Relationships features of the marginal elements and society by the example of the prostitution phenomenon in the 19th century (based on materials of the Yenisei province)

The paper is devoted to the study of various models of relations between the phenomenon of prostitution and society in the 19th century using the example of the local experience of the Yenisei Province. The specific socio-economic institution of legalized commercial sex with its specificity and intra-system connections is a unique phenomenon of pre-revolutionary Russia. While remaining a viable element of public life, part of provincial everyday life, the “industry of debauchery” was not an unambiguous phenomenon. In this context, it is relevant to consider the mutual perception of society and the phenomenon of prostitution during the period of regulation to form ideas about the versatility of everyday life in the province. The article is an attempt to understand the models and judgments of public institutions in relation to prostitution, as well as the behavioral patterns of women involved in the sphere of intimate services from a phenomenological point of view. The source base for the study consisted of office documents from various departments, journalistic works of a medical nature, as well as periodicals. The result of the study is the identification of several models of mutual perception of prostitution by society, which indicate polar opinions regarding this phenomenon. Speaking about the attitude of women involved in sexual commerce to society and its norms, it is worth noting the problem of the lack of sources of personal origin. However, it can be concluded that prostitution developed certain patterns of behavior characteristic of participants in the system.