Synopses & Reviews
The history of imperial Russia is rich with warfare, class conflict, royal scandal, and the rise and fall of empire. This volume examines czarist Russia through the social and material lens, including changes in court life, serf/peasant life, the Orthodox church, and the effects of emancipation and industrialization, from the birth of Moscow to the rise of Communism.
Thematic chapters cover Peter the Great's modernization of Russia, class structure, the role of the church, traditions and rituals, work and labor practices, health, fashion, and military life.
Review
"…a pleasure to read. Because its interpretations of various stages and aspects of Russian history are short, balanced, well-informed, and unified by an emphasis on social history, it could be valuable as a supplementary reading in an undergraduate course or as a resource for college-level instructors preparing to teach the Russian history survey…" - The Russian Review
About the Author
GRETA BUCHER is Professor of History at the United States Military Academy. Her research interests include Russian, Soviet and East European history; Women's history; and early modern European history. She is author of Women, the Bureaucracy and Daily Life in Postwar Moscow, 1945-1953 (2006) and has written and edited several chapters, articles and translated works.
Table of Contents
Chronology
Introduction: Early History through Peter the Great
1.Modernizing Russia
2.The Elites: Princes, Boyars, and Gentry
3.The Peasantry
4.The Church and the Towns
5.Lifestyle, Traditions, and Rituals
6.Conclusion: Radicals and Revolution
Glossary
Bibliography