When serfdom was abolished. Serfdom in Russia: the main misconceptions

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 XVII 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, Hungary, serfdom began to take shape in XV-XVI 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 characteristics state and social system, in which relations of dependence of peasants on rich landowners are formed:

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

At an early stage in 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 independently from place to place, 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 Russia

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. Formation 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 Russia. 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 in the territory former Russia local system was formed. 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 landowners.

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 with late XVIII 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 Russia 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 Russia 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 unproductive domestic and foreign policy of the state.

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 political 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. main idea the original plan for the abolition of serfdom - 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 Russia 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 transition period providing peasants with land. 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 Russia 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.

positive	negative
Obtaining personal civil liberties	Travel restrictions remain
The right to freely marry, trade, sue, own property	The inability to buy land actually returned the peasant to the position of a serf.
The emergence of the foundations for the development of market relations	The rights of landlords were placed above the rights of commoners
	The peasants were not ready to work, they did not know how to enter into market relations. Like the landowners did not know how to live without serfs
	Unreasonably large amount of redemption of land allotment
	Formation of a rural community. It was not a progressive factor in the development of society

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 the last opportunity 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 landlords. 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 administrative management 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". Largely thanks to the emperor, serfdom was abolished in Russia in 1861 - an event that, of course, is his main achievement, which played 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 states living under the constitution, before any transformations are carried out, they are worked out in the ministries and discussed in the government, after which the finished reform projects are submitted to the parliament, which makes the final verdict, then in Russia there are neither ministries nor a representative body. existed. 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 made up 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:

Granting full freedom to 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 on the basis of the data collected, 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 project 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 natural and economic features 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 broke European part countries 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 the whole country, the area of allotment became smaller 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 corvée, 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 quitrent per 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. Freedom gained 23 million people, which led to a major transformation in social structure Russian society, and later revealed the need to transform the entire political system of the country.

The timely Manifesto on February 19, 1861, the prerequisites 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.

On March 3, 1861, Alexander II abolished serfdom and received the nickname "Liberator" for this. But the reform did not become popular; on the contrary, it was the cause of mass unrest and the death of the emperor.

Landlord initiative

The preparation of the reform was carried out by large landlords-feudal lords. Why did they suddenly agree to compromise? At the beginning of his reign, Alexander gave a speech to the Moscow nobility, in which he voiced one simple thought: “It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for it to be abolished by itself from below.”
His fears were not unfounded. In the first quarter of the 19th century, 651 peasant unrest were registered, in the second quarter of this century - already 1089 unrest, and over the last decade (1851 - 1860) - 1010, while 852 unrest occurred in 1856-1860.
The landowners provided Alexander with more than a hundred projects for future reform. Those of them who owned estates in the non-Chernozem provinces were ready to let the peasants go and give them allotments. But this land was to be bought from them by the state. The landlords of the black earth belt wanted to keep as much land as possible in their hands.
But the final draft of the reform was drawn up under the control of the state in a specially formed Secret Committee.

false will

After the abolition of serfdom, rumors spread among the peasants almost immediately that the decree read to them was fake, and the landowners hid the real manifesto of the tsar. Where did these rumors come from? The fact is that the peasants were given "freedom", that is, personal freedom. But they didn't get the land.
The owner of the land was still the landowner, and the peasant was only its user. To become the full owner of the allotment, the peasant had to redeem it from the master.
The liberated peasant still remained tied to the land, only now he was held not by the landowner, but by the community, which was difficult to leave - everyone was "bound in one chain." For example, it was unprofitable for community members to have wealthy peasants stand out and run an independent household.

