Otkhodniki

Categories / Population/Demography
OTKHODNIKI, seasonal workers (mainly peasants), who came to St. Petersburg in search of work. Otkhodniki appeared in the city at the beginning of the 18th century and took part in the city's construction. Among them natives from Yaroslavl, Tver, Novgorod, St. Petersburg and Pskov provinces predominated, they had regional specialization that existed up to World War I of 1914-18. Thus, Otkhodniki from Yaroslavl Province were engaged in trade, construction works and market gardening, and worked in traktirs (taverns); Otkhodniki from St. Petersburg province (mostly women) became servants, men in summer undertook construction works, in winter worked as cabdrivers. With the development of trade and industry the number of Otkhodniki increased (people called them "piterschiks"). The considerable part of earnings Otkhodniki sent to relatives in villages, and having saved enough money they returned to their families. In order to lighten the conditions of life in a strange town Otkhodniki created special communities (zemlyachestvo). By the beginning of the 20th century among the Otkhodniki Russians predominated, but there were also Finns from Finland and suburbs of St. Petersburg, Estonians, Latvians and Byelorussians. In 1920s-30s Otkhodniki worked in Leningrad mainly at factories and plants, performing unqualified work. When collectivization finished, these peasants were deprived of the right to move from their homes, and the presence of the Otkhodniki was replaced by Orgnabor.

References: Юхнева Н. В. Этнический состав и этносоциальная структура населения Петербурга, вторая половина XIX - нач. XX в.: Стат. анализ. Л., 1984. С. 142-163; Лурье Л. Я. "Питерщики" в Петербурге // Город и горожане в России XX века: Материалы рос.-фр. семинара... СПб., 2001. p. 86-91.

A. Y. Chistyakov. Лурье Л. Я. "Питерщики" в Петербурге // Город и горожане в России XX века: Материалы рос.-фр. семинара... СПб., 2001
Юхнева Н. В. Этнический состав и этносоциальная структура населения Петербурга, вторая половина XIX - нач. XX в.: Стат. анализ. Л., 1984 Peasants
Russians
Finns
Estonians
Latvians
Belarusians