The article is devoted to discussion of L. R.Ryansky’s arguments about the satisfactory level of serfs’ life in the middle of the XIX century. L. R Ryansky uses a sample of 59 estates. We show that this sample is not representative, and Ryansky’s conclusions are not justified. We also prove that the population growth rate correlated with the share of serfs in the province. The population decreased in provinces with a high degree of serfs.