Social identity in imperial Russia

About this book

This broad, panoramic view of Russian imperial society from the era of Peter the Great to the Revolution in 1917 sets forth a challenging interpretation of one of the world's most powerful and enduring monarchies. Beginning with an overview of imperial Russia's legal and institutional structures, Wirtschafter analyzes the "ruling" classes and service elites (the landowning nobility, the civil and military servicemen, the clergy) and then moves on to examine the middle groups (the raznochintsy, the commercial-industrial elites, the professionals, the intelligentsia) before turning to the peasants, townspeople, and factory workers. Wirtschafter argues provocatively that those very social, political, and legal relationships that have long been viewed as sources of conflict and crisis in fact helped to promote integration and to foster the stability that ensured Imperial Russia's survival. Social Identity in Imperial Russia will thus appeal to a wide range of readers interested in Russian history and culture, state building, and European social history.