Russian Social Class


Figure 1.--We do not have details as to when and where this photograph of Russian peasant children was taken. We woyld guess it was taken in the eaely-20th century. The caps the boys are eeraring suhhest it may have been a school group, probably a primary school on a large estate. Note that the children seem well fed and clothed. How typical this was we can not say at this time. Also note that they do mnoy have close-cropped hair like boys in city schools. The image comes from the Beinecke Library at Yale University. I was apparently taken by the Romanovs or personal friends. The royal family loved to take photographs. It was one of their hobbies. One of the sisters of Tsar Nicholas who survived the Revolution also took photographs.

Social class is a fascinating subject concerning Russia. Here we need to consider the class structure in both the Tsarist and Soviet eras and now post-Soviet modern Russia. Tsarist Russia was dominated by the aristocracy. There was a small middleclass and huge rural peasantry. Beginning in the late-19th century there was a new group, the expanding urban industrial work force. No country has had quite the same experience. Within the peiod of about 70 years or more or less two generations, Russia went from a virtually medieval feudal system in which the bulk of the populations were serfs, virtual agricultural slaves to a susposedly classless Soviet system. No country except prhsaps China has undegione such a dramatic shift in its social system. This transition has been poorly studied. Russia was closed to Western scholars after the Revolution and Soiviet studies were ideologically based diatribes about the evils of the Tsarist era and the wonders of socialism. It is thus difficult at this time to assess relative living standards. It seems that city workers and ruraal peasants were discriminated against in the Tsarist system, but actual living standards are difficult to assess. We note numerous photographic images showing peasant children who are reasonably clothed and well fed. In fact, the available photographic record suggests that peasant children were better clothed during the Tsarist than the pre-World War II Soviet era. Of course clothing this is only one indicator. The Soviet regime certainly increased access to education. What we observe concern clothing seems to be a reflection of Stalin's decession to shift resources from the rural population to city workers as part of the industrialization effort. We suspect that the children of city workers were dressed and fed better during this same period. This is, however, a very preliminary assessment. During the Soviet era, family background was not eliminated as a matter of social status, but it was inverted. Individuals with aristocratic or even middleclass background were descrimiated against in a variety of ways. We are nor sure if post-Soviet Russian authors have attempted any more ballanced assessment of social class. Like a variety of other topics, it is likely to still be a very sensative issue. Another interesting issue is the developing social dstructure of post-Soviet Russia.

Tsarist Russia ( -1917)

Tsarist Russia was dominated by a landed aristocracy. There was a small middleclass and huge rural peasantry. Beginning in the late-19th century there was a new group, the expanding urban industrial work force. Russia at the time of World War I had a mall, but rapidly expanding industrial sector. No country has had quite the same experience. Within the peiod of about 70 years or more or less two generations, Russia went from a virtually medieval feudal system in which the bulk of the populations were serfs, virtual agricultural slaves to a susposedly classless Soviet system. No country except prhsaps China has undegione such a dramatic shift in its social system. This transition has been poorly studied. Russia was closed to Western scholars after the Revolution and Soiviet studies were ideologically based diatribes about the evils of the Tsarist era and the wonders of socialism. It is thus difficult at this time to assess relative living standards. It seems that city workers and ruraal peasants were discrinated against in the Tsarist system, but actual living standards are difficult to assess.

Soviet Era (1917-91)

We note numerous photographic images showing peasant children who are reasonably clothed and well fed. In fact, the available photographic record suggests that peasant children were better clothed during the Tsarist than the pre-World War II Soviet era. Of course clothing this is only one indicator. The Soviet regime certainly increased access to education. What we observe concern clothing seems to be a reflection of Stalin's decession to shift resources from the rural population to city workers as part of the industrialization effort. We suspect that the children of city workers were dressed and fed better during the Soviet period. This is, however, a very preliminary assessment. During the Soviet era, family background was not eliminated as a matter of social status, but it was inverted. Individuals with aristocratic or even middleclass background were descriminated against in a variety of ways. We are nor sure if post-Soviet Russian authors have attempted any more ballanced assessment of social class. Like a variety of other topics, it is likely to still be a very sensative issue.

Post-Soviet Modern Russia (1992- )

Another interesting issue is the developing social dstructure of post-Soviet Russia. Information on Russia is now easier to obtain than during the Soviet era. There are, however, many unknowns about Russia's future. Russia is clearly, unlike most of the rest of Europe, moving away from democracy. It is also failing to build a healthy industrial econonomy. The Russian economy is almost entirely based on exporting petroleum and other raw materials. Russia exports virtually no industrial products with the exception of military hardware. And a number of neignoring states (especially Poland anbd the Baltics) who are making suceesful post-Soviet transitions are beginning to report much higher living stanfards than Russia. This is a remarkable achievement given these countries do not have oil and other raw materials to export.






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Last updated: 6:57 PM 4/12/2010
Created: 6:57 PM 4/12/2010