About the book: 2011 / This book is a presentation of a study of the development of the Russian peasantry based on materials from Russian censuses and descriptions of contemporaries. The book examines the main stages of development of the Russian peasantry, most of which are reflected in the mirror of demographic processes. It is shown that in the Russian peasantry of past centuries there were two branches: serfs and free ones. The statement is shown to be false: “Russia in past centuries was developed by the Tsar and the nobles.” Russia was developed by free peasants. They had two economies: summer - income from land and winter - income from fishing. The effectiveness of free peasants is due to the uniqueness of the Russian Plain and the peculiarities of the Russian mentality. In the twentieth century, the free peasantry suffered TWO terrible blows: the “dekulakization” of three-generation families and the liquidation of “unpromising villages.” The book is intended for the widest range of readers.