The Private Life of Russian Women in the 18th Century

The gallant 18th century fundamentally changed the perceptions of Russian women, their rights, roles, significance, and place in society. What initially seemed merely a game of the aristocracy in European life – decrees from Peter I commanded ladies to wear "exemplary German" dresses with corsets and ankle-length skirts, to adorn their heads instead of crowns with towering hairstyles, and to "cut and tear" their previous clothing, as well as to participate in festivities, assemblies, and night balls – gradually became the norm and a guideline for the merchant and petty bourgeois classes. At the same time, new customs astonishingly and sometimes incredibly intertwined with traditions that had developed over centuries. The daily life of Russian women in the 18th century, how they got married, how they raised children, how they loved in and out of marriage – all this and much more is discussed in Natalia Pushkareva's book.