In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in Europe, before 1917?

The vast majority of Russia’s population were agriculturists. About 85 per cent of the Russian Empire’s population earned their living from Agriculture. This proportion was higher than in most European countries. In France and Germany, the proportion was between 40 per cent and 50 per cent. Cultivators produced for the market as well as for their own needs, and Russia was a major exporter of grain.