Everyday life of the Cossack nobility in the female testaments of the 18th century

Abstract

The article discusses the everyday life in the families of the Cossack nobility as revealed through the testaments of wives and daughters of representatives of this social class in the Hetmanate of the 18^th century. Such specific sources, like testaments, provide an incomplete understanding of the everyday practices of the nobility, but they serve as important supplements in a situation where we know very little about the elusive world of everyday life of specific social groups in the 18^th century. The aim of the article is to study the issue of the everyday life of the Ukrainian Cossack nobility reflected in the female testaments of this elite group.

Real estate, as a highly important part of the inheritance, is mentioned in the majority of the 53 testaments, while movable property is only indicated in 15 of them. This situation was determined by the practice of compiling separate registers of movable and immovable property, which have also survived in a highly fragmented state to this day. The details are specified in 13 testaments, which account for only 25% of the currently known female testaments of this century. The information contained in these documents complements our knowledge of the everyday life of the Cossack nobility in the 18^th century rather than providing a complete picture. This is because women often shared only their own property, so the testaments cannot claim to present a comprehensive view. However, the listed items in the testaments allow us to identify two groups among the testators, the larger of which consists of representatives of the true Cossack elite.

The everyday life of women in this group, even judging from the descriptions in the testaments, revolved around items of «comfort» and «luxury». From other sources, we know that they also used items categorized as «civilization» in their households. It was customary among colonels and senior officers to drink coffee and tea, have clocks, paintings, sculptures, and books at home. The listed items in the testaments and the way they are divided among the heirs provide valuable insights into the testators’ attitudes towards these possessions, which is extremely valuable for researchers.