Before that, the life of a simple Russian peasant was completely different.
Usually a person lived to be 40-45 years old and died already an old man. He was considered an adult man with a family and children at the age of 14-15, and she was even earlier. They did not get married for love, the father went to woo the bride to his son.
There was no time for idle rest. In summer, absolutely all the time was occupied by work in the field, in winter, harvesting firewood and homework tool making and household utensils, hunting.
Let's look at the Russian village of the 10th century, which, however, is not much different from the village of both the 5th century and the 17th century...
We got to the Lubytino historical and cultural complex as part of a motor rally dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Avtomir group of companies. It is not for nothing that it is called "One-storied Russia" - it was very interesting and informative to see how our ancestors lived.
In Lyubytino, at the place of residence of the ancient Slavs, among the barrows and graves, a real village of the 10th century was recreated, with all outbuildings and necessary utensils.
Let's start with an ordinary Slavic hut. The hut is cut from logs and covered with birch bark and turf. In some regions, the roofs of the same huts were covered with straw, and somewhere with wood chips. Surprisingly, the service life of such a roof is only slightly less than the service life of the entire house, 25-30 years, and the house itself served 40 years. Considering the lifetime at that time, the house was just enough for a person’s life.
By the way, in front of the entrance to the house there is a covered area - these are the very canopies from the song about "the canopy is new, maple."
The hut is heated in black, that is, the stove does not have a chimney, the smoke comes out through a small window under the roof and through the door. normal windows neither, and the door is only about a meter high. This is done in order not to release heat from the hut.
When the stove is fired, soot settles on the walls and roof. There is one big plus in the "black" firebox - there are no rodents and insects in such a house.
Of course, the house stands on the ground without any foundation, the lower crowns simply rest on several large stones.
This is how the roof is made
And here is the oven. A stone hearth mounted on a pedestal made of logs smeared with clay. The stove was lit from early morning. When the stove is heated, it is impossible to stay in the hut, only the hostess remained there, preparing food, all the rest went outside to do business, in any weather. After the stove was heated, the stones gave off heat until the next morning. Food was cooked in the oven.
This is what the cabin looks like from the inside. They slept on benches placed along the walls, they also sat on them while eating. The children slept on the beds, they are not visible in this photo, they are on top, above the head. In winter, young livestock were taken into the hut so that they would not die from frost. They also washed in the hut. You can imagine what kind of air was there, how warm and comfortable it was there. It immediately becomes clear why life expectancy was so short.
In order not to heat the hut in the summer, when this is not necessary, there was a separate small building in the village - a bread oven. Bread was baked and cooked there.
Grain was stored in a barn - a building raised on poles from the surface of the earth to protect products from rodents.
Barrels were arranged in the barn, remember - "I scratched the bottom of the barn ..."? These are special board boxes in which grain was poured from above, and taken from below. So the grain was not stale.
Also, a glacier was tripled in the village - a cellar in which ice was laid in the spring, sprinkled with hay and lay there almost until the next winter.
Clothes, skins, not needed in this moment utensils and weapons were kept in a cage. The crate was also used when the husband and wife needed to retire.
Barn - this building served for drying sheaves and threshing grain. Heated stones were piled into the hearth, sheaves were laid on the poles, and the peasant dried them, constantly turning them over. Then the grains were threshed and winnowed.
Cooking in an oven involves a special temperature regime - languor. So, for example, gray cabbage soup is prepared. They are called gray because of their gray color. How to cook them?
There are many theories about how man originated. How did our ancestors live? Who were they? There are a lot of questions, and the answers, unfortunately, are ambiguous. Well, let's try to figure out where man came from and how he lived in ancient times.
origin theory
- There are several theories about how man appeared: he is a creation of the cosmos, a creature from another world;
- the creator of man is God, it was he who laid down everything possible that man possesses;
- man appeared from the monkey, evolving and entering new stages of development.
Well, since most scientists still adhere to the third theory, because a person is so similar in structure to animals, we will analyze this version. How did people live in the deepest antiquity?
First stage: parapithecus
As you know, the ancestor of both humans and monkeys was a parapithecus. If we say the approximate time of the existence of parapithecus, then these animals inhabited the Earth about thirty-five million years ago. Despite the fact that scientists know too little about such ancient mammals, there is plenty of evidence that great apes are evolved parapithecus.
Second stage: driopithecus
If you believe the still unproven theory of the origin of man, then Driopithecus is a descendant of Parapithecus. However, a well-established fact is that Driopithecus is the ancestor of man. How did our ancestors live? The exact life time of Dryopithecus has not yet been established, but scientists say that they lived on Earth about eighteen million years ago. If we talk about the way of life, then, unlike parapithecus, which settled exclusively on trees, driopithecus already settled not only at height, but also on the ground.
