International Association RUSSIAN CULTURE St. Petersburg Branch of the Russian Institute for Cultural Research UNESCO Chair for Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, Specifics of their Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue UNESCO Moscow Office Proceedings of seminar, conducted in the framework of the International Year to Commemorate Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, and the UNESCO «Slave Route» project in St. Petersburg, Russia on December 17th, 2004 St. Petersburg 2005 Supported by the UNESCO Moscow Office Editorial board: D. L. Spivak (editorinchief), A. V. Venkova (academic secretary), Е. V. Elagina, D. A. Ivashintsov, E. V. Lunyaev, А. М. Melikhov, A. Yu. Timashkov Serfdom in Russia and its Abolition: History and Presentday Issues. — St. Petersburg: EIDOS, 2005. — 164 p. ISBN 5886070281 Proceedings of seminar ‘Serfdom in Russia and its Abolition: History and Presentday Issues’, conducted in the framework of the International Year to Commemorate Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, and the UNESCO ‘Slave Route’ project, with participation of intellectual, cultural and educational leaders of St. Petersburg, are presented in the present bilingual, EnglishRussian edition. The brochure is foreseen for wide audience of readers. The ideas and opinions expressed in this issue belong to their respective authors and may not necessarily be representations of the views of the UNESCO organization. UNESCO Moscow Office International Association for Armenia, Azerbaijan, RUSSIAN CULTURE Belarus, Georgia, [email protected] the Republic of Moldova www.russkyformat.ru and the Russian Federation 15/28, Bolshoi Levshinsky per., bld. 2 St. Petersburg Branch of the 119034 Moscow Russia Tel.: (095) 2028097; 2028759; 202 8166 Russian Institute for Fax: (095) 2020568 Cultural Research [email protected]; www.unesco.ru [email protected] ISBN 5886070281 ©EIDOS, 2005 ©UNESCO Moscow Office, 2005 9 785886 070286 Contents Spivak D. L. Introduction* ........................................................................................ 5 Mironov B. N. Serfdom: Rational Institution, or Unquestionable Harm?..................... 8 Poltorak S. N. Humane Aspects of Russian Serfdom ................................................ 11 Gordin Ya. A. Serfdom and Class Politics of Russian Autocracy ............................... 12 Sverdlov M. B. Origins of Serfdom and its Abolition* .............................................. 14 Archimandrite Augustine. The Second Serfdom of Communists .............................. 17 Kavtorin V. V. Communal Ownership of Land in the Framework of Serfdom ............ 20 Chebanov S. V. A Cycle of Russian History: from Emancipation of Peasants to Yeltsin’s Leave* .............................................................................................. 23 Semenkov V. E. Serfdom: Civil Rights or their Absence? .......................................... 25 Griakalov A. A. Mythologeme of Serfdom in Contemporary Consciousness ............. 26 Okladnikova Е. А. On Axiology of Status of those employed in Services in Contemporary Russia* ........................................................................................ 28 Protasenko I. N. «Slave Routes» in Contemporary Mentality ................................... 32 Travin D. Ya. Reform of Serfdom and the Global Economic Crisis ............................ 35 Shchelkin A. G. Phenomenon of Russian Paternalism............................................... 37 Chernoukha V. G. Lack of Alternative as Basic Property of Russian Serfdom............ 38 Makhlina S. T. Serfdom and Contemporary Artistic Culture in Russia* ................... 41 Melikhov А. М. Uncle Anton’s Cabin* ..................................................................... 46 Sekatsky A. K. Serfdom in History of the «Emergency State» in Russia .................... 49 Annenkova E. I. Serfdom and Russian Literature ..................................................... 53 Concluding Remarks Gordin Ya. A. Products of «Unproductive Bondage» ................................................ 55 Lurie F. M. State Policy after Abolition of Serfdom .................................................. 56 Letyagin L. N. Apparition: Fragments of a Political and Artistic Chronicle* ............. 58 Sobol V. A. Slavery and Gentry: Friends or Antipodes? ............................................ 62 Cherva V. E. Notion of Freedom in Life of Russian Peasants ..................................... 64 Kavtorin V. V. Russian Reforms Yesterday and Today.............................................. 67 Chebanov S. V. Serfdom: History or Phantome? ...................................................... 68 Sverdlov М. B. History of Serfdom between Historical Materialism and Ideology..... 