Who does not remember the picturesque luxury of the clothes of ancient Russian princes, the sophistication of the vestments of the aristocracy, or the modest clothes of the peasants? If the body could be considered a temple, then clothing was its decoration.
Sorochitsa
The shirt, or chemise, was the main part of the costume of peasants and townspeople, men and women, rich and poor. In the classic version, the chemise was an underwear shirt. For men, it could reach to the knees; they wore it untucked, girded with a narrow belt or woven cord.
For women, it could be as long as the feet; its sleeves were gathered into folds at the wrist and held back with hoops. The collar of such a shirt was usually low, so that the neck remained bare. At first it was just a cutout into which the head passed when put on. A cut with fasteners or ties will appear a little later. The collar was fastened with a small button, which could be bone, wood, or bronze. Particularly elegant shirts had low stand-up collars, which were trimmed with patterns of gold threads.
The ancient Russian costume was very multi-layered. If the shirt was put on at the beginning, then the casing completed the composition. This top cover was the warmest layer and was made from goatskin and sheepskin. The casings were worn by both women and men. Rich casings were made of well-crafted soft leather, embroidered with pearls and decorated with precious stripes made of expensive fabrics.
In the spiritual letter of Ivan Kalita (1339) one can find the following descriptions: “blackened zhenchyug casing”, “yellow obir casing”, two “casings from the alama with zhenchyug”. The leather for this outfit was painted in different colors, but most often they used red: “blueberry casing”, “blackened casing”. Simpler people wore casings made of roughly tanned leather.
In general, costume items such as capes were very popular in ancient Rus'. One of them was a basket - a long cloak reaching almost to the toes, which was fastened on the right or left shoulder with a cufflink with buttonholes or with a precious buckle. This was a princely piece of clothing, as evidenced, for example, by its relative high cost - its tailoring cost a hryvnia. Sometimes a korzno could be not only a cloak, but also a shoulder-swinging garment with sewn side seams. This cape was hardly comfortable clothing - a long-skirted cloak covering half the body could hardly provide the necessary freedom of movement, especially on military campaigns, so it rather served as an indicator of status and was worn “on occasion.”
If the korzno was worn only by the nobility, then people of lower rank could throw on a mytle - another type of sleeveless cloak. This is exactly the case when you can say “simple and tasteful.” However, the quality factor cannot be taken away from bluegrass. There is information that there was even a fine of three hryvnia for someone who would tear someone’s bluegrass in a fight (according to other chronicle sources, the cost of bluegrass was half a hryvnia). The exact color of the bluegrass is not known, but the chronicles mention ore (red-brown) and black bluegrass.
Peasants and poor city dwellers wore votolu (or volota) - a piece of thick girdle cloth or coarse woolen fabric, which was thrown over their shoulders in damp and cold weather. The length of the votola was up to the knees or calves. It was buttoned or tied at the neck and sometimes had a hood. It was, of course, indecent to go to a church ceremony in such an outfit, but picking apples in it on a rainy October day was just right.
Ports could designate both clothing in general and pants, for which there were several other ancient names - gachas and leggings. Portas were rather narrow pants with a belt at the waist. They were always worn tucked into boots or onuchi, so it is difficult to say how long they were; in all images they completely hugged the leg. Until the end of the 17th century, there were no pockets in pants - all the necessary small things had to be carried on a belt, which was attached to a belt or in a special bag - a wicket.
The living conditions of the ancient Eastern Slavs - the Drevlyans, Radimichi, Vyatichi, etc. - were the same as those of their neighbors - the Scythians and Sarmatians. Probably their clothes were the same. The ancient Slavs made them from leather, felt, and coarse woolen fabric. Later, the costume of the Eastern Slavs, under the influence of Greek, Roman and Scandinavian clothing, became richer.
Men's suit
Men wore a woolen shirt with long sleeves, without a collar, which was wrapped in the front and belted with a belt. The hems of such a shirt were often lined with fur, and winter shirts were made of fur. The shirt could have been odorless.
Canvas or homespun trousers, wide as trousers, were gathered at the waist and tied at the feet and under the knees. Instead of straps, metal hoops were sometimes worn on the legs. Rich people wore two pairs of pants: canvas and wool.
Short or long cloaks were thrown over the shoulders, which were fastened on the chest or on one shoulder. In winter, the Slavs wore a sheepskin coat and mittens.
Woman suit
Women's clothing was the same as men's, but longer and wider and made of less rough leather and fabric. White canvas shirts below the knees were decorated with embroidery along the round neckline, hem and sleeves. Metal plates were sewn onto long skirts. In winter, women wore short capes (sleeve jackets) and fur coats.
Shoes
In the pre-Christian period, the ancient Slavs wore onuchi (canvas used to wrap the foot) with soles attached to the foot with straps, as well as boots, which were made from a whole piece of leather and tied with a belt at the ankle.
Hairstyles and hats
The ancient Slavs wore bronze hoops, round fur hats with a band, felt caps, and headbands on their heads. The men had long or semi-long hair cut at the forehead and beards.
Women wore headbands, and later scarves. Married Slavic women covered their heads with a very large scarf that went down their backs almost to their toes.
Girls let their hair down, women braided it into braids that were wrapped around their heads.
Decorations
Necklaces, beads, many chains, earrings with pendants, bracelets, hryvnias made of gold, silver, copper - these are the main jewelry for both men and women.
Women wore metal headbands, men wore hats made of bronze rings. Neck rings in the shape of a twisted hoop were also decorations; hryvnia - densely strung silver coins or a half-hoop with chains. Many pendants, mostly bronze, in the form of bells, crosses, animal figures, stars, etc., as well as beads made of green glass, amber, and bronze were attached to neck rings and chest chains.
The men sported leather belts with chased bronze plaques and long breast chains.
Women happily wore earrings with pendants, temple rings, and pinned their outerwear on their shoulders with beautiful paired pins.
Both men and women wore bracelets and rings - smooth, with patterns, or spiral-shaped.
Costume of Ancient Rus' (10-13 centuries)
After the adoption of Christianity, Byzantine customs, as well as Byzantine clothing, spread to Rus'.
The Old Russian costume of this period became long and loose; it did not emphasize the figure and gave it a static look.
Rus' traded with Eastern and Western European countries, and the nobility dressed mainly in imported fabrics, which were called “pavolok”. This includes velvet (embossed or embroidered with gold), brocade (aksamit), and taffeta (patterned silk fabric with a pattern). The cut of the clothes was simple, and they differed mainly in the quality of the fabrics.
