To the 200th anniversary of Alexander II: the Presidential Library rarities tell about Great Reforms of the Tsar-Liberator

April 29, 2018 marks 200 years since the birth of Alexander II, the Russian emperor, honored the high epithet Liberator. The materials of the large-scale collection of the Presidential Library "The Romanov Dynasty. Zemsky Sobor of 1613" tell about the monarch who directed the state on a new vector of development and cardinally changed the life of his subjects. They include biographical sketches, research papers, memoirs and speeches of contemporaries dedicated to the sovereign, as well as numerous photographs of the tsar and his family members.

The accession of Alexander II to the throne on February 19, 1855 occurred at a rather complicated historical moment: he inherited from his father a state exhausted by the Crimean War, "discovering the internal sores of Russia and the total failure of the old way of life". In these historical conditions, radical changes were simply necessary.

The rare edition of 1904 "The Illustrated History of the reign of Emperor Alexander II" notes: "It is curious that long before the "era of great reforms", when it was not even known yet whether Nikolai Pavlovich would be the Emperor, Russian society linked its hopes with the name born April 17, 1818, the Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, the future Emperor Alexander II". 

A. F. Vertelovsky in his work "Reforms of Emperor Alexander II" of 1880 writes: "The transforming activity of the reigning Emperor, which had such an impact on public and political life, was opened directly upon His Majesty's accession to the Throne. This was a difficult time for Russia. The terrible Sevastopol catastrophe was played out, accompanied by the extreme material exhaustion of the country. The shortcomings in our Fatherland were revealed, which hampered the successful conduct of the Crimean War and undermined its internal welfare. Twenty million people of Russia, serving as the basis of the state, was driven and slaughtered due to the centuries-old slavish dependence on the landlords. The productive forces are weak, the finances are scarce ... The society was waiting for a better order to come".

Alexander II’s reforms became the most important milestone in the history of the XIX century, a significant example of the thoughtful modernization of all spheres of life of the Russian state.

The Grand Duke was brought up as a future ruler of Russia. "I heard from one of my high-minded teachers only one voice of truth, I saw only disinterested love ... and, of course, his soul could not but love goodness and at the same time could not but gain respect for humanity, which is so necessary in all life, and even more so life near the throne and on the throne", - said Professor A. I. Aleksandrov in a historical essay "Emperor Alexander II, Tsar Liberator, Transformer and Enlightener of Russia, 1897". The monarch was convinced that the emancipation of the peasants must take place in his reign: "The first concern of the Tsar was the organization of the life of the inhabitants of villages, whose entire life passes in hard, hard work. They pay taxes, serve in the army and perform a variety of duties. It is clear, if the position of such a citizen improves, if he is richer and more secure, then the state will be rich and prosperous. But there were several million serfs between these subjects".

The very process of abolishing serfdom was slow and quite difficult. A special committee was set up to take measures for the gradual liberation of the peasants under the personal presidency of the emperor. "Four years well-informed people on the drafting of the "Regulations for the abolition of serfdom" have been working and on February 19, 1961, the All-Merciful Manifesto on the gift of "will" to serf people was announced throughout Russia", - we read in the above-mentioned work of A. I. Aleksandrov. In the electronic collection "Peasant Reform of 1861", presented on the portal of the Presidential Library, all stages of the demolition of serfdom and the creation of a new socio-economic model of the state are displayed.

The abolition of serfdom entailed a number of other reforms: judicial, administrative (zemsky and urban), military and educational.

Judicial reform was also progressive for that time. The trial became controversial, public, independent, juries, lawyers appeared. The judiciary separated from the administrative and the prosecution. "The previous order of the court was committed by the new" judicial statutes, "promulgated on the Highest Command on November 20, 1864. The judge of the old times was reviewing the case, judging for the crimes as he himself thought about this matter, as he himself was looking at the crime ... In the new courts everything happens openly, in public and is called a vowel. Everyone can see how the matter is dealt with, understands the truth, according to justice, according to the law, as it should, and for everyone alike, without justifying the guilty and not condemning the innocent", - notes the author of the publication “Tsar Liberator, Transformer and Enlightener of Russia, Emperor Alexander II".

The most important place among administrative reforms is the Provision on Zemstvo institutions. In 1864, the highest command was given to transform the county and provincial administrations, and elected bodies of local government were appointed. Professor A. I. Aleksandrov continues: "The emperor entrusted the inhabitants themselves to manage the economic affairs of their volost, uyezd and province. <...> The residents themselves are better able to see that it is more necessary for their volost, province and county: whether to arrange a road, whether to help the school, or to invite a doctor and a doctor's assistant, to get a hospital ... “. Later, in 1870, urban reform was also carried out according to the zemstvo type.

Among the imperial transformations, one of the main places belongs to the military reform, which was held in 1874. As a result of the Crimean War, the issue of the complete reorganization of the army ripened. The military reform allowed to reduce the number of troops in peacetime, while at the same time raise their fighting efficiency. Also, 25-year-old recruitment service was abolished. A. Vertelovsky in the historical essay "Reforms of Emperor Alexander II" notes: "In the very first years of his reign, he drew attention to the burden of such execution of military service ... A number of decrees are issued that ease the position of the soldier and his family". Instead, universal military service has been introduced for all men who have reached the age of 20, six years in the army and seven years in the navy: "Everyone in the new law must serve in the troops for himself personally, but not for family or society". Re-equipment of troops was carried out, in order to improve the management of the army, a system of military districts was introduced, and military schools were reorganized.

With such global state reforms, the reformer Alexander II could not fail to pay attention to the problem of public education: at that time, education was received mainly by members of the upper class. New reforms, especially such as the abolition of serfdom and zemstvo self-government, highlighted the need for primary education, mainly in the masses. In 1863 a new Statute of Russian universities was issued, in 1864 - a considerably modified Statute on Gymnasiums, primary schools were opened everywhere. There were women's educational institutions with the "admission of girls of all classes".

Transformation during the reign of Alexander II became epochal. The state and public life of the country have dramatically changed, and a "moral renewal" of Russia has taken place. According to A. Vertelovsky: "These reforms were carried out extremely gradually and consistently, on the basis of legality and justice. The sovereign, undertaking these reforms, invited all classes to take active part in them, and therefore it is not surprising if these reforms met with sympathy".