69 * Titles marked by an asterisk belong to the authors; titles not marked by this sign, have been introduced by the editorial board. 4 Contents Spivak D. L. Conclusion* ........................................................................................ 70 Appendix 1. Radioserial ‘Serfdom in Russia and its Abolition: History and Presentday Issues’ .......................................................................... 71 Appendix 2. Basic Information Concerning UNESCO Project «Slave Routes» (1994–2004) ...................................................................................................... 74 D. L. Spivak Director, St. Petersburg branch, Russian Institute of Cultural Research: Introduction Abolition of serfdom, declared by manifesto of the Russian emperor on February 19th, 1861 was a wellprepared and desired step — and at the same time, a massive, tectonic shift which overturned life on vast territories of Northern Eurasia. Landowners, domi nating in the Russian society at that time, undertook considerable concessions, in order not to face a catastrophy shaped after the Civil war in the USA, which took place approx imately at the same time. The program which was so happily initiated by tsar Alexander II and his retinue, open ing way for free market and capitalist enterprises, led at the same to chain of events which tended to be regarded by the Russian society as retarded, if not painful. It would be enough to remind that the socalled redemption money, which was to be paid by peasants to land owners, remained a considerable burden for them practically until the revolts of 1905. As to the psychological trauma, it tended only to gain momentum until that time, and even after its onset. Those people who initiated the Great Russian revolution of 1917 and who gave every possible effort to its diffusion on planetary scale, were mostly children and/or grandchildren of those farmers who gained personal freedom a little more than half a century before that time. We would not commit a mistake emphasizing that colossal collectivization which was undertaken in the Soviet Union in the end of the 1920ies — the beginning if 1930ies is seen by quite a few specialists as ‘the second edition of the traditional Russian serfdom’ — somewhat renewed, but basically intact, and this position is regarded by the presentday Russian society as heuristically constructive. It would be a mistake to regard Russian serfdom in terms of its classical counterpart, which contributed greatly to construction of great empires of the ancient GrecoRoman 6 D. L. Spivak V. Makovsky. January 9th, 1905 at the Vassilyevski island. 1905 world, as well as of slavery which ravaged vast territories of black Africa at the beginning of the modern era. At the same time, some parallels with these wellknown phenomena were quite obvious for Russian contemporaries of ‘the Great Reforms’ of tsar Alexander II. Looking from the position of our time, we feel authorized to regard abolition of serf dom in Russia as part of an inspiring process of liberation, which was initiated by slave revolts which took place on the American continent about two hundred years ago, to gave way to creation of the state of Haiti. As to the latest events, which took place in the framework of decolonization and creation of independent states in Africa, Asia and Latin America, we feel ourselves to be their true witnesses. The general course of events being thus quite understandable for us, there exists a number of difficult problems, which are not yet fully resolved, and at the same time tend form a focal point of both the societal debate, and the scientific analysis. – To which extent was abolition of serfdom in Russia a pragmatic undertaking, and to which extent — a ‘reform of idealists’? – To assume the first one of the cited positions, how well chosen were the time of its initiating, as well as its means, and, correspondingly, were it the Russian ‘planta tors’ or ‘manchesters’ who turned out to be historically true? Introduction 7 B. Koustodiev. Bolshevik. 1920 – To assume the second position, what role was played in the abolition process by the Russian classical literature and journalism? – What place in the debates and processes of the contemporary, rapidly globalizing world could be constructively occupied by the Russian experience of abolition — and in which way could we in Russia gain novel ideas and viewpoints in struggle to reform our postcommunist society, still torn by conflicts, from the general frame work, created by the International year to commemorate struggle against slavery and its abolition, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, together with the ma terials of the ‘Slave Route’ project, initiated