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This item shows signs of wear from consistent use but it remains in good condition and is a good working copy. All pages and cover are intact but may have aesthetic issues such as small tears bends scratches and scuffs. Spine may also show signs of wear. This item shows signs of wear from consistent use but it remains in good condition and is a good working copy. All pages and cover are intact but may have aesthetic issues such as small tears bends scratches and scuffs. Spine may also show signs of wear. See less
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Russia under the Old Regime: Second Edition Paperback – January 1, 1997

by Richard Pipes (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 81 ratings
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“For anyone who wants an insight into the nature of Russian society before the revolution, there is no doubt that Professor Pipes has written the book.”—Lionel Kochan, Jewish Chronicle

This highly acclaimed study from Richard Pipes analyzes the evolution of the Russian state from the ninth century to the 1880s and its unique role in managing Russian society. The harsh geographical conditions and sheer size of the country prevented the creation of participatory government, and a “patrimonial” state emerged in which Russia was transformed into a gigantic royal domain. Richard Pipes traces these developments and goes on to analyze the political behavior of the principal social groupings—peasantry, nobility, middle-class, and clergy—and their failure to stand up to the increasing absolutism of the tsar. In order to strengthen his powers, legal and institutional bases were set up that led to the creation of a bureaucratic police state under the Communists.

“A brilliant and provocative analysis . . . learned, judicious, witty and full of common sense.”—John Keep, The Times Literary Supplement

“A lively, profound, often extremely subtle account of the making of the Russian state . . . For the serious student it is required reading which is also a delight. For the general reader with a minimal knowledge of Russian history and puzzled as to what makes the Russians tick, it lights up the whole field.”—Edward Crankshaw, The Observer

“An excellent introduction, painstaking and enjoyable.”—The New York Review of Books

“Pipes has produced a masterly interpretative history of tsarist Russa.”—Choice
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  1. Print length
    384 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1997
  5. Grade level
    12 and up
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    7.78 x 5.06 x 0.94 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0140247688
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0140247688
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About the Author

Richard Pipes was for many years a professor of history at Harvard University. He is the author of numerous books and essays on Russia, past and present, including Russia Under the Bolshevik Regime. In 1981–82 he served as President Reagan's National Security Council adviser on Soviet and East European affairs, and he has twice received a Guggenheim fellowship. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Marlborough, New Hampshire.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Subsequent edition (January 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140247688
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140247688
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.78 x 5.06 x 0.94 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 81 ratings

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Richard Pipes

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4.7 out of 5 stars
81 global ratings

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Customers find that the book explains a lot about Russia's early history. They appreciate its readability, with one customer describing it as well-written.

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8 customers mention "Knowledge"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides valuable insights into Russia's early history, with one customer noting its scholarly approach.

"...Fascinating picture. Most importantly, it explains a lot about the early history of Russia, which affects the country even today...." Read more

"Pipes nails it. Good pre-Lenin history to help you to culturally understand a people that have been conquered and sold into slavery by the Vikings,..." Read more

"Fascinating historical writing, but be aware that the author has deep roots in Eastern Europe which control many of his opinions and historical..." Read more

"A compelling history by one of the most highly regarded and thoughtful historians of Russia." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one noting it is well-written and coherent.

"Eminently readable written by Richard Pipes, a well-regarded. Fascinating picture...." Read more

"...past as he tries to understand just how things happen back then...A good read, but read his biography during or before, to give you a full..." Read more

"good and helpful to my understanding of the countries histroy" Read more

"...I have read several books he has written and all of them are terrific reading." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Bill S
    5.0 out of 5 stars READABLE CLASSIC
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Eminently readable written by Richard Pipes, a well-regarded. Fascinating picture. Most importantly, it explains a lot about the early history of Russia, which affects the country even today. Interesting fact: Russia began as nation with its capital at Kiev.
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  • sue
    5.0 out of 5 stars A deep pre-Lenin history of the Russian people
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Pipes nails it. Good pre-Lenin history to help you to culturally understand a people that have been conquered and sold into slavery by the Vikings, then conquered for a long duration by the Mongols. What happens when you blend Slavs with Nordic and Eastern Peoples and put them on poor soils with bad growing seasons? The liturgical Russian Orthodox church that morally looked the other way at critical junctures in Russian History. A hard people living in a hard landscape.

