r the purpose of colonization and
settlement by Peter the Great, they were given far greater liberties
than any of the peasants of the south enjoyed. They were settled on
State domains and those that lived on the land of landlords scarcely
ever realized the fact, inasmuch as few of the landed aristocracy ever
spent any portion of their time in the province of Archangel unless
compelled to do so. In addition to this liberty and freedom, there was
also the stimulating effect of the cold, rigorous climate and therefore
it is more readily understood why the peasants of this region are more
energetic, more intelligent, more independent and better educated than
the inhabitants of the interior to the south.

After becoming somewhat acquainted with the family life of the
peasantry, and no one living with them as intimately as we did, could
have failed to have become more than ordinarily acquainted, we turned
our attention to the local village government or so-called Mir. We had
early learned that the chief personage in a Russian village was the
starosta, or village elder, and that all important communal affairs were
regulated by the Selski Skhod or village assembly. We were also well
acquainted with the fact that the land in the vicinity of the village
belonged to the commune, and was distributed periodically among the
members in such a way that every able bodied man possessed a share
sufficient for his maintenance, or nearly so. Beyond this, however, few
of us knew little or nothing more. We were fortunate in having with us a
great number of Russian born men, who of course were our interpreters,
one of whom, by the way, Private Cwenk, was killed on January 19th,
1919, in the attack of Nijni Gora when he refused to quit his post,
though mortally injured, until it was too late for him to make his
escape.

Through continual conversations and various transactions with the
peasants (carried on of course through our interpreters) the writer
gradually learned much of the village communal life. While at first
glance there are many points of similarity between the family life and
the village life, yet there are also many points of difference which
will be more apparent as we continue. In both, there is a chief or
ruler, one called the khozain or head of the house and the other as
above indicated, the starosta or village elder. In both cases too there
is a certain amount of common property and a common responsibility. On
the other han