A podcast about the experience of self-government throughout Russian history. It explores both real-life experiences and the plans that were developed at different times and in different parts of the country. In what cases did the system work, and in what cases did it not? Why did some projects never materialize? We'll speak with historians, researchers, and specialists. We'll try to understand the lessons of history and figure out what might be useful today.
The Zemstvo Principle. Russian Reforms of the 19th Century
Zemstvo teacher, zemstvo doctor. These words are well known to us from Russian literature. What is a zemstvo? When did it emerge—after the reforms of Alexander II, or had it existed before? What did the zemstvo members do?
According to conscience and capital. Merchant guilds and self-government
What did the guild system—or rather, its division into guilds—gain for the merchant class? What role did self-government play, and did it open up opportunities for participation in the country's public life? Today, we're talking with…
Honey and Beans. Old Believers and Freedom of Choice
What we know about the Old Believers is that they live in closed communities, try not to have contact with the outside world, or at least do so in a very limited way, and preserve their faith in the form that...
A Common Cause. Medieval Republics in Pskov and Novgorod
The Pskov Republic—and even earlier, the Novgorod Republic—was liquidated, everything became subordinate to the will of the Moscow prince, and there were no alternatives to the one-man rule, which eventually evolved into autocracy. How...
The system of membranes and capsules. The Empire and the Muslim community
Historian Alfred Bustanov discusses how the empire perceived and organized self-government in regions populated by people of Islamic culture. To what extent did this correspond to Muslim tradition, and how did cultural and philosophical concepts…
Circumventing Prohibitions: Political Exiles in the North of the Empire
A congress of exiles in the governor's office, a team of free masons, and a library at the zemstvo warehouse. What did political exiles do in the northern provinces of the Russian Empire, how did they organize their lives, and how did they influence...
Under the protectorate of the empire. Russia in Central Asia
We still, out of habit, often refer to these former imperial territories as Central Asia. Now, however, a different term is in use: Central Asia. We're speaking with a doctor of historical sciences...
Cossack Affairs. Cossacks during the Empire and after
The word "Cossack" is always associated with the word "freedom." How free were the Cossacks in reality? To what extent were they able to decide how to live and what to do? Let's take a look at all this...
A Space of Heightened Sensitivity: The Caucasus in the Russian Empire
A vast region where Russia fought its own Hundred Years' War. A territory where the interests of various empires converged. Why did the imperial authorities want their control of this region to be a continuation of its conquest? We spoke with a historian…
From Yasak to State Farms: Empire and Self-Government of the Peoples of the North
A member of the Council of Elders of the Yukaghir People and vice president of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North discusses how central government, epidemics, and economic developments have changed the lives of indigenous peoples and influenced their self-government at different times.
Under the personal control of the Emperor. Finland as part of the Russian Empire
Finland and Poland enjoyed the broadest autonomy. Finland was incorporated into Russia piecemeal, says Professor Dmitry Frolov, a researcher at the National Archives of Finland.
The Pale of Settlement and Democracy: Self-Government in Jewish Communities in the Russian Empire
We spoke with Valery Dymshits, a research fellow at the Center for St. Petersburg Judaica at the European University at St. Petersburg, about how self-government was organized in Jewish communities.
The Siberian Question. Episode 2 of the "We'll Handle It Ourselves" podcast.
What does it mean to be a Siberian? Is there a distinct Siberian identity? What place does Siberia occupy in Russia? We're not talking about geography—though we're talking about that too—but about the role…
"The Zemsky Elder and the End of the Time of Troubles." Episode 1 of the "We'll Do It Ourselves" podcast.
It seemed that Russia was no more. It was a comprehensive crisis, essentially a civil war, involving all sectors of the population. There were no orders from above, the entire chain of command…