We discussed sanitation issues in Belarusian villages at the beginning of the 20th century with ethnologist Alexey Drupav. In this podcast episode, we'll learn about the superstitions of the Poleshuks, how often houses were cleaned a hundred years ago, whether there were bathhouses in Western Belarus and Polesie, where people went for their needs, and why they made traps for cockroaches. Tune in!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro and introduction.
01:35 - What sparked Alexey's interest in such an unusual topic?
03:17 - How did peasants maintain cleanliness in their homes?
06:36 - How did they deal with cockroaches?
07:53 - The "Cockroach Funeral" ritual.
10:12 - Were there any air fresheners and how did they fight unpleasant odors?
11:01 - The house was cleaned for the three main holidays.
14:07 - Sanitary standards and fines for restrooms.
16:50 - How often did villagers bathe?
20:55 - Where were the bathhouses in Belarus, distribution by region.
24:13 - Why did they bathe specifically on Saturdays?
25:46 - How often did they wash their clothes?
26:30 - The word "banya" and what Belarusians did in the bathhouse?
30:23 - Specifics of the Belarusian bathhouse.
32:53 - Where they built the bathhouse in the yard.
38:33 - When did toilets appear in the village?
40:38 - A fable about a wedding.
41:10 - Diseases and epidemics.
42:46 - The fight against the plague of the Black Death.
48:30 - Wise women vs. midwife doctors.
52:12 - People went around the corner because pigs cleaned up everything.
53:44 - Where did they go during the winter for their needs?
54:30 - What are "gavno" and "bubyshki"?
56:08 - Toilet matters and Luft-closets.
59:50 - Field toilets of World War I.
01:04:07 - "How did you defecate?"
01:06:19 - Differences in "skvaresnya".
01:07:46 - How did they do laundry in the village?
01:13:27 - Brokar soap, which became embroidery.
01:16:05 - Attitudes to gas production in Polesie.
01:18:06 - What did women do during menstruation?
01:19:23 - Curses.
01:20:18 - How did they clean their teeth and cut their nails?
01:25:30 - "Gavno" or "dyarmo", "vomit" or "stench"? Which is correct.
Alexey Drupav's Instagram: https://instagram.com/ahidnaja_zaba
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