Welcome to my home! My name is Yana and I am a Russian woman living in Novgorod. I was once betrothed to an Englishman named Paul Wickenden of Thanet and thought I would be forced to leave my fair homeland for a strange island far to the West. However, he found out about my uncle's underhanded cattle deal and has rejected the marriage contract.
On the calendar with which you are familiar, it is the mid-13th century. On the calendar which I use, the Russian Orthodox calendar, it is 6758 years since the world was created.
I live on a small estate just outside of Novgorod, which I manage for my uncle, Mordak syn Rostoskogo. He is away much of the time, so I generally am alone, except for my servants and serfs. It is rare for a woman, particularly an unmarried woman, to be running an entire estate, but it is not unheard of.
To occupy my time when I am not overseeing the duties of my servants and the estate serfs, I have a few practical hobbies.
- My women and I make and mend clothes for the entire household. We sew most of the day.
- I consider myself a good cook, but try not to be too prideful about it.
- I study the words of the Church and read any proper literature that is available, since I am lucky enough to be literate. I also read to my servants, in order to help train them properly in Christian morals.
