If you evaluate the biography of Irina Chashchina from a philistine point of view, then her childhood was difficult. The girl was born on April 28, 1982 in Siberian city Omsk. The harsh climate forces Siberians to be active life position and move towards difficulties. According to the recollections of close people, the child was somewhat plump in the first years of his life. The family lived in abundance and the girl’s nutrition was fine. Parental love was not blind. From an early age, the girl was deliberately trained. At the age of six, Irina became a student at a music school.
In parallel with her music lessons, the girl attended the swimming pool and the gymnastics section. May with with good reason assert that this is a standard set of hobbies for modern preschool and junior children school age. However, the luminaries of pedagogy insist that vocational guidance be chosen as early as possible. Some Japanese experts argue that at three years it is already too late. Irina, on the advice of her family, chose rhythmic gymnastics. Her grandmother took her to classes, and her grandfather was the most active fan at the competitions.
Irina learned early how big sports live. At eight years old, she takes first place in regional competitions. It is important to note that she has time to study music and fully communicate with her classmates. At the age of twelve she was included in the Russian national team. Gymnastics classes take up more and more time, and the girl has to make difficult choices. Musical education she graduates early, passing the exams as an external student. He goes swimming only in his free time from training.
Sports achivments
The gymnast's professional career began in 1999. Irina Chashchina was included in the national team, and the legendary coach Irina Viner began working with her. Russian team in the same year he took first place at the European Championships. Two years later, our leading athletes, Kabaeva and Chashchina, get into unpleasant situation. They are accused of doping and are deprived of high awards won earlier. This scandal is followed by punishment - a ban on participating in competitions for two years. An offensive goal, as football commentators say.
Irina bravely endured disgrace and returned her name to high positions in the world ranking. At the Athens Olympics, held in 2004, Chashchina became a silver medalist in the all-around. A year later, she received a bronze medal at the World Championships and decided to leave professional sports. It's no secret that many famous athletes do not find themselves after finishing their careers. Chashchina had similar problems, but in a mild form. She took part in various show projects, sang on stage, acted in films and wrote a book about her sporting destiny.
The gymnast’s personal life followed classical patterns. The future husband and wife were involved in sports in the past. Husband Evgeny Arkhipov at that time served as President of the Russian Federation of Kayaking and Canoeing. Famous guests were present at the wedding. Currently, Chashchina devotes a lot of time to working with children. Conducts master classes in different cities. Films are made about her activities and articles are published in prestigious publications.
The Victorian era is the period of the reign of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India.
The 19th century is characterized by the heyday of Great Britain, this period is called “Victorian”. Under its control are vast territories in all earth's continents, it produces so many goods that no country in the world can keep up with it.
Negative phenomena of this period include an increase in the number of unemployed, which was replenished by soldiers returning home after the wars with Napoleon. In addition, the industry, which supplied the army with all types of ammunition, weapons, ammunition, and food, experienced a sharp decline in production after the end of these wars. All this led to an increase in crime in Great Britain in the 19th century. In 1832, a law was passed that gave impetus to the reform of the country, which limited the role and power of the king. In addition to the announcement of reform in Great Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries positive thing can be considered the growth of the middle class, which includes not only farmers and merchants, but also highly professional workers: priests, bankers, numerous lawyers, diplomats, doctors and military personnel. Those who came to the middle class were those who themselves rose from the lower social rung and became successful entrepreneurs, shopkeepers or officials.
Great changes took place in Great Britain at the end of the 19th century and in the consciousness of society. Children from wealthy families of industrialists chose the path of financiers, diplomats, merchants, or went to universities to acquire a profession and became engineers, lawyers, and doctors. They loved their country and wanted to serve it. The state welcomed this desire and elevated those who best demonstrated themselves in serving the fatherland to knighthood or the title of lord.
There came a point in the history of Great Britain in the 19th century when, due to the development of industry and increasing urban pollution, representatives of the middle class began to move to the suburbs.
CULTURE.
Victorian era characterized by rapid change in many areas human life. These were technological and demographic shifts, changes in people's worldviews, changes in the political and social system. Distinctive feature this era is the absence significant wars(with the exception of Crimea), which allowed the country to develop intensively - in particular in the field of infrastructure development, construction railways. In the field of economics during this period continued industrial Revolution and the development of capitalism. The social image of the era is characterized by a strict moral code (gentlemanship), which reinforced conservative values and class differences. In area foreign policy Britain's colonial expansion in Asia and Africa continued.
Victorian morality.
Sobriety, punctuality, hard work, frugality and thrift were valued even before Victoria's reign, but it was during her era that these qualities became the dominant norm. The queen herself set an example: her life, completely subordinate to duty and family, was strikingly different from the life of her two predecessors. Most of the aristocracy followed suit, abandoning the flashy lifestyle of the previous generation. The skilled part of the working class did the same.
