During the 18th century, serfdom continued and even intensified in Russia. For example, during the reign of Emperor Peter the Great (1682-1725), it was common to sell or supply peasants. Until the abolition of serfdom, to be a peasant in Russia was to be a serf: to work the land for the benefit of a master, without any chance of freedom. Unlike a slave, a serf is technically bound to the.