Everyone has known about the existence of serfdom in Russia since the school day, but the true picture of the life of serfs is not discussed so often, although this part of the history and culture of the people is very interesting.
Instruction manual
1
The life and life of serfs differed as serfdom strengthened in the country. During its formation (XI-XV centuries), the dependence of peasants on landowners was expressed in paying tribute, performing work at the request of the landowner, but left enough room for a completely acceptable life for the peasant and his family. Starting from the 16th century, the situation of serfs became increasingly difficult.
2
By the XVIII century, they were not much different from slaves. Work on the landowner took six days a week, only at night and on the remaining day the peasant could cultivate his plot of land, which fed his family. Therefore, at the table of the serfs was expected a very meager set of products, there were also hungry times.
3
On big holidays, festivities were held. This limited the entertainment and recreation of serfs. In most cases, the children of peasants could not receive education, and in the future they were expected by the fate of their parents. Gifted children were taken away for training, they later made up serf theaters, became musicians, artists, but the attitude towards serfs was the same, no matter what work they performed for the owner. They were obliged to fulfill any requirement of the owner. Their property, and even the children were at the full disposal of the landowners.
4
All the freedoms that at first remained with the serfs were lost. Moreover, the initiative to cancel them came from the state. At the end of the 16th century, serfs were deprived of the opportunity to move to another landowner, which was provided once a year on St. George's Day. In the XVIII century, the landowners were allowed for the misconduct to exile the peasants to penal servitude without trial, and a ban was placed on peasants to file complaints against their master.
5
Since that time, the position of serfs approached the position of cattle. They were punished for any wrongdoing. The landowner could sell, separate from his family, beat, and even kill his serf. In some of the manor estates, horrors were created that could hardly be comprehended by modern man. So, in the estate of Daria Saltykova, the mistress tortured and killed hundreds of serfs in the most sophisticated ways. This was one of the few cases when, under the threat of rebellion, the government was forced to hold the landowner accountable. But such show trials did not change the overall course of the situation. The life of the serf peasant remained a disenfranchised existence, filled with exhausting labor and constant fear for his life and the life of his family.
