Where serfdom was abolished. Serfdom in Russia: myth and reality (5 photos)

Let's try to figure out who abolished serfdom. Do you remember who first abolished serfdom in Russia and the world? Did our country follow European trends in this matter, and was the backlog that big?

The abolition of serfdom in Russia

Serfdom in Russia was abolished in 1861 by Tsar Alexander II with a manifesto of February 19. For this, Alexander II received the nickname "liberator". Serfdom was abolished due to its economic inefficiency, setbacks in the Crimean War, and growing peasant unrest. Many historians assess this reform as formal, not eradicating the socio-economic institution of slavery. There is a point of view that the abolition of serfdom in 1861 served only as a preparatory stage for the real abolition of serfdom, which dragged on for decades. The peasants themselves considered that the nobles distorted the will of the emperor in the "Manifesto on the abolition of serfdom" and the "Regulations on peasants emerging from serfdom." Allegedly, the emperor gave them a real will, but it was changed by the nobles.

The abolition of serfdom in Europe

Often in the context of the theme of the primacy of the abolition of serfdom, one speaks of Great Britain. In particular, in England by the 15th century this happened not formally, but really. The reason was the plague epidemic in the middle of the 14th century, which destroyed half of the population of Europe, as a result of which there were few workers, and a labor market appeared. Corvee - work for the owner has practically disappeared. The same is true for France and West Germany. The ban on the slave trade was introduced in England in March 1807, and she extended this law to her colonies in 1833.

Formally, the abolition of serfdom took place in August 1789 in France through the adoption by the revolutionary Constituent Assembly of a decree "On the abolition of feudal rights and privileges." The conditions for getting out of dependence were not acceptable to the peasants, so a wave of peasant protests swept through France.

Soon the state began to pay for the new "owners" the cost of allotted land, in fact, providing a loan at 6% per year for 49 years. Thanks to this "virtuous deed" for the land, the real value of which was about 500 million rubles, the treasury received about 3 billion rubles.

Year of the abolition of serfdom in Rus'

1. Inefficiency of landownership by landlords. For the state, there was no benefit from serfdom, and sometimes there were losses. The peasants did not provide the required income to the owner. After the ruin, the state even supported some of the nobles financially, because the landowners provided the country with conscripts.
2. There was a real threat to the industrialization of the country. The existing order did not allow the emergence of a free labor force, the development of trade. As a result, manufactories and factories were significantly inferior to modern enterprises in terms of equipment.
3. Crimean defeat. The Crimean War also confirmed the insignificance of the serf system. The state was unable to resist the enemy because of the financial crisis and total backwardness in certain industries. The defeat threatened Russia with the loss of influence throughout the world.
4. Increased peasant uprisings. The people were outraged by the increase in dues and corvee, the additional recruitment of serfs for recruits. All this was accompanied by varying degrees of opposition. Open uprisings began to arise, the peasants did not want to work, they did not pay dues.

1861 - that's the year serfdom was abolished in Russia. This date was the result of long meetings of government officials with landowners, nobles who were directly related to the ownership of people and received their income from the use of their slave state. The prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom were several factors that created a situation of political and economic impasse in the development of Russia.

Abolition of serfdom

Socio-economic development Russian Empire invariably lagged behind European states, the reason for which was the unproductive serf system. The absence of free hired labor hindered the development of capitalist industry. Poor peasants could not consume industrial products, which also had a negative impact on the development of the sector. In addition, the crisis of serf farms led to the ruin of the landowners.

And although already from the beginning of the 19th century serfdom in Russia was subject to weakening and partial abolitions, spreading to only a third of the peasants by 1861, the conscience of the Russian nobles was increasingly burdened by it; talk of its abolition has been going on since the beginning of the nineteenth century. The peasants also considered their dependence to be temporary, endured it with Christian patience and dignity, - testified an Englishman traveling around Russia. When asked what struck him most about the Russian peasant, the Englishman replied: “His neatness, intelligence and freedom ... Look at him: what could be freer than his conversion! Is there even a shadow of slavish humiliation in his steps and speech? (Notes of a visit to the Russian Church by the late W. Palmer. London, 1882).

