The functioning of the Tambov zemstvo as a part of the government’s policy on development of non-agricultural work of peasants is viewed. The conclusion is made that the data on the state of non-agricultural work collected by the statists of the zemstvo had a positive impact on further functioning of the zemstvos. The reviews on the quality of the Tambov handicraft products of the experts from other governorates are presented. The economic support to handicraftsmen was one of the main courses of functioning of zemstvos. It consisted in the organisation of handicrafts exhibitions, the sending of handicrafts products to the exhibitions held in other governorates, establishing the handicrafts store, the agency in taking the government orders. The closer relations between the handicraftsmen and the customers, the realisation of stores of primary goods and the buying of handicrafts products, considerable government orders helped to solve the problems of sale and of primary goods in the sphere of handicrafts production. The function of zemstvos was defined as to organise master-classes and to raise the level of technical literacy of the handicraftsmen. The regulation of the tax and law activities of the handicraftsmen was also considered to be a part of zemstvos’ work. However, the analysis of the registers of the zemstvos allows to conclude that hardly any changes have been made in the economic life of the peasants involved into the non-agricultural work.