Is the Russian stove a nineteenth-century remake? There are no beds in the palaces of St. Petersburg? And what was there in Russia then and when did it appear?
In the article "There were no beds in Russia?" I allowed myself, in a light, even joking manner, to draw the reader's attention that even the recent past appears to us in a distorted light. Let me now tell you the academic position, because it is necessary.
Mining of metals in Russia
Despite the fact that the "Iron Age" for humanity began a thousand years before our era, it is argued that Russia, and then Russia, until the 18th century, experienced an acute shortage of metal. And this statement is critically important to comprehend!
Miniature from the Nikon Chronicle, 17th century.
They say that the first mine, only 200 meters deep, appeared in Russia only at the beginning of the 19th century, at the Zmeinogorsk mine in Altai, and even then for the extraction of silver and gold - that is, where the volume of ore raised from the depths is relatively small.
In a word, the rich reserves of high-quality iron ores on the East European Plain for its inhabitants remained inaccessible for a long time throughout the Middle Ages.
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Until the very end of the 17th century in Russia, "lake" and "swamp" ores located almost on the surface were used as raw materials for the production of iron. In science, it is called "brown iron ore of organic origin" or "limonite". If in deep ores, for example, the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, iron contains about 70%, then “brown iron ore” contains half of it.
Limonite. Photo: Sevastopol Museum of Stone.
Unlike deep ores, whose deposits are usually huge, amounting to millions of tons, very small deposits of "swamp" ores are scattered throughout the country, representing, in fact, ore placers of insignificant volumes. You can literally mine such ore with a shovel, only removing a thin layer of marsh vegetation. Therefore, this ore is sometimes also called "sod" or "meadow".
And such production remained essentially rural. All summer, bog ore was dug in small excavations near forest bogs, and in the fall it was “dried” by burning it on fires. At the same time, wood was harvested - to obtain coal, it was burned in sod-covered pits, and this process was laborious and time-consuming, lasting up to one month. Already in winter, the prepared ore and charcoal were transported by sleigh through the snow to the smelting sites.
In primitive "blast furnaces" they got blast iron. Usually these were disposable “forges”, pits reinforced with clay or stone hearths, where a small amount of ore (up to several tens of kilograms) was placed mixed with charcoal.
Smelt blistering iron in a blast furnace. Photo: Historic Jamestowne.
In noble Europe, of course, my grandfather was much better. Who would doubt that. And why?
If in Russia, before the development of deposits in the distant Urals, the main source of iron was scarce "swamp" ores, then in Western Europe the sources of metal were rich deposits in the mountains in the southeast and in the center of the German lands - in Bohemia, Saxony, Hesse, Harz.
Engraving from the book "De re metallica". George Agricola, 1556.
By the beginning of the 16th century, the number of people employed in mining in the territory of present-day Germany reached 100 thousand people - about an order of magnitude more than those who were engaged in iron ore production in Russia at that time.
If by that century Germany was literally covered with mines where all metals known to mankind were mined - from iron to silver, gold, tin and copper, then the emerging centralized Moscow state had to be content with poor "swamp" ores for the first three centuries of its existence, on the basis of which it was impossible to start large-scale industrial production.
In addition, the "swamp" ores produced only low-quality iron, and the extraction of non-ferrous metals in Russia until the 18th century was virtually absent. Small sources of copper were discovered at the very end of the 15th century in the Olonets Territory and in the Pechora region, but they could not saturate the domestic market.
As for the sources of metal in the Urals, yes, they knew about it back in the 15th century. The first special expedition of "miners" to search for silver ores in the eastern foothills of the Urals was sent by Ivan III in 1491. Silver was not found then, but copper was found on the Tsilma River (the territory of the modern Komi Republic).
However, if in Germany rich iron, silver and copper ores were actually located right next to large cities, then the same Russian copper on Tsilma was separated from Moscow by almost one and a half thousand kilometers - for transport technologies of that time it was half a year's journey, and even more with cargo.
It is this absence of a metallurgical base that, as it is believed, predetermined the huge economic and technological lag of Russia from Europe.
Until the 18th century, our country had to buy a significant part of iron and most of non-ferrous metals from the West.
Sounds logical, doesn't it?
Own production
But what about the Tula gunsmiths, Tula samovars, in the end?
Andrey Denisovich Vinius (Dutch Andries Dionyszoon Winius; 1605 - 1662) - Russian merchant, breeder and diplomat.
Not in the Tula masters, it turns out it's something! Again, it is necessary to bow to foreigners.
In 1632, after finding "good ore" near Tula, the Dutch merchant Vinius began to build the first metallurgical plant in Russia. First of all, he supplied guns to the treasury, and the "surplus" had the right to sell abroad. Vinius's plant began to produce products by 1637, it was at his plant that the first blast furnace in Russia was built. Other industries were founded in Kargopol, Tikhvin, Novgorod, Ustyuzhna, near Kashira.