Who abolished serfdom in Russia in 1861

The so-called courtyard people, who had no property and were not allocated land, were also released. They were at that time about 6 percent of the total number of serfs. Such people found themselves practically on the street, without a livelihood. Someone went to the cities and got a job, and someone took the path of crime, hunting for robbery and robbery, engaging in terrorism. It is known that two decades after the proclamation of the Manifesto, members of the Narodnaya Volya from among the descendants of former serfs killed the sovereign-liberator Alexander I. I. .

Who abolished serfdom in Russia? When did it happen

In Russia, the enslavement of peasants proceeded gradually. The beginning was laid in 1497, when farmers were forbidden to move from one landowner to another, except for a certain day in the year - St. George's Day. Nevertheless, over the next century, the peasant retained the right to change the landowner once every seven years - in the so-called reserved summer, i.e. reserved year.

When was serfdom abolished

In Russian historiography, there are two opposing views on the circumstances and time of the emergence of serfdom - the so-called "decree" and "unorder" versions. Both of them appeared in the middle of the 19th century. The first of them proceeds from the statement about the existence of a specific law at the end of the 16th century, namely from 1592, on the final prohibition of the peasant transfer from one landowner to another; and the other, relying on the absence of such a decree among the surviving official documents, considers serfdom as a gradual and protracted process of the loss of civil and property rights by previously free people.

Many modern historians write about the shortcomings of the 1861 reform. For example, Petr Andreevich Zaionchkovsky says that the terms of the ransom were extortionate. Soviet historians unequivocally agree that it was the contradictory and compromise nature of the reform that ultimately led to the 1917 revolution.

What year was serfdom abolished

Even during the reign of Nicholas I, a large amount of preparatory material for the peasant reform was collected. Serfdom during the reign of Nicholas I remained unshakable, but significant experience was accumulated in solving the peasant issue, on which his son Alexander II, who ascended the throne on March 4, 1855, could later rely. Alexander Nikolaevich was animated by the most sincere intention to do everything to eliminate the shortcomings of Russian life. He considered serfdom to be the main disadvantage. By this time, the idea of ​​abolishing serfdom had become widespread among the "top": the government, among officials, the nobility, and the intelligentsia. Meanwhile, this was one of the most difficult problems.

Who abolished serfdom

Often in the context of the theme of the primacy of the abolition of serfdom, one speaks of Great Britain. In particular, in England by the 15th century this happened not formally, but really. The reason was the plague epidemic in the middle of the 14th century, which destroyed half of the population of Europe, as a result of which there were few workers, and a labor market appeared. Corvee - work for the owner has practically disappeared. The same is true for France and West Germany. The ban on the slave trade was introduced in England in March 1807, and she extended this law to her colonies in 1833.

Alexander II abolished serfdom

It is indicative that the Russian expression "serfdom" originally meant precisely attachment to the land; while, for example, the corresponding German term Leibeigenschaft has a different meaning: Leib - "body", Eigenschaft has a common root with the word Eigen - "possession, property". (Unfortunately, in translation dictionaries these different concepts given as equivalent.)

In what year was serfdom abolished in Russia

Under serfdom, there were a number of laws that stated that a peasant was assigned to a certain piece of land, sometimes completely depriving him of his personal space and limiting his right to freedom. Serfdom in Russia was introduced in 1649. The local system that existed before that time was a rigid form of rental relations, but not serfs. Its essence was that the peasant rented a piece of land from the landowner, and worked on it until the harvest, as a result, he gave part of the profit in the form of "rent". The peasant did not have the right to leave until the moment he paid in full, according to the contract. But after that, he could go anywhere he wanted. That is why this system could not be called serf.

Date of the abolition of serfdom in Russia

To resolve the land issue, the state convened world mediators who were sent to the places and there they were engaged in the division of the land. The overwhelming majority of the work of these intermediaries consisted in the fact that they announced to the peasants that on all disputed issues with the land they should negotiate with the landowner. This agreement had to be in writing. The reform of 1861 gave the landowners the right, when determining land plots, to take away from the peasants, the so-called "surplus". As a result, the peasants had only 3.5 acres (1) of land per audit soul (2). Before the reform of the land was 3.8 acres. At the same time, the landlords took away the best land from the peasants, leaving only barren lands.

