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The importance of peasant industry in the vital activity of a complex peasant economy, the basis of which was arable farming, is shown on the example of Seltinsky volost of Malmyzhsky Uyezd of Vyatka governorate. The integral branches were animal husbandry and extra-agrarian occupations, among which the main burden was borne by extractive and processing works. The role of natural-geographical, socio-economic conditions, legal norms, trade relations, the creative potential of the people in the process of forming and functioning of a sustainable, balanced, integrated peasant economy is considered. A favourable location of the volost along the Siberian tract with access to the Kama and Vyatka trade river routes contributed to the development of a periodic market sphere (bazaar, torzhok, fair), to peasant economy involvement in the system of a single national market. The zemstvo population censuses made it possible to show a relatively high level of peasants’ provision with land plots, as well as draft, horned cattle and small livestock. Different levels of ethnic groups’ economic situation are noted. There was economic differentiation in the village; the vast majority was occupied by the well-to-do and middle class of the peasantry. To serve the numerous village needs, 90 types of crafts were functioning, which were represented by a wide range of manufactured products. The semi-natural character of peasant economy determined the diversity of its economic forms: domestic industry, handicrafts, small-scale production, capitalist cooperation. Another important role of crafts in the social medium life should be noted – it is an opportunity to realize an ethnic group’s creative potential, improving production technology, honing artistic skills. Household items, traditional clothing indicate a high level and variety of folk art. People’s memory has preserved the names of the best volost masters, who contributed to further development of national folk art. The study of life activity of the peasant population in a single volost at an interdisciplinary level in a fairly new research direction “the history of everyday life”, involvement of a wide comprehensive database, including published zemstvo statistics, fundamental zemstvo studies, archival documents, materials of ethnographic expeditions enable to deeper investigate the structure of a peasant economy, interaction, interdependence of its individual branches, the important role of crafts in a village economy, as well as legality and necessity of production small forms functioning in any historical epoch. |
