Portraits of Old Russia

<p>This book introduces readers to a little-known place and time in world history – early modern Russia from its beginnings as Muscovy in the fourteenth century through the reign of Peter I (1689-1725) – by portraying the lives of representative individuals from the major levels of the society of that era. The portraits written by professional historians are imaginative reconstructions or composites of individual lives rather than biographies. The portraits are arranged into socio-political categories and include members of ruling families government servitors clerks military personnel church prelates monks provincial landowners townspeople and artisans Siberian explorers and traders free peasants serfs slaves and holy fools. Using these portraits the book brings old Russian society to life in an interesting way.</p>