Darya Sundress (flowers)

A sarafan is a traditional Russian long, trapeze-shaped dress, or sundress, worn as Russian folk costume by women and girls. The Nikon Chronicles first mentioned it in the year 1376. The shapes and styles of a sarafan changed from century to century, from the northern to the southern lands, and from peasants to noblewomen. As far back as the XIV century even voivodes (military commanders) and Grand Dukes of Moscow wore sarafans and it wasn't until the XVII century, did these become exclusively women’s clothing. In Russian villages, a sarafan could tell a lot about a woman's mood and social status. Russian upper- and middle class women stopped wearing traditional Russian costumes by the XVIII century, when Peter the Great's modernization of Russia changed many customs and social norms in the country. However, by the beginning of the reign of Catherine II, sarafans returned to Russian ladies’ closets.