And also Ivan the Terrible granted the British the right to start iron works in Vychegda.
In other cities, as a rule, imported iron and steel were used.
It is known that the Novgorod lands in terms of metalworking occupied leading positions until the 70s of the 16th century. At the end of the 15th century, there were about 215 blast furnaces and ore was mined. But, as you remember, these are the very low quality bog ores.
What else was there?
Oreshek, a fortress at the head of the Neva River, was the center of trade with the Swedes. Iron was Sweden's main export commodity, so blacksmiths were established in Oreshka. The main thing here is to read it right - they bought high-quality metals from the Swedes.
What else … the Englishman Fletcher mentioned the Ustyuzhno-Beloozersk Territory: “The local iron is somewhat brittle, but a lot of it is mined in Karelia, Kargopol and Ustyug-Zhelezny”. The production was based on the same swamp ore.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Italian Barberini wrote: "I am referring to what I saw myself … there is a city here, the so-called Kashira, where there are large iron and steel mines."
Once again, everything is sufficient at a primitive, local level from brown ores, the metal content of which was below forty percent.
What about other metals?
In 1633-1634, the first Russian copper-smelting plant "Pyskorsky copper-smelting" was founded on the Kama. But! Within a few decades, the deposit was depleted, and even before 1671 the plant was abandoned.
The decree of 1677 prohibiting the sale of more than 20 poods of copper to Iran, since "it will not be born in the Moscow state, comes from the German sides," serves as a confirmation that there was simply no copper in Russia.
Tin was also imported. English tin came in the form of bars. They were mainly used for making dishes: glasses, plates, etc.
Lead was also imported. The name of the format is interesting - in pigs. 10 pigs contained about eighty poods of lead.
And what about precious metals?
The Muscovy also had no production of precious metals.
There was even an attempt to replace the silver coin with a copper one, which, as you know, ended in a copper riot (1662).
Searches for deposits in Siberian lands were carried out even under Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. The deposit of the Argun or Nerchinsk silver ores was discovered by the boyar's son P. Shulgin in 1677. The first smelting of silver took place in Nerchinsk in 1686, but regular smelting began in 1704. Until 1760, there was only one plant in the Nerchinsk mining district.
Since 1830, the Nerchinsk Mining Board, according to the Highest Rescript on the search for gold deposits, began this work throughout the entire territory of Transbaikalia. The first official announcement of the discovery of placer gold deposits in Transbaikalia was made by the mining engineer A. I. Kulibin.
Exposing what no one is hiding
So, before Peter, before the eighteenth century, things were very deplorable. There were virtually no metals! Swamp ore was massively used. And it's not just metal, silver, gold, copper, tin - whatever comes to your mind - it was all in a big, huge deficit.
That is why, wherever you stick your nose, whatever museum you visit, everything is rather meager in this regard. Therefore, the helmet of Ivan the Terrible and Alexander Nevsky has Arabic script.
Helmet of Alexander Nevsky.
And on the helmet of the Orthodox Prince Alexander Nevsky, the Arabic script! Maybe some old Russian-Vedic text?
This is the 13th verse of the 61st surah of the Quran: "Please the faithful with the promise of help from Allah and a quick victory."
Helmet of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.
On the helmet of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1596-1645) - Arabic script.
And on swords Arabic script! All imported, it turns out!
And all this stuff was worth fabulous money. Okay, I’m even afraid to write something further, because I can feel they bombard me with links from Wikipedia and photographs of coins.
Here's a strong image for you, Russian braces! It turns out, too - a lie!
Viktor Vasnetsov studied archeology, ancient Russian life and ancient armor, creating the "Heroes". However, in the picture he "confused" all the epochs - historical accuracy only hindered him.
- Greek cap. These helmets were called so because they were borrowed from Byzantium. The one in the picture was copied from the exhibit of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin (XIII century). Perhaps he was brought to Moscow in the 15th century by the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologue, who was married to Ivan III.
- Clothing and armor. The prince's close associate wears brocade clothes and expensive armor. On it on top of the chain mail "plank armor" of the XIII-XIV centuries made of steel plates-planks. Nobles in Ancient Russia could pay with such rich armor, buying land.
- Yushman is a ring-plate armor borrowed from Persia, first mentioned in Russia in 1548.
Alexander Nevskiy.
Do not be confused now by the description of the outfit of our glorious heroes, for you know: everything that is presented on them is worn according to the completely official, standard of our native history - all this is of foreign production. As today our rulers flaunt in imported suits and drive foreign cars. An ancient tradition! From time immemorial!
in the swamps poking around in search of a piece of rotten ore.
