The Great Ukraine - Part 1

Our village

In the Great Ukraine, which is under Russian rule for centuries; in the province of Chernigov, in the region of Gluckhov and the village of Slout (Slo-oot) from unmentioned times lived our ancestors. http://g.co/maps/s264b

The village situated about 13 kilometers north from the town of Glukhov and is scattered around a big irregular ham shaped lake, teeming with fish. The lake is surrounded on its two opposite sides by a gigantic forest stretching high, into the skies which form an abode for birds and many forms of wild life.

The village’s name of Slout probably derived from the epithet of this lake, and it had from 800-900 dwellings, or about 5000 in habitants which were of a three category.

First, Landlords or country squires, there were about three in the village, the rest two: Cossacks and peasants. Here I want to insert a remark about the lake; unfortunately for themselves, the Villagers sold the Lake which is in the center of village to the Landlord called Jon de Brigers which of course is a German name. The other part of the lake on the outskirts of the village still was called Cossacks Lake, but the sold one became known as Landlords Lake.

They soon learned what a terrible mistake they had done; as the mentioned landlord hired the Asiatic men, which riding on horseback was guarding his possessions, land , forests and lake Poor women who dares to catch some fish with a net, and if catched were scourged by a whipuntil their legs were bleeding and same with the men for trespassing his possessions were punished, even some were shot.

The friendly inhabitants of the Village lived in modest, but comfy homes made from logs plastered clay ground and with thatched roofs which are hazardous in the event of fire.

Their chief occupations are agriculture and horticulture. Majority of the people had their own lands in very small plots around the Village and this constitutes their chief source of income.

Many of the Villagers have their own orchards, with many varieties of fruit bearing trees, and berry bushes. Their primitive living did not depend on market prices at that time some necessities, such as sugar, tea salt, coal oil and grease for the wagon because they produce mostly everything for themselves such as wheat but most of all rye, buckwheat, prosso-millet, peas, hemp, flax, and some other cereals.

In the village they have a windmill for gristing flour, and making grain, and from hemp seeds they make edife oil and from the hemp and flax fiber they spin it into threads or spinning wheels and then make linen or looms, and make their own clothes and over coats, and from the lamb and sheep skins, make fur coats. Also make rope from the hemp fiber and candle from tallow and bees wax. So they were mostly independent not like nowadays, if there is no energy we have no light nor heat in our homes, and if you are not prepared for emergency we may freeze in our wooden houses.