Women's and men's outfits were richly decorated with embroidery, pearls, and trimmed with furs. The costumes of the nobility were made from expensive fur of sable, otter, marten, and beaver, and peasant clothing was made from sheepskin, hare, and squirrel fur.
Men's suit
The ancient Russian wore a shirt and pants (“ports”).
The shirt is straight, with long narrow sleeves, without a collar, with a small slit in the front, which was tied with a cord or fastened with a button. Sometimes the sleeves around the wrist were decorated with elegant ones, made of expensive fabric, with embroidered “sleeves” - a prototype of future cuffs.
Shirts were made from fabric of different colors - white, red, blue (azure), decorated with embroidery or fabric of a different color. They wore them untucked and belted. Commoners had canvas shirts, which replaced both their lower and outer clothing. Noble people wore another shirt on top of the undershirt - the upper one, which expanded downward, thanks to wedges sewn into the sides.
Portas are long, narrow, tapering pants that are tied at the waist with a cord - a “gashnika”. The peasants wore canvas portages, and the nobility wore cloth or silk ones.
The “retinue” served as outerwear. It was also straight, no lower than the knees, with long narrow sleeves, and widened at the bottom due to wedges. The retinue was girded with a wide belt, from which was hung a purse in the form of a bag - “kalita”. For winter, the retinue was made of fur.
The nobility also wore small rectangular or rounded “korzno” cloaks, which were of Byzantine-Roman origin. They were draped over the left shoulder and fastened with a buckle on the right. Or they covered both shoulders and fastened in front.
Woman suit
In Ancient Rus', women with a stately figure, a white face, a bright blush, and sable eyebrows were considered beautiful.
Russian women adopted the Eastern custom of painting their faces. They covered the face with a thick layer of rouge and white, as well as inked eyebrows and eyelashes.
Women, like men, wore a shirt, but longer, almost to the feet. Ornaments were embroidered on the shirt; it could be gathered at the neck and trimmed with a border. They wore it with a belt. Rich women had two shirts: an undershirt and an outer shirt, made of more expensive fabric.
Over the shirt was worn a skirt made of colorful fabric - “poneva”: sewn panels were wrapped around the hips and tied at the waist with a cord.
The girls wore a “cufflink” over their shirt - a rectangular piece of fabric folded in half with a hole for the head. The zapona was shorter than a shirt, was not sewn at the sides and was always belted.
Festive elegant clothing, worn over a poneva or cuff, was the “navershnik” - an embroidered tunic made of expensive fabric with short wide sleeves.
On the woman: a double shirt with a patterned belt, a cloak fastened with a brooch, pistons
On a man: a cloak-basket and a linen shirt with handrails
Grand Duke's costume
The Grand Dukes and Duchesses wore long, narrow, long-sleeved tunics, mostly blue; purple cloaks woven with gold, which were fastened on the right shoulder or chest with a beautiful buckle. The ceremonial attire of the Grand Dukes was a crown of gold and silver, decorated with pearls, semi-precious stones and enamels, and a “barma” - a wide round collar, also richly decorated with precious stones and icon medallions. The royal crown always belonged to the eldest in the grand-ducal or royal family. At the wedding, the princesses wore a veil, the folds of which, framing their faces, fell onto their shoulders.
The so-called “Monomakh’s hat”, trimmed with sable fur, with diamonds, emeralds, yachts, and a cross on top, appeared much later. There was a legend about its Byzantine origin, according to which this headdress belonged to Vladimir Monomakh’s maternal grandfather, Constantine Monomakh, and it was sent to Vladimir by the Byzantine Emperor Alexei Komnenos. However, it has been established that the Monomakh cap was made in 1624 for Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.
prince's costume: patterned fur coat, shirt decorated with a border
princess costume: outerwear with double sleeves, Byzantine collar
On the woman: an opashen lined with fur, a hat with a satin band, pearl hems on top of the bedspread.
On a man: brocade caftan with a trumpet collar, morocco boots
Warriors costume
Old Russian warriors wore short, knee-length chain mail with short sleeves over their regular clothes. It was put on over the head and tied with a sash made of metal plaques. Chain mail was expensive, so ordinary warriors wore “kuyak” - a sleeveless leather shirt with metal plates sewn on it. The head was protected by a pointed helmet, to which a chainmail mesh (“aventail”) was attached from the inside, covering the back and shoulders. Russian soldiers fought with straight and curved swords, sabers, spears, bows and arrows, flails and axes.
Shoes
In Ancient Rus' they wore boots or bast shoes with onuchas. Onuchi were long pieces of cloth that were wrapped over the ports. The bast shoes were tied to the leg with ties. Wealthy people wore very thick stockings over their ports. The nobility wore high boots without heels, made of colored leather.
Women also wore bast shoes with onuchas or boots made of colored leather without heels, which were decorated with embroidery.
Hairstyles and hats
Men cut their hair in an even semicircle - “in a bracket” or “in a circle.” They wore a wide beard.
A hat was a mandatory element of a man's suit. They were made of felt or cloth and had the shape of a high or low cap. Round hats were trimmed with fur.
Married women walked only with their heads covered - this was a strict tradition. The worst insult for a woman was to tear off her headdress. Women did not film it even in front of close relatives. The hair was covered with a special cap - “povoinik”, and on top of it a white or red linen scarf was worn - “ubrus”. For noble women, the lining was made of silk. It was fastened under the chin, leaving the ends free, decorated with rich embroidery. Round hats made of expensive fabric with fur trim were worn over the ubrus.
Girls wore their hair loose, tied with a ribbon or braid, or braided. Most often there was only one braid - on the back of the head. The girls' headdress was a crown, often jagged. It was made from leather or birch bark and covered with gold fabric.
Source - "History in costumes. From pharaoh to dandy." Author - Anna Blaze, artist - Daria Chaltykyan
Do you know what women wore in Ancient Rus'? What was a man allowed to wear? What did commoners wear in Ancient Rus', and what did the boyars wear? You will find answers to these and other equally interesting questions in the article.
What is the purpose of the shirt?
“I know what the background is,” we will say now, having learned the true reason for this or that incident. But in the times of Kievan Rus this meant something completely different. The fact is that clothes were very expensive back then, they took care of them, and in order for the shirt to serve the owner as long as possible, it was reinforced with a lining, that is, a backing, for strength. It can be assumed that this expression acquired an ironic connotation due to the fact that some poor people boasted of rich sewing, but they were given away by the inside, sewn from cheap fabric. After all, the clothes of Ancient Rus' served not only for insulation, but also to emphasize their social status. The shirt was of no small importance here. For the nobility this was underwear; for the poor it was often the only one, not counting ports and bast shoes. In addition, the commoner's shirt was much shorter so as not to restrict movement.
