Welcome to Russian history re-told.

Episode 307, a life under Russian serfdom.

Last time, we finished up the series on the life of Princess I Kaderina dashkova. Today we will look at what life was like as a surf in Russia.

In particular we will use the memoirs of Sava de Mitrievich Purlevsky who wrote about his time as a surf between 1800 and

1868.

Before we get into the memoir, we need to talk a bit about serfdom in general in Russia.

It was different in many ways from the institutions of slavery in much of the world.

Serfdom evolved over. institutions of slavery in much of the world.

Serfdom evolved over centuries, beginning in the 12th century during the Kivian era.

At first, it was the local peasants working for the landlords.

They would sign contracts where they would be loaned money, seeds, or agricultural tools

to work the land. In return, they would pay certain agreed upon dues. This would last for centuries

until the reign of Ivan III, or as he is known to most historians Ivan the Great. He was the first ruler of Russia to claim the title of

Zar. Ivan also shed the yolk of the Tatars over the land in 1480, but he is also the one who would begin the enslavement of the

peasants to the land and to the new boyar class he was creating to help him build his new

army.

Ivan would grant estates to the new nobles called Pomecie.

The grant was given in return for military service,

something the old boy or us reluctant to give. Then in 1497,

Ivan created a new law code known as the Sudubnik. While it was a broad set of laws, the ones that are important in today's

discussion related to the rights of the peasants to leave the estates of their

landlords. They could only leave for two weeks in the fall after the harvests. In addition, there was a high exit fee, something few could afford to pay. The period that allowed the

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