance was attached to clothes. According to etiquette at the time, a woman had to change her clothes several times a day. Wearing the same dress was considered a joke. In Russia in the 19th century, the older generation of the wealthy population remained faithful to ancient traditions and wore only “Russian clothes”, while the younger generation began to wear European clothes. Rich young merchants tried to dress exclusively in French fashion.

In poor peasant families, the situation was simpler: boys wore linen shirts only on holidays, and everyday shoes were changed to boots. The girls, on the other hand, tried to dress as well as possible, wearing embroidered summer dresses and coats. Working in the cold, in the wind and under the scorching sun made the young people who worked in the fields transform themselves at the age of 25. in old people: the skin became dry, wrinkled and burned. To avoid the unpleasant consequences of work in the field, Cossack girls covered their faces. That way, the sun didn’t harm them and they managed to keep their skin youthful for longer.

There was also an unspoken rule in society at that time: in the not so distant past, it was not customary to move your face a lot. It was believed that pronounced facial expressions are characteristic only of people with mental problems, which is why children from an early age were forced to keep their faces motionless and even a little tense.

Young people from high society also could not show feelings and emotions. Unmarried ladies were prohibited from publicly yawning, laughing, sneezing, crying and even eating in public, because they had to open their mouths. for both theaters and restaurants. It was also forbidden for a lady to go to the bathroom when she was receiving guests.

The enthusiasm of 19th century youth sometimes led them to establish a variety of clubs and organizations. One of the most famous was an association called “Populists”, which today could be considered a forerunner of the hippies. Members of this organization abandoned their families, studies and work and “went out into the world” to teach children to read and write, care for the sick and come up with new ideas. Many games were extremely popular in Tsarist Russia, especially the game of challenges and the tag, still very popular today.

Peasant youth playing tag.

Although work in the fields consumed a lot of time and energy, peasant youth wasted no time either. The young men and women of the villages gathered to sing, dance or tell stories. On major holidays, huge celebrations were organized, with stalls selling pies and pancakes, bands and even homemade carousels.

Would you like to be young in the 19th century? If so, why? Tell us in the comments section.