Unlike Western Europe, Russia entrenched serfdom as an extractive institution rooted in frontier defence. To secure its southern border, the state granted land to servicemen who leveraged their strategic role to restrict peasant mobility—hardwiring coercion into law and shaping Russia’s long-term institutional landscape.
The original post: /r/history by /u/econlmics on 2025-07-31 21:42:32+00:00.

Unlike Western Europe, Russia entrenched serfdom as an extractive institution rooted in frontier defence. To secure its southern border, the state granted land to servicemen who leveraged their strategic role to restrict peasant mobility—hardwiring coercion into law and shaping Russia’s long-term institutional landscape.