Stage Three: Australopithecus
Australopithecus is the direct ancestor of man. How did our Australopithecus ancestors live? It is established that the life of this ancient mammal originated about five million years ago. Australopithecus already looked more like modern man in their habits: they calmly moved on hind legs, used the most primitive tools of labor and protection (sticks, stones, etc.). Unlike their predecessors, Australopithecus ate not only berries, herbs and other vegetation, but also ate animal meat, since these same tools were often used for hunting. Despite the fact that evolution was clearly moving forward, Australopithecus was more like a monkey than a man - thick hair, small proportions and average weight still distinguish them from modern humans.
Fourth stage: a skilled person
At this stage in the development of evolution, the human ancestor was no different from Australopithecus in its own way. appearance. Despite being skilled, he was distinguished by the fact that he could freely make tools, means of protection and hunting on his own. All the products that this ancestor produced were made mainly of stone. Some scientists are even inclined to believe that in his development a skilled person reached the point that he tried to transmit information to his own kind using certain combinations of sounds. However, the theory that it was at this time that the beginnings of speech already existed has not been proven.
Fifth stage: Homo erectus
How did our ancestor, whom today we call "upright man" live? Evolution did not stand still, and now this mammal very much resembled a modern person. In addition, already at this stage of development, a person could make sounds that served as certain signals. This means that we can conclude that there was already speech at that time, but it was inarticulate. At this stage, the volume of the brain has increased greatly in humans. Thanks to this, a skilled person no longer worked alone, but the work was collective. This human ancestor could hunt large animals, as hunting tools were already sophisticated enough to kill a large game.
Sixth stage: Neanderthal
For a very long time, the theory that Neanderthals were the direct ancestors of man was considered correct and accepted by many scientists. However, studies have shown that Neanderthals did not have any descendants, which means that the branch of this mammal was a dead end. Despite this, in their structure, Neanderthals are very similar to modern humans: a large brain, lack of hair, a developed lower jaw (this suggests that Neanderthals had speech). Where did our "ancestors" live? Neanderthals lived in groups, making their homes on the banks of rivers, in caves and between rocks.
The last stage: a reasonable person
Scientists have proven that this species appeared 130 thousand years ago. External resemblance, the structure of the brain, all the skills - all this suggests that a reasonable person is our direct ancestor. It is at this stage of the revolution that people begin their own cultivation of livelihoods, settle not just in groups, but in families, run their own household, keep their own barnyard, and begin to explore new crops of plants.
Slavs
How our people lived This is the finally developed ancestor of modern man, who is characterized by division into racial groups. Human ancestors living in the Middle Ages were mostly Slavs. In general, this race appeared in the Baltic lands, and soon, due to its large number, settled throughout the territory Western Europe and northwestern Russia. In addition, the Slavs fought constant battles, were distinguished by a special technique for owning weapons and stamina in battle. Slavs are the ancestors of specifically Russian, German, Baltic and other peoples.
The child was assigned a responsible task at school: to make a family door, paste photos of relatives. To be honest, I spent five hours on this task. I drew and pasted family photos My daughter couldn't have done it alone. Well, I spontaneously immersed myself in history. You will also be interested to know how our ancestors lived.
Look into the past
If you study the history of the family, you can get confused. You need to start with the last name that was given to you at birth. Special companies that have access to the archives will decipher the meaning of the surname. They will name the great famous people who were in your family. The cost of the service is not cheap and you will have to wait, but the result will surprise you. Modern people it is not very interesting to know how the nomadic Slavs lived, caused rain and loved nature. But you can look into the last century.
USSR and our ancestors
Soviet Union- a bright period in people's lives. When the mighty power was reunited, our great-grandparents were young (as we are now). Best years were ahead. But, the Soviet regime and repressions broke the plans. And then it was worse: famine, war, devastation. All men were obliged to serve (5 years in the army), and then - "to defend their homeland." Find photos of your great-grandfather, he will definitely be dressed in military uniform.
In the post-war period, there was a belief in better life. Actively began to develop Agriculture. Collective farms were opened. Women worked in the fields no less than men. The work was difficult (from morning to late evening). Girls had no right to take sick leave or maternity leave!
The elite and intelligentsia lived in cities. They are more fortunate. Our ancestors lived modestly in the villages. There were not even amenities in the houses, I generally keep quiet about the TV.
