The urban working class

• The expansion of industry was accompanied by a growth in the urban population. The number of urban workers was still very small in this period- no more than 2% of the population.
• Some peasants sold up and left the countryside either to join a migrant group building railways or to become urban workers. By 1864, one in three of the inhabitants of St Petersburg were peasants by birth
• Conditions in the cities were grim and the early factories paid little heed to their workers' welfare, despite some reforming legislation.
• In 1882, there was a series of reforms: regulation of child labour, reduction in excessive fines and payment in kind, and the appointment of inspections to check up on working and living conditions.These contributed very little towards improving the lives of the growing working class.