To love in Russian: in peasant huts, retreated to sex

We know that in Russian families was always full of kids and the family was large and close-knit. Several generations were born, lived and died in the same house, adapting to the cramped conditions. No wonder it was in Russia there is a saying — "In close quarters, but not mad". But how to solve the problem of the intimate plan where he sat down to sleep on any horizontal surface and sometimes slept 10 people in the house?

Long peasant families a place to sleep were strictly divided among family members. Infants sleeping in Cribs, and older children traditionally slept on the benches and chests, as they require less space, and the elderly — in the loft, that is, on a special bench on the Russian stove, where it was warm and quiet. Guests stacked where necessary — sometimes even on the floor.

The only surface that did not use to sleep is a table as he put the dead to sleep and thus was considered a bad omen. The head of the family with spouse alone possessed the bed, because I had good rest after a hard day, but also have a place for privacy. Sex in the Orthodox peasant family, was an intimate affair and demanded privacy, but getting it wasn't easy.

Immediately it should be said that their sex life in Russia 200-300 years ago was very different from today. Sex was forbidden during religious holidays and all the posts, but also in the days of mourning and a number of less important cases. God-fearing and honoring the traditions of the peasants remained for carnal pleasures less than half of days in a year, so it's amazing how they managed to give life to 5-8 offspring.

For privacy in the warm season were used barns, which are now perceived by many as a wonderful rustic romance. The fact that the pleasure of intimacy in this specific place, you need to learn how to get the most theorists recognize that only experienced this location alone.

When it was cold outside, peasants rescued baths. It was a great way to combine the pleasant with the useful, however, for spontaneous intimacy he was not fit to melt the bath, especially snowy winter, it was not easy. But really, sex under the roof of the house, in a relatively comfortable environment, the night was impossible?

The answer to the question, how to solve the urgent question for the couple can be found in the paintings of artists, who wrote before the revolution of genre paintings of peasant life. It turns out that privacy husband and wife could in the house, in its rightful bed using a makeshift canopy bed.

In many scenes, and later in the photographs you can see the design of the poles over a bed, on which hung curtains. Apparently, these poles are not only separated the bed from the common space, but also served other household purposes. They hung clothes using instead of a closet. Also the canopy that covered the bed from prying eyes and protect from flying insects.

So the husband and the wife could indulge in the passion and in the house full of people, in the dead of night when everyone is asleep, of course, observing the silence. Of course, their sex life was only conditional mystery for the children, but Russian people are sensitive and compassionate, so no one drew attention to detail.

In medieval Europe the peasants and many of the citizens housing conditions were too difficult, but the problem of solitude night it decided using beds-wardrobes, which had many additional functions.