From the 1840s until 1917, prostitution was legally tolerated in the Russian Empire under a system known as regulation. This viewpoint examines how registered prostitutes resisted the regulation of prostitution and sought interaction with the authorities to achieve specific objectives. It focuses on a letter penned by 16 registered prostitutes living in Brest (now Belarus) in 1908 to examine everyday experiences of state regulation.

Brothel madams mediated between the police and women who sold sex, so they were essential for the functioning of the state regulation of prostitution. This viewpoint explores some of the responsibilities given to brothel madams working under the state regulation system.

The construction of the Trans-Siberian railway increased the visibility of prostitution in Siberia. This viewpoint explores the impact of transportation development and war on efforts to police prostitution in the Siberian region.

What was a secret prostitute and why did the tsarist police deem them so concerning? This viewpoint answers these questions by examining an anonymous denunciation of a woman living at 25 Bol’shoi Prospekt in St Petersburg that was sent to the city police in 1905.