Serfdom in Russia

In the country, serfdom was formed rather late, but we can see the formation of its elements in Ancient Rus'. Starting from the 11th century, certain categories of rural residents were transferred to the category of personally dependent peasants, while the bulk of the population constituted the category of free communal peasants who could leave their master, find another, choose a better share for themselves. This right was first limited in the code of laws issued by Ivan III in 1497. The opportunity to leave the owner was now determined by two weeks a year, before and after November 26, when St. George's day was celebrated. At the same time, it was necessary to pay the elderly, a fee for the use of the landowner's yard. In the Sudebnik of Ivan the Terrible of 1550, the size of the elderly increased, which made the transition impossible for many peasants. From 1581, a temporary ban on crossing began to be introduced. As often happens, the temporary has become surprisingly permanent. The decree of 1597 introduced the duration of the investigation of fugitive peasants at 5 years. In the future, the fixed summers were constantly increasing, until in 1649 an indefinite search for escapees was introduced. Thus, serfdom was finally formalized by the father of Peter the Great, Alexei Mikhailovich. Despite the modernization of the country that had begun, Peter did not change serfdom; on the contrary, he took advantage of its existence as one of the resources for reforms. From his reign begins the combination of capitalist elements of development with serfdom, which prevails in Russia.

The legally formalized status of dependence of peasants is called serfdom. This phenomenon characterizes the development of society in the countries of Eastern and Western Europe. The formation of serfdom is connected with the evolution of feudal relations.

The origins of serfdom in Europe

The essence of the feudal dependence of the peasants on the landowner was control over the personality of the serf. It could be bought, sold, banned from moving around the territory of the country or city, even the issues of his personal life could be controlled.

Since feudal relations developed depending on the characteristics of the region, serfdom took shape in different states at different times. In the countries of Western Europe, it was fixed in the Middle Ages. In England, France, Germany, serfdom was abolished by the 17th century. Reforms relating to the liberation of the peasants are rich in the times of the Enlightenment. Eastern and Central Europe are regions where feudal dependence lasted longer. In Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, serfdom began to take shape in the 15th-16th centuries. It is interesting that the norms of the feudal dependence of the peasants on the feudal lords did not work out.

Characteristic features and conditions for the formation of feudal dependence

The history of serfdom allows us to trace the characteristic features of the state and social system, under which relations of dependence of peasants on wealthy landowners are formed:

1. Having a strong centralized government.
2. Social differentiation on the basis of property.
3. Low level of education.

On early stage the development of feudal relations, the goals of enslavement were to attach the peasant to the land allotment of the landowner and prevent the flight of workers. Legal norms regulated the process of paying taxes - the absence of population movements facilitated the collection of tribute. In the period of developed feudalism, prohibitions became more diverse. Now the peasant not only could not move from place to place on his own, but also did not have the right and opportunity to purchase real estate, land, he was obliged to pay a certain amount to the landowner for the right to work on his plots. Restrictions for the lower strata of the population varied regionally and depended on the characteristics of the development of society.

The origins of serfdom in Rus'

The process of enslavement in Russia - at the level of legal norms - began in the 15th century. The abolition of personal dependence was made much later than in other European countries. According to the censuses, the number of serfs in different territories of the country varied. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, dependent peasants began to gradually move into other classes.

Researchers are looking for the origins and causes of serfdom in Russia in the events of the period of the Old Russian state. The formation of social relations took place in the presence of a strong centralized power - at least for 100-200 years, during the reign of Volodymyr the Great and Yaroslav the Wise. The main code of laws of that time was the Russkaya Pravda. It contained norms that regulated the relations between free and not free peasants and landowners. Slaves, servants, purchasers, ryadovichi were dependent - they fell into bondage under various circumstances. Smerds were relatively free - they paid tribute and had the right to land.

The Tatar-Mongol invasion and feudal fragmentation became the reasons for the collapse of Rus'. The lands of the once unified state became part of Poland, Lithuania, Muscovy. New attempts at enslavement were made in the 15th century.

The beginning of the formation of feudal dependence

In the XV-XVI centuries, a local system was formed on the territory of the former Rus'. The peasant used the landowner's allotments under the terms of the contract. Legally, he was a free man. The peasant could leave the landowner for another place, but the latter could not drive him away. The only restriction was that it was impossible to leave the site until you paid its owner.

The first attempt to limit the rights of the peasants was made by Ivan III. The author of "Sudebnik" approved the transition to other lands within a week before and after St. George's Day. In 1581, a decree was issued banning the exit of peasants in certain years. But it did not attach them to a specific site. A decree of November 1597 approved the need to return fugitive workers to the landowner. In 1613, the Romanov dynasty came to power in the Muscovite kingdom - they increased the time needed to search for and return the fugitives.

