Author Description

This historical geography of Russia since 1631 includes detailed examinations of some of the most significant facets of social and political change which took place during the period of Romanov rule. The authors study the settlement of the Russian "frontier" of the black-earth region, the colonization by Mennonite German settlers in the Eastern Steppe, the rural communes in the 1870's, and the Stolypin Land Reform. This detailed analysis of how men and women subsisted in different places, how they responded to varied environments, and how they were limited by local circumstances enables the reader to grasp the true nature of Romanov Russia.