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Cast of Characters
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Irina Alexeievna Razumova (Irinka)—daughter of Alexei Razumov
Illarion Alexeievich Razumov (Ilari)—son of Alexei Razumov
Evgeny Petrovich Vorobyov—farmworker in the Razomov family’s aviary
Nikolay Markovich Morozov (Kolya)—secretary to Illarion Razumov, serf
Father Piotr—priest in the village
Lizaveta Dragomirova (Lishka)—Evgeny’s younger sister
Mikhail—Lizaveta’s husband
Grigori Dragomirov—Evgeny’s eldest brother
Varvara—Irina’s maid
Lysov—Nikolay Morozov’s master
Author’s Note
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SERFDOM IN RUSSIA was a peculiar state, especially since a serf could own property and even be wealthier than his master. So long as the serfs paid their annual levies or obrok, their master often left them to their own devices. It was, however, perceived as a sign of status to have wealthy and educated men under your control, fueling the drive to refuse emancipation to serfs who could easily afford to purchase that freedom.
It also wasn’t unusual for a wealthy landowner to have serfs trained to various skills. Noblemen often had serfs trained as artists and tradesmen. (If you’re curious about this, there’s an excellent book called “The Pearl” which tells of the life of the opera singer, Praskovia Kovalyova-Zhemchugova, a serf owned by Count Sheremetev as one of the members of his Serf Theater. He later freed her (1798) and married her (1801)—a shocking thing for that time.) By the time of abolishment (1861), nearly 60% of Russian serfs were paying obrok rather than working on farms for their masters.
The unfortunate side of serfdom was that the master still held the serf’s fate in his hands. The master could decide where the serf lived, what work he or she did, what became of their children. Serfs (sometimes referred to as souls) could be bought and sold along with their land or property—or without. Serfs were regularly conscripted into the army, while nobles no longer faced compulsory service by 1812 (when the French invaded Russia.)
Therefore, a serf in Russia could be both wealthy and educated . . . and live under the thumb of another man at the same time.
Acknowledgements
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THANKS to Frances Silversmith for reading through an early version of this story and offering suggestions to improve it. Thanks to my husband for reading through it, even if it’s a bit romancy. As always, I’m grateful for my Patreon supporters who’ve helped fund this ebook, and for the readers who keep supporting me by buying books!
And thanks to Tina Gower, who helped out with the layout of the front and back matter, two areas we authors are always trying to improve!
About the Author
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J. KATHLEEN CHENEY taught mathematics ranging from 7th grade to Calculus, but gave it all up for a chance to write stories. Her novella “Iron Shoes” was a 2010 Nebula Award Finalist. Her novel, The Golden City was a Finalist for the 2014 Locus Awards (Best First Novel). Dreaming Death (Feb 2016) is the first in a new series, the Palace of Dreams Novels.
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Website: www.jkathleencheney.com
Also by J. Kathleen Cheney
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The Golden City Series
The Golden City
The Seat of Magic
The Shores of Spain
The Seer’s Choice
After the War
Other Works
Dreaming Death: A Palace of Dreams Novel
Iron Shoes: Tales from Hawk’s Folly Farm
The Dragon’s Child: Six Short Stories
Whatever Else
For more info on any of these books, click here.
And Forthcoming Works
From the world of Dreaming Death
Oathbreaker
(The Horn: Book One)
Coming December 2016
An EQP Book
E-QUALITY PRESS
http://EQPBooks.com/
The Sparrow in Hiding Page 11