Evil eye ornament
The boyars did not work in the fields, so they could afford underwear that almost reached their knees. But regardless of whether you were poor or rich, your shirt had to have a belt. The word “unbelted” was used in the literal sense, but had an equally negative connotation. In addition, ornamentation on this part of the clothing was very desirable. Its patterns protected against the evil eye and other troubles. Death was a frequent guest in peasant huts. Then “miserable” shirts came into use. White with white embroidery if parents died, and embroidered with black patterns if there was mourning for children. Each piece of clothing also had a ritual significance. When widows plowed the village, preventing it from such misfortunes as cholera or death of livestock, they were bare-haired, without shoes and in snow-white shirts without any decorations.
No matter what occasion the shirts were intended for, they did not have a collar. For the celebration it was replaced by the so-called necklace, which was fastened at the back with a button. This collar would go with any other clothing. And the type of shirt that has survived the longest is the kosovorotka. It appeared back in the 9th century, and was worn until the 20th century. A cloth with a small hole for the head and a cutout on the left side of the chest - that's all. Simple and practical.
The curtain is on the floor
Shirts were rarely worn separately. In the center and north of Rus', a sundress was worn on top, and in the south - a poneva. What is poneva? In Ancient Rus', it was a kind of skirt, only consisting not of one, but of three woolen or half-woolen panels, tied at the waist with a gashnik. This belt was a sign that the woman was married. The color of the poneva was dark, with a red or blue tint, and less often - black. On weekdays, they sewed braid or calico at the bottom, and on holidays they took out ponevs from the chests, the hems of which were decorated with as many colorful embroideries as possible.
Women in those days had a hard time in many ways. Clothing is no exception here. A feature of women's clothing in Ancient Rus' was that over all of the above they put on an apron, which was called a curtain, and the Russian costume was completed with a canvas, woolen or half-woolen shushpan.
Six kilograms on my head
Women's headdresses deserve special mention. In a married woman it could reach six kilograms in weight. The main thing is that this design completely covers the hair. People have long believed that they have witchcraft powers. The canvas base was compacted with hemp or birch bark to form a solid forehead part. This was called a kika, which ended with a cover made of chintz, velvet or calico. The back of the head was covered with the back of the head, a rectangular strip of fabric. In total, such a “hat” could include twelve parts. In winter, a round fur hat could be seen on the Slavic woman’s head, but her hair was completely covered with a scarf. On holidays, a kokoshnik with a bottom made of fabric and a base of hard material appeared on their heads. It was usually covered with gold fabric and trimmed with pearls.
The girls had it much easier. Their headdress in Ancient Rus' looked like a bandage, hoop or crown. If such a rim was richly decorated, it was called a koruna. A rigid, often metal base covered with decorated fabric was fashionable among city dandies. In the villages, girlish corollas were simpler. Men preferred round hats with fur rims. Sheep, arctic foxes and foxes were used for fur. They also wore dried hats and felt caps. Usually their shape was cone-shaped and the top was rounded. They were sewn from linen and wool, and also knitted. Only princes and fellow boyars could afford skullcaps made of sable.
Footwear
The legs were wrapped in a cloth made of canvas or cloth, and on these onuchs they put bast shoes or boots, leather shoes. But the very first leather shoes in Rus' were pistons. They were made from a single piece of leather, which was gathered along the edge with a strap. Bast shoes were very short-lived. Even in the village they were worn for no more than ten days. On city pavements they wore out even faster. Therefore, bast shoes made from leather straps were more common there. Metal plates were often sewn onto them, so that they formed a kind of sandals.
Nowadays, felt boots are considered the most traditional footwear in Russia. But in fact, they only appeared in the 19th century and were very expensive. Usually there was only one pair of felt boots in a family. They wore them in turns. Boots became widespread much earlier. They were sewn from leather equally for men and women. The nobility sported boots made of morocco, goatskin soaked in lime mortar and polished with stone, yufti, that is, thick leather, and calf leather. Other names for boots are ichigs and chebots. Shoes that were tied with laces were women's shoes. Heels on them appeared only in the 16th century and could reach 10 centimeters.
From ports to trousers
If we talk about pants, then this word came to Rus' from the Turks somewhere in the 17th century. Before this, leg clothing was called porta-potties. They were not made very wide, almost tight. A gusset was sewn between the two trouser legs for ease of walking. These primitive trousers reached the length of the shin, where they were tucked into the onuchi. For noble people they were sewn from taffeta in the summer, and from cloth in the winter. There were no buttons, and there was no cut for them. The ports on the hips were held in place with a cord. Something similar to trousers in the modern sense of the word appeared in Russia under Peter I.
You can't survive in Rus' without pants
The great importance of clothing among Russians was, of course, determined by the climate. In winter, you can’t go outside without pants, like in Rome or Constantinople. And the outerwear of Ancient Rus' was in many ways different from what was in use in most European countries. When going outside, they put on warm, long suits made of cloth. Their sleeves had cuffs and their collars had a turn-down collar. They were fastened with buttonholes. This is typical specifically for ancient Russian clothing. Richer people brought into fashion kaftans made of axamite and velvet. Zipun is a type of caftan without a collar. The boyars considered it to be their underwear, and the common people wore it on the street. The word “župan” is now considered Polish or Czech, but it has been used in Rus' since ancient times. This is the same retinue, but shorter, slightly below the waist. And, of course, when talking about winter, one cannot help but mention fur. It must be said that fur clothing and its quantity did not serve as a sign of wealth. There were more than enough fur-bearing animals in the forests. Fur coats were sewn with the fur inside. They wore it not only in cold weather, but also in summer, even indoors. You can remember historical films and boyars sitting in fur coats and fur hats.
Old Russian sheepskin coat
One of the signs of prosperity in our time is a sheepskin coat. But the Slavs had similar clothing - a casing - in almost every home. It was made from the skin of goats or sheep with the fur on the inside. Peasants were more likely to see a sheepskin coat, a sheepskin casing. If ordinary people wore shrouds, the boyars preferred to cover them with foreign, expensive material. It could be, for example, Byzantine brocade. Knee-length jackets were later transformed into short fur coats. Women also wore them.
