Female Criminality in Eighteenth-Century Russia: Formulating a Research Problem

Historians argue that the Modern Era was a turning point for the female population of European countries. The Renaissance, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution and other major events and processes changed gender roles and social customs. To trace the qualitative characteristics of these changes, scholars examine different areas and aspects of women's lives in the past: family, sexuality, work, religion, and crime. The history of female criminality in Europe is now a well-developed and highly relevant field of research. In this article the author analyses Western historiography on the subject, identifies peculiarities of the historical context, sources and methods of processing them, and outlines possible approaches to the study of female criminality in modern Russia. The study of female criminality in eighteenth-century Russia is not only possible but also very promising. Nevertheless, scholars need to take into account the difference between the Russian and European historical contexts, as well as the nature of the sources. If properly approached, the study of female criminal behaviour in Russia and its comparison with European experience offers the historian an opportunity to look at Russian society and government in the period in question through new perspectives.