Redemptions and cuts

On what conditions did the peasants part with their slave position? The most acute issue was, of course, the question of land. Complete landlessness of the peasants was an economically disadvantageous and socially dangerous measure. Whole territory European Russia was divided into 3 bands - non-chernozem, chernozem and steppe. In the non-chernozem regions, the size of the allotments was larger, but in the fertile black earth regions, the landowners were very reluctant to part with their land. The peasants had to bear their former duties - corvée and dues, only now it was considered payment for the land provided to them. Such peasants were called temporarily liable.
Since 1883, all temporarily liable peasants were obliged to buy their allotment from the landowner, and at a price much higher than the market price. The peasant was obliged to immediately pay the landowner 20% of the redemption amount, and the remaining 80% was paid by the state. The peasants had to repay it for 49 years annually in equal redemption payments.
The distribution of land in individual estates also took place in the interests of the landowners. The allotments were fenced off by the landlords' lands from the lands that were vital in the economy: forests, rivers, pastures. So the communities had to rent these lands for a high fee.

Step towards capitalism

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.
But, nevertheless, after the signing of the Manifesto on the abolition of serfdom, the life of the peasants in Russia changed for the better. At least they stopped selling and buying them, as if they were animals or things. The liberated peasants replenished the labor market, got jobs in factories and plants. This entailed the formation of new capitalist relations in the country's economy and its modernization.
And, finally, the liberation of the peasants was one of the first reforms from a whole series prepared and carried out by the associates of Alexander II. Historian B.G. Litvak wrote: "... such a huge social act as the abolition of serfdom could not pass without a trace for the entire state organism." The changes affected almost all spheres of life: the economy, the socio-political sphere, local government, the army and navy.

Russia and America

It is generally accepted that the Russian Empire was socially a very backward state, because until the second half of the 19th century, the disgusting custom of selling people at auction, like cattle, remained there, and the landowners did not bear any serious punishment for the murder of their serfs. But do not forget that at that very time, on the other side of the world, in the United States, there was a war between north and south, and one of the reasons for it was the problem of slavery. Only through a military conflict in which hundreds of thousands of people died.
Indeed, many similarities can be found between the American slave and the serf: they did not manage their lives in the same way, they were sold, they were separated from their families; private life was controlled.
The difference lay in the very nature of the societies that gave rise to slavery and serfdom. In Russia, the labor of serfs was cheap, and the estates were unproductive. Attaching peasants to the land was more of a political than an economic phenomenon. The plantations of the American South have always been commercial, and their main principles have been economic efficiency.

Many are interested in when serfdom was abolished in Russia and in what year the abolition took place. Let's briefly analyze what is the meaning of serfdom and how it worked.

Serfdom was a list of legal rules in a state with a feudal system that determined the rigid dependence of the peasants. They were not allowed to leave the earth. Moreover, there was a judicial and administrative hereditary subordination to a fixed feudal lord. Peasants had no right to buy real estate and alienate land plots. The feudal lord had the right to alienate peasants without land.

According to history in 1861 serfdom was abolished, resulting in Russian Empire a major reform began.

So who abolished serfdom?

January 28, 1861 Emperor Alexander II delivered a speech to the State Council in which he demanded that State Council finish the work on the liberation of the peasants in the first half of February current year to be announced before the start of field work.

Reasons for the abolition of serfdom

In the 19th century, the peasant question was the key to the discussion of the whole society, most of which took the position of liberation from the unlimited power of the landowner. There are several main reasons for the abolition of serfdom:

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.
Appeared real threat for 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.
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.
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 varying degrees confrontation. Open uprisings began to arise, the peasants did not want to work, they did not pay dues.

Consequences of serfdom in Russia

The reform carried out on February 19, 1861 had negative consequences for both the peasant and the master. There was no getting rid of the existing socio-economic relations, that is, the main objective has not been reached. Feudal vestiges still remained in the villages, which hindered the development of capitalism in Russia. The allotments of the peasants were reduced, but payments only increased. The rights to use meadows, reservoirs and forests were lost.

The peasants began to represent a separate estate. The landlords, on the other hand, felt the infringement of economic interests. The monopoly on the free labor of the muzhik disappeared, and the obligation arose to give allotment land to the peasant.