But other types of men's winter clothing of Ancient Rus' are more firmly forgotten. For example, Armenian. It was originally adopted from the Tatars and was made from camel hair. But it was too exotic, and besides, sheep’s wool turned out to be no worse. They put the army coat on over the sheepskin coat, so there was no way to fasten it. Another indispensable attribute of the ancient Russian wardrobe was used: the sash.
One of the oldest Slavic garments is epancha. This is a round cloak with a hood, but without sleeves. It came from the Arabs and is even mentioned in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” Since the 16th century, it became a cape worn on ceremonial occasions, and under the field marshalship of Suvorov, the cape became part of the soldier’s and officer’s uniform. Okhaben was worn by people from the upper classes. After all, it was sewn from brocade or velvet. A special feature of the obhabnya were extremely long sleeves, which were thrown behind the back, where they were tied in a knot. On Easter, noble boyars went to serve in the Feryazi. This was already the height of luxury, royal ceremonial clothing.
Let us also mention such clothes for all classes as single-row clothes. This is a type of caftan, but long-skimmed and with buttons to the hem. It was made of colored cloth, without a collar.
In a robe and fur coat
In winter, fashionistas preferred fur coats with decorative sleeves. They were long and folding, and there were slits above the waist for the arms. Many types of Russian costume were original. An example is the soul warmer. For peasant women it was a festive outfit, and for wealthier young ladies it was an everyday outfit. Dushegreya is a loose, narrow-front garment, rarely reaching mid-thigh in length. It was usually made from expensive fabrics with beautiful patterns. Shugai is another type of short, fitted outerwear, reminiscent of a modern jacket. Could have a fur collar. Wealthy city residents wore outerwear made of cotton fabric. In chronicles there is a mention of robes on princely daughters. For commoners, they were apparently a novelty.
From flax and homespun
The fabrics from which clothes were made were initially not very diverse. Linen and hemp were used for body shirts. The outer, overhead outfit was made of wool, and the warm retinues were made of coarse homespun and sheepskin. Gradually, representatives of noble families acquired more and more silk fabrics from Byzantium. Brocade and velvet were used.
Cloak and power
For a long time, a cloak was an obligatory item in the Russian wardrobe, especially the princely wardrobe. It was sleeveless, draped over the shoulders, and pinned with a fibula near the neck. They wore cloaks and smerdas. The difference was the quality of the fabric and the fact that commoners did not use brooches. The first known type of cloak is votola, made from fabric of plant origin. Both farmers and princes could wear a votolu. But bluegrass is already a sign of high origin. There was even a fine for damaging this cloak during a fight. Several centuries later, bluegrass was more often seen on monks than on urban fashionistas. But chroniclers mention korzno only when they want to emphasize the princely dignity of its owner. Most likely, even the closest boyars did not have the right to wear such a cloak. There is a known case when he saved a person from death. For some reason, the prince wanted to save someone who already had a sword raised over him. That's why I threw a basket over him.
Canvas
What is canvas fabric? Now not every person knows the answer to this question. And in pre-Mongol Rus', canvas clothing was the most common among both the nobility and commoners. Flax and hemp were the first plants to be used for making fabric and clothing, mainly shirts and tailoring. Girls in those ancient times wore cufflinks. Simply put, it is a piece of fabric that is folded in half and cut out for the head. They put it on over the undershirt and belted it. Daughters from wealthier families had underwear made of thin materials, while everyone else had coarser ones, reminiscent of burlap. A wool shirt was called a hair shirt; it was so coarse that monks wore it to humble the flesh.
Will awesomeness come into fashion?
Much of the wardrobe of ancient fashionistas and dandies, slightly modified, has survived to this day, but has become far less accessible. The same well-made casing costs as much as an inexpensive car. Not every woman can afford a fur warmer either. But now hardly anyone wants to wear an okhaben or a one-row suit. Although fashion, they say, is coming back.
The ancient clothing of the Russian nobility in its cut was generally similar to the clothing of people of the lower class, although it differed greatly in the quality of material and decoration. The body was fitted with a wide shirt that did not reach the knees, made of simple canvas or silk, depending on the wealth of the owner. An elegant shirt, usually red, had the edges and chest embroidered with gold and silk, and a richly decorated collar was fastened at the top with silver or gold buttons (it was called a “necklace”).
In simple, cheap shirts, the buttons were copper or replaced with cufflinks with loops. The shirt was worn over the underwear. Short ports or trousers were worn on the legs without a cut, but with a knot that made it possible to tighten or expand them in the belt at will, and with pockets (zep). Pants were made from taffeta, silk, cloth, as well as from coarse woolen fabric or canvas.
Zipun
Over the shirt and pants, a narrow sleeveless zipun made of silk, taffeta or dyed cloth was worn, with a narrow small collar fastened at the bottom. The zipun reached to the knees and usually served as home clothing.
An ordinary and widespread type of outerwear worn over a zipun was a caftan with sleeves reaching to the toes, which were gathered into folds, so that the ends of the sleeves could replace gloves, and in winter serve as a muff. On the front of the caftan, along the slit on both sides, stripes were made with ties for fastening. The material for the caftan was velvet, satin, damask, taffeta, mukhoyar (Bukhara paper fabric) or simple dyeing. In elegant caftans, a pearl necklace was sometimes attached behind the standing collar, and a “wrist” decorated with gold embroidery and pearls was fastened to the edges of the sleeves; the floors were trimmed with braid and lace embroidered with silver or gold. “Turkish” caftans without a collar, which had fasteners only on the left side and at the neck, differed in their cut from “stanovoy” caftans with an interception in the middle and with button fastenings. Among the caftans, they were distinguished by their purpose: dining, riding, rain, “smirnaya” (mourning). Winter caftans made with fur were called “caftans”.
Sometimes a “feryaz” (ferez) was worn over the zipun, which was an outer garment without a collar, reaching to the ankles, with long sleeves tapering towards the wrist; it was fastened in front with buttons or ties. Winter feryazis were made with fur, and summer ones with a simple lining. In winter, sleeveless fairies were sometimes worn under the caftan. Elegant feryazis were made of velvet, satin, taffeta, damask, cloth and decorated with silver lace.
Okhaben
Cover-up clothing that was worn when leaving the house included odnoryadka, okhaben, opashen, yapancha, fur coat, etc.
