Family Authority, Violence against Parents, and Parricide in Russia, 1600–1800

Abstract

The abuse of parents is regarded to be an increasing problem in contemporary society. It is often seen as a new phenomenon marking the dysfunctional nature of the modern family. This article provides arguments to the contrary, focusing on the analysis of the abuse of parents and parricide in early modern Russia, where the concept of the patriarchal and traditional family served as a basis for the prosecution of any disrespect to parental authority. This article offers an in-depth analysis of the normative concepts of family relationships, the criminal prosecution of parricide, and the abuse of parents based on an examination of court records. This article highlights the major developments in the construction of parricides within normative legal, social, and political discourses to argue that parricide challenged the established patriarchal hierarchy; the authorities thus normalized it through normative gender-appropriate behavior, constructing responses to male and female behavior based on the common understanding of their respective abilities and limitations in respect to violence.