Nicholas 1

The 19th century in France was a time of radical change, when the traditional landed aristocracy was replaced by a financial and industrial bourgeoisie. The most powerful and wealthy families of the time were: Rothschilds (bankers): Topping the list of the wealthiest families. James Mayer Rothschild founded the French branch. The family financed the construction of railways, metallurgy, and French government loans. Saint-Simon and Talleyrand (landed aristocracy): Representatives of the old nobility retained vast land holdings and influence, although their economic leadership was being supplanted by bankers. Schneiders (industrialists): Founders of the metallurgical and arms concern in Creusot. Owned some of the largest manufacturing industries in Europe.Vandel (Industrialists): The largest steel magnates from Lorraine, who became pillars of France's heavy industry.Demidov: Although a Russian noble family, its members (such as Anatoly Demidov) amassed enormous wealth and were closely integrated into 19th-century French high society, owning real estate and art collections.

The Yusupov princes' land holdings in the Russian Empire included approximately 246,000 dessiatines (16 acres) in 16 provinces, dozens of factories, apartment buildings, as well as luxurious palaces in the capital and country estates, which today are among Russia's most important architectural and museum monuments.

Historically, the Yusupov princes owned dozens of estates in the Russian Empire, but their European properties were primarily acquired for medical treatment, vacations, or during emigration. The family's main foreign holdings were located in France, Switzerland, and Italy: Kériolet Castle (Château de Kériolet) (France, Brittany) is a luxurious neo-Gothic castle acquired by Princess Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova (later Countess de Chauveau) in the second half of the 19th century. She spent over 20 years rebuilding it. In 1960, Felix Yusupov was forced to sell the castle; today it is a cultural heritage site. — A mansion in the Bois de Boulogne (France, Paris) — was purchased by Zinaida Ivanovna Yusupova in 1855. After her death, the house passed to her heirs; in 1906, it was sold to Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, but later, part of the building was purchased by Felix Yusupov Jr. for settling in exile. — Villa in Corsica (Calvi) (France) — Prince Felix Yusupov and his wife Irina bought the house and farm during a car trip through Europe in the 1920s. — The house on Lake Geneva (Switzerland) was purchased in the mid-19th century for Princess Tatyana Alexandrovna, who was there to improve her health. — Real estate on the Cote d'Azur and in Italy (Sorrento, Geneva, Nice) — in various years after the 1917 revolution, the family owned or rented various houses and villas to escape financial difficulties.

That's not even half.

The wealthiest families of the Russian Empire included not only members of the imperial family, but also major industrialists, financiers, and landowners. Their wealth was estimated at tens of millions of gold rubles, which, in today's terms, made them among the richest people in the world. Historically and economically, the most outstanding fortunes were owned by the following families and dynasties: — The Yusupovs. A renowned princely family, whose fortune by the early 20th century was estimated at hundreds of millions of rubles, and rumor has it that their capital even exceeded the personal wealth of the Romanovs. The family owned dozens of estates and the famous Palace on the Moika in St. Petersburg. — The Vtorovs. "The Russian Morgans." By 1917, Nikolai Vtorov was considered the richest man in the empire, with a fortune of over 60 million rubles. He controlled gigantic textile, chemical, and metallurgical assets, and was the first to build a huge business center in Moscow (the "Business Yard"). — The Morozovs. One of the most famous merchant dynasties, dubbed the "Russian Medici" by historians for their colossal wealth and extensive patronage of the arts. Their textile empire (for example, Savva Morozov's Nikolskaya Manufactory) generated tens of millions of rubles in revenue. — The Nobels. A Swedish family that made a huge contribution to Russian industry. Brothers Ludwig and Emanuel founded the oil empire "Nobel Brothers Partnership" (Branobel), which was a powerful competitor to American corporations. Their capital exceeded 60 million rubles. — The Sheremetevs. An ancient and wealthy family of counts, they owned vast land holdings, palaces in Moscow and St. Petersburg (for example, the Sheremetev Palace on the Fontanka River), and serf theaters. — The Demidovs. A famous dynasty of industrialists and entrepreneurs who became fabulously rich in the 18th and 19th centuries from the extraction of Ural ore, cast iron, and gold.