Single row
Opasheni
Odnoryadka - wide, long-skirted clothing without a collar, with long sleeves, with stripes and buttons or ties - was usually made from cloth and other woolen fabrics; in the fall and in bad weather it was worn both in sleeves and saddled. The okhaben was similar to the one-row shirt, but it had a turn-down collar that went down the back, and the long sleeves folded back and there were holes under them for the arms, just like in the one-row shirt. A simple okhaben was made of cloth, mukhoyar, and an elegant one was made of velvet, obyari, damask, brocade, decorated with stripes and fastened with buttons. The cut of the opashen was slightly longer at the back than at the front, and the sleeves tapered towards the wrist. Opashni were made of velvet, satin, obyari, damask, decorated with lace, stripes, and fastened with buttons and loops with tassels. Opashen was worn without a belt (“on opash”) and saddled. The sleeveless yapancha (epancha) was a cloak worn in bad weather. The traveling yapancha made of coarse cloth or camel hair differed from the elegant yapancha made of good fabric, lined with fur.
Feryaz
A fur coat was considered the most elegant clothing. Not only was it worn when going out into the cold, but the custom allowed the owners to sit in fur coats even while receiving guests. Simple fur coats were made from sheepskin or hare fur; martens and squirrels were higher in quality; noble and rich people had coats made of sable, fox, beaver or ermine. Fur coats were covered with cloth, taffeta, satin, velvet, obyarya or simple dyeing, decorated with pearls, stripes and fastened with buttons with loops or long laces with tassels at the end. “Russian” fur coats had a turn-down fur collar. “Polish” fur coats were made with a narrow collar, with fur cuffs and were fastened at the neck only with a cufflink (double metal button).
Terlik
Foreign imported fabrics were often used to sew men's clothing, and bright colors were preferred, especially “wormy” (crimson). Colored clothing, worn on special occasions, was considered the most elegant. Only boyars and duma people could wear clothes embroidered with gold. The stripes were always made from a material of a different color than the clothing itself, and for rich people they were decorated with pearls and precious stones. Simple clothes were usually fastened with tin or silk buttons. Walking without a belt was considered indecent; The nobility's belts were richly decorated and sometimes reached several arshins in length.
Boots and shoe
As for shoes, the cheapest were bast shoes made of birch bark or bast and shoes woven from wicker twigs; To wrap the legs, they used onuchi made from a piece of canvas or other fabric. In a wealthy environment, shoes were shoes, chobots and ichetigs (ichegi) made of yuft or morocco, most often in red and yellow.
Chobots looked like a deep shoe with a high heel and a pointed toe turned up. Elegant shoes and boots were made of satin and velvet of different colors, decorated with embroidery made of silk and gold and silver threads, and trimmed with pearls. Dressy boots were the footwear of the nobility, made from colored leather and morocco, and later from velvet and satin; the soles were padded with silver nails, and the high heels with silver horseshoes. Ichetygs were soft morocco boots.
When wearing elegant shoes, woolen or silk stockings were worn on the feet.
Kaftan with trump collar
Russian hats were varied, and their shape had its own meaning in everyday life. The top of the head was covered with tafya, a small cap made of morocco, satin, velvet or brocade, sometimes richly decorated. A common headdress was a cap with a longitudinal slit in the front and back. Less wealthy people wore cloth and felt caps; in winter they were lined with cheap fur. Decorative caps were usually made of white satin. Boyars, nobles and clerks on ordinary days wore low, quadrangular-shaped hats with a “rim” around the cap made of black-brown fox, sable or beaver fur; In winter, such hats were lined with fur. Only princes and boyars had the right to wear high “gorlat” hats made of expensive furs (taken from the throat of a fur-bearing animal) with a cloth top; in their shape they expanded somewhat upward. On ceremonial occasions, the boyars put on a tafya, a cap, and a gorlat hat. It was customary to keep a handkerchief in a hat, which was held in the hands while visiting.
In the winter cold, hands were warmed with fur mittens, which were covered with plain leather, morocco, cloth, satin, and velvet. “Cold” mittens were knitted from wool or silk. The wrists of the elegant mittens were embroidered with silk, gold, and trimmed with pearls and precious stones.
As decoration, noble and rich people wore an earring in their ear, a silver or gold chain with a cross on their neck, and rings with diamonds, yachts, and emeralds on their fingers; Personal seals were made on some rings.
Women's coats
Only nobles and military men were allowed to carry weapons; This was prohibited for townspeople and peasants. According to custom, all men, regardless of their social status, left the house with a staff in their hands.
Some women's clothing was similar to men's. Women wore a long shirt, white or red, with long sleeves, embroidered and decorated at the wrists. Over the shirt they put on a letnik - a light garment that reached to the toes with long and very wide sleeves (“caps”), which were decorated with embroidery and pearls. Letniki were sewn from damask, satin, obyari, taffeta of various colors, but worm-shaped ones were especially valued; a slit was made in the front, which was fastened all the way to the neck.
A necklace in the form of a braid, usually black, embroidered with gold and pearls, was fastened to the pilot's collar.
Women's outerwear was a long cloth opashen, which had a long row of buttons from top to bottom - tin, silver or gold. Under the long sleeves of the opashny, slits were made under the arms for the arms, and a wide round fur collar was fastened around the neck, covering the chest and shoulders. The hem and armholes of the opashnya were decorated with embroidered braid. A long sundress with sleeves or sleeveless, with armholes, was widespread; The front slit was fastened from top to bottom with buttons. A quilted jacket was worn over the sundress, with the sleeves tapering towards the wrist; These clothes were made from satin, taffeta, obyari, altabas (gold or silver fabric), baiberek (twisted silk). Warm quilted jackets were lined with marten or sable fur.
Fur coat
Various furs were used for women's fur coats: marten, sable, fox, ermine and cheaper ones - squirrel, hare. Fur coats were covered with cloth or silk fabrics of different colors. In the 16th century, it was customary to sew women's fur coats in white, but in the 17th century they began to be covered with colored fabrics. A slit made in the front, with stripes on the sides, was fastened with buttons and bordered with an embroidered pattern. The collar (necklace) lying around the neck was made from a different type of fur than the fur coat; for example, with a marten coat - from a black-brown fox. The decorations on the sleeves could be removed and were kept in the family as an inherited value.
On ceremonial occasions, noble women wore a privolok on their clothes, that is, a sleeveless worm-colored cape made of gold, silver woven or silk fabric, richly decorated with pearls and precious stones.
