Archaic Economy: Wandering Workers and Scattered Manufactories

In the Russian province, people also practice special forms of economic behavior, which remain completely “invisible” to official statistics. Their status is special because these are archaic forms of economy, long-standing and long-forgotten, but spontaneously resumed in a new, transitional socio-political environment. Our research team is a pioneer in identifying and describing two such forms. The first one is mass seasonal circular labor migration—otkhod or otkhodnichestvo. The second one, opposite in scale, is a rather rare, but locally mass economic activity—"scattered manufactories.” Both forms are identifiable and visible only through direct on-site observation. In many ways, these economic activities are polar. But in essence, they are mutually complementary forms of economic behavior of the population. “Scattered manufactories” have been revealed and described only in some small towns. They emerge only in local communities with unique production resources and/or unique professional skills. People engaged in “scattered manufactories” are linked into a single technological chain and do not leave their place of residence, often working in their own backyard (homestead) or apartment. By contrast, a wandering worker (otkhodnik) always leaves home to seek work far away, since locally, there is no labor market. Most otkhodniks are residents of rural areas, villages, settlements, and small towns. Many are low-skilled and undertake mass low-wage jobs. So “scattered manufactories” and otkhodnichestvo are common for different settlements and different communities, require different labor skills and patterns, and finally, a different modus vivendi et modus operandi.