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The Slow Road from Serfdom: Labor Coercion and Long-Run Development in the Former Russian Empire

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  • Johannes C. Buggle

    (University of Lausanne)

  • Steven Nafziger

    (Williams College)

Abstract

This paper examines the long-run economic consequences of Russian serfdom. Employing data on the intensity of labor coercion just prior to emancipation in 1861, we document that a 25 percentage point increase in historical serfdom (1 SD) reduces household expenditure today by up to 17%. We then provide evidence on the persistence of this relationship by studying city populations over the period 1800 to 2002. Exploring mechanisms, our findings suggest that less urban agglomeration and slower industrial development in areas with a greater degree of serfdom perpetuated the negative effects of forced labor before, during, and after the Soviet period.

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes C. Buggle & Steven Nafziger, 2021. "The Slow Road from Serfdom: Labor Coercion and Long-Run Development in the Former Russian Empire," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 103(1), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:103:y:2021:i:1:p:1-17
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    File URL: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/rest_a_00857
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    4. Ekaterina Zhuravskaya & Sergei Guriev & Andrei Markevich, 2024. "New Russian Economic History," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(1), pages 47-114, March.
    5. Mario Carillo & Gemma Dipoppa & Shanker Satyanath, 2023. "Fascist ideology and migrant labor exploitation," Economics Working Papers 1865, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    6. Franck, Raphaël & Asmus, Gerda, 2022. "State Capacity, National Economic Policies and Local Development: The Russian State in the Southern Urals," CEPR Discussion Papers 17103, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Matthias Morys, 2022. "Has Eastern Europe Always Lagged Behind the West? Historical Evidence from Pre‐1870," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(S1), pages 3-21, April.
    8. Oyenubi, Adeola & Kollamparambil, Umakrishnan, 2023. "Does noncompliance with COVID-19 regulations impact the depressive symptoms of others?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    9. Andrea Bernini, 2023. "The voice of radio in the battle for equal rights: Evidence from the U.S. South," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(1), pages 163-226, March.
    10. Broadberry, Stephen & Korchmina, Elena, 2022. "Catching-up and falling behind: Russian economic growth, 1690s-1880s," CEPR Discussion Papers 17458, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Timur Natkhov & Natalia Vasilenok, 2023. "Ethnic‐specific infant care practices and infant mortality in late Imperial Russia," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 76(3), pages 783-806, August.
    12. Sezer, Ayse Hazal, 2023. "Convicts and Comrades : Coerced Labor’s Impact on Early Labor Unions," Other publications TiSEM 98f91e6a-8e47-4c1f-bc84-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    13. Kravtsova, Maria & Libman, Alexander, 2023. "Historical family structure as a predictor of liberal voting: Evidence from a century of Russian history," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).

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