The middle class believed that prosperity was the reward of virtue and that, therefore, losers were not worthy of a better fate. Puritanism taken to extremes family life gave rise to feelings of guilt and hypocrisy.
Art, architecture and literature.
Typical writers of the Victorian era are Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, the Brontë sisters, Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling and Oscar Wilde; poets - Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning and Matthew Arnold, artists - the Pre-Raphaelites. British children's literature is formed and reaches its heyday with a characteristic departure from direct didactics towards nonsense and “bad advice”: Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, William Rands.
In the field of architecture, the Victorian era was marked by the general spread of eclectic retrospectivism, especially neo-Gothic. IN English speaking countries The term Victorian architecture is used to refer to the eclectic period.
The prim British people during the reign of Queen Victoria seem to be models of decorum and good behavior. It’s hard to imagine, but British women of those years wore trousers with a hole in the very interesting place, and reputable doctors relieved them of hysteria with the help of a thorough massage... of the clitoris. Rotten food and canned food with arsenic, dead children in photos, a glutton queen, and other strange and disgusting facts about the Victorian era.
Doctors of the era treated hysteria in women with masturbation
At that time, female "hysteria" (i.e. restlessness, irritability, nervousness and other similar symptoms) was considered serious problem. But doctors have discovered that these symptoms can be temporarily relieved with the help of “finger massage in the intimate area,” which, if done correctly, will cause a “hysterical paroxysm.”
Women's underwear was open in the crotch area
Victorian pantaloons were, as it were, cut in two, the halves for each leg were cut separately and connected with ties or buttons at the waist, on the back. Thus, the crotch seam (i.e. the crotch) was open, which could be very convenient in certain cases, which we, being very well-mannered, will not mention.
Many historians believe that due to the lack of special hygiene products Due to the fact that women's clothing consisted of many layers of fabric, most women did nothing at all during menstruation and allowed the blood to flow freely and soak into their petticoats. Other solutions to the delicate problem involved the use of cloth diapers, which were secured with a belt, or sheep's wool, which was glued to the vulva with lard. Thank God modern women There are pads and tampons.
During this era, women were very hairy... everywhere
In the Victorian era, such useful items as a safety razor did not yet exist. And although depilatory compounds had already been invented, they were very toxic and were used only for removing hair from the face and hands. So my armpits, legs and intimate area were terribly overgrown. But considering that they were all hidden under several layers of clothing, it didn't matter.
The Thames was so full of feces, garbage and dead animals that you could walk on it
By 1860, about a thousand tons of faeces were dumped into the Thames every day, as there was no other storage facility for Wastewater it simply wasn't there. And at the same time the river was the main source drinking water for London residents. People died like flies from dysentery, cholera and typhoid, believing that the dirty air was to blame for everything. Oh, how wrong they were!
A written account from Lady Harberton in 1891 states that during a short walk in London, the hem of her long dress collected: two cigar butts, nine cigarettes, a piece of pork pie, four toothpicks, two hairpins, a piece of cat food, half a shoe sole , tobacco bars (chewed), straw, dirt, scraps of paper and God knows what else.
In the 1960s, crinolines became so wide that women got stuck in the doors
The "Era of Crinolines" lasted from 1850 to 1870. At that time, the basis of the women's toilet was a domed gathered skirt, the shape of which was given by numerous petticoats. Sometimes a lady in such an outfit really could not squeeze through the door. You could also inadvertently touch the candle and knock it over on yourself, and this is truly life-threatening. The satirical magazine Punch even advised husbands to buy insurance for their wives in case of fire due to crinolines. So this fashion trend did not last long.
Before the invention of pasteurization, milk could be a source of tuberculosis. The safety of products, especially those purchased in large cities, could not be relied upon. Unscrupulous traders sold rotten meat mixed with fresh carcass fat; bakers added alum and chalk to the dough to make the bread appear whiter. Arsenic was added to pickles and other canned foods to improve the flavor and make it brighter. Well, and kill the buyer.
Victoria hated spicy food, but, as the ruler of India, she insisted on preparing curry every day - just in case “oriental people” came to visit her.
As a child, Victoria was raised very strictly and was not allowed to eat much, so when she became queen, she did everything to make up for lost time. She ate a lot and at an incredible speed, which was a problem for her guests - after all, according to etiquette, they were supposed to finish each dish as soon as the queen finished eating it (even if they only had time to take a bite). In general, by today's standards, Queen Victoria was a rather obese woman.
