Examples of Women's Clothing in Kievan Rus

Based on Kolchin

This unmarried maiden is wearing her hair loose under a simple venets with ryasni and temple rings. She is wearing a small cloak over her rubakha. She is also wearing leather boots on her feet.


This unmarried boyarina is wearing her hair loose under a venets with metal plates and temple rings attached to a strip of material (leather or fabric). Her loose-sleeved robe/ rubakha is accessorized with a fancy collar, a belt made of metal plates, and an elaborate edge at the hem. She is wearing embroidered leather boots on her feet.


This married woman seems to be wearing an ubrus over her simple povoinik and a couple of temple rings. Her long-sleeved jacket has an offset closure and a stand-up collar.


This married princess is wearing a kokoshnik decorated with metal beads, ryasni and kolti over a close-wrapped ubrus. She is wearing both a stand-up collar and an ozherlya collar over her dalmatica/robe. The rubakha under her dalmatica is decorated with naruchi cuffs. She has embroidered leather shoes or boots on her feet.


This woman is wearing an ubrus with a headband decorated with temple rings hanging from a string of metal pieces. She is wearing a long-sleeved short jacket (?) over her rubakha. She is also wearing a metal-bead necklace and leather boots.


This married princess is wearing a kokoshnik decorated with enameled gold plates, metal rings and beads, elaborate ryasni and kolti under an embroidered ubrus. She is wearing both a stand-up collar and an ozherlya collar over her robe and a necklace of enameled metal disks. Her robe is decorated with naruchi cuffs. She has embroidered leather shoes or boots on her feet.


This city-dwelling married woman is wearing an ubrus held in place with a headband made of metal pieces. Kolti hang next to her face from strings of similar metal pieces. Other metal pieces/beads are used to decorate her collar and to make necklaces and bracelets. Her rubakha either has a round yoke, or else there is an ozherlya under her necklaces. Her belt is also made of metal pieces/plates. She wears porshni/postoli on her feet.


This married princess is dressed much like the other princesses.



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