Ethnic Differences In Russia: Past To Present

The serfs and the soviets were the lowest class in Russian history. A serf is a person that is tied to a lord and his/her land and had no freedom as to what to do with their own lives. They were treated as slaves and did whatever their lord desired. A soviet on the other hand worked the land but could move about as they pleased. The serfs and the soviets were looked down upon by the higher classes of Russia.

Past

Kulak are wealthy peasants who are employed as hired labor. They do not make much at all but they do earn a wage. They are one step above the serf and the soviet parties. They are still looked down upon by the higher parties but do not have the same low standards of living. They are still mistreated and even though they have the freedom to leave they choose not to because they have no other option. At one point in time in Russia, the government wanted to liquidate the Kulaks all together.

Proletariat are next. They are considered the wage earning class in Russia, also the working class. The proletariat are also considered to be part of the lowest class in Russia. The proletariat, kulak, soviets, and serfs all make up the lowest class. These groups of people had no respect from the other groups in Russia. These people were the ones who protested for better working conditions and for normal working hours. The only hope for wealth in the proletariat group was in their offspring.

The Bourgeoisie were the wealthy part of Russia. The Bourgeoisie revolved around the ownership of capital related to Russia’s culture. In relation to our society today in America, the Bourgeoisie would be considered our middle class. They weren’t really segregated against due to their social standing.

The Boyars were the upper nobility in Russia and obtained influence and government posts. This is the group that helped make the government decisions. The Boyars are closer to the top of the Russian totem pole, so to speak. They really had no one that segregated against them and had no one looking down upon them.

The highest class, the Tsar/Czar class, ruled all. The Tsar/Czar ruled all of Russia. This group was also known as the kings and queens or Russia. No one to look down upon them, they were the ones who looked down on all other ethnic groups. They made all government decisions, they decided who belonged where, and what they should be doing to please their needs.

Present• Russia now consists of over 185 ethnic groups.• Committee Ministers in 2007 noticed setbacks in the

participation of minorities in Russia• Certain minorities still lack full access to proper

schooling/education• There are more than 2,000 national minorities' public

associations and 560 national cultural autonomies• Russia is home to a category of minority peoples, i.e. small

indigenous peoples of the North and Far East, who maintain very traditional lifestyles, often in a hazardous climatic environment

• Roughly 80 percent of Russia’s population consists of Native Russians

• The remaining percent consists of minorities