Married women wore “hair caps” on their heads in the form of a small cap, which for rich women was made of gold or silk material with decorations on it. To remove a hair lock and “unhair” a woman, according to the concepts of the 16th-17th centuries, meant causing great dishonor to a woman. Above the hairline, the head was covered with a white scarf (ubrus), the ends of which, decorated with pearls, were tied under the chin. When leaving home, married women put on a “kika”, which surrounded their head in the form of a wide ribbon, the ends of which were connected at the back of the head; the top was covered with colored fabric; the front part - the necklace - was richly decorated with pearls and precious stones; The headband could be separated or attached to another headdress, depending on need. At the front of the kick were pearl threads (lower) hanging down to the shoulders, four or six on each side. When leaving home, women put on a brimmed hat with falling red cords or a black velvet hat with a fur trim over the ubrus.
The kokoshnik served as a headdress for both women and girls. It looked like a fan or fan attached to a hairline. The headband of the kokoshnik was embroidered with gold, pearls or multi-colored silk and beads.
Hats
The girls wore crowns on their heads, to which pearl or bead pendants (robes) with precious stones were attached. The maiden crown always left the hair open, which was a symbol of girlhood. By winter, girls from wealthy families were sewn with tall sable or beaver hats (“columns”) with a silk top, from under which loose hair or a braid with red ribbons woven into it flowed down the back. Girls from poor families wore headbands that tapered at the back and fell down their backs with long ends.
Women and girls of all segments of the population decorated themselves with earrings, which were varied: copper, silver, gold, with yachts, emeralds, “sparks” (small stones). Earrings made from a single gemstone were rare. Bracelets with pearls and stones served as decoration for the hands, and rings and rings, gold and silver, with small pearls on the fingers.
The rich neck decoration of women and girls was a monisto, consisting of precious stones, gold and silver plaques, pearls, and garnets; In the old days, a row of small crosses was hung from the monist.
Moscow women loved jewelry and were famous for their pleasant appearance, but in order to be considered beautiful, in the opinion of Moscow people of the 16th-17th centuries, one had to be a portly, curvy woman, rouged and made up. The slender figure and grace of a young girl were of little value in the eyes of beauty lovers of that time.
According to Olearius’ description, Russian women were of average height, slender build, and had a gentle face; city dwellers all blushed, tinted their eyebrows and eyelashes with black or brown paint. This custom was so ingrained that when the wife of the Moscow nobleman Prince, Ivan Borisovich Cherkasov, a beauty in her own right, did not want to blush, the wives of other boyars convinced her not to neglect the custom of her native land, not to disgrace other women, and they achieved that this naturally beautiful woman I was forced to give in and apply blush.
Although, in comparison with rich noble people, the clothes of the “black” townspeople and peasants were simpler and less elegant, nevertheless, in this environment there were rich outfits that accumulated from generation to generation. Clothes were usually made at home. And the very cut of ancient clothing - without a waist, in the form of a robe - made it suitable for many.
Men's peasant clothing
The most common peasant costume was the Russian KAFTAN. The difference between the Western European caftan and the Russian one was already discussed at the beginning of this chapter. It remains to add that the peasant caftan was distinguished by great diversity. What it had in common was a double-breasted cut, long skirts and sleeves, and a chest closed to the top. The short caftan was called HALF CAFTAN or HALF CAFTAN. The Ukrainian half-caftan was called SCROLL, this word can often be found in Gogol. Caftans were most often gray or blue in color and were made from cheap material NANKI - coarse cotton fabric or HOLSTINKA - handmade linen fabric. The caftan was usually belted with a SUSHAK - a long piece of fabric, usually of a different color; the caftan was fastened with hooks on the left side.
A whole wardrobe of Russian kaftans passes before us in classical literature. We see them on peasants, clerks, townsfolk, merchants, coachmen, janitors, and occasionally even on provincial landowners (“Notes of a Hunter” by Turgenev).
What was the first caftan that we met soon after we learned to read - the famous “Trishkin caftan” by Krylov? Trishka was clearly a poor, destitute man, otherwise he would hardly have needed to reshape his tattered caftan himself. So, we are talking about a simple Russian caftan? Not at all - Trishka’s caftan had coattails that a peasant caftan never had. Consequently, Trishka remakes the “German caftan” given to him by the master. And it is no coincidence that in this regard, Krylov compares the length of the caftan remade by Trishka with the length of the camisole - also typical clothing of the nobility.
It is curious that for poorly educated women, any clothing worn with sleeves by men was seen as a caftan. They didn't know any other words. Gogol's matchmaker calls Podkolesin's tailcoat ("Marriage") a caftan, Korobochka calls Chichikov's tailcoat ("Dead Souls").
A type of caftan was a PODDEVKA. The best description of her was given by the brilliant expert on Russian life, playwright A.N. Ostrovsky in a letter to the artist Burdin: “If you call a caftan with ruching at the back, which is fastened on one side with hooks, then this is exactly how Vosmibratov and Peter should be dressed.” We are talking about the costumes of the characters in the comedy “The Forest” - a merchant and his son.
The underdress was considered a more beautiful garment than a simple caftan. Dapper sleeveless undershirts, over sheepskin coats, were worn by wealthy coachmen. Rich merchants also wore underwear, and, for the sake of “simplification,” some nobles, for example Konstantin Levin in his village (“Anna Karenina”). It is curious that, following fashion, like a certain Russian national suit, little Seryozha in the same novel was sewn with a “rubbed undershirt”.
A SIBERKA was a short caftan, usually blue, sewn at the waist, without a slit at the back and with a low stand-up collar. Siberian shirts were worn by shopkeepers and merchants and, as Dostoevsky testifies in “Notes from the House of the Dead,” some prisoners also wore them.
AZYAM is a type of caftan. It was made from thin fabric and was worn only in the summer.
The outerwear of the peasants (not only men, but also women) was ARMYAK - also a type of caftan, sewn from factory fabric - thick cloth or coarse wool. Rich Armenians were made from camel hair. It was a wide, long-length, loose-fitting robe, reminiscent of a robe. Turgenev’s “Kasyan with the Beautiful Sword” wore a dark overcoat. We often see Armenian jackets on Nekrasov men. Nekrasov’s poem “Vlas” begins like this: “In a coat with an open collar, / With his head naked, / Slowly passing through the city / Uncle Vlas is a gray-haired old man.” And here’s what Nekrasov’s peasants look like, waiting “at the front entrance”: “Tanned faces and arms, / A thin little Armenian on the shoulders, / A knapsack on their bent backs, / A cross on the neck and blood on the legs...” Turgenevsky Gerasim, fulfilling the will of the lady, “covered Mumu with his heavy overcoat.”
Armenians were often worn by coachmen, wearing them over sheepskin coats in winter. The hero of L. Tolstoy’s story “Polikushka” goes to the city for money “in an army coat and a fur coat.”