Another horrific fact: the villagers were undocumented. But, they lived together, the holidays walked the whole streets, shared food and secrets.
Dawn in life
During the period of stagnation, our ancestors began to enjoy the benefits of civilization. They are:
- went to the city;
- went to the sea;
- visited the cinema;
- bought cars.
Our ancestors lived one day. Constantly dreamed of good things. It remains for us to bring their plans to life. Remember: we are the pride of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers.
Helpful1 Not very good
Comments0
Recently I was looking at old photographs of my grandparents and great-grandmothers. While watching, I thought about how our ancestors lived in the 20th century. Of course, everything is different, but some common features can be found. It has always been interesting to live in Russia, we still have an important country, and not some kind of Ireland, but we live, on average, poorer than our European neighbors.
Our ancestors lived in the USSR
About 30 years ago there was such a country with a size of 22 million square meters. km and with a population of almost 300 million people. Even in the United States, there was then less population and territory. The USSR is well remembered by our parents. There were a lot of good and strange things. For example, Soviet people it was difficult to go abroad, so they traveled mainly in their own country and with minimal comfort, which is reflected in the movie "Be My Husband". My ancestors in the 1970s and 1980s spent their holidays in the following places in the summer:
- Moscow and Leningrad. They played a role not only cultural capitals, but also all-Union stores.
- Baltic. Three republics played the role of internal foreign countries. There it was better with consumer goods, and the standard of living for everyone else was the envy.
- Crimea. A popular resort, which is reflected in many films, for example, "Three plus two."
- Georgia and Armenia. People traveled to these republics for the sake of the subtropical climate of Adjara and delicious food.
The Soviet period was remembered by almost every family for the processes of urbanization. That is, in the twenties, the population was still mostly rural, and in the 1950s-1980s, large-scale housing construction was going on. This period is reflected in the cinema, for example, in the film "Prize", as well as in painting the picture - "Wedding on Tomorrow Street".
Our ancestors lived in the Russian Empire
In my childhood there were still old people who were born before the revolution. However, we remember pre-revolutionary Russia poorly, despite all the flattering words addressed to her after 1991. Alas, the majority of Russians' ancestors then were illiterate or semi-literate and lived in the countryside. Look at life pre-revolutionary Russia can on famous photos Prokudin-Gorsky. I've looked at everything!
Useful0 Not very
Comments0
Using the benefits of civilization, such as a washing machine, diapers for a child, a telephone, I sometimes think about how earlier people lived without it. It turns out that they lived normally - they just did not know that it was possible to live better, and therefore put up with their fate. Read on for details.
The lifestyle of our ancestors
Getting acquainted with the life of our ancestors, sometimes you wonder ... All life is a continuous struggle for survival. main goal was not to die of hunger.
At dawn, the women got up and went to prepare food for their livestock and family, and then went to the fields. The men did the hard work.
Our ancestors had many children throughout the ages. Children got easier work - they had to nurse the younger ones, herd geese, guard the hut.
When you read about the life of ancient people, it becomes sad that in their life there was no place for creativity, self-realization, emotions, pleasures and joy. More precisely, all this was, but not on such a scale as in our time, but meagerly and for a short time.
But, however, people then were physically healthier and more resilient, lived in harmony with nature.
Our ancestors could realize themselves, perhaps, through their craft. However, it was also routine, according to the pattern. A blacksmith might hate his job, but he couldn't do anything else, and that's why he forged horseshoes for the rest of his days.
Someone will say that women should have been happy that they had many children. But, alas, in such conditions of life, which our distant great-grandmothers got, there was no time for love and rapture. And often children were perceived as a burden, or vice versa, a labor force.
How were the names of our ancestors
In the Middle Ages, many different professions and crafts began to appear. The most popular were:
- blacksmith;
- potter;
- tanner;
- a carpenter;
- weaver;
- undertaker.
And in view of the fact that our ancestors always lived in large clans, for convenience, each family was called by the occupation of the owner.
So, the Kozhevnikovs, Kravtsovs, Melnikovs, Zemtsovs appeared (in the old days, beekeepers were called Zemstvo), Furmanovs (cab drivers were previously called furmans).
Useful0 Not very
Comments0
AT winter holiday When I was in Omsk, my son and I visited the local history and local history museum. The exposition turned out to be quite large, and by the end my child was already tired, but it was still difficult to take him away from there. He was especially interested in the way of life of distant ancestors, and I was interested in later times.
Ancient people on Omsk land
The exposition included the following stages:
- stone Age;
- bronze age;
- iron age.
