Published: 2019-12-15

Office life in 19th century Russia in literature

Maria Korybut-Marciniak
Echa Przeszłości
Section: ARTICLES
https://doi.org/10.31648/ep.4838

Abstract

The article discusses the life of office clerks in 19th century Imperial Russia based on literary accounts. The characteristics of administrative employees are described through the eyes of the greatest as well as less known Russian writers. Literary works are reviewed to depict the social status of office clerks at different levels of the administrative hierarchy, the clerks’ daily lives, struggles and dreams, and the influence of the bureaucratic apparatus on ordinary men. Literary portraits of fictitious characters throw light on the bureaucratic system of Imperial Russia from the perspective of an internal observer. They portray the main concerns of office employees, they bring to life the entire administrative system and paint a realistic portrait of office clerks. Russian writers created a psychological profile of the men working in clerical positions by exploring their aspirations and fears, and the moral corruption instigated by the bureaucratic apparatus.

Keywords:

office clerks, bureaucracy, Russian literature of the 19th century, daily life, Russian society in the 19th century

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Korybut-Marciniak, M. (2019). Office life in 19th century Russia in literature. Echa Przeszłości, (XX/1). https://doi.org/10.31648/ep.4838

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