At the same time, there was a good opportunity for the free labor market to flourish. Many landowners were saved from collapse, because the state covered their debts through redemption payments for peasants. New civil and property rights farmers were helped to stimulate industrial and agricultural entrepreneurship. Finally, the abolition of serfdom allowed all citizens of the country to become free, and there were signs of technological progress.

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The moment when serfdom was abolished is rightfully considered a turning point in the history of Russia. Despite the gradualness of the ongoing reforms, they became a significant impetus in the development of the state. This date is not in vain given such importance. Everyone who considers himself an educated and literate person should remember that in Russia. After all, if it were not for the Manifesto signed by Mr. and freeing the peasants, we would live today in a completely different state.

Serfdom in Russia was a peculiar form of slavery that applied only to rural residents. This feudal system steadfastly held out in a country that aspired to become capitalist, and significantly hampered its development. This became especially obvious after the defeat in 1856. According to many historians, the consequences of the defeat were not catastrophic. But they vividly showed the technical backwardness, the economic failure of the empire, and the scope of the peasant revolution that threatened to turn into a revolution.

Who abolished serfdom? Naturally, under the Manifesto was the signature of Tsar Alexander II, who ruled at that time. But the haste with which the decision was made speaks of the necessity of these measures. Alexander himself admitted: delay threatened that "the peasants would have liberated themselves."

It should be noted that the question of the need for reforms in agriculture rose repeatedly in the early 1800s. The liberal-minded sections of the nobility were especially persistent about this. However, the answer to these calls was only a leisurely "study of the peasant question", which covered the unwillingness of tsarism to part with its usual foundations. But the widespread intensification of exploitation led to the discontent of the peasants and numerous cases of flight from the landowners. At the same time, the developing industry required workers in the cities. It was also necessary for manufactured goods, and the widespread subsistence economy prevented its expansion. The revolutionary democratic ideas of N.G. Chernyshevsky and N.A. Dobrolyubova, activities of secret societies.

The tsar and his advisers, when serfdom was abolished, showed political far-sightedness, having managed to find a compromise solution. On the one hand, the peasants received personal freedom and civil rights, albeit infringed. The threat of revolution was delayed for a significant period of time. Russia once again received world recognition as a progressive country with a reasonable government. On the other hand, Alexander II managed to take into account the interests of the landlords in the ongoing reforms and make them beneficial for the state.

Contrary to the opinion of educated nobles, who analyzed the European experience in comparison with Russian reality and presented numerous projects for future reforms, the peasants received personal freedom without land. The allotments that were given to them for use remained the property of the landowners until they were completely redeemed. For this period, the peasant turned out to be “temporarily obliged” and was forced to fulfill all the previous duties. As a result, freedom became only beautiful word, and the situation of the "rural inhabitants" was still extremely difficult. In fact, when serfdom was abolished, one form of dependence on the landowner was replaced by another, in some cases even more burdensome.

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.

The conditions for the reforms did not suit even the most enterprising peasants. After all, the ownership of allotments did not pass to each farmer specifically, but to the community, which helped to solve many financial problems, but became an obstacle for the enterprising. For example, taxes and peasants were carried out by the whole world. As a result, they also had to pay for those members of the community who, for various reasons, could not do this themselves.

These and many other nuances led to the fact that throughout Russia, starting in March 1861, when serfdom was abolished, peasant riots began to flare up. Their number in the provinces numbered in the thousands, only the most significant were about 160. However, the fears of those who expected the "new Pugachevism" did not come true, and by the autumn of that year the unrest subsided.

The decision to abolish serfdom played a huge role in the development of capitalism and industry in Russia. This reform was followed by others, including the judiciary, which to a large extent removed the sharpness of the contradictions. However, the excessive compromise of the changes and the clear underestimation of the influence of Narodnaya Volya's ideas caused the bomb explosion that killed Alexander II on March 1, 1881, and the revolutions that turned the country upside down at the beginning of the 20th century.