Peasants’ inequality and stratification: evidence from pre-revolutionary Russia

ABSTRACT The article analyses Russian peasants’ differentiation in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, addressing issues related to transformation of the peasantry's socio-economic standing during the market economy formation period. Combining statistical data analysis and using a multilevel model on peasants’ welfare in the province of Simbirsk, we find that a high level of inequality existed in the region at the time of the census; that inequality within a county contributes more toward income inequality than inequality between counties. Based on different statistical resources, we also plot the graphs and calculate the Gini indices for provinces for which data on the distribution of land, horses, and cows by individual farms are available. Our results do not support Chayanov's hypothesis on the correlation between the number of peasant family members and the amount of land in their possession. Our results indicate that communes were losing their ‘equalising’ function. For most provinces, the Gini index had been rising over time, indicating increasing inequality. Most importantly, this increase occurred in a relatively short period—much faster than in other countries—thereby making Russia more socially and politically vulnerable.