The struggle in the public consciousness of the peasants of the Russian North in the 1st third of the 20th century

The issues related to the study of mentality are considered in scientific investigations of numerous Soviet and Russian historians. Nevertheless, the problems that concern mentality of peasantry in the territory of the Russian North during the period of serious changes, that took place in the village in the 1920-30s, remain relevant. The plots significant for the worldview of the peasants of the Northern Territory, determining everyday life, form a picture of the world familiar to them and they are considered in this article. To study the world perception features, which became the basis of the public consciousness of the peasantry of the European North of Russia, work on the study of two unique documents – peasants’ personal diaries – was carried out. Those peasants lived in the territory of the Northern Land and had kept their diaries for several decades – from 1906 to 1931. Such significant elements of worldview, reflected in the diaries, as harvesting, the main types of agricultural and other activities, are analysed in the article. The author partially drew attention to the state policy perception by the peasantry. The analysis of diary entries is a method of sampling on the main topics; an attempt to trace dynamic changes in the elements of economic worldview is made.