One beauty advice writer recommended to readers: “Make a mask every night using thin slices of raw beef, which is said to protect the skin from wrinkles and keep it fresh.” Of course, unless your dog gnaws your face in your sleep.
This Russian boy's name was Fyodor Evtikhiev, and he suffered. Fyodor and his father Adrian were presented to the public as “the two greatest wonders of our time.” Their faces were covered with hair, making them look like Skye terriers. Subsequently, Andrian died from complications caused by alcoholism, but Fedor continued to “delight people” for many more years.
Boys wore dresses as children - until it was time to go to school
In wealthy families, young children, regardless of gender, were usually dressed in white, elegantly decorated dresses with frills and lace. And the caps with ribbons were also the same for both girls and boys.
Almost 50% of children died before reaching the age of five
The highest infant mortality rates were, of course, in the slums. The slums of Seven Dials in London and Angel Meadow in Manchester were so terrible that they were called hell on earth. Manchester was home to more than 30,000 workers, mostly Irish immigrants, in just one square mile. The children there were left to their own devices, eating whatever garbage they could find, and some even ate cats and rats.
Rich people usually took photographs, and those who could not afford this expensive pleasure hired an artist. For example, a kind-hearted artist named John Callcott Horsley often visited morgues to paint portraits of recently deceased children. Such a posthumous image was often the only memory of departed relatives.
In the Victorian era, when gluttony coexisted with incredible frugality, not a single piece of food was wasted. For example, whole veal heads were boiled for dinner, and the brains were cooked as a separate dish: they resembled pink lumps floating in a butter sauce. Veal ears were shaved, boiled, and then fried in boiling oil. A sort of feast in the style of Hannibal Lecter.
Charles Darwin was very fond of dishes from exotic animals
Darwin not only studied rare animals, but also loved to feast on them. He joined the Cambridge Glutton Club, whose members ate unusual dishes of hawks, squirrels, maggots and owls. And during his travels, the scientist tasted an iguana, a giant turtle, an armadillo and a puma.
(1837-1901) - the period of the reign of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India.
A distinctive feature of this era is the absence of significant wars (with the exception of the Crimean War), which allowed the country to develop intensively - in particular in the field of infrastructure development and railway construction.
In the field of economics, the industrial revolution and the development of capitalism continued during this period. The social image of the era is characterized by a strict moral code (gentlemanship), which reinforced conservative values and class differences. In the field of foreign policy, Britain's colonial expansion in Asia (the "Great Game") and Africa (the "Scramble for Africa") continued.
Historical overview of the era
Victoria succeeded to the throne on the death of her uncle, the childless William IV, on June 20, 1837. The Whig cabinet of Lord Melbourne, which the queen found upon her accession, relied in the lower house on a mixed majority, only partly consisting of old Whigs. It also included radicals who sought to expand suffrage and short-term parliaments, as well as the Irish party led by O’Connell. The opponents of the ministry, the Tories, were animated by a firm determination to oppose any further triumph of the democratic principle. New elections, called as a result of the change in monarch, strengthened the Conservative Party. Big cities England, Scotland and Ireland voted predominantly in favor of the liberal and radical factions, but English counties for the most part opponents of the ministry were elected.
Meanwhile, the policies of previous years created significant difficulties for the government. In Canada, the discord between the mother country and the local parliament has reached dangerous proportions. The Ministry received permission to suspend the Canadian Constitution and sent Earl Dergum to Canada with extensive powers. Dergam acted energetically and skillfully, but the opposition accused him of abuse of power, as a result of which he had to resign from his position.
The government's weakness showed itself even more clearly in Irish affairs. The Ministry could achieve approval of the Irish tithe bill only after the complete elimination of the appropriation paragraph.
Foreign and domestic policy
In the spring of 1839, the British successfully fought with Afghanistan, which from that time became a kind of advanced cover for their East Indian possessions and the subject of jealous guardianship on the part of England.
In May of the same year, a ministerial crisis broke out, the immediate cause of which was the affairs of the island of Jamaica. Disagreements between the mother country, which had abolished black slavery in 1834, and the interests of planters on the island, threatened to lead to the same rift as in Canada. The ministry proposed suspending the local constitution for several years. This was opposed by both Tories and Radicals, and the ministry's proposal was accepted by a majority of only 5 votes. It resigned, but again took charge of affairs when the attempts of Wellington and Peel to form a new cabinet ended in failure - among other things, due to the fact that Peel demanded that the Queen's ladies of state and ladies-in-waiting, who belonged to the Whig families, be replaced by others from the camp Tory, but the queen did not want to agree to this (in English constitutional history this question is known as the “Bedchamber question”). The parliamentary session of 1840 was opened with a solemn announcement of the forthcoming marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; The wedding took place on February 10.