About the Council Code

In what year did serfdom become a formalized legal norm? The officially dependent status of the peasantry was approved by the Council Code of 1649. The document differed significantly from previous acts. The main idea of ​​the Code in the field of regulation of relations between the landowner and the peasant was the prohibition of the latter to move to other cities and villages. As a place of residence, the territory in which a person lived according to the results of the census of the 1620s was fixed. Another fundamental difference between the norms of the Code is the statement that the search for fugitives becomes indefinite. The rights of the peasants were limited - the document practically equated them with serfs. The farm of the worker belonged to the master.

The beginning of serfdom is a series of restrictions on movement. But there were also norms that protected the landowner from the willfulness. The peasant could complain or sue, could not be deprived of land simply by the decision of the masters.

In general, such norms consolidated serfdom. It took years to complete the process of formalizing a complete feudal dependence.

History of serfdom in Russia

After the Council Code, several more documents appeared that consolidated the dependent status of the peasants. The tax reform of 1718-1724 was finally attached to a certain place of residence. Gradually, restrictions led to the formalization of the slave position of the peasants. In 1747, the landlords received the right to sell their worker as recruits, and after another 13 years - to send them into exile in Siberia.

At first, the peasant had the opportunity to complain about the landowner, but from 1767 this was canceled. In 1783, serfdom extended to the territory. All laws confirming feudal dependence protected only the rights of landlords.

Any documents aimed at improving the situation of the peasants were actually ignored. Paul I issued a decree on but in fact the work lasted 5-6 days. Since 1833, the landowners received a legally fixed right to dispose of the personal life of a serf.

The stages of serfdom make it possible to analyze all the milestones in the consolidation of peasant dependence.

On the eve of the reform

The crisis of the serf system began to make itself felt at the end of the 18th century. This state of society hindered the progress and development of capitalist relations. Serfdom became a wall that separated Russia from the civilized countries of Europe.

Interestingly, feudal dependence did not exist throughout the country. There was no serfdom in the Caucasus, Far East, in Asian provinces. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was abolished in Courland, Livonia. Alexander I issued a law on its purpose was to ease the pressure on the peasants.

Nicholas I made an attempt to create a commission that would develop a document abolishing serfdom. The landlords prevented the elimination of this kind of dependence. The emperor obliged the landowners, when freeing a peasant, to give him land that he could cultivate. The consequences of this law are known - the landlords stopped freeing the serfs.

The complete abolition of serfdom in Rus' will be carried out by the son of Nicholas I - Alexander II.

Reasons for agrarian reform

Serfdom hindered the development of the state. The abolition of serfdom in Rus' has become a historical necessity. Unlike many European countries, industry and trade developed worse in Russia. The reason for this was the lack of motivation and interest of workers in the results of their work. Serfdom became a brake on the development of market relations and the completion of the industrial revolution. In many European countries, it successfully ended at the beginning of the 19th century.

The landlord economy and the feudal building of relations ceased to be effective - they have become obsolete and did not correspond to historical realities. The work of the serfs did not justify itself. The dependent position of the peasants completely deprived them of their rights and gradually became a catalyst for rebellion. Social discontent grew. Serfdom reform was needed. The solution of the issue required a professional approach.

An important event, the consequence of which was the reform of 1861, is the Crimean War, in which Russia was defeated. Social problems and foreign policy failures pointed to the unproductiveness of the state's domestic and foreign policy.

Opinions on serfdom

The attitude to serfdom was expressed by many writers, politicians, travelers, and thinkers. Plausible descriptions of peasant life were censored. Since the beginning of the existence of serfdom, there have been several opinions about it. We single out two main, opposite ones. Some considered such relations natural for the monarchical state system. Serfdom was called a historically determined consequence of patriarchal relations, useful for educating the population and an urgent need for a full and effective economic development. The second, opposite to the first, position speaks of feudal dependence as an immoral phenomenon. Serfdom, according to fans of this concept, destroys the social and economy of the country. Supporters of the second position can be called A. Herzen, K. Aksakov. A. Savelyev's publication refutes any negative aspects of serfdom. The author writes that the statements about the disasters of the peasants are far from the truth. The 1861 reform also drew mixed reviews.

