Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part One: From Benevolent Force to National Misfortune: Fire's Contested Meanings in Rural Russia -- 1. Fire as Gentle Cookery and Paradise: Peasants as Mistresses and Masters of Fire -- 2. Fire as Apocalypse or Pathology: Peasants as Victims or Vectors of Fire -- 3. Fire as Russia's Historical Evil: Peasants Dispossessed by Fire -- Part Two: Letting Loose the Red Booster: Arson in Rural Russia -- 4. The Fiery Brand, Russian Style: Arson as Protest, Peasants as Incendiaries -- 5. Arson as Impotent Spite or Potent Practice: Peasants as Vengeful, Covetous, or Wily Actors -- Part Three: Mobilizing to Make Russia Modern: Insuring, Planning, Volunteering -- 6. Fire as Insurance Hazard: Peasants as Students of Prudence and Precaution -- 7. Fire Contained in the Planned Village: Peasants as Residents in a Disciplined Domestic Order -- 8. Fire as the Inernal Enemy: Peasants as Volunteer Firefighters -- 9. Conclusion: Fire as an Imperial Legacy, Peasants as Partners in Progress -- Notes -- References -- Index. |