The epochal reign of Peter I, as well as his many reforms aimed at Europeanization and the eradication of medieval vestiges in everyday life and politics, had a huge impact on the lifestyle of all classes of the empire.
Various innovations, 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 involve women in high life and to teach the upper classes of Russian society to the rules of etiquette. For this, special instructions and manuals 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. Mostly the changes affected social life, the family structure remained unchanged - the man was the head of the family, the rest of the family were obliged to obey him.
Everyday life and customs of the 18th century in Russia entered into a sharp confrontation with innovations, because absolutism, which had reached its peak, and feudal feudal relations did not allow painlessly and quickly to realize the plans for Europeanization. In addition, there was a clear contrast to the life of the wealthy estates and serfs.
Court life in the 18th century
The everyday 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 felt more and more strongly: tutors, tutors, hairdressers, and fashion designers appeared in Moscow and St. Petersburg; compulsory learning has become French; a special fashion was introduced for the ladies who came to the courtyard.
The innovations that appeared in Paris were necessarily adopted by the Russian nobility. The court etiquette was like a theatrical performance - dignified nods, curtsy created an acute sense of pretense.
Over time, the theater gained great popularity. During this period, the first Russian playwrights (Dmitrievsky, Sumarokov) appeared.
Interest in French literature is growing. Representatives of the aristocracy pay 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 and 40s of the XVIII century, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, one of the most popular entertainments, in addition to chess and drafts, was the game of cards, which was previously considered indecent.
Life and customs of the 18th century in Russia: the life of nobles
The population of the Russian Empire consisted of several classes.
The noblemen of large cities, especially St. Petersburg and Moscow, were in the most advantageous position: material well-being and a high position in society allowed them to lead an idle lifestyle, devoting all their time to organizing and attending social events.
Close attention was paid to houses, the arrangement of which was noticeably influenced by Western traditions.
The aristocracy possessed luxury and sophistication: large halls tastefully furnished with European furniture, huge chandeliers with candles, rich libraries with books by Western authors - all this was to show a sense of taste and be 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 debates about politics, art, literature were heated, disputes on philosophical topics were conducted. The French language was very popular, which the children of the nobility from childhood were trained by specially hired foreign teachers. Upon reaching the age of 15-17, teenagers were sent to closed schools: boys were taught military strategy here , girls were taught the rules of good form, the ability to play various musical instruments, and the basics of family life.
The Europeanization of the life and 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 gap between the wealthy strata and the poor.
The life of the provincial nobles
Unlike metropolitan nobles, representatives of the provincial nobility lived more modestly, although they tried by all means to resemble a more prosperous aristocracy. Sometimes such a desire from the side looked pretty caricatured. If the capital's nobility lived off of its vast possessions and thousands of serfs working on them, then the families of provincial cities and villages received the main income from taxation of peasants and income from their small farms. The noble estate was a kind of 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 noblemen was very low, training was mainly limited to the basics of grammar and arithmetic. Men spent leisure time going hunting, and women gossiped about court life and fashion, having no reliable idea about it.
The owners of rural estates were closely connected with the peasants, who served as workers and servants in their homes. Therefore, the rural nobility was much closer to the common people than the capital's aristocrats. In addition, poorly educated nobles, as well as peasants, were often far from introduced innovations, and if they tried to keep up with fashion, it turned out more comical than elegant.
Peasants: life and customs of the 18th century in Russia
The heaviest of all was the lowest class of the Russian Empire - serfs.
Work six days a week at the landowner did not leave the peasant time to equip his daily life. They had to cultivate their own pieces of land on holidays and weekends, because the families of the peasants were large and they had to somehow feed them. The simple life of the peasants is associated with constant employment and lack of free time and money: wooden huts, rude interior, meager food and simple clothes. However, all this did not stop them from inventing entertainment: on big holidays, mass games were held, round dances were held, songs were sung.
The children of the peasants, without receiving any education, repeated the fate of their parents, also becoming courtyards and servants at the noble estates.
The influence of the West on the development of Russia
Life and customs of the Russian people at the end of the XVIII century, for the most part, were completely influenced by the trends of the Western world. Despite the stability and ossification of old Russian traditions, the trends of developed states gradually entered the life of the population of the Russian Empire, making its prosperous part more educated and competent. This fact is confirmed by the emergence of various institutions whose service consisted of people who had already received a certain level of education (for example, city hospitals).
Cultural development and gradual Europeanization of the population quite clearly testify to the history of Russia. Life and customs in the 18th century, modified due to the education policy of Peter the Great, laid the foundation for the global cultural development of Russia and its people.