Development of a reform project

For the first time, Emperor Alexander II spoke about the possibility of abolishing serfdom in 1856. A year later, a committee was convened to develop a draft reform. It consisted of 11 people. The commission came to the conclusion that it was necessary to create special committees in each province. They should study the situation on the ground and make their own corrections and recommendations. In 1857, this project was legalized. The main idea of ​​the original plan for the abolition of serfdom was the elimination of personal dependence while maintaining the rights of landowners to land. A transitional period was envisaged for the adaptation of society to the reform carried out. The possible abolition of serfdom in Rus' caused misunderstanding among the landlords. In the newly formed committees, there was also a struggle over the terms of the reform. In 1858, the decision was made to ease the pressure on the peasants, rather than abolish dependence. The most successful project was developed by Ya. Rostovtsev. The program provided for the abolition of personal dependence, the consolidation of the transition period, and the provision of land to the peasants. Conservative politicians did not like the project - they sought to limit the rights and size of the peasants' allotments. In 1860, after the death of Y. Rostovtsev, V. Panin took up the development of the program.

The results of several years of work of the committees served as the basis for the abolition of serfdom. The year 1861 in the history of Russia became a landmark in all respects.

Proclamation of the "Manifesto"

The agrarian reform project formed the basis of the Manifesto on the Abolition of Serfdom. The text of this document was supplemented by the "Regulations on the Peasants" - they described in more detail all the subtleties of social and economic changes. The abolition of serfdom in Rus' took place a year. On this day the Emperor signed the Manifesto and promulgated it.

The program of the document abolished serfdom. The years of non-progressive feudal relations are in the past. At least that's what many thought.

The main provisions of the document:

• Peasants received personal freedom, were considered "temporarily liable".
• Former serfs could have property, the right to self-government.
• The peasants were given land, but they had to work it out and pay for it. It is obvious that the former serfs did not have money for ransom, so this clause formally renamed personal dependence.
• The size of land plots was determined by the landowners.
• The landowners received a guarantee from the state for the right to redeem operations. Thus, financial obligations fell on the peasants.

Below is the table "Serfdom: the abolition of personal dependence." Let's analyze the positive and negative results of the reform.

1861 in the history of Russia was the year of a turning point in social foundations. The feudal relations that had become entrenched in society could no longer be useful. But the reform itself was not well thought out, and therefore had many negative consequences.

Russia after the reform

The consequences of serfdom, such as unpreparedness for capitalist relations and the crisis for all classes, speak of the untimeliness and ill-conceivedness of the proposed changes. The peasants reacted to the reform with large-scale performances. The uprisings engulfed many provinces. During 1861, more than 1,000 riots were recorded.

The negative consequences of the abolition of serfdom, which equally affected both landlords and peasants, were reflected in the economic condition of Russia, which was not ready for change. The reform eliminated the established long-term system of public and economic relations, but did not create a base and did not suggest ways for the country's further development in the new conditions. The impoverished peasantry was now completely destroyed both by the oppression of the landlords and by the needs of the growing bourgeois class. The result was a slowdown in the capitalist development of the country.

The reform did not free the peasants from serfdom, but only took away from them last chance to feed their families at the expense of the landlords, who were obliged by law to support their serfs. Their allotments have decreased in comparison with pre-reform ones. Instead of the quitrent, which they worked out from the landowner, huge payments of a different nature appeared. The rights to use forests, meadows and water bodies were actually completely taken away from the rural community. Peasants were still an isolated class without rights. And still they were considered as existing in a special legal regime.

The landowners, on the other hand, suffered many losses because the reform limited their economic interest. The monopoly on the peasants eliminated the possibility of free use of the latter for the development of agriculture. In fact, the landowners were forced to give the peasants allotment land as property. The reform was distinguished by inconsistency and inconsistency, the absence of a solution to the further development of society and the relationship between former slaves and landowners. But, ultimately, a new historical period was opened, which had a progressive significance.

The peasant reform had great importance for the further formation and development of capitalist relations in Russia. Among the positive results are the following:

After the liberation of the peasants, an intensive trend appeared in the growth of the non-professional labor market.

The rapid development of industry and agricultural entrepreneurship was due to the granting of civil and property rights to the former serfs. The class rights of the nobility to the land were eliminated, and it became possible to trade in land plots.

