‘Misunderstanding’ Legislation: Peasants’ Aims, Mentalité and Behaviour

So, what the devil were the peasants up to? In each of the case studies three broad questions have been addressed. What were the causes and significance of peasants’ ‘misunderstandings’ and embellishments of information on legislation? What do they tell us about their aims and aspirations? And what conclusions can be drawn about peasant mentalite and behavioural patterns? One of the themes of this chapter will be the varieties of life-styles, experiences and backgrounds of people who made up the Russian seigniorial peasantry. These were reflected in a variety of responses and attitudes to legislation. It is not possible, therefore, to produce definitive answers to these questions. The tentative conclusions which can be reached, moreover, may be valid only for that minority of peasants who, on rare occasions in their lives, came into direct contact with official Russia.