As we were told on the tour, people in these parts lived already in the Stone Age. While hunting, they obtained food for themselves with the help of stones and pointed sticks, dressed in skins, and huts covered with animal skins served as a shelter from bad weather.
Siberians two centuries ago
Siberian peasants lived in communities in which great importance to help each other and the poor. For example, houses were usually built all together. The family household consisted of a log hut with a stove, a summer house, a bathhouse, a servants' house, a barn and a cellar with a well. At the same time, part of the outbuildings was under one roof.
The head of the family was the Bolshak - the oldest man. He made all the decisions himself, distributed the work, and only in special occasions consulted with others. If the family did not like their elder, they turned to the community so that someone else from their relatives could replace him. Among women, the rules are big.
The whole year the family worked hard: they plowed the land, sowed, mowed, grazed cattle. Stocks replenished the collection of berries and mushrooms, fishing. Not having pharmacies and doctors nearby, women collected herbs, and each housewife had several, just in case. medicinal tinctures.
Settlers of Siberia
Whenever I encountered Siberians, I was surprised by the diversity of surnames. It is simply impossible to determine nationality from them. And after visiting the museum, I realized what was the matter.
It turns out that Siberia has experienced more than one resettlement. When freely, when involuntarily, people from different regions moved here. Natives of the same places settled together, therefore, in the territory of the region, there are still national villages in which they try to preserve their traditions.
Useful0 Not very
Comments0
E If you think that our ancestors lived in spacious, hay-smelling houses, slept on a warm Russian stove and lived happily ever after, then you are mistaken. So, as you thought, the peasants began to live a hundred, maybe a hundred and fifty, or at most two hundred years ago.
Before that, the life of a simple Russian peasant was completely different.
Usually a person lived to be 40-45 years old and died already an old man. He was considered an adult man with a family and children at the age of 14-15, and she was even earlier. They did not get married for love, the father went to woo the bride to his son.
There was no time for idle rest. In the summer, absolutely all the time was occupied by work in the field, in winter, logging and homework for the manufacture of tools and household utensils, hunting.
Let's look at the Russian village of the 10th century, which, however, is not much different from the village of both the 5th century and the 17th century...
We got to the Lubytino historical and cultural complex as part of a motor rally dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Avtomir group of companies. It is not for nothing that it is called "One-storied Russia" - it was very interesting and informative to see how our ancestors lived.
In Lyubytino, at the place of residence of the ancient Slavs, among the barrows and graves, a real village of the 10th century was recreated, with all outbuildings and necessary utensils.
02
Let's start with an ordinary Slavic hut. The hut is cut from logs and covered with birch bark and turf. In some regions, the roofs of the same huts were covered with straw, and somewhere with wood chips. Surprisingly, the service life of such a roof is only slightly less than the service life of the entire house, 25-30 years, and the house itself served 40 years. Considering the lifetime at that time, the house was just enough for a person’s life.
By the way, in front of the entrance to the house there is a covered area - these are the very canopies from the song about "the canopy is new, maple."
03
The hut is heated in black, that is, the stove does not have a chimney, the smoke comes out through a small window under the roof and through the door. There are no normal windows either, and the door is only about a meter high. This is done in order not to release heat from the hut.
When the stove is fired, soot settles on the walls and roof. There is one big plus in the "black" firebox - there are no rodents and insects in such a house.
04
Of course, the house stands on the ground without any foundation, the lower crowns simply rest on several large stones.
05
This is how the roof is made
06
And here is the oven. A stone hearth mounted on a pedestal made of logs smeared with clay. The stove was lit from early morning. When the stove is heated, it is impossible to stay in the hut, only the hostess remained there, preparing food, all the rest went outside to do business, in any weather. After the stove was heated, the stones gave off heat until the next morning. Food was cooked in the oven.
07
This is what the cabin looks like from the inside. They slept on benches placed along the walls, they also sat on them while eating. The children slept on the beds, they are not visible in this photo, they are on top, above the head. In winter, young livestock were taken into the hut so that they would not die from frost. They also washed in the hut. You can imagine what kind of air was there, how warm and comfortable it was there. It immediately becomes clear why life expectancy was so short.
08
In order not to heat the hut in the summer, when this is not necessary, there was a separate small building in the village - a bread oven. Bread was baked and cooked there.
09
Grain was stored in a barn - a building raised on poles from the surface of the earth to protect products from rodents.
10
Barrels were arranged in the barn, remember - "I scratched the bottom of the barn ..."? These are special board boxes in which grain was poured from above, and taken from below. So the grain was not stale.