The reform of 1861 became a salvation from the financial collapse of the landlords, as the state took on huge debts from the peasants.

The abolition of serfdom served as a prerequisite for the creation of a constitution designed to provide people with their freedoms, rights and duties. This has become the main goal on the way to the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one, that is, to a rule of law state in which citizens live according to the laws in force, and everyone is given the right to reliable personal protection.

The active construction of new factories and factories led to the fact that belated technical progress began to develop.

The post-reform period was distinguished by the strengthening of the positions of the bourgeoisie and the economic landslide weakening of the nobility, which still ruled the state and firmly held power, which contributed to the slow transition to the capitalist form of management.

At the same time, the emergence of the proletariat as a separate class is noted. The abolition of serfdom in Russia was followed by zemstvo (1864), urban (1870), judicial (1864), which were beneficial to the bourgeoisie. The purpose of these legislative changes was to bring the system and administration in Russia into legal compliance with the new developing social structures, where millions of liberated peasants wanted to get the right to be called people.

The reign of Alexander II (1856-1881) went down in history as a period of "great reforms". It was largely thanks to the emperor that serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861 - an event that, of course, is his main achievement, which played a big role in the future development of the state.

Prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom

In 1856-1857, a number of southern provinces were shaken by peasant unrest, which, however, subsided very quickly. But, nevertheless, they served as a reminder to the ruling power that the situation in which the common people find themselves, in the end, could turn into grave consequences for it.

In addition, the current serfdom significantly slowed down the progress of the country's development. The axiom that free labor is more effective than forced labor manifested itself in full measure: Russia lagged far behind Western states both in the economy and in the socio-political sphere. This threatened that the previously created image of a powerful state could simply dissolve, and the country would move into the category of a secondary one. Not to mention the fact that serfdom was very much like slavery.

By the end of the 1950s, more than a third of the country's 62 million population was completely dependent on their owners. Russia urgently needed a peasant reform. 1861 was to be a year of serious changes, which should have been carried out in such a way that they could not shake the established foundations of the autocracy, and the nobility retained its dominant position. Therefore, the process of abolishing serfdom required careful analysis and elaboration, and this, due to the imperfect state apparatus, was already problematic.

Necessary steps for the coming changes

The abolition of serfdom in Russia in 1861 was to seriously affect the foundations of life in a vast country.

However, if in the states living according to the constitution, before carrying out any transformations, they are being worked out in the ministries and discussed in the government, after which finished projects reforms are submitted to the parliament, which makes the final verdict, then in Russia there were no ministries or a representative body. And serfdom was legalized at the state level. Alexander II could not cancel it personally, as this would violate the rights of the nobility, which is the basis of autocracy.

Therefore, in order to promote reform in the country, it was necessary to create a whole apparatus, specially engaged in the abolition of serfdom. It was supposed to be composed of institutions organized locally, whose proposals would be submitted to and processed by a central committee, which in turn would be controlled by the monarch.

Since it was the landlords who lost the most in the light of the upcoming changes, for Alexander II it would be the best way out if the initiative to free the peasants came from the nobles. Soon such a moment turned up.

"Rescript to Nazimov"

In the middle of autumn 1857, General Vladimir Ivanovich Nazimov, the governor from Lithuania, arrived in St. Petersburg, who brought with him a petition for granting him and the governors of the Kovno and Grodno provinces the right to give freedom to their serfs, but without granting them land.

In response, Alexander II sent a rescript (personal imperial letter) addressed to Nazimov, in which he instructed the local landowners to organize provincial committees. Their task was to develop their own versions of the future peasant reform. At the same time, in the message, the king also gave his recommendations:

• Providing complete freedom serfs.
• All land plots must remain with the landowners, with the preservation of the right of ownership.
• Enabling the liberated peasants to receive land allotments, subject to the payment of dues or working off corvée.
• Give the peasants the opportunity to redeem their estates.

Soon the rescript appeared in print, which gave impetus to a general discussion of the issue of serfdom.

Creation of committees

At the very beginning of 1857, the emperor, following his plan, created a secret committee on the peasant question, which secretly worked on the development of a reform to abolish serfdom. But only after the "rescript to Nazimov" became public, the institution began to work in full force. In February 1958, all secrecy was removed from it, renaming it the Main Committee for Peasant Affairs, which was headed by Prince A.F. Orlov.

