Russian monarchs, of course, lived in luxury. But did this mean that they lived comfortably?
Gilded poverty
In the 18th century, the Russian imperial court amazed even the French with its brilliance. At the same time, according to the historian Vasily Klyuchevsky, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna “lived and reigned in gilded poverty”. On the one hand, there are constant balls, masquerades, and a change of dress. On the other hand, there are extremely poor living quarters, even imperial ones. They are cold and damp, always blowing from the windows. In short, not only uncomfortable, but simply uncomfortable.
Comfort entered the life of the kings slowly. Often slower than the lives of the rich of non-royal descent.
In 1762, the Winter Palace became the main imperial residence. Its very name reminds of winters and frosts.
The palace was heated with stoves and fireplaces. It is not comfortable. First, it is difficult to heat all rooms. It was sometimes so cold in the huge state rooms that balls had to be canceled. Secondly, fires occurred due to stove heating.
In 1837, the Winter Palace burned down almost to the ground. Such a fire is, of course, a nuisance. But after the restoration, the palace became much better in terms of amenities.
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Engineer Nikolai Ammosov created a pneumatic heating system. In the basements there were pneumatic ovens, and the air heated by them through special channels rose to the ceremonial and living quarters.
Nicholas I, who was generally interested in technical innovations, really liked this invention. Ammosov received a gold medal and one and a half thousand acres of land.
However, not everyone liked Ammosov's invention. It was believed that pneumatic ovens made the air too dry. “To eliminate this deficiency,” recalls Olga, daughter of Nicholas I, “tubs with snow and water were brought into our rooms, and I think that this had a very adverse effect on our lungs.” Perhaps it was because of this that the emperor's youngest daughter, Alexander, fell ill with consumption and died at the age of 19.
At the beginning of the 20th century, several heating systems operated in the Winter Palace. As in the Alexander Palace of Tsarskoye Selo, where the family of Nicholas II lived. They built central water heating, but it was not enough for the whole palace. Some rooms, including the heir's bedroom, were heated by stoves and electric heaters.
Candlelight business
The palaces had to be not only heated, but also illuminated. At first, naturally, only candles were used. And in huge numbers. For example, the Nicholas Hall of the Winter Palace was lit by 4,000 candles. Nice, but not always comfortable. The air was very hot, and during the balls the people were sweating a lot.
In addition, candle lighting led to a kind of corruption. Traditionally, if the candle was half burnt out, it was given to the footmen. Therefore, they tried not to extinguish the candles, even if there was no one in the premises. The lackeys sold cinders and made good money on it.
In the early 1860s, gas burners appeared in the Winter Palace. But they did not last long - electricity came to replace gas.
In 1881, Alexander III moved to the Gatchina Palace. It was there that electric lighting was first used. Lieutenant Smirnov, the commander of a detachment of miners, was in charge of this matter. The miners made sure that the terrorists did not undermine and blow up the palace. And at the same time Smirnov provided electricity.
The imperial guards wanted to check if electricity was harmful to health. Therefore, at first, electric bulbs appeared in the apartment of the security chief. He did not fall ill from this. Then electric lighting was installed throughout the palace.
Alexander III was a great patriot. And I decided to buy domestic light bulbs. But they quickly burned out, so they had to switch to imported ones.
Over time, electricity was supplied to other palaces. The gas burners were removed, but the candles remained until 1917. They were used in private chambers.
Reception in the bathroom
We are all accustomed to the fact that water flows from the taps in the apartment. But it was not always so. Once upon a time, even kings could not enjoy such amenities.
Initially, there was no running water in the Winter Palace. It was built only after a fire in 1837.
10 years later, they paid attention to the quality of water and built water purification machines. However, they did not help either - the water in the Neva was getting dirtier.
In 1868, the Neva water was no longer used for drinking and cooking. For these purposes, water was obtained from the city water supply network, since it was purified there.
Terrorists hunted for Alexander II. Some of them were found to have poisons upon arrest. The suspicion arose that terrorists could poison the palace water. Therefore, this water was subjected to chemical analysis.
In the end, the terrorists did not use the poisons. But members of the royal family regularly suffered from infectious diseases, including typhus. Therefore, at the beginning of the 20th century, filters were installed on the taps with drinking water.
The kings not only drank water - they also washed themselves. In the 18th century, a tradition developed that the "ablution" of a monarch was a whole ritual. While in the bathroom (not naked - in a sheet), the highest persons received their subjects. Therefore, the bathrooms were large, luxurious rooms that fit into the palace interior.
Although Nicholas I, for example, did not like luxury. And his bathroom was very modest. There was a copper tub, and hot and cold water taps were connected to it.
Traditions gradually changed. And the bathrooms have turned from ceremonial rooms into small private chambers. That is, they have acquired the look we are accustomed to.
But for a Russian person - even if he is a monarch - one bathroom is not enough. He also needs a bath. Therefore, Russian monarchs built steam baths in palaces (usually in basements). Alexander III especially liked to take a steam bath.
Nicholas II went further - he needed a pool. In 1898, a marble pool was built in the Winter Palace. It was square, each side - 4 meters, depth - 165.5 centimeters. Quite modest. However, in Tsarskoe Selo the pool was larger. And Nicholas II swam in it almost every day.
Next to the pool there was a miracle of technology - a toilet. I must say that at first there was no sewage system, as well as a water supply system, neither in the Winter Palace, nor in other palaces. There is a legend that Catherine II used the throne of the Polish kings brought by Suvorov from Warsaw as a toilet bowl.
Wonders of technology
Let's leave, however, the sewer theme and turn to other wonders of technology. The same Catherine II had leg pains in her old age. And the famous inventor Ivan Kulibin built a lifting machine for her in the Winter Palace.
Later, elevators of various systems appeared - hand-powered, hydraulically driven, and from the beginning of the 20th century - electric.
The emperors attached great importance to means of communication. In 1832, the diplomat, historian and electrical engineer Pavel Schilling invented the electromagnetic telegraph. And in the same year he connected the Winter Palace and the Main Directorate of Railways with a telegraph line. After a while, telegraph stations appeared in all imperial residences.
Alexander II is known to have abolished serfdom. Noble nobles opposed this in every possible way, so the emperor was afraid of a palace coup. And he created an internal telegraph connection - between his study and the duty room of the guard guard. Then the internal telegraph network was expanded and used for everyday needs.
In 1877, the world's first telephone exchange opened in the United States. Four years later - in 1881 - a telephone line was laid in Gatchina, where Alexander III lived. The next year, telephones were installed in the Winter Palace. Over time, they came into use.
Nicholas II, apparently, was not very fond of talking on the phone. At least, there were no telephones in his offices in the Alexander Palace. But in the living room and study of his wife - Alexandra Fedorovna - they stood.
Perhaps that is why there were rumors that the empress had a telephone conversation with Wilhelm II during the First World War. In any case, during the February Revolution, the first thing the insurgents did was cut off the telephone connection in the Alexander Palace.
Mikhail ALEXEEV