The article examines the attitude of various segments of the population of Saratov to prostitution at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries. Despite the heterogeneity of the Russian society, the stereotype of prostitution as a shameful occupation and social evil, which had been established for centuries, was maintained in the public consciousness. Within the framework of the methodological concept of social history and the history of everyday life, the attitude of various categories of citizens and local authorities to this social deviation is considered.
