Emancipation of Serfdom in RussiaThe Emancipation Reform of 1861 in Russia was the first
Emancipation of Serfdom in Russia The Emancipation Reform of 1861 in Russia was the first and most important of liberal reforms effected during the reign of Alexander II of Russia. The reform, together with a related reform in 1861, amounted to the liquidation of serf dependence previously suffered by peasants of the Russian Empire. In some of its parts, the serfdom was abolished earlier. Although the emancipation reform was commemorated by the construction of the enormous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Moscow and history books give Alexander II the name of “The Tsar Liberator”, its results were far from ideal. Household serfs were the worst affected as they gained only their freedom and no land. The serfs from private estates were given less land than they needed to survive which led to civil unrest. The redemption tax was so high that the serfs had to sell all the grain they produced to pay the tax, which left nothing for them to survive on. Landowners also suffered because many of them were deeply in debt and the forced selling of their land left them also struggling to keep their lavish lifestyle. Pictured: Alexander II of Russia, “The Tsar Liberator." Source 1 | 2 -- source link
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