The Project Gutenberg EBook of Russia, by Donald Mackenzie Wallace
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Title: Russia
Author: Donald Mackenzie Wallace
Release Date: May 3, 2006 [EBook #1349]
Last Updated: February 7, 2013
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUSSIA ***
Produced by Donald Lainson; David Widger
RUSSIA
by Donald Mackenzie Wallace
Copyright 1905
CONTENTS
PREFACE
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII
CHAPTER XXIV
CHAPTER XXV
CHAPTER XXVI
CHAPTER XXVII
CHAPTER XXVIII
CHAPTER XXIX
CHAPTER XXX
CHAPTER XXXI
CHAPTER XXXII
CHAPTER XXXIII
CHAPTER XXXIV
CHAPTER XXXV
CHAPTER XXXVI
CHAPTER XXXVII
CHAPTER XXXVIII
CHAPTER XXXIX
Contents
Preface
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
TRAVELLING IN RUSSIA
Railways—State Interference—River Communications—Russian "Grand
Tour"—The Volga—Kazan—Zhigulinskiya Gori—Finns and Tartars—The
Don—Difficulties of Navigation—Discomforts—Rats—Hotels and
Their Peculiar Customs—Roads—Hibernian Phraseology
Explained—Bridges—Posting—A Tarantass—Requisites for
Travelling—Travelling in Winter—Frostbitten—Disagreeable
Episodes—Scene at a Post-Station.
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
IN THE NORTHERN FORESTS
Bird's-eye View of Russia—The Northern Forests—Purpose of
my Journey—Negotiations—The Road—A Village—A Peasant's
House—Vapour-Baths—Curious Custom—Arrival.
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
VOLUNTARY EXILE
Ivanofka—History of the Place—The Steward of the Estate—Slav and
Teutonic Natures—A German's View of the Emancipation—Justices of the
Peace—New School of Morals—The Russian Language—Linguistic Talent of
the Russians—My Teacher—A Big Dose of Current History.
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
THE VILLAGE PRIEST
Priests' Names—Clerical Marriages—The White and the Black Clergy—Why
the People do not Respect the Parish Priests—History of the White
Clergy—The Parish Priest and the Protestant Pastor—In What Sense
the Russian People are Religious—Icons—The Clergy and Popular
Education—Ecclesiastical Reform—Premonitory Symptoms of Change—Two
Typical Specimens of the Parochial Clergy of the Present Day.
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
A MEDICAL CONSULTATION
Unexpected Illness—A Village Doctor—Siberian Plague—My
Studies—Russian Historians—A Russian Imitator of Dickens—A ci-devant
Domestic Serf—Medicine and Witchcraft—A Remnant of Paganism—Credulity
of the Peasantry—Absurd Rumours—A Mysterious Visit from St.
Barbara—Cholera on Board a Steamer—Hospitals—Lunatic Asylums—Amongst
Maniacs.
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
A PEASANT FAMILY OF THE OLD TYPE
Ivan Petroff—His Past Life—Co-operative Associations—Constitution of
a Peasant's Household—Predominance of Economic Conceptions over those
of Blood-relationship—Peasant Marriages—Advantages of Living in Large
Families—Its Defects—Family Disruptions and their Consequences.
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
THE PEASANTRY OF THE NORTH
Communal Land—System of Agriculture—Parish Fetes—Fasting—Winter
Occupations—Yearly Migrations—Domestic Industries—Influence
of Capital and Wholesale Enterprise—The State
Peasants—Serf-dues—Buckle's "History of Civilisation"—A precocious
Yamstchik—"People Who Play Pranks"—A Midnight Alarm—The Far North.
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII