Question

What was the main occupation of the Russians?

Answer 1

Hint: At the beginning of the 20th century the Russian society was divided between agriculturists and industrialists. About 85% of the Russian population earn their living from agriculture. It also played an important role in the Russian economy and employed two-third of the Russian population.

Complete answer: At the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of Russians were agriculturists. About 85% of them depend on their livelihood from agriculture. Cultivators in Russia produced for the markets as well as their own needs. This proportion was higher as compared to those in France and Germany. Russia was a major exporter of grain. In the countryside, residents were responsible for the cultivation of the land. However, it was the nobility, the crown and the orthodox Church who owned large properties. Therefore peasants in Russia had no respect for the nobility and wanted the lands of the nobles to be transferred to them. It sometimes resulted in the conflicts between the two. They refused to pay the rent and even murdered landlords.
The most prominent industrial areas in Russia were Saint Petersburg and Moscow. Much of the industries and factories existed alongside the craft workshops and craftsmen were responsible for much of the production. Most factories or industries were the private properties of big industrialists. Workers were divided into social groups and women made up 30% of the factory labour.
Therefore the main occupation of Russians was Agriculture.

Note: The main occupation of Russia that is agriculture declined in the early 1990s as the period marked the transformation from a command economy to a market-oriented system.