Ballroom etiquette of the 19th century was a strict set of rules governing appearance, manners, dancing, and social interaction. Violating any rule could result in a damaged reputation or scandal.

Appearance and dress code Cavaliers: They were required to wear a tailcoat, a white shirt, a vest, and gloves (usually white). Gloves were not to be removed even during a dance or if they were torn. Military personnel arrived in dress uniforms (the first-class citizens could also arrive in uniform). Ladies: Young women wore light pastel-colored dresses with a modest neckline, accessorizing with boutonnieres or fresh flowers. Married women were allowed to wear brightly colored dresses, plunging necklines, diamonds, and lace. Makeup was kept to a minimum (only a light dusting of powder).

Invitations and dances Notebooks: Ladies had special dance books (carnés) where they signed up gentlemen for specific dances. Refusing one gentleman and immediately accepting another's invitation was considered an insult. Men were not allowed to look into a girl's carné. Dance Limit: It was considered impolite to dance more than two or three dances with the same gentleman in the course of an evening. For unmarried women, this rule was especially strict to avoid gossip about inappropriate behavior. Refusal: If a lady refused a gentleman, she had no right to dance this dance with another. Behavior in dance: It was forbidden to make sudden movements or to take a lady familiarly by the waist - this was allowed only in the mazurka or waltz.

Rules of communication Greeting: The gentleman bowed first, the lady responded with a curtsy. The lady could extend her hand first for a kiss or a handshake. Conversation: Conversation at a ball was expected to be light, social, and polite. Loud laughter, heated arguments, and discussion of rumors or politics were considered bad form. Escort: A gentleman could not hold the arm of two ladies at a time. Only one companion was allowed to hold the arm, offering her his right hand.

Balls were traditionally attended by members of high society and the nobility—the gentry. Attending such events was not just entertainment, but an important part of social life and career development. The main participants at balls were: the aristocracy and titled nobility; young unmarried girls (who came to "come out into society" (only from the age of 16) and find a husband); officers and military personnel; and civil servants and employees (who were always seeking connections for career advancement). Admission to balls depended on one's status. Only a small circle of the highest nobility were invited to court and imperial balls. Balls-assemblies (noble balls) were open to anyone who belonged to the nobility and paid for a membership card. The cream of society gathered in the homes of wealthy nobles. There were also children's, student, and private house balls.

First of all, it's important to remember that in the 19th century, there were no cars or buses. The aristocracy of the mid-19th century traveled exclusively in horse-drawn carriages, which were strictly divided by status, season, and purpose. For long journeys and trips with large groups, multi-seat carriages were used, and in the winter, the wheels were replaced with runners.

For each occasion and rank there was a specific type of transport: For social outings (balls, theaters): Light, elegant carriages (coupes, berlins) drawn by a pair or four of thoroughbred horses were used. A liveried coachman and postilion were essential. For everyday city trips: Gigs, phaetons and carriages (open or with a convertible top), as well as convertibles - light two-wheeled carriages - were used. For long journeys: Stagecoaches were used, which were distinguished by their increased durability, capacity and the presence of luggage compartments. For winter: Heavy wheeled carriages were replaced by light sleds covered with fur.

