The Formation of Russian Women's Costume at the Time before the Reforms of Peter the Great

Medieval clothing has a special place in the history of Russian costume as it is widely regarded as a costume of national identity. The period from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century was a very important and interesting one for what is generally termed the 'historic Russian costume'. Its development was completed by the middle of the sixteenth century, and it existed almost unchanged until the end of the seventeenth century, when it was officially ousted in favour of European dress during Peter the Great's reforms.