This 1898 photo of Pyotr Yakovlevich Gromoslavsky and his wife Maria Feodorovna was taken in Polyakov’s photo studio in the Ust-Medveditskaya stanitsa. It portrays the parents of Maria Petrovna, the future wife of the famous Soviet writer Mikhail Sholokhov. The picture is in line with the photographic tradition of the turn of the 20th century and can be classified as a cabinet photograph. It was a popular genre that became widespread in the 1870s. This is an albumen print only glued to a larger cardboard base.
Standing behind a wooden corner stand with carved banisters is the head of the Gromoslavsky family. In his right hand, he holds a book as a symbol of literacy and an attribute of an educated person. His wife Maria sits to the left of Pyotr on a bentwood chair. She is wearing a long dark dress with a stand-up collar trimmed with lace and decorated with a broach. The sleeves are puff, the skirt consists of numerous ruffs and pleats — the clothes of Cossack women were often quite intricate and elaborate. Both the husband and wife look serious and focused.
To be photographed at a studio was an indicator of a family’s income and status. This is why the Cossacks put on their best clothes for a visit to a photo studio. This cabinet photograph shows that the Cossack couple was rather wealthy. It can also be confirmed by their biography.
At the turn of the century, Pyotr Gromoslavsky was the ataman of the Bukanovskaya stanitsa, held the rank of a collegiate registrar, and had the status of an honorary citizen. Maria Gromoslavskaya, née Shornikova, was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Local residents described her as a “beautiful and intelligent woman”. She was in charge of the zemstvo post office in her stanitsa.
The Gromoslavsky family had five children: the son Ivan and four daughters — Maria, Lidiya, Anna, and Polina. The couple set an example of a perfect family relationship, mutual understanding, taking care of the people in their lives and helping them. Sholokhov held his wife’s parents in deep affection and respect, he would often send them postcards from his journeys, and during holidays, the extended family always got together, usually at the writer’s house.
Standing behind a wooden corner stand with carved banisters is the head of the Gromoslavsky family. In his right hand, he holds a book as a symbol of literacy and an attribute of an educated person. His wife Maria sits to the left of Pyotr on a bentwood chair. She is wearing a long dark dress with a stand-up collar trimmed with lace and decorated with a broach. The sleeves are puff, the skirt consists of numerous ruffs and pleats — the clothes of Cossack women were often quite intricate and elaborate. Both the husband and wife look serious and focused.
To be photographed at a studio was an indicator of a family’s income and status. This is why the Cossacks put on their best clothes for a visit to a photo studio. This cabinet photograph shows that the Cossack couple was rather wealthy. It can also be confirmed by their biography.
At the turn of the century, Pyotr Gromoslavsky was the ataman of the Bukanovskaya stanitsa, held the rank of a collegiate registrar, and had the status of an honorary citizen. Maria Gromoslavskaya, née Shornikova, was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Local residents described her as a “beautiful and intelligent woman”. She was in charge of the zemstvo post office in her stanitsa.
The Gromoslavsky family had five children: the son Ivan and four daughters — Maria, Lidiya, Anna, and Polina. The couple set an example of a perfect family relationship, mutual understanding, taking care of the people in their lives and helping them. Sholokhov held his wife’s parents in deep affection and respect, he would often send them postcards from his journeys, and during holidays, the extended family always got together, usually at the writer’s house.