On July 15, 1840, representatives of England, Russia, Austria and Prussia entered into an agreement aimed at putting an end to the discord between the Porte and the Egyptian Pasha. Mehmed-Ali rejected the decision of the conference, counting on the help of France, offended by the exclusion from participation in such an important matter; but this calculation did not come true. An English squadron, reinforced by Turkish and Austrian military forces, landed in Syria in September and put an end to Egyptian rule there.
The triumph of foreign policy did not in the least strengthen the position of the ministry; this came to light during the parliamentary session that opened in January 1841. The government suffered one defeat after another. Already in 1838, under the leadership of Richard Cobden, the so-called Anti-Corn Law League was formed in Manchester, which set itself the task of abolishing the existing protective system and, mainly, duties on imported grain. Met with fury by the aristocracy and landowners, who benefited enormously from the high tariff, the league demanded the free import of all foodstuffs as the only remedy to raise fallen government revenues, improve the position of the working classes and facilitate competition with other states. Partly under the pressure of financial difficulties, partly in the hope of finding support among opponents of the grain duty, the ministry announced its intention to begin revising the grain laws. Following this, on the question of the sugar tax, it was defeated by a majority of 317 votes to 281. The Ministry dissolved Parliament (June 23).
The Conservative Party, superbly organized and led by Peel, was victorious, and when the ministerial draft address was rejected by a strong majority in the new Parliament, the ministers resigned. On September 1, 1841, a new cabinet was formed. It was headed by Peel, and the main members were the Dukes of Wellington and Buckingham, Lords Lyndhurst, Stanley, Aberdeen and Sir James Graham. And earlier, on the issue of the emancipation of Catholics, Peel, who showed some sensitivity to the demands of the time, in February 1842 spoke in the lower house with a proposal to lower the import duty on grain (from 35 shillings to 20) and adopt the principle of gradually lowering tariff rates. All counterprojects of unconditional supporters of free trade and protectionists were rejected, and Peel's proposal was accepted, as well as other financial measures aimed at covering the deficit (introduction of an income tax, reduction of indirect taxes, etc.). At this time, the Chartists began to stir again and submitted to Parliament a petition with a gigantic number of signatures, outlining their demands. They found strong support for themselves in the dissatisfaction of the factory workers, fueled by the trade crisis, the lull in industrial activity and high prices for food supplies. Disagreement with the North American States over borders was settled by a convention on August 9, 1842. The tensions with France caused by the 1840 treaty were still ongoing; its echo was refusal French government sign the convention concluded by the great powers on the abolition of the slave trade and on the right to search suspicious ships (eng. droit de visite).
Old disputes with China over the opium trade led back to 1840 to open war. In 1842, this war took a favorable turn for the British. They climbed up the Yantsekiang to Nanjing and dictated peace to the Chinese. Hong Kong Island was ceded to the British; 4 new harbors were opened for trade relations.
In Afghanistan, the rapid success of 1839 blinded the British; they considered themselves masters of the country and were taken by surprise by the Afghan uprising that suddenly broke out in November 1841. Trusting the insidious enemy, the British negotiated a free exit from the country, but on the return trip to India they suffered terrible losses from the climate, deprivation and fanaticism of the inhabitants. The Viceroy, Lord Ellenborough, decided to take revenge on the Afghans and in the summer of 1842 sent new troops against them. The Afghans were defeated, their cities were destroyed, and the surviving English prisoners were freed. The devastating nature of the campaign drew sharp condemnation from the opposition in the House of Commons. The year 1843 passed anxiously.
The Catholic trend of some of the Anglican clergy (see Puseyism) grew more and more. In Scotland there was a break between the established church and the Presbyterian strain of nonintrusionists. The main difficulties faced the government in Ireland. From the moment he took office in the Tory ministry, Daniel O'Connell renewed his agitation for the dissolution of the union between Ireland and England (English Repeal). He now gathered gatherings of 100,000 people; an armed conflict could be expected. An action was taken against O'Connell and many of his supporters. criminal prosecution. The trial was delayed several times, but the agitator was eventually found guilty. The House of Lords cassed the verdict due to formal violations of the law; the government abandoned further persecution, but the agitation no longer reached its previous strength.
In the session of 1844, the issue of the Corn Laws again came to the fore. Cobden's proposal regarding complete cancellation the grain tax was rejected by the lower house by a majority of 234 votes to 133; but already during the discussion of the Factory Bill, when the famous philanthropist Lord Ashley (later Earl of Shaftesbury) managed to pass a proposal to reduce the working day to 10 hours, it became clear that the government no longer had the previous strong majority.
