In the terrible winters of tsarist Russia, the families gave their children in exchange for food or vodka.

In Tsarist Russia, the status of servitude lasted from 1650 to 1860 for over two centuries. The feudal lords freely disposed of the inhabitants of their lands. The servants were estates, like the lands, the plantations, or the cattle. As all the earth begets was its owners, the fruits of the land, like the servants' children, belonged to the rich, owning families.

Dominated by the elite they belonged to, the servants suffered from cruelty, hunger, and the rigors of the climate. Their misery and submission had no limits. In the harsh winters, famine and cold put many families in complete despair. It was not uncommon for some families to choose one of their children to sell to the noble families as slaves. Even if they did not earn much from the sale, sometimes just some food or vodka, it was one mouth less to feed.
The younger ones were chosen for the bargain, whether by grace or beauty or simply because they were less useful for work or less resistant to the miseries of winter.

In this drawing, we see the poor woman of a family offering her youngest son and an old alcoholic announcing the beauty of his younger grandson in exchange for vodka.
In desperation, they expose naked boys, even in such low temperatures. The boys accept their fate; they know there is not enough food for everyone. They seek to please the noble lady or the wealthy farmer.

They will never see their families again if they are bought or simply accepted as gifts.
At this time of year, with the whole field covered with snow, there is no work or food for them. They will undoubtedly be used to amuse affluent families in the tedious winter days. They may be raped, sexually used, or tortured. If they are lucky, they can survive the winter; if they have bad luck, they can survive for a few more days.