Food, Wine and Meals

Another fascinating article on customs of dining during the reign of the last Tsar with descriptions of tables, times, menus, etc of meals, attempts by Count Fredericks to change servings at Livadia, Count Benckendorff's control of cellars:

http://www.ng.ru/saturday/2006-06-16/16_tzar.html

Joanna

An article of the book Medicine and Imperial Power in Russia of further information on the health and eating habits of the Court including Nicholas II. A fascinating detail is that Alexandra was allergic to floral scents. Gardeners cultivated varieties with no smell such as at Livadia where white roses were grown under the bedroom windows.

http://kremlin-9.rosvesty.ru/news/59/

Joanna

Aloha all!

I think that is a fascinating bit of trivia about Alexandra being allergic to floral scents!

I wonder how she dealt with that since we see so many pictures of her picking or around flowers - I'm thinking especially of lilacs, which have such a strong scent - or maybe they were specially grown with no scent?

Just another great bit of minutiae about the IF!

Janet R.

The book Medicine and Imperial Power in Russia:
http://www.rg.ru/2008/03/14/anons.html

The press conference last March included archival documents and illustrations not included in the book. It would be interesting to read the expanded part relating to floral scents. Along with the whole book!

Joanna

Article on the plumbing within the palaces with the changes that were made after numerous episodes of food poisoning and infectious diseases. In 1904 in the Alexander Palace, Pasteur filters were installed "...Для того чтобы обезопасить царскую семью, переехавшую в 1904 г. из Зимнего дворца в Александровский дворец Царского Села, там полностью переоборудовали водопроводную сеть. Более того, все раковины во дворце, откуда брали питьевую воду, были снабжены фильтрами Пастера, состоявшими «из небольших цилиндров (вершков 9-10 высоты) с пористыми фаянсовыми трубками, проходя через которые вода под напором освобождалась от механических примесей»..."

http://www.mgzt.ru/article/508/

Joanna

great thread
lets keep it going

Its a pity this thread has fizzled out.
Where did the water used by the Palace come from ? Were there fresh water springs ? Normally diseases as typhoid, typhus etc were water borne. That is why they installed the Pasteur filters probably. The Winter Palace was particularly bad. In its time I think it probably was quite a festering old building, with thousands of people running around, bad sewerage, plumbing  etc. The food and kitchens must have been quite dodgy.