Modernisation of the Kitchen in Lithuanian Manors from the Late 1700s to the Early 1900s

Historian Molly Harisson remarked that great events in the kitchen do not usually happen, and, as such, it is very much the Cinderella of domestic spaces. Due to the secondary role in the culture of manors, kitchens remain little known and therefore less valued. However, during the 1800s, the prestige of the kitchen was growing significantly, as evidenced by the large number of cookbooks published in Vilnius, even by landowners.

The doctoral thesis I recently defended was devoted to the dining room of manor houses. The reviewer of the thesis, historian Reda Griškaitė, recommended not to limit the research in the dining room and expand it to the kitchen to provide a complete picture. Therefore, inspired by this recommendation and my interest in the history of the kitchen, the project aim was formed: to reconstruct the form and image of the kitchen of magnates and nobles in high-rank manor houses of Lithuania in the modernisation contexts during the period from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. The research abroad in the field of the kitchen started in the 1970s. In Lithuania, the kitchens of manors (exclusively wooden) are briefly discussed in the History of Lithuanian Architecture. The field needs additional research: to analyse the architecture of the kitchen (not only wooden), especially in the late 1800s with the rapid introduction of modern technology, the servants who worked there, as well as the role of the lady of the manor.

The research will allow us to take a new look at Lithuanian nobility kitchens and houses in general, their modernisation and processes in the context of the development of planning and technological advancements of Western European houses. The accumulated material would significantly supplement the knowledge and be socially beneficial, as well as have a practical value: restoration or adaptation of the interiors of kitchens in manor houses, creation of museum expositions and education.

This project has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No. S-PD-22-42.