Destruction or Purification? Russian Liberalism in the First Part of the 90s XIX Century (On the Materials of the Urals)
( Pp. 13-20)

This article examines the history of Russian liberalism in the first half of the 1890s. The research draws on materials from the Central State Archives of the Kirov Region and the Center for Documentation of Contemporary History of the Udmurt Republic, as well as St. Petersburg and regional periodicals, meeting minutes, and reports from zemstvo institutions. The study's methodological framework draws on conceptual approaches characteristic of modernization theory. The author substantiates the thesis that the key events in the history of liberalism in the Urals during the period under review were the issuance of the Zemstvo Statute of 1890, the famine of 1891–1892, and the accession of the new Russian Emperor, Nicholas II. The author demonstrates that, contrary to the claims of the conservative press, the issuance of the new Statute on Provincial and District Zemstvo Assemblies did not signal the "death" of Russian liberalism. Rather, one can speak of its significant transformation, a change in its social and personal composition, and an adjustment in its ideological principles. It has been proven that representatives of the so-called "third element" of the zemstvos (district councils) became increasingly active in the 1890s. Together with the urban intelligentsia, they formed the basis for the formation of a new liberalism in Russia: the latter was characterized by a particular focus on social issues. The famine of 1891-1892 played a special role in this process, exploiting it by liberals to strengthen their position in the Russian public sphere. The final event of this period in the history of Russian liberalism was the campaign to submit zemstvo addresses for the coronation of the new head of state, in which Ural liberals also participated. The virtual failure of this campaign forced many of them to consider new methods of struggle, which they would employ during the reign of the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II.

Antoshin, A.V. (2026). Destruction or Purification? Russian Liberalism in the First Part of the 90s XIX Century (On the Materials of the Urals). History and Modern Perspectives, 8(1), 13-20. 10.33693/2658-4654-2026-8-1-13-20. EDN: QJFKFF

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Russian liberalism, zemstvo in the Urals, Alexander III, Nicholas II, famine of 1891–1892..