11
Also, a glacier was tripled in the village - a cellar in which ice was laid in the spring, sprinkled with hay and lay there almost until the next winter.
Clothes, skins, utensils and weapons that were not needed at the moment were stored in a crate. The crate was also used when the husband and wife needed to retire.
12
13
Barn - this building served for drying sheaves and threshing grain. Heated stones were piled into the hearth, sheaves were laid on the poles, and the peasant dried them, constantly turning them over. Then the grains were threshed and winnowed.
14
Cooking in an oven involves a special temperature regime - languor. So, for example, gray cabbage soup is prepared. They are called gray because of their gray color. How to cook them?
To begin with, green cabbage leaves are taken, those that did not enter the head of cabbage are finely chopped, salted and placed under oppression for a week, for fermentation.
Still needed for cabbage soup pearl barley, meat, onion, carrot. The ingredients are placed in a pot, and it is placed in the oven, where it will spend several hours. By the evening, a very hearty and thick dish will be ready.
15
The life of any person is highly dependent on the environment around him, natural conditions, climate. The life of the ancient Slavs was no exception. In general, it was very simple, original. Life went on as usual, measured and at ease. But, on the other hand, I had to survive and look for food for myself and my children every day. So how did our ancestors live - the Slavs?
Agriculture
They lived near rivers and other bodies of water. The reason for this is the need for in large numbers waters and land are very fertile. The southern Slavs could especially boast of such lands. Therefore, one of their main occupations was agriculture. The main crops grown were millet, buckwheat, and flax. There were special devices for cultivating the land: hoes, harrows, plows and others. The Slavs had several types of agriculture (for example, slash-and-burn). It differed in different regions residence. Most often they burned trees in the forest. The resulting ash was used as fertilizer. After the land "got tired" (usually after three years), they moved to new territories.
dwelling
The Slavs tried to settle in such a way that there were steep slopes around. This could save them from enemy attacks. For the same purpose, a palisade was placed around the dwellings. It was made from logs.
As is known, in the territory modern Russia and Europe have frosty winters. Therefore, the Slavs insulated their dwellings (huts) with clay for this period. A fire was kindled inside, special holes were provided for smoke. Later, they began to build real huts with a stove. But initially, such a resource as logs was available only to the Slavs living near the forest.
As for household items, they were also made from different types of trees (these are dishes, tables, benches, and even children's toys). And clothes were sewn from flax and cotton, which they themselves grew.
Way of life
Over time, the Slavs formed a tribal system, tribal relations. The unit, or cell, was the genus. This is a collection of people united by family ties. Today it can be imagined as if all the children of their parents live together with their families. In general, the life of the Slavs was characterized by cohesion, they did everything together and together. When difficulties or disputes arose, but they gathered at a special meeting (veche), where the elders of the clan solved problems.
Food
If the Slavs are basically what they raised and caught themselves. They prepared soups (shchi), cereals (buckwheat, millet and others). From drinks they drank kissel, kvass. From vegetables used cabbage, turnips. Of course, there were no potatoes yet. The Slavs also prepared various pastries. The most popular were pies and pancakes. Berries and mushrooms were brought from the forest. In general, the forest for the Slavs was a source of life. From there they took wood, and animals, and plants.
Hunting and cattle breeding
It is important to note that along with agriculture, our ancestors were also engaged in hunting. 
Many animals lived in the forest (foxes, hares, elks, wild boars, bears). They benefited twice. First, the meat was used for food. Secondly, wool and animal fur - for clothes. To hunt, the Slavs built primitive weapons- Bow and arrows. Fishing was also important.
Over time, cattle breeding also appeared. Now you don’t have to run after the animals, they lived nearby. Basically, the Slavs had cows and pigs, as well as horses. Cattle also brought many benefits to humans. This is delicious meat and milk. And large animals were also used as work force in the fields, and as a means of transport.
Leisure of the Slavs
You also need to know how to rest! How did our ancestors have fun? First, from wood they carved various paintings, then giving them bright color. Secondly, the Slavs also loved music. They had harps, pipes. All musical instruments, of course, also made of wood. Thirdly, women weaved and embroidered. After all, all the clothes of the Slavs have always been decorated with fancy ornaments and patterns.
Finally
Such was the life of the ancient Slavs. Although it was not filled with simple household amenities, but it was. And it was no worse than that of other tribes that developed in parallel with the Slavs and often had Better conditions. The Slavs were able to get comfortable, were able to step over to the next step. Hardly modern man could survive at that time without all his comforts, which he no longer notices. Therefore, let's respect and honor the memory of our ancestors. They did what we could not have done. We owe them what we have today.
