Russia was ruled by a monarchy before the revolutions in 1917. The country’s top leadership was headed by a tsar who controlled most of the land, property, religious buildings, and armies. In other words, the tsar was categorized under the ruling class. Other classes and social groups that existed before the revolutions of 1917 include the upper class, middle class, and peasants.
Firstly, the upper class consisted of nobles and high-ranking members of Moscow, England. As evidenced in Brooke (2006)’s book, the noblemen were to wait until they won elections in order to gain membership of the English Club. Similarly, the noblemen were known for their generosity: they “issued an open invitation to guests wishing to dine with them” (Brooke, 2006, p. 189). Secondly, the middle class consisted mainly of civil servants, professionals such as doctors or lawyers and business people, including the merchants. This class grew through industrialization, which brought them self-discipline. The dominant group in this class were the merchants who built successful businesses that were later passed down from father to son. As described in the book, the merchants were stereotyped as greedy and conservative people.
The last class and social group were the peasants, who represented the majority of the people– most of them lived in the countryside. Majority of the members in this class worked in factories that only began to spring up in the second half of the 19th century (Brooke, 2006). The members, who included peasant immigrants, lived mainly in massive apartment blocks that lined up the streets of the city. These apartments were rife with overcrowding which gave rise to poor sanitation.
Reference
Brooke, C. (2006). Moscow: A cultural history. Oxford University Press on Demand.