1. Members of the imperial family Above all was the monarch, then by succession to the throne
2. High court officials
3. Courtiers and female staff The next level was occupied by the titled nobility, who formed the emperor’s inner circle:

1. Chamberlains and gentlemen of the bedchamber: the titles of aristocrats who served the monarch (opened doors, accompanied him on exits)
2. Ladies of high society
3. Maids of honor

4. Servants and valets They had no origin, but had informal influence, since they had access to the monarch:

1. Valets: The Emperor's personal servants who helped him dress.
2. Chamber-lackeys and room servants

5. Administration and staff The palace required clear management, so the service staff also had a hierarchy: 1)Furriers: those who supervised the junior staff

2. Maître d' (responsible for table setting)
3. Doormen, footmen, cleaners - low-ranking employees

First of all, it's important to remember that this was the 19th century; there were no shawarma shops or fast food outlets. There were bakeries and pastry shops, but they were mostly frequented by servants and commoners. The aristocracy of the mid-19th century ate exquisitely, favoring complex French cuisine while maintaining elements of national tradition. The highest priority was the perfection of fresh produce—choice of meat, live fish, and seasonal vegetables.

Traditional diet Breakfast: It was light. They served coffee with cream, tea, fresh rolls, butter, eggs, as well as cold cuts and leftovers from the previous day's lunch. Lunch (around 3:00–5:00 PM): The main meal of the day, consisting of many courses. It began with soups (consommés, clear broths with pies). This was followed by fish dishes, roasts (game, poultry), vegetable side dishes, and desserts. Dinner: In aristocratic homes, dinner was eaten late (around 9:00–10:00 PM). It was a light meal, including cold appetizers, salads, pâtés, or leftovers from lunch.

What was served at the table? Delicacies: French oysters, fresh caviar, truffles, asparagus and artichokes. Poultry and game: Hazel grouse, partridges with chestnuts, pheasants with pistachios, baked turkeys and ducks. Meat: Lamb sides, veal, roast beef. Drinks: Champagne was a must at dinner parties, as well as expensive imported wines – claret, Bordeaux, Chablis.

In Russia, there were titles used to address members of the Imperial House of Romanov and persons of noble origin:

"Your Imperial Majesty" - to the Emperor, Empress and Dowager Empress; “Your Imperial Highness” — to the Grand Dukes, Grand Duchesses and Grand Duchesses (the children and grandchildren of the Emperor, and in 1797–1886, the great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the Emperor); "Your Highness" - to princes, princesses and duchesses of the imperial blood after 1886; "Your Serene Highness" - to dukes; younger children of the great-grandchildren of the emperor and their male descendants, as well as to the most serene princes by grant; "Your Excellency" - to princes, counts; "Your Excellency" - to the barons and all other nobles.

The time is now set in the 1825-1830s. In any case, there are no telephones, internet, televisions, refrigerators, gas stoves, street lamps, lamps, nightlights, etc. The only light was from fireplaces and candles. Medicine isn't very developed these days either. For fashion's sake, girls would drop belladonna into their eyes to make them water, apply mercury powder to their bodies to make them whiter, bathe in arsenic, and do many other things just to appear more delicate and fragile. Some girls would even have their ribs removed to achieve a slimmer waist. This was done without anesthesia. Anesthesia was completely unknown in the 19th century. Heroin and cocaine were used as drugs (no one knew about the side effects yet). Clothing and fashion were completely different—instead of the usual underwear, women wore pantaloons, and men wore long johns. Alexander wears long johns. Girls wear full dresses with long, floor-length skirts. There are three dress styles: house dress, casual dress, and evening dress. The latter is considered more formal. A casual dress should be comfortable, a corset is optional, sleeves can be long or short, and the neckline can be anything the wearer desires. A casual dress should be more revealing, a deep neckline is undesirable, sleeves should not be short, and a corset is required. An evening dress is a ball gown—full, detailed, and long. A corset is required, the neckline can be more revealing, although closed sleeves are also welcome. Short sleeves are preferred, but sleeves are optional. Each type of dress is worn for different occasions. Men, however, have a different fashion. Instead of pants, they wear tight leggings. A uniform or frock coat is worn over the top. The uniform is more formal. It's usually covered with medals and cockades, with epaulettes or shoulder straps on the shoulders and cuffs at the ends of the sleeves. The swimsuits were one-piece. The women wore them like dresses; they had to be modest.