The most important financial measure in 1844 was Peel's Banking Bill, which gave English bank new organization.
That same year an important change took place in the highest administration of the East Indies. In December 1843, Lord Ellenborough launched a victorious campaign against the Gwalior district in Northern Hindustan (Sindh had been conquered even earlier, in 1843). But it was precisely this belligerent policy of the Viceroy, in connection with unrest and bribery in the civil administration, that caused the intervention of the directorate of the East India Company. Taking advantage of the right granted to her by law, she replaced Lord Ellenborough and appointed Lord Harding in his place. In 1845, the internal disintegration of the previous parties was completed.
Everything Peel accomplished in this year's session was achieved with the help of his former political opponents. He proposed increasing funds for the maintenance of the Catholic seminary at Maynooth, which, being the only government agency of this kind in Ireland, presented a deplorable contrast with the luxurious furnishings of the schools of the Church of England. This proposal aroused the strongest opposition on the ministerial benches, which brought into relief the whole heartlessness of Old Tory and Anglican orthodoxy. When the bill was admitted to its second reading on April 18, the previous ministerial majority no longer existed. Peel gained the support of 163 Whigs and Radicals. Church agitation received new food, when the ministers came up with a proposal to establish three higher secular colleges for Catholics, without the right of state or church interference in religious teaching.
Because of this measure, Gladstone, then still a strict churchman, left the office; when it was introduced into Parliament, Anglican high-churchmen, Catholic fanatics and O'Connell alike burst out with curses against the godless project. Nevertheless, the bill was passed by an overwhelming majority. This changed position of the parties was even more pronounced in economic issues. Last results financial year turned out to be favorable and showed a significant increase in income taxes. Peel petitioned for the continuation of this tax for another three years, suggesting, at the same time, allowing a new reduction in customs duties and the complete abolition of export duties. His proposals aroused the displeasure of the Tories and landowners, but met with warm support in the former opposition and were adopted with its help.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, an unexpected outbreak terrible hunger due to a poor harvest of potatoes, which constituted almost the only food for the poorest classes of the population. People were dying and tens of thousands sought salvation in emigration. Thanks to this, the anti-Corn Law agitation reached highest degree voltage. The leaders of the old Whigs openly and irrevocably joined the movement, which until then had been in the hands of Cobden and his party. On December 10, the ministry resigned; but Lord John Rossel, who was entrusted with the task of forming a new cabinet, encountered no less difficulties than Peel, and returned his powers to the queen.
Peel reorganized the cabinet, which Gladstone re-entered. Following this, Peel proposed a gradual abolition of the Corn Laws. Part of the old Tory party followed Peel into the free trade camp, but the main body of the Tories launched a furious agitation against their former leader. On March 28, 1846, the second reading of the Corn Bill was passed by a majority of 88 votes; all changes, partly proposed by the protectionists, partly tending to the immediate abolition of all grain duties, were rejected. The bill also passed through the upper house thanks to Wellington's influence.
Despite, however, this success and the enormous popularity acquired by Peel by carrying out his great economic reform, his personal situation became more and more difficult. In the struggle against the poisonous attacks of the protectionists - especially Disraeli, who, together with Bentinck, assumed leadership of the old Tories, Peel, of course, could not count on the protection of his long-time opponents. The immediate cause of his downfall was the issue of emergency measures in relation to Ireland, which was resolved negatively by a coalition of Whigs, radicals and Irish deputies. Foreign affairs at the time of the removal of the Tory ministry were in a very favorable position. The former strained relations with France little by little gave way to a friendly rapprochement. WITH North America There were disagreements due to mutual claims to the Oregon region, but they were peacefully settled.
In June 1846, the Sikhs raided British possessions in India but were defeated.
On July 3, 1846, a new Whig ministry was formed under the leadership of Lord John Rossel; its most influential member was the Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston. It could count on a majority only if it had support from Peel. Parliament opened in January 1847 and approved a number of measures to help Ireland's woes. About the same time O'Connell died, on his way to Rome, and in him the national party of Ireland lost its main support.
The issue of Spanish marriages led to a chill between the London and Paris cabinets. Taking advantage of this, the Eastern powers decided to annex Krakow to Austria, ignoring the belated protests of the British Foreign Minister.
In the general elections of 1847, the protectionists remained in the minority; the Pilites constituted an influential middle party; the united Whigs, Liberals and Radicals formed a majority of 30 votes. The Chartists found a representative in the talented lawyer O'Connor. Inside the country, the situation was bleak. The proliferation of crimes in Ireland required a special repressive law. In the English factory districts, want and unemployment also assumed appalling proportions; bankruptcies followed one after another. The shortfall in government revenues due to general stagnation in business and the impossibility of cutting expenses forced the ministry to propose legislation to increase income taxes by another 2 percent. But the increase in this unpopular tax caused such a storm in parliament and outside it that at the end of February 1848 the proposed measure was withdrawn.
