Life & Households in Old Vilkaviskis

​

Managing a household in old Vilkaviskis was an endless chore. Women cared for large families while finding creative ways to economize on food and clothing so that nothing went to waste. Shopping in local markets brought Yiddish-speaking women into regular contact with non-Jewish neighbors, allowing them to pick up bits of Lithuanian and Russian.

Middle-class families often employed a non-Jewish "maid-of-all-work" from a nearby village to assist with heavy cleaning and to light fires on the Sabbath.

​

Inside an Average Home

The layout of a typical home was practical and resourceful:

• Entrance & Kitchen: A barrel of drinking water with a copper dipper stood at the entrance alongside a food cabinet (often stored with preserves). The kitchen featured a chimney with a brick or earthen stove. During winter nights, a chicken coop sat beneath the brick fireplace.

• Furniture: Kitchens contained a folding bench-bed painted red that opened to reveal a straw mattress and pillow.

• Living Room: Decorated with family photos, a wall clock with hanging weights, tile ovens for warmth, and a sofa that served as both a bed and a hope chest.

• ​

Heating the House & Winter Challenges

Harsh winters required a constant search for wood, turf, and old grass for fuel.

The Koymen Kerer (Chimney Cleaner)

Soot accumulation in chimneys was a major fire hazard. The koymen kerer walked through town carrying ladders, brooms, brushes, and weighted ropes to clear out the chimneys. Covered in black charcoal dust, his appearance often carried an aura of mystery.

​

The Art of Laundry Day

Washing clothes was an intensive, multi-step process done periodically with the help of professional washerwomen:

1. Water Preparation: Rainwater was collected in large barrels beneath the roof shingles. It was mixed with wood ashes to create loyg (lye), an alkaline washing solution.

2. Overnight Scrubbing: Washerwomen set up large wooden tubs over planks and boiled water in a copper kettle (kesl) inside the cleaned-out fireplace, working through the night.

3. Rinsing at the River: In the morning, clothes were taken to the river or creek and beaten clean with a prinik (a grooved wooden trowel).

4. The Mangle: Partially dried linens were wrapped around wooden rollers and passed under a heavy stone-filled box (a mangle) operated by a pulley to squeeze out remaining water and smooth the fabric.

5. Drying & Mending: Clothes were dried in the attic, then mended by mothers before being put away.

 

Traditional House Construction

Building a simple one-story home was a collaborative effort that took three or more years to complete:

• Months 1–4 (Lumber Preparation): Trees were cut down in the forest, measured, sawed, chopped, and planked into logs and siding.

• Months 5–8 (Marketplace Fitting): Timber was brought to the town marketplace field where joists and planks were carefully fitted together.

• Months 9–12 (Foundation & Framing): Cellars were dug and the structural wooden frame was erected.

• Months 13–16 (Siding & Masonry): Exterior siding was attached, bricks laid, and interior walls plastered.

• Final Phase: Roof installation, laying floorboards, and adding final interior touches.