Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia (Religion in North America)

... A Marvelous Source For The Social History Of Russian Peasant Society In The Years Before The Revolution.... The Translation Is Superb. — Steven Hoch ... One Of The Best Ethnographic Portraits That We Have Of The Russian Village.... A Highly Readable Text That Is An Excellent Introduction To The World Of The Russian Peasantry. — Samuel C. Ramer village Life In Late Tsarist Russia Provides A Unique Firsthand Portrait Of Peasant Family Life As Recorded By Olga Semyonova Tian-shanskaia, An Ethnographer And Painter Who Spent Four Years At The Turn Of The Twentieth Century Observing The Life And Customs Of Villagers In A Central Russian Province. Unusual In Its Awareness Of The Rapid Changes In The Russian Village In The Late Nineteenth Century And In Its Concentration On The Treatment Of Women And Children, Semyonova's Ethnography Vividly Describes Courting Rituals, Marriage And Sexual Practices, Childbirth, Infanticide, Child-rearing Practices, The Lives Of Women, Food And Drink, Work Habits, And The Household Economy. In Contrast To A Tradition Of Rosy, Romanticized Descriptions Of Peasant Communities By Russian Upper-class Observers, Semyonova Gives An Unvarnished Account Of The Harsh Living Conditions And Often Brutal Relationships Within Peasant Families. " . . . a marvelous source for the social history of Russian peasant society in the years before the revolution. . . . The translation is superb." Steven Hoch " . . . one of the best ethnographic portraits that we have of the Russian village. . . . a highly readable text that is an excellent introduction to the world of the Russian peasantry." Samuel C. Ramer Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia provides a unique firsthand portrait of peasant family life as recorded by Olga Semyonova Tian-Shanskaia, an ethnographer and painter who spent four years at the turn of the twentieth century observing the life and customs of villagers in a central Russian province. Unusual in its awareness of the rapid changes in the Russian village in the late nineteenth century and in its concentration on the treatment of women and children, Semyonova's ethnography vividly describes courting rituals, marriage and sexual practices, childbirth, infanticide, child-rearing practices, the lives of women, food and drink, work habits, and the household economy. In contrast to a tradition of rosy, romanticized descriptions of peasant communities by Russian upper-class observers, Semyonova gives an unvarnished account of the harsh living conditions and often brutal relationships within peasant families. A Study Undertaken By The Author In The Late 1890's Of Several Villages In The Province Of Riazan In Order To Meet The Need For Information About The Actual Life Conditions, Attitudes, And Aspirations Of The Peasantry In Russia. Ivan's Parents -- Childbirth, Christening, Wife Beating -- Childhood -- Courtship And Sexual Relations -- Ivan Prepares For Marriage -- Pledging The Bride, The Bride-show, And Marriage -- Infanticide, Emotion, Sexual Disorder, Drink And Food -- Housing, Property, Trades, Budgets, And Religious Belief --- Peasant Ideals, Work Habits, And Causes Of Poverty -- Court Cases And Political Structure. By Olga Semyonova Tian-shanskaia ; Edited By David L. Ransel ; Translated By David L. Ransel, With Michael Levine. Translated From Russian. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [173]-175). Provides a firsthand portrait of peasant family life. This work describes courting rituals, marriage and sexual practices, childbirth, infanticide, child-rearing practices, the lives of women, food and drink, work habits, and the household economy. It also gives an account of the harsh living conditions and often brutal relationships.