The practice of bail in Siberia of XVII century

The bail (guarantee) used to be long practiced in Russia. It was confirmed by the legislative acts and acquired some form of collective responsibility for the individual. In Siberia which became a new part of Russia the bail got special significance: it prevented the drift of the labor force and consolidated the scattered population of Siberia., which was ethnically, socially and culturally dissimilar. The practice of the bail covered all segments of the population of Siberia and had a positive impact on the further development of the region. The bail allowed to keep Siberian migrants for permanent habitation. The practice deeply penetrated into the new Siberian society and determined the degree of its cohesion.