LEI Liping

(№.2,2011)

Abstract: The agricultural Society and the feudal production pattern were always in the dominant position in the recorded civilization of Russia. During the history of over one thousand years, farmers were the major class and real masters of their country. Not only were they the overwhelming majority of the total population, but also they led the Russian thoughts. The initial industrialization and entry-level capitalist mode of production were launched artifi cially by Peter I’s westernization drive in the early 18th century. However, the benefi ts of the reform did not extend to farmers, most of whom were still kept in the agricultural society. The fi rm feudal agricultural production relations, in combination with the feudal and autocratic superstructure, served as a basis of the tsarist regime. In
more than 200 years of transition to an industrial society, Russian farmers underwent a process of differenciation under the impact of capitalist market economy. But they, representatives of the traditional ideology, obstinately defended their position and infl uence. In the 1917 Russian Revolution, Russian farmers played a decisive role, as their ideology had a great infl uence upon the revolution.
Key words: Russian society; Russian farmer; production relation; ideology