The Winter Palace, located in the capital, St. Petersburg, is the core of the palace. The four-story building contains over 1,000 rooms, and is built in a Baroque and Rococo style. The palace houses approximately 8,000 servants. The palace consists of the following wings: The Northern Wing (Nevsky Facade): Traditionally included state apartments with views of the river, private quarters for family members, and the famous Jordan Staircase. South Wing (Palace Facade): The main entrance, the premises of the Ministry of the Imperial Court and the Military Gallery of 1812, connecting the parts of the palace The Western Wing (Admiralty Facade): Included the private quarters of the Emperor and Empress (for example, the living quarters of Alexandra Feodorovna under Nicholas I and the study of Alexander II), as well as the Antechamber and the Nicholas Hall The Eastern Wing (Saltykov Entrance): The Great Church of the Winter Palace was located here, as well as various service and guest rooms. Theatre/Hermitage Wing: The southwestern and eastern parts of the palace adjoined the future Hermitage complex (the Small and Large Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre) Well, here are all the palaces in St. Petersburg:

There are more than 10 official imperial palaces in St. Petersburg. The exact number depends on whether one includes summer country residences in the suburbs (Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo) and grand ducal estates. Key imperial palaces located within the city: The Winter Palace is the main official residence of the Russian emperors. Mikhailovsky Castle (Engineering) - built for Paul I. The Anichkov Palace is the oldest surviving palace, gifted by Elizabeth Petrovna to Alexei Razumovsky; incidentally, it was Nicholas I's favorite palace. The Marble Palace was built for Count Orlov, but later became part of the imperial palaces. The Tauride Palace is the residence of Prince Potemkin, purchased by the treasury. The Summer Palace of Peter I is the wooden summer house of the city's founder in the Summer Garden. Elagin Palace (Elaginoostrovsky) - built for Empress Maria Feodorovna Kamennoostrovsky Palace is the former residence of Alexander I. Palace of Peter II

First of all, it's important to remember that a 19th-century Russian Imperial ruble is worth MUCH more than a 21st-century Russian ruble. One Russian Imperial ruble, converted to current prices (approximately $65–70 per gram of gold), is worth approximately 4,000–4,500 modern Russian rubles.

We shouldn't forget about the existence of coins and banknotes.

The main line of coins included the following denominations: Copper coins: polushka (quarter kopeck), denga (half kopeck), kopeck, 2, 3, and 5 kopecks. They were used for small everyday payments. Silver: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 kopecks, as well as poltina (50 kopecks) and 1 ruble. Larger denominations of 1.5 rubles (also known as 10 zlotys for circulation in the Kingdom of Poland) were also common. Platinum (rare): issued only between 1828 and 1845 in denominations of 3, 6 and 12 rubles. Gold: 3, 5 and 10 rubles (chervonets, half-imperials and imperials).

The main denominations of paper money in the 19th century included: 3 rubles (appeared as deposit tickets under Kankrin) 5 rubles 10 rubles 25 rubles (at the beginning of the century they were popularly known as white "swans") 50 rubles 100 rubles

Here is the average salary of people of different classes: The annual cash income of an ordinary peasant family at that time was about 70-80 rubles. Palace servants in the 19th century earned an average of 100 to 300 rubles a year, making them the elite among all servants of the Russian Empire. Noble ladies received a salary from the state treasury in the amount of 600 to 4000 rubles per year (depending on whether the lady was married or not and what family she came from) High-ranking officials (1st-4th grade, ministers, senators, governors) received from 4,000 to 10,000 rubles. Mid-level officials (grades 5-8, department heads, clerks) received from 700 to 1,500 rubles per year Lower-ranking officials (grades 9-14) received 150-400 rubles per year. By the way, the heir's nannies received about 100 rubles a month. The Tsarevich received approximately 200,000–210,000 rubles annually from the treasury and the appanage department (or about 20,000 rubles per month). The monarch received the same amount.

