Its one of the most absurd examples of historical falsehood in existence. Just one example is from 200 Years Together where Solzhenitsyn describes multiple Tsarist programs designed to get them into farming. Obviously their usury and other predatory economic practices were leading to conflict with the Russians around them so the state actually bought them farming equipment. So what did they do? Well they pawned the equipment and went right back to money lending and tavern ownership etc.