The Decline of the Russian Peasant Household

Bill Shinn documents the rise and fall over the course of the past century of one of the last legal relics of Russian rural history--the peasant household. And along the way, he furnishes us with a vast store of information (much of it previously unpublished) relating to the shifting fortunes of the private plot. . . . It is a solidly documented scholarship, some rare portions of which are bound to spark controversy.

It is clearly essential reading for all who have an interest in Soviet peasant affairs. Frank A. Durgin, Editor, Newsletter for Research on Soviet and East European Agriculture