Under him, editorial commissions were created, which considered the projects submitted by the provincial committees, and already on the basis of the collected data, an all-Russian version of the future reform was created.

General Ya.I., a member of the State Council, was appointed chairman of these commissions. Rostovtsev, who fully supported the idea of ​​abolishing serfdom.

Controversy and work done

In the course of work on the draft between the Main Committee and the majority of provincial landowners, there were serious contradictions. Thus, the landowners insisted that the release of the peasants be limited only to the provision of freedom, and the land could be assigned to them only on the basis of a lease without redemption. The committee wanted to give the former serfs the opportunity to acquire land, becoming full owners.

In 1860, Rostovtsev dies, in connection with which Alexander II appoints Count V.N. Panin, who, by the way, was considered an opponent of the abolition of serfdom. Being an unquestioning executor of the royal will, he was forced to complete the reform project.

In October, the work of the Editorial Committees was completed. In total, the provincial committees submitted for consideration 82 projects for the abolition of serfdom, which occupied 32 printed volumes in terms of volume. The result was submitted for consideration to the State Council, and after its adoption, it was submitted for assurance to the king. After familiarization, he signed the relevant Manifesto and Regulations. February 19, 1861 became the official day of the abolition of serfdom.

Main provisions of the manifesto February 19, 1861

The main provisions of the document were as follows:

• The serfs of the empire received complete personal independence, now they were called "free rural inhabitants."
• From now on (that is, from February 19, 1861), serfs were considered full-fledged citizens of the country with the corresponding rights.
• All movable peasant property, as well as houses and buildings, were recognized as their property.
• The landowners retained the rights to their lands, but at the same time they had to provide the peasants with household plots, as well as field plots.
• For the use of land plots, the peasants had to pay a ransom both directly to the owner of the territory and to the state.

Necessary Reform Compromise

New changes could not satisfy the desires of all concerned. The peasants themselves were dissatisfied. First of all, the conditions under which they were provided with land, which, in fact, was the main means of subsistence. Therefore, the reforms of Alexander II, or rather, some of their provisions, are ambiguous.

Thus, according to the Manifesto, throughout Russia, the largest and smallest sizes of land plots per capita were established, depending on the natural and economic characteristics of the regions.

It was assumed that if the peasant allotment had a smaller size than was established by the document, then this obliged the landowner to add the missing area. If they are large, then, on the contrary, cut off the excess and, as a rule, the best part of the dress.

The norms of allotments provided

The manifesto of February 19, 1861 divided the European part of the country into three parts: steppe, black earth and non-black earth.

• The norm of land allotments for the steppe part is from six and a half to twelve acres.
• The norm for the black earth belt ranged from three to four and a half acres.
• For the non-chernozem strip - from three and a quarter to eight acres.

In general, the area of ​​the allotment in the country became less than it was before the changes, thus, the peasant reform of 1861 deprived the "liberated" more than 20% of the area of ​​cultivated land.

Conditions for the transfer of land ownership

According to the reform of 1861, the land was not provided to the peasants for ownership, but only for use. But they had the opportunity to redeem it from the owner, that is, to conclude the so-called redemption deal. Until that moment, they were considered temporarily liable, and for the use of land they had to work out corvee, which was no more than 40 days a year for men, and 30 for women. Or pay rent, the amount of which for the highest allotment ranged from 8-12 rubles, and when assigning a tax, the fertility of the land was necessarily taken into account. At the same time, the temporarily liable did not have the right to simply refuse the allotment provided, that is, the corvée would still have to be worked out.

After the completion of the redemption transaction, the peasant became the full owner of the land.

And the state was not left behind

From February 19, 1861, thanks to the Manifesto, the state had the opportunity to replenish the treasury. Such an income item was opened due to the formula by which the amount of the redemption payment was calculated.

The amount that the peasant had to pay for the land was equated to the so-called conditional capital, which was deposited in the State Bank at 6% per annum. And these percentages were equated to the income that the landowner had previously received from dues.

That is, if the landowner had 10 rubles of dues from one soul per year, then the calculation was made according to the formula: 10 rubles were divided by 6 (interest from capital), and then multiplied by 100 (total interest) - (10/6) x 100 = 166.7.

