A History of Beekeeping and the Honeybee in Contested Eastern European Landscapes: Empires of the Bee

A History of Beekeeping and the Honeybee in Contested Eastern European Landscapes: Empires of the Bee traces the material-cultural dynamics of the honeybee and beekeeping from prehistory to the present, through Kievan Rus, the Novgorod Republic, Muscovy, Imperial Russia the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. Interweaving environmental, social, economic, and cultural history, this book explores the meaning and experience of beekeeping in the longue duree, to its public history in Russian museums today. Although eclipsed by momentous events and developments in Russia’s history, the humble honeybee is fundamental to the history and culture of this region.

Catherine B. Clay is professor emerita at Shippenburg University.