How the nobility feasted in the Russian Empire

What time did the feasts start?

By the dinner time adopted in a particular household, one could easily determine not only the place and lifestyle, but even the age of the hosts.

At the end of the 18th century, Emperor Paul I considered the strict army schedule to be exemplary and taught the nobles to start their day at dawn. Dinner was also held early under his rule – around noon or 1 p.m.

However, in the early 19th century, a new trend came to the Russian Empire: dining in the evening, at 5–7 p.m. This was usually done by young people, while older nobles continued to eat around noon out of habit.

Fashion reached the provinces slowly. Moreover, in the countryside, they did not hold late-night receptions like in St. Petersburg, and went to bed much earlier. Therefore, dinner there was served between 12 and 4 p.m.

Gradually, a whole gradation emerged. If a household dined at noon, the hosts were most likely elderly and conservative. Those who spent most of their time on a country estate ate until 4 p.m. In the evening, fashionables and high society dined.

If a household ate in the European manner and did not hold a reception, the nobles did not have supper. They might set the table for evening tea with pastries, but not for another full meal. At balls, however, late in the evening, an extensive dinner menu with hot dishes was offered.

Unexpected guests

Nobles did not cook themselves. Even families with modest means hired cooks and dined at home. Bachelors living in St. Petersburg and Moscow went to restaurants and taverns.

In the homes of noble people, dishes for the dinner table were prepared in surplus, with a large number of people in mind. They could lay out 30, 50, or 100 place settings daily. Many stories survive of people who dined at a particular household for years, and no one knew why they visited that family.

A multi-hour ritual from appetizer to dessert

The feast began with a meeting in the reception room. The hosts came out to greet the guests. When everyone had gathered, the first cold appetizers were served. About 15 minutes were allotted for this part, after which everyone was invited to the dining room for the main feast.

The dishes were laid out on special trays raised above the table surface. The length of the trays at particularly large receptions reached several metres.

The dinner itself lasted several hours. During this time, several courses were served, displayed one after another.

The owners of even small houses could not serve the food themselves – this was considered indecent. There was one exception: the host of the house could pour wine for the guests.

The finale of the multi-hour dinner was dessert. The meal ended with the serving of cups of water to refresh the mouth. After that, guests either went home or socialised away from the table.

The full version of the article (in Russian) can be found on the Culture.Ru website.