A Fisherman with a Boy (Nikolai Bogdanov, 1889)
There was much interaction between the various social classes in tsarist Russia. People mixed frequently, and it was not unusual for children of the upper classes to play with peasant children and to have peasant “uncles” and “aunties”. This was considered very normal, and it helped all the classes to live together in peace. Of course, industrialisation broke down this traditional pattern, and this contributed to the conditions that led to the Revolution.
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