Time Out from the Daily Grind: Peasant Rest in Late Imperial Rural Russia

Abstract

This article explores rest in rural late imperial Russia through the spatial frame of the domestic home — that is, rest and leisure that took place in peasant homes and village streets; and in the temporal frame of rest in between and at the end of working days. Male and female sociability manifested, across generations, in gatherings at friends and neighbours' homes to chat and share news. This foundation pastime was enriched with singing, music, card and physical games, reading and listening, smoking, chewing and snacking, and for unmarried youths, flirting. This article's approach incorporates sensory and experiential approaches, with the aspiration to give a sense of smell, taste, sound and feeling in villagers' everyday life.