Through the prism of honor, Kollmann examines the interaction of the Russian state and its people in regulating social relations and defining an individual's rank. She finds vital information in a collection of transcripts of legal suits brought by elites and peasants alike to avenge insult to honor. The cases make clear the conservative role honor played in society as well as the ability of men and women to employ this body of ideas to address their relations with one another and with the state. Kollmann demonstrates that the grand princes -- and later the tsars -- tolerated a surprising...

Focusing on the lived experience of individuals in Russia and Ukraine, these essays explore continuity and change comparatively and in the context of larger interpretative issues, such as popular culture, mentality, and religious belief.