The Economics of the Russian Village

"The Economics of the Russian Village" by Isaac A. Hourwich is a study of the hard lives of Russian peasants in the late 1800s. It looks carefully at how land was owned and used, how taxes affected people, and how farming was done in rural Russia, all to figure out why these communities were struggling. The study starts by talking about a terrible famine that hit the peasants, making it clear that there was a big problem that needed to be understood. Hourwich explains the history of land ownership in Russia, including communal and private systems, and how these systems made life difficult for peasants. Overall, it shows that bad economic systems and social problems played a big part in the suffering of the Russian villagers.