THE PEASANT QUESTION IN RUSSIA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE XIX CENTURY IN THE EYES OF SEMENOV-TYANSHANSKY

Abstract

The topic of this work is the study of the views of the outstanding Russian researcher-geographer, statistician and active figure of the Peasant reform of 1861 P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky on the problems of serfdom in the pre-reform period. The main source for this is his memoirs, recently reprinted. His views on this matter look very relevant today, bearing in mind that many modern publicists and even historians are trying to present serfdom in Russia as a rather humane phenomenon associated with the proper organization of agricultural labor, pay special attention to the help of landlords to peasants in conditions of famine and all kinds of natural disasters, and also believe that peasant the land community gave the "settlers" serious protection against landlord claims regarding the identity of the peasants and the results of their labor. The position of P. P. In this sense, Semenov-Tyan-Shansky is more traditional: he does not hide the existence of abuses of landlord rights, especially in relation to domestic people, but at the same time seeks to show the diversity of such relations in greater Russia, expressing the hope in hindsight that the solution to this age-old problem could only be a solution "from above", justifying thus, the subsequent peasant reform of 1861.