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N0 EMPIRE IN THE WORLD CAN BOAST such a diversity of races as that of Russia, and, naturally, this variety is evident in the costumes. Without documentary evidence we cannot be sure what was worn in ancient times, but it appears that the mainly Slavic population, along with the Finnish and Mongolian elements, followed the general traditions of their race, with certain changes due to the different weather conditions in this vast country. Russia did not just take religion from Byzantium, but an entire civilization. The Byzantine costume was first adopted by court circles and gradually spread to all the upper echelons of society. From the original, relatively short clothing that was open from the belt down, male costume changed to the long, closed Byzantine robe, with borders made from strips of colored material. Even more than men, women hastened to follow the new fashion, until interrupted in the 13th century by the Mongolian invasion. The closed robe was then replaced by the Mongolian robe. This was buttoned over the chest, but then allowed to hang open. It stayed in fashion until the reign of Peter the Great, and even longer than that in certain regions. In the 16th century, male clothing consisted of a basic wide, short shirt with a small collar - a triangular piece of red, embroidered silk was sewn in between the shoulders. Large trousers were gathered in at the waist and tucked into knee length boots. Over this went a narrow coat, called a caftan, which was not normally longer than the knees but had long sleeves. Next came a ferez which, like a caftan, could be cut in a variety of ways. For outdoors an overcoat was also worn, made of woolen cloth, velvet and satin. Women's costume was very similar to men's, except that it was larger. Women never wore the caftan, however, but they did wear large bonnets made from satin or damask. Married women put their hair up on the tops of their heads while young girls let it tumble down over their foreheads and plaited it down their backs. Examples of this type of costume are shows here: TOP ROW: 1 Boris Godounov, attired in a type of short smock or demi-caftan over which is a ferez. 2 & 4 Winter costume as worn in Tojok. The fichu is made from white taffeta fringed with golden material which covers a kokoschnik (literally, 'a cock's comb"). 4 & 8 Women wearing the sarafan. This headdress is a type of metal diadem, decorated with stones or glass and fixed on a bonnet called a volosnik. 8 Tsar Ivan IV wearing either a caftan or a ferez. The finery of the clothes shown opposite is due to the fact that they are worn on feast days. BOTTOM ROW: 1 Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia from 1682 to 1725, wearing a sailor's costume while incognito in Holland to study boat construction. The material is a coarse woolen cloth lined with taffeta. 2 A young upper-class girl from the the time of Peter the Great. She is wearing a long sarafan of white silk, embroidered round the edges and down the front, with silk- covered buttons. Her belt is also made of white silk and is em- broidered with flowers. 3 This prince's caftan is made of velvet and his cloak is made of blue satin with a zibeline lining. He has a red silk belt and a hat trimmed with fur. 4 Peter the Great wearing a Polish-style caftan, so called because of its vertical opening down the front. The Russian caftan was normally fastened obliquely across the chest. 5 Prince Pierre Repnine in a dark pink smock decorated with pearls. Over it he is wearing a ferez lined with green sdk. The stiff upright collar attached to this, called a kozir, is richly decorated. 6 This boiar narischkine is wearing a caftan made from Persian material, gathered in at the waist by a belt of the same provenance. His pelisse is lined with black zibeline. Martin2001 Satisfaction Guaranteed Policy!
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