Victorian architecture(eng. Victorian architecture) - the most general term, which is used in English-speaking countries to refer to the variety of varieties of eclectic retrospectivism common in the Victorian era (from 1837 to 1901). The dominant movement of this period in the British Empire was Gothic Revival; entire neighborhoods in this style have been preserved in almost all former British colonies. British India is also characterized by the Indo-Saracenic style (a free combination of neo-Gothic with national elements).
In the field of architecture, the Victorian era was marked by the general spread of eclectic retrospectivism, especially neo-Gothic. In English-speaking countries, the term “Eclecticism” is used to denote the period of eclecticism. victorian architecture».
Victorian art and literature
Typical writers of the Victorian era are Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, Anthony Trollope, the Brontë sisters, Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling; poets - Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning and Matthew Arnold, artists - the Pre-Raphaelites.
British children's literature is formed and reaches its heyday with a characteristic departure from direct didactics towards nonsense and “bad advice”: Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, William Rands.
The Victorian era is not very easy to describe, if only because Queen Victoria's reign was incredibly long. Styles and trends in literature and art changed, but the fundamental worldview remained.
We have already said that the old, stable world was disintegrating before people's eyes. Green hills and valleys were built up with factories, and the development of science called into question the very origin and essence of man: is he really the image of God, or a descendant of strange creatures that crawled out of the primeval mud a million years ago? Therefore, throughout the entire era, through all art, there runs the desire of people to somehow hide from reality or recreate it themselves. (Turner and Constable do this: in their paintings they seem to recreate light and color). Some try to escape modernity by hiding in the Middle Ages, like the Pre-Raphaelites, Morris and Pugin.
Others are trying to contrast the collapsing world with simple, reliable middle-class values: family, children, home, honest work. Queen Victoria herself sets an example. In her youth, Victoria was very beautiful, and the stereotype that arises when you mention her - the image of an overweight old woman in eternal mourning - is her later years. Victoria was an exemplary wife, remaining faithful to her beloved husband even after his death (hence the lifelong mourning), perpetuating his memory in monuments such as the Albert Hall. They were the ideal family, true to middle class values. It was Prince Albert who introduced the Christmas tree and the custom of giving gifts to children at Christmas into English everyday life, and gradually this desire to find warmth and joy in a cruel world turns into the syrupy sentimentality so characteristic of Victorians - or, conversely, moralizing. In this sense, Charles Dickens seems to be the Victorian of the Victorians, with his innocent angelic children and the inevitable punishment of vice.
At this time, revolutionary changes were taking place in the country. Industrialization affected everything more areas life. Mass production appears (the same porcelain dogs, lithographs and postcards), the phonograph, photography. The level of education is also growing: if in 1837 in England 43% of the population was illiterate, then in 1894 - only 3%. Quantity periodicals grew 60 times (among others, fashion magazines such as Harpers Bazar appeared), a network of libraries and theaters emerged.
Perhaps it was mass production that was the reason that when we use the term “Victorian,” especially in relation to design and interiors, we most often think of a room with lush, heavy furniture, where it is impossible to turn around due to the numerous tables, armchairs, ottomans, shelves with figurines, where the walls are completely covered with paintings and photographs. This eclecticism was not a single style; This was for the most part a middle-class house, and most of these interiors date from the period commonly called High Victorian (1850s - 70s).
Moreover, even in furniture, the Victorians expressed their strict morals: where did such long tablecloths come from, where did the covers for the chairs come from? But the fact is that you can’t even show your legs on a chair or table, it’s indecent. "Decency" is one of the fundamental values of that era. The everyday suit was quite strict and restrained (however, at a ball or reception one could still show off the beauty of the dress and jewelry). But even when going to a ball, it was not customary to use cosmetics - it was indecent, only weaker women wore makeup. A monument to the Victorian concept of decency will forever remain the bathing cabin, which allowed ladies to bathe away from the eyes of men. They changed clothes in these cabins - their bathing suits were not much different from ordinary ones! - and then the cabins were taken out to sea so that they could enter and exit the water without witnesses.
Around this time, people begin to realize that children are not miniature adults, but completely special creatures. Education is another one of the words that runs like a red thread through the era. Childhood stands out as a separate period of human life, and combines all the incompatible features of Victorianism: on the one hand, children are innocence, purity, Christmas gifts; on the other hand, children need to be raised in strictness so that they learn the moral norms of society, and accustom them to hard work and good behavior.
