© Underwood & Underwood 

 SIBERIAN HIDES AND VILLAGE OF THE TATARS: NIZHNI-NOVGOROD, RUSSIA 



Live-stock breeding is second to agriculture as a, pursuit among the inhabitants of 

 Siberia, a region one and a half times as large as all Europe and forty times larger than the 

 British Isles. 



It must be remembered that, as a result 

 of the dislike of the authorities for all 

 assemblies of people, no matter of how 

 innocent a character, there had been prac- 

 tically no lectures, concerts, theaters, or 

 other forms of pastime, if we except the 

 excellent military band concerts in the 

 public parks on summer evenings. 



One of the first cares of the coopera- 

 tive societies, with their millions of mem- 

 bers, after the abolition of drink was to 

 get up diversions for the neighborhood, 

 which were usually held in the lofts over 

 the cooperative stores or warehouses in 

 the villages. Cinematographs, amateur 



theatricals, concerts, and other commu- 

 nity activities were started and had great 

 success. 



The money once spent for drink now 

 stays in the peasants' pockets or is put in 

 the rural branches of the government 

 savings bank, and the total deposits of 

 that institution have swelled incredibly 

 in the past two years. 



GROWTH OF THE PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATIONS 

 IS PHENOMENAL 



The growth of these cooperative socie- 

 ties has been phenomenal. For instance, 

 in one district alone the number has been 



227 



