THE NUTRITION OF ST. VLADIMIR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Authors: Samchuk Taras 
Published: June 2020

The article depicts the peculiarities of St. Vladimir University students’ nutrition in the years 1834-1863. The main aim of the research to show how nutrition differentiated among students community and how different types of diet influenced everyday life of them. That’s why the types of nutrition of two main students’ groups (who were educated and maintained by the state and students who studied at their own expense) are analyzed in the article. Special attention is paid to the question of the diet, the peculiarities of the regime, organization, and nutrition value of products for students. For example, budget students had a fixed schedule of eating. Their breakfast started at 7 am. It was only a small loaf and a cup of tea. The students had completely the same dinner at 6 or 7 pm. The main portion of the food they received for a lunch. Typical lunch included primarily liquid food (soup with beetroots, beans, peas, meat or fish), then students received the main dish. Usually, it was roasted meat or fish with potatoes or other side dishes. The university administration hired special servants for questions connected with budget students’ nutrition. The main role of supplying food for students’ table played a provisor. He also hired all staff (cooks, bakers, lackeys), who cooked and served food for students. Presence of servants was a special reason to approach students to noble culture because it was thought that the main ideal for student behavior was connected with noble traditions. It was defined that budget students had well-organized nutrition system, nevertheless, the quality of products and quantity of food weren’t at a high level. That’s why students often complain about tasteless, little nutritious food. Calculation count of calories in budget students’ food showed that they hadn’t received the right amount of calories. From time to time the university administration tried to improve students’ nutrition, but it hadn’t worked because they couldn’t raise the level of funding. At the result, in 1858 the university administration stopped to supply students with food and started to pay scholarships. After this decision, the specificity of nutrition for all students became the same. The majority of students in 1863 had problems with nutrition this shows statistics from that year. The author points out that except typical diet students had a special hospital and disciplinary cell diets. If the hospital diet was pretty much the same as the normal meal, the disciplinary cell diet included only a piece of bread and water. It is also important to emphasize that students had to follow all religious rules. That’s why they kept all fasts. During that fasting time eating meat and fats were forbidden and students’ nutrition becomes worse. At the same time, a lot of students who studied at their own expense had another system of nutrition. For example, rich students had perfect food and they visited restaurants and had their own cooks and lackeys, next to them it was easy to find a student who didn’t eat for a few days. Very often the meal was included in a price of apartment rent or students cooked by themselves. Typical price for an apartment with nutrition started from 3-4 rubles per month, in comparing lunch in ordinary Kyiv hotel cost around 10 rubles per month. Sometimes parents of students sent them food because prices in Kyiv were higher than in the region. It was also common among students to feed on in special canteen organized by Kyivan hostess. Usually, it was an old lady who served a cheap meal and sometimes students could get some food in debt. Nevertheless, a lot of students who studies at their own expanse suffered from pure nutrition. Very often bad food was the reason for bad results in studying. However, the reason for bad nutrition helped students to unite to overcome life's difficulties. It was common among students to settle together and share all food. Sometimes students organized parties where they shared all meals, this activity contributed to the merger of the student corporation.