The Victorian era is full of contradictions. This is a time of extreme optimism and extreme pessimism, a time of strict moral rules and a time when prostitution flourished in London, a time of triumph of empire and the time of Jack the Ripper. All this must be remembered when we talk about art, because all this was most directly reflected in it.
The Victorian era gave rise to a movement for women's emancipation, but the emphasis was still on jewelry and accessories. Men's fashion tended to be more formal, and new methods of making clothes spread quickly.
XIX century - the century of the bourgeois and technical progress- radically affected fashion. Thanks to massive industrial production clothing, the development of means of communication, fashion is becoming the property of ever wider sections of society. The accelerated pace of life and the development of civilization leads to a rapid change in fashion trends.
Despite the fact that women are gradually winning back their rights from men, the fashion of the 19th century is still chaste and bashful in a bourgeois way. The female silhouette is now entirely determined by clothing. Open body is becoming less and less, although it is by no means forbidden to emphasize certain “places” with clothing
The Victorian age can be divided into three periods:
- early Victorian (1837-1860)
- Middle Victorian (1860-1885)
- late Victorian (1885-1901)
The early Victorian period is also called the "romantic" period. This is the queen's youth, marked by ease and a certain freedom of character, as well as an ardent love for Prince Albert. The Queen adored jewelry, and her lady subjects, imitating her, adorned themselves with lovely enamel trinkets, cabochons and corals.
Wide-brimmed hats decorated with feathers and flowers, fashionable at the beginning of the century, were replaced by practical caps, which influenced the female silhouette as a whole.
In the 20s of the 19th century, the figure of a woman resembles hourglass: rounded “puffed up” sleeves, wasp waist, wide skirt. The neckline of the dress almost completely exposes the shoulders. A very open neck allows you to “highlight” the head, and complex hairstyles, usually raised, are in fashion.
Although the skirts are wide, their length has been shortened: first the shoes were revealed, and then the ankles. It was quite revolutionary, because a woman's legs for a long time(almost all European history"AD") remained securely hidden from prying eyes.
Women's fashion of that time was complemented by long gloves, which were removed in public only at the dinner table. An umbrella has long become a mandatory fashion attribute for women. There was not as much coquetry in this as it might seem at first glance. The umbrella had a rather pragmatic purpose - it protected a woman’s skin from the sun. Until the 1920s, tanning was considered indecent, “country”; pale “alabaster” skin, so in keeping with the period of romanticism, was in fashion.
Also, by 1820, the corset returned to the attire of fashionistas, which would disappear from clothing only a century later. The waist, which in Empire times was located almost under the chest, again takes its natural position, but it requires an unnatural volume - about 55 cm! The desire to achieve the “ideal” waist often leads to tragic consequences. So, in 1859, one 23-year-old fashionista died after a ball due to the fact that three ribs compressed by a corset pierced her liver.
The already long corset (starting under the chest, it covered the buttocks by a quarter, tightening them) by 1845 had lengthened so much that a classic V-silhouette emerged, complemented by wide sleeves. As a result, women of fashion could hardly move their arms, and their ability to move was seriously limited. Helplessness and dependence on a man made the ladies of the Victorian era even more attractive in the eyes of their gentlemen. The color scheme became more muted, in contrast to the diversity of fabrics inherent in the beginning of the century, small details came to the fore, which made it possible to radically change appearance. Usually these were wide belts with buckles. Women's modesty was emphasized by white scarves around the neck, as well as white armbands - “engageantes”. After almost many years of absence, exquisite cashmere shawls have returned to fashion. However, this time they were much wider and almost completely covered the woman's shoulders. The overskirt gradually lost its former round shape, becoming much wider and taking on the shape of a bell. By 1850, the word “crinoline” came into fashion, meaning a woman’s outer skirt. The wider the crinoline, the better. It was quite problematic to wear it, so soon this accessory had to be abandoned.
Curls were the fashionable hairstyle at that time. Placed around the head, down to the shoulders, pinned into a knot or gathered at the back of the head.
Women's suit, model 1833. 
Fashionable lady in the park
The Middle Victorian period was marked by tragic event- death of Prince Consort Albert. Victoria, who passionately loved her husband, plunged into the abyss of grief and mourning. She constantly grieved and mourned her deceased husband and dressed only in black all the time. She was followed by the entire royal court, and then, in general, by the whole society. However, the ladies concluded that they look extremely attractive in black and managed to benefit from the general grief.
Women's clothing average Victorian period was one of the most uncomfortable costumes: rigid corsets, long heavy skirts with numerous folds, high collars that came up to the throat. Men's clothing was much more comfortable.
