Counter-reforms of Alexander III

The reformer emperor Alexander II died on March 1, 1881 as a result of a terrorist act organized by the People’s Volunteers . The political mentor of the heir to the throne, Professor K.P. Pobedonostsev , saw this as a logical consequence of the liberal reforms of the completed reign. He wrote to his pupil ^[1] :

“The hour is terrible and time does not endure. Or now save Russia and yourself, or never. If you will sing the old siren songs that you need to calm down, you need to continue in a liberal direction, you must give way to the so-called public opinion - oh, for God's sake, don’t believe, Your Majesty, don’t listen. It will be the death, the death of Russia and yours: it is clear to me as a day. <...> The crazy villains who have destroyed your Parent will not be satisfied with any concession and will only become furious. They can be appeased, evil seed can only be torn out by fighting them on the stomach and death, with iron and blood. A new policy must be declared immediately and decisively. It is necessary to put an end to it at once, right now, all the talk about freedom of the press, about the willfulness of gatherings, about a representative assembly. ”

Under the influence of Pobedonostsev and the leader of the conservative-protective party M.N. Katkov, Emperor Alexander III dismissed the liberal "dictator" M.T. Loris-Melikov and rejected his proposed plan for political transformation (the so-called Loris-Melikov constitution ). The ideological program of the new reign was set out on April 29 in the manifesto " On the inviolability of autocracy ", which was composed of Pobedonostsev.

Revision of Peasant Reform

In the 1880s, the tsarist government, as under Nicholas I , saw its support in the nobility and considered it necessary to strengthen its shaky position during the years of reform. This explains the full support of the landowners, which began to "become impoverished" due to the abolition of serfdom . To subsidize the latter in 1885, the Noble Bank was created. Measures are being taken to strengthen the power of the local nobility at the expense of the peasantry, consolidating the patriarchal system in the countryside. Complicated land redistribution and family divisions, which blocks the exit of peasants from the community .

With these measures, the government wanted to slow down the disintegration of the patriarchal family, but the laws only increased social tension in the countryside: from now on, “it was difficult for the peasant to take the initiative to get out of growing poverty” ^[2] .

Judicial Reform Review

The revision of the judicial reform of 1864 consisted in complicating and bureaucratizing the judicial system, abolishing the institution of justices of the peace in counties , and reducing the jurisdiction of the jury . In rural areas, the world court was replaced by the arbitrariness of the zemstvo chiefs. Cassation appeals were now filed in the provincial presence, composed mainly of officials. The requirements for candidates for judges have been increased.

The Magistrate's Court in the village abolished the Regulation on Zemstvo district commanders (1889). These officials from among the local nobility exercised the full administrative and judicial powers, overturned the decisions of rural and volost gatherings , fined their participants, and could arrest the headman . They obeyed directly to the leaders of the nobility .

Revision of Education Reform

The educational reform of Alexander II was opposed by increased control of the secondary school by the state and church authorities. The circular about “cook children” blocked the way to the gymnasium for children of small shopkeepers, footmen, laundresses, etc. Primary schools were transferred directly to the Holy Synod . The University Charter of 1884 put an end to university autonomy and the development of women's higher education. Tuition has increased.

Increased censorship was formalized in the 1882 edition of the Interim Press Rules . From now on, any objectionable publication could be closed both by the decision of the Minister of the Interior and the Chief Prosecutor of the Synod .

Revision of Zemsky reform

The Zemsky counter-reform of 1890 was aimed at strengthening government control over the Zemstvo . The property qualification for citizens increased, and for landowners it decreased. As a result, artisans and small traders lost their voting rights ^[3] . The approval of the peasant vowels was handed over to the governors. These measures did not achieve their goal, because they could not undermine the position of the " third element " as the main force of the Zemstvo movement ^[2] .

Police measures

The administrative and police pressure was also strengthened by the publication in August 1881 of the “ Regulation on Enhanced and Emergency Protection, ” which gave the regional and provincial authorities the right to introduce an emergency management regime for an indefinite period. During the regime, there was the possibility of expelling unwanted persons, closing educational institutions and the media, transferring civil proceedings to military courts. Under the Minister of the Interior, a Special Meeting was organized, which, out of court, could exile suspicious persons or keep them under arrest for up to 5 years.

In 1892, the "Rules on Martial Law Locations" were published, which regulated the martial law regime, which provided for the transfer of power from civilian to military bodies, and the widespread use of military justice. Normative acts aimed at oppressing national minorities were also issued, of which the so-called. The May Rules of 1882.

The counterreforms of Alexander III, although they slowed down the revolutionary movement in Russia, at the same time “froze” the accumulated social contradictions and made the situation in the country, especially in the countryside, even more explosive ^[2] . The wave of protests declined. The historian M. N. Pokrovsky pointed to the “undoubted decline of the revolutionary labor movement in the mid-80s,” which, in his opinion, was the result of measures taken by the government of Alexander III ^[4] .

Went to a decline and terrorist activity. After the assassination of Alexander II, there was only one successful attempt on the part of the Volunteers in 1882 against the Odessa prosecutor Strelnikov, and one failed in 1887 on Alexander III. After this, there were no terrorist acts in the country until the beginning of the 20th century.

• Troitsky N. Counter-Reform 1889-1892 Preparation , Contents of Counter-Reforms , Consequences // Russia in the 19th Century: Lecture Course. - M .: Higher. school, 1997 .-- 431 p.