There were different punishments for different classes.

Maids and servants were punished corporally (with rods and whips), withholding wages, fines, arrest, or dismissal with a "wolf ticket" (a notation in their passport that barred them from reemployment). Until 1861, landowners could whip serf maids and servants without trial. Sexual abuse was common. Masters, their sons, and guests often viewed their servants as their property.

The nobility were punished in more varied ways:

1. Civil execution: deprivation of noble titles, all rights, status, and property. 2) Penal servitude and exile (for serious crimes): most often applied only to men, but could also be applied to women.
2. Police supervision and deportation.
3. Secular ostracism (boycott): both noblemen and noblewomen could be excluded from high society, deprived of the right to attend balls and visits, which led to the isolation of the entire family.
4. Locking up in a monastery: For treason or scandalous behavior, with the consent of the church authorities, they could be “sent” to a monastery for repentance; most often, only women were punished this way; men could also be punished, but extremely rarely.

In general, they can send you to prison. Both noblemen and noblewomen, both servants and maids.

In the 19th century, the Russian Empire had a prison system. Moreover, prisons were located in virtually every city. The prison system at that time evolved and included several main levels: The main political prisons: The main places of detention for state criminals were the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, and later the Shlisselburg Fortress. Penal colonies: The harshest punishment after the death penalty was penal servitude. Special penal prisons were established in Siberia, such as the Aleksandrovsky Central Prison and the Nerchinsk penal colony. General prisons: They are located in every city, but in the first half of the 19th century their condition was dire.

Washing and water procedures At the beginning of the century, even in wealthy homes, water was a luxury, and baths were taken rarely, for fear of catching a cold or opening pores to infection. By the mid-19th century, the situation had changed: the first sewerage and water supply systems were installed in London and other European cities, and public baths appeared. In the Russian Empire, traditional baths were preserved and became an integral part of everyday life, where birch brooms were actively used.

Oral care Toothpaste was provided in the form of "dental elixirs" and powders, which were often prepared at home. Due to the lack of antiseptics, the recipes were exotic: powders could consist of crushed coral, rose water, charcoal, and even salt. Feminine hygiene During menstruation, reusable cloth pads or simply layers of dark clothing were used, which had to be washed by hand. Only the nobility had access to a shower or a proper bidet. Often, wiping the body with damp sponges was sufficient.

Cosmetics and odor control Fashionable women didn't have modern deodorants in their arsenal—they wouldn't be invented until the very end of the 19th century. The smell of sweat was masked with heavy floral perfumes. The use of decorative cosmetics was considered a sign of bad taste, so white lead, blush, and powder were used sparingly. Hair was washed with regular soap, and shampoo was not invented until the end of the century. Medical hygiene Until the middle of the century, doctors didn't wash their hands before surgeries and childbirth. Only after the introduction of antiseptics did hand washing with soap and disinfecting instruments save millions of lives.

In general, everyone deflated once a week, sometimes once every two weeks; cleanliness was rare. Girls wore corsets for a beautiful waist, tightening it to 45-55 centimeters, distorting their internal organs. Light, airy dresses were the norm in winter. Opium was smeared on the face (not everyone, of course), and they washed their faces with ammonia in the mornings.

Nicholas I loved secret journeys at night, sometimes secretly walking around the palace and the streets of St. Petersburg to check on security and order. Despite his image as a stern emperor, he was very afraid of fires and forbade the use of candles in certain rooms without supervision. A fan of secret correspondence, he wrote encrypted letters to ministers and sometimes invented codes himself so that no one could read his secret letters. An avid weapons collector, he had a huge collection of sabers, swords and pistols, which he personally tested to ensure their quality.

In two years of marriage, you and Nikolai had two children, Alexander and Konstantin. Nikolai also gave you a marble palace and a horde of servants.

Nikolai wants to take you back, even if he has to use force. He's cold, cruel, and strong.