However, even as England fought for reform women's clothing, female travelers stubbornly continued to wear corsets and hats and took great care to maintain a proper womanly appearance, no matter how difficult it was. Moreover, according to them, only this clothing was the only suitable and appropriate for a woman in unusual conditions.
The 60s of the 19th century became a turning point in the history of the development of world fashion, turning it into a real industry. Such significant changes occurred largely due to the invention of the sewing machine, as well as the advent of artificial dyes. At the same time, one of the main directions of development of modern fashion - haute couture - arose and took institutional form. From now on, fashion trends have ceased to be some kind of frozen and slowly changing form, turning into something much more dynamic and creative.
The famous dome-shaped crinoline skirt has sunk into oblivion, replaced by a much more elegant elongated shape. However, the very concept of “crinoline” lingered in fashion for quite a long time thanks to the extraordinary popularity of the creator of haute couture, Charles Worth. Worth himself considered the crinoline to be a rather bulky and unattractive structure, but since his name was firmly associated with this accessory, he continued to experiment with the form, creating an increasingly sophisticated image. As a result, after a few years, the overskirt rose significantly and was gathered into elegant pleats just below the waist.
By 1867, crinoline had finally disappeared from the fashion horizon and was replaced by bustles. Experiments with overskirts and petticoats literally captured almost all layers of English society. As a result, by 1878 the ladies very vaguely resembled their predecessors of the early Victorian period. A thin, graceful silhouette with a long train finally defeated massive forms. From now on, designers began to pay Special attention on the figures of the customers, giving the latter the desired grace, which meant further improvement of the craftsmanship of the couturier, who often had to turn the ugly duckling into a real princess.
Speaking of crinoline. Mine true meaning crinoline has only been available since 1850. It was then that it took the form of a gathered, domed skirt, the shape of which was supported by numerous petticoats. Until 1856, six more petticoats were worn under the overskirt, most of them handmade and very complex. Making them was difficult and took an infinite amount of time. This was due to the fact that improved sewing machines began to be used in Parisian salons, in best case scenario, around 1850. These machines were introduced everywhere only in 1857. Since 1859, artificial crinolines were introduced, where elastic steel hoops - a technically modernized memory of the former rifrock with its hoops - seemed to support the lighter one with springs. modern material. This change affected not only the external outline of the dress, but also changed the very nature of the clothing. The skirt took on a new, unexpected movement. The former petticoats disappeared, and faux crinoline became a machine-made product. As soon as the skirt expanded to a crinoline, the sleeves of the bodice, which in the 40s were already tightly fitting the arm, narrowed, and the bodice itself began to be complemented by a wide frill at the collar, called “berte”.
Small hats decorated with feathers and fascinators came back into fashion; Ladies preferred modest hairstyles - a bun or curls tied on the sides in French braids. Particularly relaxed ladies also experienced the first model haircuts, but they have not yet become widespread.
Lady and Gentleman 1850
Dresses with bustles 1869
Slim dress 1889
Lady in an Amazon cut dress
Late Victorian period.
Industrialization is progressing across the planet by leaps and bounds: the telephone and telegraph have already been invented, experiments are being carried out with computers, the Kodak camera has appeared, the luxurious World Exhibition has died down. Life has become dynamic and hasty, which is reflected in fashion trends. It was at this time that the famous “bloomers” were invented - wide trousers similar to the clothes of harem slaves, skirts became narrower, and the silhouette began to take on the shape that is familiar to us today. The bustle and crinoline, although worn everywhere, are gradually going out of fashion, giving way to practical formal dresses (most often from the atelier), Amazon cut suits and mermaid skirts (narrow top and fluffy bottom). Women are starting to cut their hair; Curls and bangs are in fashion.
But all this concerns mainly wealthy women, representatives of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. For ladies from the lower classes, clothing remains unchanged - a closed dark dress with a closed collar of the most simple cut, a hard bustle made of cheap materials, mercilessly rubbing the skin even through undershirts, rough (“goat”) shoes or low-heeled shoes.
It is characteristic that men's clothing from the beginning of the 19th century. almost unchanged. Only the details and materials changed, but not the cut. After 1875, the type of men's clothing that we know now was established - trousers, a vest and a jacket, all made of the same material - solid English fabrics.
The tuxedo is coming into fashion. Initially it was worn in smoking salons, and then when visiting theaters and restaurants. Tuxedos were worn predominantly by young people. The cuffs were starched so that one could write on them.
In the 1860s, the famous bowler hat was invented, initially intended to be worn by footmen and clerks, but then quickly ascended to the very top strata of society. Whatever you say, the compact and solid headdress with narrow brims was much more comfortable than the usual cylinder. However, it has also undergone changes - some models of cylinders have become foldable.