Based on the rare diary of an 18th-century Russian provincial merchant, A
Russian Merchant's Tale presents a revealing portrait of Russia's little-known
commercial class. By recording his daily contacts with a wide array of individuals
from lords to laborers for more than 40 years, Ivan Alekseevich Tolchënov opened a
window onto the education, work, birth, death, marriage, business, civic, holiday,
and religious practices of a social group about which little has been known. Using
the tools of microhistory to interpret the diary, David L. Ransel vividly brings to
life Tolchënov's self-construction, his relations with family and society, and his
entire world of aspirations, achievements, and failures. Challenging prevailing
stereotypes of Russian merchants as tradition-bound and narrow-minded, A Russian
Merchant's Tale offers important new insights into the social history of imperial
Russia.
Based on the rare diary of an 18th-century Russian provincial merchant, A
Russian Merchant's Tale presents a revealing portrait of Russia's little-known
commercial class. By recording his daily contacts with a wide array of individuals
from lords to laborers for more than 40 years, Ivan Alekseevich Tolchënov opened a
window onto the education, work, birth, death, marriage, business, civic, holiday,
and religious practices of a social group about which little has been known. Using
the tools of microhistory to interpret the diary, David L. Ransel vividly brings to
life Tolchënov's self-construction, his relations with family and society, and his
entire world of aspirations, achievements, and failures. Challenging prevailing
stereotypes of Russian merchants as tradition-bound and narrow-minded, A Russian
Merchant's Tale offers important new insights into the social history of imperial
Russia.
A Russian Merchant's Tale: The Life and Adventures of Ivan Alekseevich Tolch?nov, Based on His Diary
352
A Russian Merchant's Tale: The Life and Adventures of Ivan Alekseevich Tolch?nov, Based on His Diary
352
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780253000767 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Indiana University Press |
| Publication date: | 11/26/2008 |
| Series: | Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian and East European Studies |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 352 |
| File size: | 2 MB |