In this Dad Tangent, we dig into one of the most dramatic “you’re free… but not really” moments in Ukrainian history: the abolition of serfdom. When Tsar Alexander II ended serfdom in the Russian Empire in 1861, millions of Ukrainian peasants were technically freed—but what did that freedom actually look like? Spoiler alert: it didn’t come with land, money, or much say in the matter.

We’ll explore how life changed (and didn’t), why serfs in the Austro-Hungarian part of Ukraine got a slightly better deal, and what this “freedom on a payment plan” meant for generations to come. Oh, and yes—there will be pitchforks involved.

If you thought getting grounded was rough, try being “un-serfed” in the 1860s. Let’s break it down!