Thus, the total amount of dues was 166 rubles 70 kopecks - money "unbearable" for a former serf. But here the state entered into a deal: the peasant had to pay the landlord at a time only 20% of the estimated price. The remaining 80% was contributed by the state, but not just like that, but by providing a long-term loan with a maturity of 49 years and 5 months.

Now the peasant had to pay the State Bank annually 6% of the amount of the redemption payment. It turned out that the amount that the former serf had to contribute to the treasury exceeded the loan three times. In fact, February 19, 1861 was the date when the former serf, having got out of one bondage, fell into another. And this despite the fact that the amount of the ransom itself exceeded the market value of the allotment.

The results of the changes

The reform adopted on February 19, 1861 (the abolition of serfdom), despite its shortcomings, gave a fundamental impetus to the development of the country. 23 million people received freedom, which led to a serious transformation in the social structure of Russian society, and further revealed the need to transform the entire political system of the country.

The timely Manifesto on February 19, 1861, the preconditions of which could lead to a serious regression, became a stimulating factor for the development of capitalism in the Russian state. Thus, the eradication of serfdom is, of course, one of the central events in the history of the country.

The prerequisites for the abolition of serfdom were formed in late XVIII century. All sectors of society considered the serfdom an immoral phenomenon that dishonored Russia. In order to stand on a par with the European countries free from slavery, the question of the abolition of serfdom was ripe for the Russian government.

The main reasons for the abolition of serfdom:

1. Serfdom became a brake on the development of industry and trade, which hindered the growth of capital and placed Russia in the category of secondary states;
2. The decline of the landlord economy due to the extremely inefficient labor of serfs, which was expressed in the deliberately poor performance of the corvee;
3. The growth of peasant revolts indicated that the serfdom was a "powder keg" under the state;
4. The defeat in the Crimean War (1853-1856) demonstrated the backwardness of the political system in the country.

Alexander I tried to take the first steps in resolving the issue of the abolition of serfdom, but his committee did not think of how to put this reform into practice. Emperor Alexander limited himself to the law of 1803 on free cultivators.

Nicholas I in 1842 adopted the law "On indebted peasants", according to which the landowner had the right to free the peasants, giving them a plot of land, and the peasants were obliged to bear the duty in favor of the landowner for the use of the land. However, this law did not take root, the landowners did not want to let the peasants go.

In 1857, official preparations began for the abolition of serfdom. Emperor Alexander II ordered the establishment of provincial committees, which were to develop projects to improve the life of serfs. On the basis of these drafts, drafting commissions drew up a bill, which was submitted to the Main Committee for consideration and establishment.

On February 19, 1861, Emperor Alexander II signed a manifesto on the abolition of serfdom and approved the "Regulations on peasants who have emerged from serfdom." Alexander remained in history with the name "Liberator".

Although emancipation from slavery gave the peasants some personal and civil freedoms, such as the right to marry, go to court, trade, enter the civil service, etc., but they were limited in freedom of movement, as well as in economic rights. In addition, the peasants remained the only class that carried recruiting duties and could be subjected to corporal punishment.

The land remained in the ownership of the landlords, and the peasants were allocated a settled place of residence and a field allotment, for which they had to serve their duties (in money or work), which almost did not differ from serfs. According to the law, the peasants had the right to redeem the allotment and the estate, then they received complete independence and became peasant owners. Until then, they were called "temporarily liable." The ransom amounted to the annual amount of dues, multiplied by 17!

To help the peasantry, the government arranged a special "buying operation." After the establishment of the land allotment, the state paid the landowner 80% of the value of the allotment, and 20% was attributed to the peasant as a government debt, which he had to repay in installments over 49 years.

Peasants united in rural communities, and those, in turn, united in volosts. The use of field land was communal, and for the implementation of "redemption payments" the peasants were bound by mutual responsibility.

Yard people who did not plow the land were temporarily liable for two years, and then they could register in a rural or urban society.

The agreement between the landowners and peasants was set forth in the "charter". And for the analysis of emerging disagreements, the post of conciliators was established. The overall leadership of the reform was entrusted to the "provincial presence for peasant affairs."

The peasant reform created conditions for the transformation of labor power into a commodity, market relations began to develop, which is typical for a capitalist country. The consequence of the abolition of serfdom was the gradual formation of new social strata of the population - the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.

Changes in the social, economic and political life of Russia after the abolition of serfdom forced the government to undertake other important reforms, which contributed to the transformation of our country into a bourgeois monarchy.