What was actually a standard of living to Russian Federation on the eve of revolution

Professor of the St. Petersburg university Mironov Boris Nikolaevich - from the best Russian historians, able to see and analyze. The author of recently published three-volume monograph "The Russian Empire: from tradition to a modernist style" specially for this number "Homeland" offered the most interesting statistical calculations.

of Figure tell for itself to the thoughtful reader...

during any war there is a decrease in a standard of living. However during World War I, up to February revolutionary events of 1917, fall of welfare can be considered moderate. It is not so essential as it is accepted to think, the real salary of workers decreased. In 1914-1916, by calculations of the outstanding Russian economist and S. N. ICHP Prokopovich, she grew up by 9% and only since 1917 began to decrease. From a point of sight Strumilina S.G., the real salary began to decrease since 1914, but also in this case in 1916 it was only 9% lower, than in 1913, but in one revolutionary 1917 fell to 10%.

Catastrophic falling of a salary happened after coming to power of Bolsheviks, in 1918 (tab. 1, 2).

the Reason of divergences in Prokopovich and Strumilin's estimates consists in the following: the first considered except a soldering salary, expenses of businessmen on the dwelling, and the medical care, making quite considerable size - 8,3% of a monetary payment more fully.

Economy

Recession of industrial production was insignificant - by the most pessimistic estimates in 1915-1916 - only 4% (in 1917 - for 20%). TsSU recorded for 1915-1916 even increase in production for 16% (in 1917 recession - for 39,6%).

Labour productivity for 1914-1916 increased by a third (31,6%). By the most pessimistic estimates, decrease in a real salary by the beginning of 1917 made only 9%, and on optimistic - it increased by 9%.

Financial position of the village was stable thanks to good harvests and the help of the state to families which sent the workers to war. The main reason of it consisted in record collecting grain in 1914-1917 which in the all-Russian scale quite satisfied demand of the population.

the Increased consumption of army was compensated to p by prohibition of the export absorbing in a peace time over 20% of gathering bread. the Food

during war financial position of the Russian population was much better than p for

, than in all at war countries, in particular to Germany. There the rationing system on bread was entered in January, 1915, gradually extended all over the country and to all major food. The city norm of delivery of bread on cards on the person in day made in 1916 200-225 g, in 1917 - 170 g. The German norms of bread remind the Leningrad blockade when 125-250 g per day were given for the person

To Russian Federation a rationing system arose only in the summer of 1916. In country towns sugar and bread, and on norms several times big, than to Germany were subject to rationing only. In Moscow the rationing system on bread was entered only on March 6, 1917. In Petrograd on the eve of February events of bread one and a half pounds (615 g), the worker - 2 pounds (820 g) were given in day for the person - is 3,6-4,8 times more, than to Germany.

thus in 1916 the number of stachechnik on 1000 people of the working population to Germany was 69 times less than p, than to Russian Federation.

Deposits

Deposits of the population to savings banks - the main bank of the country for a general population - during war too tell to p a lot of things about a population standard of living. By January 1, 1917 the number of investors increased by 1,5 times, and the sum of deposits taking into account inflation - by a third.

Number of investors - 12,7 million. And it not the bourgeoisie and landowners - merchants and businessmen in all empire was only about 120 thousand, landowners - about 100 thousand

Investors consisted for 30% from peasants, for 12% from petty bourgeoises, for 13% from workers, i.e. for 55% from workers. (tab. 3).

Crime

the Crime rate in the years of war decreased by 26% (tab. 4).

In 1914-1916 if to judge on number of the arisen consequences on 100 thousand population in eight judicial districts, the crime approximately on 26 percentage points was lower, than in 1911-1913, including in the village - on 29, and in the city - on 6. As a whole over the country the frequency of commission of all types of crimes decreased, and the number of thefts increased in the city slightly (on 5 points) (on 100 thousand population) only. It is unlikely so essential reduction of crime can be explained only with leaving of millions healthy men in army because the crime of women and the children who were not subject to mobilization fell.

reduction of number of high treasons Is indicative essential (on 34 points). In 1916 small rise in crime in comparison with 1915 was found. (as a whole - on 12 points, in the village - on 11, and in the city - on 19 points) due to mainly thefts, robberies and robberies. But level of 1913 did not manage to be surpassed all the same: in 1916 as a whole over the country the crime 24 points was lower, in the village - on 28, and in the city - is 3 points lower, than in 1913. And this with the fact that during war, to summer of 1916 under the influence of mass resettlements of peasants called up for military service to the cities, the share of urban population increased from 15,3% to 17,4%, or for 2,1%.

the Coefficient of suicides fell by 3 times.

On level of suicides in post-reform time Russian Federation took a penultimate place in . From 1870 to 1910 the coefficient of suicides changed cyclically at the general upward tendency; the peak fell on 1891-1895, then there was a decrease. It is important to note that the suitsidalnost grew only among citizens while in the village after insignificant lifting in the 1880th - the first half of the 1890th it went down and at the beginning of the XX century returned to level of 1819-1825. In the years of the First Russian revolution of 1905-1906 the coefficient of suicides went down and began to grow only since 1907, after its termination, having reached a maximum by 1913 (tab. 5).

during World War I if to judge across Petrograd, Moscow and Odesa, the coefficient of suicides decreased by 2,8-3 times, and since 1918 began to grow and as a whole in the country in 1923-1926 surpassed pre-war level by 1,5 times (5,6 against 3,7 on 100 thousand).

For comparison, in 1989 the coefficient of suicides to Russian Federation was 5,9 times higher, than in 1912 (25,8 on 100 thousand), in 1994 - by 9,5 times (41,8 on 100 thousand) in 2008-2009 - by 6,6 times (29 on 100 thousand).

the Review of Mironov Boris Nikolaevich "The Russian Empire: from tradition to a modernist style" - p. 88.