1. May 3, 2012
Objective: Students will examine conditions in czarist Russia in
order to determine why people would support change.
QuickWrite: Do you think the Russian people benefitted under
czarist rule? Explain.
Homework: Respond to the following quote:
"Everyone is equal, from each according to his ability, to each
according to his needs."
-Marx/Engels

2. By 1897, Russia’s poorest groups included serfs and factory
workers. How concerned should Russia’s czars have been about
the needs of the nation’s poorest groups?
Based on the policies of the czars, what types of changes might
the majority of Russians want from their government?

3. January 19, 1905
Dear Czar Nicholas II,
I am just a poor Russian peasant. My wife and I li ve in the little village of Borovna
near the town of Novgorod with our five children. A friend of mine is writing this letter
to you since no one in my family can read and write. Life here in Borovna is miserable.
We are always having hard times. I'm writing to you because you are our "Little Father”;
the only one who can help us!
Even though your grandfather, Alexander II, freed us from serfdom, we are just
barely surviving. The rich nobles still have the best land for themselves. Yet their taxes
are small, and ours are higher than ever ñ it isn't fair! And they treat us like dirt! We are
still not allowed to move without permission of the local assemblies. The rest of the
good land is owned by the church, yet the priests always seem to be asking us for money.
Some people have been allowed to get factory jobs in the city, but the wages are
terrible. And if we complain ñ even about our unpaved, s wampy streets; the secret police
arrest us!
Please, kind sir, please help your local peasants, who still make up 80% of the
Russian population.
Please protect us from the nobles and the high taxes.
Please hear our cries for help!
Your loyal servant,
Yuri Stroganov

4. Dear Czar . . ."
Directions: 1.Read the following letter that describes life in Russia under Czar Nicholas II.
2.Underline each problem identified in the letter.
3.Orally describe life as a factory worker to your partner.
January 19, 1905
Dear Czar Nicholas II,
I am writing to you at the request of all the factory workers here at the Moscow Metalworks. Our lives are so hard, and we
know you have the authority to help us. We live in complete misery. Every day of our lives is a struggle to stay alive. Many of
us left the farms because we had hoped life in the city would be better. But we were wrong; we work 14 hours each day for a
few kopecks. The conditions in our factory are horrible; no heat or washrooms, no lunch breaks, no safety precautions. Our
children under ten years of age work side by side with us and get only half the pay.
Yet we are not allowed to form a union to protect ourselves. The owners are greedy and cruel. Workers are beaten and
treated shamefully for the slightest offense. They have spies who make sure we don't complain, or we get fired without hope of
getting another job.
Please, kind Czar, we beg of you to listen to our problems. We have heard that some of your guards shot into a crowd of
peaceful workers, but we still have faith in you. We look forward to hearing your reply.
Your faithful friends,
The oppressed workers at the metalworks
http://10.4.1.240/SAFARI/montage/play.php?keyindex=22515&location=local

5. Based on their lives in Czarist Russian,
explain why people would support change.
Use specific information from the lesson
to support your answer.