Much more primitive than the armyak was the ZIPUN, which was sewn from coarse, usually homespun cloth, without a collar, with slanted hems. If we saw a zipun today, we would say: “Some kind of hoodie.” “No stake, no yard, / Zipun - the whole subsistence,” we read in Koltsov’s poem about a poor man.
Zipun was a kind of peasant coat that protected against cold and bad weather. Women also wore it. Zipun was perceived as a symbol of poverty. It’s not for nothing that the drunken tailor Merkulov in Chekhov’s story “The Captain’s Uniform,” bragging about his former high-ranking customers, exclaims: “I’d rather die than sew zipuns!” "
In the last issue of his “Diary of a Writer,” Dostoevsky called: “Let’s listen to the gray zipuns, what they will say,” meaning the poor, working people.
A variation of the caftan was CHUYKA - a long cloth caftan of careless cut. Most often, the scent could be seen on merchants and townsfolk - innkeepers, artisans, traders. Gorky has a phrase: “Some red-haired man came, dressed as a tradesman, in a tunic and high boots.”
In Russian everyday life and in literature, the word “chuyka” was sometimes used as a synecdoche, that is, a designation of its bearer based on external characteristics - a narrow-minded, ignorant person. In Mayakovsky's poem "Good!" There are lines: “Salop says to the sense, sense to the salad.” Here chuyka and cloak are synonyms for hardened ordinary people.
A homespun caftan made of coarse undyed cloth was called SERMYAGA. In Chekhov's story "The Pipe" an old shepherd in a homespun is depicted. Hence the epithet homespun, referring to the backward and poor old Russia - homespun Rus'.
Historians of Russian costume note that there were no strictly defined, permanent names for peasant clothing. Much depended on local dialects. Some identical items of clothing were called differently in different dialects, in other cases different items were called by the same word in different places. This is confirmed by Russian classical literature, where the concepts of “kaftan”, “armyak”, “aziam”, “zipun” and others are often mixed, sometimes even by the same author. However, we considered it our duty to present the most general, common characteristics of these types of clothing.
The KARTUZ, which certainly had a band and a visor, most often of a dark color, has only recently disappeared from peasant headdresses, in other words, an unformed cap. The cap, which appeared in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, was worn by men of all classes, first by landowners, then by burghers and peasants. Sometimes the caps were warm, with headphones. Manilov (“Dead Souls”) appears “in a warm cap with ears.” On Insarov (“On the Eve” of Turgenev) “a strange, big-eared cap.” Nikolai Kirsanov and Evgeny Bazarov (“Fathers and Sons” by Turgenev) wear caps. “Worn out cap” - on Evgenia, the hero of Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman”. Chichikov travels in a warm cap. Sometimes a uniform cap, even an officer’s one, was also called a cap: Bunin, for example, used “cap” instead of the word “cap.”
The nobles had a special uniform cap with a red band.
Here we must warn the reader: the word “cap” in the old days had another meaning. When Khlestakov orders Osip to look in his cap to see if there is any tobacco there, we are, of course, not talking about a headdress, but about a bag for tobacco, a tobacco pouch.
Simple working people, in particular coachmen, wore tall, rounded hats, nicknamed BUCKWHEATS - due to the similarity of the shape to the flat cake, popular at that time, baked from buckwheat flour. Every peasant's hat was disparagingly called “SHLYK”. In Nekrasov’s poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'” there are the lines: “Look where the peasant shlyks go.” At the fair, men left their hats to the innkeepers as collateral to be redeemed later.
There were no significant changes in the names of the shoes. Low shoes, both men's and women's, in the old days were called SHOES; boots appeared later, not significantly different from shoes, but made their debut in the feminine gender: the heroes of Turgenev, Goncharov, L. Tolstoy had a BOOTE on their feet, not a shoe, as we say today. By the way, boots, starting from the 1850s, actively replaced boots, which were almost indispensable for men. Particularly thin, expensive leather for boots and other footwear was called VYROSTKOVA (from the skin of a calf less than a year old) and OPOIKOVA - from the skin of a calf that had not yet switched to plant food.
Boots with SET (or gathers) - small folds on the tops - were considered especially smart.
Just forty years ago, many men wore boots on their feet - boots with hooks for winding laces. In this meaning we find this word in Gorky and Bunin. But already at the beginning of Dostoevsky’s novel “The Idiot” we learn about Prince Myshkin: “On his feet were thick-soled shoes with boots - everything was not in Russian.” The modern reader will conclude: not only is it not Russian, but also not human at all: two pairs of shoes on one person? However, in the time of Dostoevsky, boots meant the same thing as leggings - warm covers worn over shoes. This Western novelty evokes poisonous remarks from Rogozhin and even a slanderous epigram on Myshkin in the press: “Returning in narrow boots, / He took a million inheritance.”
Women's peasant clothing
From time immemorial, the SARAFAN, a long sleeveless dress with shoulders and a belt, has served as rural women's clothing. Before the Pugachevites attack the Belogorsk fortress (“The Captain’s Daughter” by Pushkin), its commandant says to his wife: “If you have time, put a sundress on Masha.” A detail that is not noticed by the modern reader, but is significant: the commandant hopes that in village clothes, if the fortress is captured, the daughter will get lost in the crowd of peasant girls and will not be identified as a noblewoman - the captain's daughter.
Married women wore PANEVA or PONEVA - a homespun, usually striped or checkered woolen skirt, in winter - with a padded jacket. About the merchant's wife Big Clerk Podkhalyuzin in Ostrovsky's comedy "Our People - Let's Be Numbered!" he says with contempt that she is “almost a prude,” hinting at her common origin. In “Resurrection” by L. Tolstoy it is noted that the women in the rural church were in panevs. On weekdays they wore a POVOYNIK on their head - a scarf wrapped around the head, on holidays KOKOSHNIK - a rather complex structure in the form of a semicircular shield over the forehead and with a crown at the back, or KIKU (KICHKU) - a headdress with protrusions protruding forward - “horns”.
It was considered a great disgrace for a married peasant woman to appear in public with her head uncovered. Hence the “foolishness”, that is, disgrace, disgrace.
The word “SHUSHUN” is a kind of rustic padded jacket, short jacket or fur coat, remembered to us from the popular “Letter to a Mother” by S. A. Yesenin. But it is found in literature much earlier, even in Pushkin’s “Arap of Peter the Great.”
Fabrics
Their variety was great, and fashion and industry introduced more and more new ones, making the old ones forgotten. Let us explain in dictionary order only those names that are most often found in literary works, remaining incomprehensible to us.
