From a Natural to a Money Economy traces the profound transformation of Russian society from a self-sufficient, natural economy to one increasingly governed by money and market exchange. N.A. Rozhkov analyses the economic, social, and institutional forces driving this transition, examining changes in land tenure, taxation, trade, and peasant life, and showing how the rise of a money economy reshaped social hierarchies, political authority, and everyday life in medieval and early-modern Russia.

In his introduction and translation, John Gonzalez sheds new light on the ongoing debate about Russia’s economic transformation, clarifying Rozhkov’s key arguments, contextualising his sources, and highlighting the continuing relevance of his insights for illuminating the relationship between the growth of a money economy and societal evolution.