|
KMID : 0857920190220020129
|
|
Yonsei Journal of Medical History
2019 Volume.22 No. 2 p.129 ~ p.149
|
|
|
The drinking Culture and “Alcoholism” of Russia in the late 19th Century
|
|
Bae So-Young
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Traditionally, alcohol has been placed at the center of peasant community life in Russia. Russian peasant families lived under the control of a village community, which was given power by the regime after the Great Reforms in 1861. On holidays and at family events, peasants gathered and drank heavily as they reconfirmed their unity and solidarity. Heavy drinking and drunkenness were essential parts of community life.
In the late 19th century, the tsarist regime and upper class became concerned about drinking culture of the people. As modernization and industrialization gained importance, they felt they needed to curb those heavy drinking customs and drunkenness to turn their country and its people into a more civilized society. They thought heavy drinking and drunkenness caused sabotage and led to strikes among the working class. The upper class, especially medical professionals, saw drunkenness as a disease, alcoholism. Through the 19th century, they identified themselves as being not servants for the regime but as independent experts from government professions with scientific medical knowledge from Western Europe. Medical professionals raised their voices to seek a cure and treated alcoholics with drugs, hypnotism, and sanitorium stays, which were all within their own professional area. But these attempts were rejected by the people due to the expensive cost, long duration of treatment, and more essentially, the lack of their drinking culture.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
The Russian drinking culture in the late of 19th century, Russian physicians, Alcoholism in Russia
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|
|