WOMEN IN THE 18 TH CENTURY

1. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY

2. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • THE “CENTURY OF WOMEN” • Era of great change for many women • New opportunities, new roles • But for many, life remained largely the same

3. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • END OF THE TEREM • Noble women no longer sequestered • Public mingling of sexes • Women given access to all forms of public life • Negative reactions • Positive reactions

4. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • WOMEN OF THE LOWER SOCIAL ORDERS • Much less change • Age of marriage low, but began to rise • Peter decreed no forced marriages • But also enforced young marriage of serf women • Some misogynistic practices outlawed

5. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • PROMINENT WOMEN • NATALIA NARYSHKINA • Refused to be constrained by terem • Advised Peter on important matters • Very interested in West

6. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • PROMINENT WOMEN • NATALIA ALEKSEEVNA • Imbued with similar spirit of activism • Avid patron of arts • Founded 1st court theater

7. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • PROMINENT WOMEN • Princess Catherine Dashkova • Highly educated & intelligent • First woman President of Academy of Sciences • Fell out of favor with Catherine the Great for “free thinking”

8. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • PROMINENT WOMEN • Development of women’s consciousness • Growth in women’s education • SMOLNY INSTITUTE • Women began writing & publishing • Emergence of female intellectuals • PELAGEIA VOLYNTSEVA: playwright, author, translator, publisher • ANNA VOLKOVA: poet • EKATERINA KNIAZHNINA: poet

9. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • PROMINENT WOMEN • Women in the performing arts • TATIANA TROEPOLSKAIA: actress • ANNA TIMOFEEVNA, ANNA BERILOVA: ballerinas • PRASKOVIA KOVALEVA: The “Pearl” • Serf actress in private theater of Count N. P. Sheremetev • Became most famous woman of stage in 18th century • Represents great possibilities available to women

10. WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY • PERSISTANCE OF PATRIARCHY • Changes felt most in upper classes • View of women as inferior remained firmly entrenched • Women’s freedom seen as damaging to family, society