6.2 Social divisions

Question 1

What were the main four social groups in Russia?

Answer 1

Landed elite

Middle class

Urban working class

Peasantry

Question 2

Which were the two newest classes and how did they come about?

Answer 2

Middle class = increase in educational opportunities

Urban working class = industry was growing

Question 3

Who were the landed elite & facts?

Answer 3

• The landed elite were a small group. After the Emancipation of the serfs, they sold lots of land and abandoned farming for more rewarding roles
• 1882 more than 700 nobles owned their own business in Moscow
• 2,500 were employed in commerce, others for the state
• They retained much of their former wealth and status

Question 4

How many middle class people were there in the Russian census of 1897?

Answer 4

No more than 1/2 a million

Question 5

How many Uruban working class people were there in the Russian census of 1897?

Answer 5

No more than 2% of the population

Question 6

What did many urban working class people do during harvest season?

Answer 6

Returned to villages

Question 7

What proportion of people in St. Petersburg were peasants by birth in the 1860’s?

Answer 7

1/3

Question 8

What did the government do to try and improve the conditions of the urban working class?

++ Was this effective?

Answer 8

Introduced reforms like child labour, hours (especially women at night) and payment forms (no longer payment in g/s)

++ These were not very effective

Question 9

How many strikes were there a year 1888-1894?

Answer 9

33 on average

Question 10

In which years were there on average 33 strikes per year?

Answer 10

1888 - 1892

Question 11

What did Christopher Read say about the change in social dynamic?

Answer 11

“The Russian State remained essentially a serf owners’ state with corresponding powers and attitudes”

Question 12

Who said “The Russian State remained essentially a serf owners’ state with corresponding powers and attitudes” – Christopher Read

Answer 12

Christopher Read

Question 13

In the 1880’s how what proportion of former serfs in Tambov could not feed their families without going into debt?

Answer 13

2/3

Question 14

When and where could 2/3 of former serfs not feed their family without going into debt?

Answer 14

Tambov in the 1880’s

Question 15

Why were the living standards varied between the peasantry?

Answer 15

Privately owned before hand had more land

Question 16

What shows living conditions were poor in Russia in the 1880’s? (2)

Answer 16

• Many were still physically unwell enough to be part of the army
• Very low life expectancy of 27-29 versus 45 in England