ALEXANDREIKA, or KSANDREIKA, is red or pink cotton fabric with white, pink or blue stripes. It was readily used for peasant shirts, being considered very elegant.
BAREGE - light woolen or silk fabric with patterns. Dresses and blouses were most often made from it in the last century.
BARAKAN, or BARKAN, is a thick woolen fabric. Used for upholstery.
PAPER. Be careful with this word! Reading from the classics that someone put on a paper cap or that Gerasim in “Mumu” gave Tanya a paper scarf, one should not understand this in the modern sense; “paper” in the old days meant “cotton”.
SET - spoiled “grodetur”, thick silk fabric.
GARUS - coarse woolen fabric or similar cotton fabric.
DEMIKOTON - thick cotton fabric.
DRADEDAM - thin cloth, literally “ladies' cloth”.
ZAMASHKA - the same as poskonina (see below). In Turgenev's story of the same name, Biryuk is wearing a fancy shirt.
ZATREPEZA - cheap cotton fabric made of multi-colored threads. It was produced at the factory of the merchant Zatrapeznov in Yaroslavl. The fabric disappeared, but the word “shabby” - everyday, second-rate - remained in the language.
KAZINET - smooth wool blend fabric.
KAMLOT - dense woolen or wool blend fabric with coarse stripes.
KANAUS - cheap silk fabric.
CANIFAS - striped cotton fabric.
CASTOR is a type of thin, dense cloth. Used for hats and gloves.
CASHMERE is an expensive soft and fine wool or wool blend.
CHINESE - smooth cotton fabric, usually blue.
CALCINCOR - cheap cotton fabric, plain or white.
KOLOMYANKA - homemade variegated wool or linen fabric.
CRETONE is a dense colored fabric used for furniture upholstery and damask wallpaper.
LUSTRIN - woolen fabric with gloss.
MUKHOYAR - variegated cotton fabric mixed with silk or wool.
NANKA is a thick cotton fabric popular among peasants. Named after the Chinese city of Nanjing.
PESTRYAD - coarse linen or cotton fabric made of multi-colored threads.
PLIS is a dense cotton fabric with a pile, reminiscent of velvet. The word has the same origin as plush. Cheap outerwear and shoes were made from corduroy.
POSKONINA - homespun canvas made from hemp fiber, often used for peasant clothing.
PRUNEL - thick woolen or silk fabric from which women's shoes were made.
SARPINKA - thin cotton fabric with a check or stripe.
SERPYANKA is a coarse cotton fabric of rare weave.
TARLATAN - transparent, light fabric, similar to muslin.
TARMALAMA - dense silk or semi-silk fabric from which robes were sewn.
TRIP - fleecy woolen fabric like velvet.
FOLYAR - light silk, from which head scarves, neck scarves and handkerchiefs were most often made, sometimes the latter were therefore called foulards.
CANVAS - light linen or cotton fabric.
SHALON - thick wool from which outerwear was made.
And finally, about some COLORS.
ADELAIDE - dark blue color.
BLANGE - flesh-colored.
TWO-FACE - with an overflow, as if there were two colors on the front side.
WILD, WILD - light gray.
MASAKA - dark red.
PUKETOVY (from spoiled “bouquet”) - painted with flowers.
PUSE (from the French “puce” - flea) - dark brown.
From the very beginning of time, clothing has expressed the characteristics of the person wearing it. Ethnic groups, entire nationalities were formed, and what they dressed in was directly related to culture, religion, living conditions, and way of life.
All these signs can be found in the design of clothing of the people who lived during the times of Ancient Rus'.
Names of clothing in Ancient Rus'
Old Russian clothing is distinguished by its bright originality, which, however, was not formed without the use of some elements from other cultures. The basis for the outfits of all classes of society were the shirt and trousers (ports).
At its core, a shirt can be considered as simple underwear. The nobility wore it as underwear under an expensive outfit, and among ordinary peasants it was used as their main clothing. Therefore, shirts for different classes had completely different external characteristics. Long shirts made of colored silk, decorated with rich embroidery and precious stones, were, of course, available only to princes and all sorts of nobles.
A commoner in Ancient Rus' could only afford to wear linen clothes. Small children were also dressed in the shirt. At the same time, in order to protect them from the evil eye and evil forces, until the age of three, clothes were altered from their parents’ clothes.
Another popular men's clothing accessory was ports. They were pants that tapered towards the bottom, and were hemmed from coarse homespun fabrics. The nobility wore more expensive trousers made from foreign fabrics over simple trousers.
Features of women's clothing in Ancient Rus'
Old Russian women's clothing did not have a wide variety of cuts, however, like men's, it determined the material condition and status of the housewife. The lighter and more pleasant the outfit was, the richer and more numerous the decorations on it, the higher class the wearer belonged to.
The women's wardrobe in Ancient Rus' consisted of the following elements:
- First of all, of course, the shirt. In the female version it was also called a shirt. Girls of Ancient Rus' especially loved canvas clothes called “zapona”. The canvas of the required size was folded in half, and a cutout was made in the middle for the head. They put the cuff on over the shirt, then beautifully belted it.
- For holidays or special occasions there was a topper. It was usually made of expensive fabric, which was decorated with bright embroidery and rich ornaments. Today the top would be called a tunic, with or without sleeves.
- A married woman could be distinguished by a poneva - the name given to a wide strip of woolen fabric wrapped around the hips and secured with a belt at the waist. The color of the poneva varied among different tribes. For example, the Vyatichi had it in a blue checkered pattern, while the Radimichi preferred red.
- Festive long-sleeved shirt - women wore it only on special days.
- A woman's head was necessarily covered with a warrior.
Winter clothes of Ancient Rus'
The geographical areas of residence of ancient Russian peoples, as well as climatic conditions, consisting of frosty winters and rather cool summers, could not but affect clothing. To survive in the winter, the Russians wore a casing - outerwear made from fur-bearing animals with the fur inside.
A more affordable option, the sheepskin coat, was made using the same method from sheepskin and was worn mainly by peasants. Fur coats and sheepskin coats made of valuable fur, worn by the nobility, not only protected them from freezing, but were also used to emphasize their position in any season.
Despite the fact that the clothing of Ancient Rus' had clear differences in terms of belonging (for the upper classes it was made from foreign fabrics, and for the lower classes it was homespun), in general it had common features. The main ones are multi-layered, intricate embroidery, complex patterns. Moreover, the latter not only played the role of decorations, but were considered amulets that protected against grief and dark forces.