Good metal, steel - a shortage and, accordingly, its cost was such that during the 15th-17th centuries a significant part of the "local army" - the noble mounted militia, the striking force of the Russian army, they say, wore cloth "tegilai" instead of expensive steel armor, kaftans quilted with hemp and stuffed with horsehair. While in the west of Europe, with its rich mountain mines, since the 15th century, steel armor has already supplanted non-metallic versions of protective weapons.
Endless popular prints with pumping heroes against the background of golden domes and crosses have messed with people.
Expensive, very expensive! For the nobles, for the horsemen, it is an inaccessible luxury. What to say about the peasant in the village?
The order of prices, offhand: for example, in the 16th century, an ax cost 70 kopecks at a horse's price in a ruble. Now this ruble is not money, but, by the way, it consists of one hundred kopecks. And that penny had a lot of weight.
Yes, here's another spoiler. Is it normal, such a foolish millionaire?
Foolish - I. S. Kozlovsky. A still from the film-opera "Boris Godunov", 1955.
In the light of the facts I have voiced, the metal chains of this beggar of the times of Ivan the Terrible are like gold today.
Peter I
According to academic history, of course, only under Peter I, everything somehow started spinning. The "Order of Mining Affairs" was organized, the functions of which included the extraction of ores, smelting of metals, the construction of mines, prospecting for ores - "ore detection", drawing up instructions for the search for minerals and training "knowledgeable people", in Russia the state management of mining was established. Yes, during this period in the South Urals, representatives of the merchants, Tula gunsmiths, local miners and ore producers, capital aristocrats and local nobles were engaged in mining and mining business, but the Urals are very far away.
So, on the one hand, it seems like helmets with chain mail, bells and domes, samovars, cannons and muskets, and even a cast-iron road in 1788 … On the other, you need to understand that all this was in small quantities and was not easily accessible to ordinary people.
Russian stove
It’s time to finish here, but we have already got close to the Russian stove, we need at least a little, but to say about this.
They write to me that the oven was made of clay, that no problem, everything is simple. Not! Not easy!
Russian print.
Suppose you have deposits of clay and you are able to fold … how will it be made of clay? Blind? Well, well, even if they were able to mold such a Russian stove, or even something simpler. But in the absence of metal at your disposal to manage something on the farm? How to cook? Only a stick and a clay bowl will help you! Or will you climb into the oven with your hands?
Stove accessories
- A grab (stag) is necessary for setting in the oven and removing cast irons from there, used instead of pots.
- Chapelnik (frying pan) is used to move pans without handles (chapel),
- wooden shovel (gardener) - for moving bread and pastries,
- poker - for moving, raking out coal and firewood in a melted stove.
- Cast irons are heat-resistant, as a rule, cast iron, less often aluminum cookware.
- Frying pans - Chapels were most commonly used - frying pans without a handle held by a chapel.
- Other utensils for cooking: pots, crinkles, ducklings, goose pans, baking trays, etc.
And you can praise the stoves as much as you like in a black way, without a chimney, which, they say, drove away the smoke of bedbugs and all kinds of parasites, economical, convenient, etc. etc. This is not about that - I wrote about the Russian stove - a white Russian stove with a chimney, with a chimney that is heated in white. The one that Emelya allegedly drove. The one that we call a primordially Russian stove!
Peasant Savoykin's hut Photo by M. P. Dmitrieva. 1891-92
Photos already known. Many people discussed them. Note that this is the end of the nineteenth century - can you see the pipe? Are there any in the neighboring hut? In the museum, of course, this is not shown, there are gold embroidered kokoshniks and stoves in the floor of the house bleached.
Another hut without a chimney.
Here, whoever finances allowed, made something. The rest - so.
I'm not going to have a nightmare, to show one git. Check out other photos from humus if you wish.
There were, there were well-to-do peasants, and perhaps even entire villages of strong farms. Here, for a change, a house with both a chimney and glass windows:
The house in Uglich is the oldest residential building in Russia. No older houses were found. Photos of two buildings dating from the 18th century are given in the pre-war book Russian Wooden Architecture (S. Zabello, V. Ivanov, P. Maksimov, Moscow, 1942)
But back to the beds. Well, no one argues that there were no beds in the huts, in the villages, because they were simply not needed, that a separate bedroom had to be heated, that many people lived in one hut, and to put ten to twenty beds each is nonsense. They slept on benches and on chests and in the hayloft. But you never know! This is not a question - the question was that a traveler in Russia of the nineteenth century, where the Decembrist uprising just recently ended, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin walks the streets of St. Petersburg, and the Marquis De Custin does not find beds! Moreover, not only does he not find a bed in a hotel, but gives an example of how noblemen sleep in European-style houses, to know!
Continuation: "Olearius, how could you?"
Author: Sil2