"This memoir provides readers with a glimpse of the life of a Russian serf, Savva Dmitrievich Purlevskii. He was born in 1800 in Velikoe, in a serf village in Yaroslavl' province of central Russia. At the age of thirty, he escaped from serfdom by fleeing to the south. He wrote his memoirs shortly before his death in 1868." "Savva Purlevskii recollects his life in Russian serfdom and the life of his grandparents, parents, and fellow villagers. He describes family and communal life and the serfs' daily interaction with landlords and authorities." "Gorshkov's introduction provides some basic knowledge about Russian serfdom and draws upon the most recent scholarship. Notes provide references and general information about events, places and people mentioned in the memoirs."--Jacket.