    It makes me appreciate what we have in North America in terms of the people, the history, the land, and the climate, and the incredible value that the Puritans brought to the New World.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Nicholas Kadar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant. Coherent and intelligible
    Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I am struggling as a non-historian who loves Russian culture and her artists to understand her history. Professor Pipes gives what is otherwise inexplicable, a rational explanation: Russian notion of property rights.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Robert M. Macala
    4.0 out of 5 stars Critical Readers Only....
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Fascinating historical writing, but be aware that the author has deep roots in Eastern Europe which control many of his opinions and historical points of view. He and his family were lucky and influential enough to escape Poland in the early stage of Germany's invasion of that country. (He writes a very revealing biography) He ended up working for several Republican administrations as official "cultural historical expert" for the Republican Party during the Reagan period of the Cold War years. His influence later evolved into the current "neo-con" faction of the Republican Party which controlled the White House under Bush. That said, his view of Russian History cannot get beyond the "Melodramatic" nature of Russia's past. Without a little historical context and authentic historical detachment, judging the past becomes a repetition of cliches and prejudices. Russia is an easy country to demonize even before the menacing specter the Russian Revolution. Given it's geographic challenges, bitter cold and almost too much meager arable land in the wrong places, cursed with annoying and hostile neighbors (how many times was America invaded), and its elite (seduced by foreign experts and fashions) divorced for the Russian masses. Context must not be overwhelmed by sympathy, of course. But an authentic historian must not discount historical circumstances and the full texture of the past as he tries to understand just how things happen back then...A good read, but read his biography during or before, to give you a full understanding of his motivations and point of view...Current historical writing has been besmirched by political bias (perhaps, an eternal struggle) so critical readers will have lots of fun parsing this demanding and intriguing fascinating work...
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Portia's Mom
    5.0 out of 5 stars I cannot imagine a better explanation of how and why Russia has taken the ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I cannot imagine a better explanation of how and why Russia has taken the historical path it has taken. If you want to begin to understand why Russia fell to the disaster of communism and why it still is in the thrall of authoritarianism, this is the best place to start.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Gerald R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Russia Under the Old Regime
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Russia Under the Old Regime by Pipes
    This book came highly recommended, I was not disappointed! I would recommend it to anyone interested in Russian history. I find the service excellent and will continue to go to Amazon for my book needs. RM
    One person found this helpful
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  • Is Anybody Hungry?
    5.0 out of 5 stars Russia by One of Russia's Most Astute Students
    Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2018
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    A compelling history by one of the most highly regarded and thoughtful historians of Russia.
    One person found this helpful
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  • richard fuller
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2016
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    good and helpful to my understanding of the countries histroy
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Eric Schallenberg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Into the "Russian soul'
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book offers a brilliant insight into the 'Russian soul", and more importantly, how it came about. An important aspect is that the author shows to what extent 'democracy' as most Western countries know it, is only really part of the people's DNA - and only has real roots, growing out of West European feudalism - in West-European countries; only 'natural' in those countries and the countries that were settled by them, like North America, Australia and the like. Richard Pipes shows us how Russia - from its earliest days right up to today - always was a patriarchal society, where the Prince - whether he be Ivan IV, Stalin or Putin - never was the embodiment of a State that had obligations towards its citizens just as much as they had obligations towards the State. The Prince, just as the ancient family father, had no obligations. He simply 'owned' everything under his command, from household utensils to the bodies and souls of his family members or subjects. Pipes makes the nice point that Russian rulers old and new never are or were 'depots'. This, because a despot rides roughshod over the rights of his subjects; a Russian patriarch's family or subjects however simply assumes them to have no rights. Everything a subject 'owns' - riches or even his life - is basically a favor of the patriarch who allows the subject to pretend ownership until the patriarch exercises his God-given right to take it away again.
    We tend to think of this situation only in connection with the Russian serfdom. But Pipes explains how even highly placed nobles were in their relation towards the ultimate patriarch, the Tsar, no better off than the meanest serf. There are countless of instances of them summarily being robbed of titles, rank, possessions or life on the Tsar's orders. And that without any of them ever protesting against incursions on any 'rights' they had. The Tsar giveth, the Tsar taketh away; praised be the name of the Tsar. It explains of course also the fatalistic frame of mind of most Russians through the ages. And it explains why the Russian-in-the-street sees even today nothing abnormal in Putin endowing his favorites with billions in possessions, nor in his dispossessing them or anyone else if they fall out of favor. Basically this book explains how the Communist and post-Communist society and leadership in many ways was a straightforward continuation of relationships that developed in the earliest Middle Ages in Russia.

    This book is NOT written as 'popular history', full of witticisms and telling anecdotes. On the other hand, is is clear and well-written, and offers information, analysis and insight on Russian society that is rarely found elsewhere. Highly recommended to everyone who wants a better understanding of Russian society and leadership - and why we laugh at Putin sitting bare-chested on a stallion, but Russians don't.
    One person found this helpful
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  • komame
    5.0 out of 5 stars 誠実で緻密に客観的情報を収集した旧ロシアの姿
    Reviewed in Japan on March 6, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    パイプスは、間違いなく最高の歴史学者の一人であるが、彼の緻密な情報収集能力は、例えばロシアのツンドラ気候が農業に不向きな事、ただその一点を伝える為に人口比から風俗、民族移動、歴史、農業器具などを調べ上げる徹底ぶりで、その主観を排除した事実への謙虚で緻密な姿勢は芸術的ですらある。しかし得られた結論は、ロシアの愛国者を怒らせるには十分だろうと思う。。ナチスの迫害から逃れたユダヤ人である著者が、レーガン政権下で自由を得て、存分にその知識欲を満たしている様から、著者をつき動かしている、生い立ちから来る恐怖が垣間見えた気がした。著書は、学術的、歴史的価値が高く、研究にも最適である。日本語訳が待たれる。心から尊敬し、ご冥福をお祈りする。
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  • Philip
    5.0 out of 5 stars A unique perspective
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    The other reviews here have covered the ground pretty well, so I just want to add a few points additionally.

    As far as I am aware Prof. Richard Pipes is the only Western historian of Russia to begin his book with a detailed and persuasive description of Russian climate and geography and how this affects her agriculture. It is an astonishing eye-opener. And it makes his thesis about Russian authoritarian government very plausible indeed.

    Prof. Pipes was born in Poland and apparently emmigrated to the USA in 1939-40. Wikipedia has some interesting backgound on him. Solzhenitsyn apparently once called his work 'a Polish version of Russian history'.

    It is an impressive and original work and deserves and rewards careful reading.
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  • Daria Zimina
    5.0 out of 5 stars good language, focus on demonstration of relationships and dependencies ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Fresh perspective on the Russian history, good language, focus on demonstration of relationships and dependencies vs. simply listing boring facts. Great read! I didn't like the edition through - the font is small and packed on the page, which makes the process of reading less pleasant.
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  • Monika Kiela
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2018
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    Good
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