History of Russia: “Great reforms and modernization of Russia” conference kicks off in St. Petersburg

On the 150th anniversary of serfdom abolition in Russia the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev attended the conference “Great reforms and modernization of Russia”. The scientific and practical conference timed to the historical event is being held at the Mariinsky Palace in St. Petersburg.

Apart from the head of the state, the plenary meeting brought together the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Russia Valery Zorkin, the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Arbitration of Russia Anton Ivanov. The conference is hosted by rector of the St. Petersburg State University Nikolai Kropachev and the Chairman of the Legislation Assembly of St. Petersburg Vadim Tyulpanov.

In his address to participants of the conference the President called abolition of serfdom as one of most crucial events in the history of Russia. “Signing of the Manifesto became a turning point in the history of our country in 19th c., a starting point for the time of great reforms of the 1860s–1870s: zemstvo, municipal, judicial, military, financial and others. Serfdom abolition gave a start to Russia’s transition from an agrarian to industrial country, gave an impulse for development of private initiative and enterprise”, the head of the state said.

Dmitry Medvedev expressed confidence that participants of the scientific forum would fully analyze the nature and significance of those changes, give an impartial assessment of the role of this reform in the country’s political and socio-economic recovery between the end of 19th – beginning 20th cc. The Emperor Alexander II signed “The Manifesto of serfdom abolition” on February 19 1861 in the Old Style (on March 3 in the New Style).

Within the framework of the conference the Mariinsky Palace has also launched a jubilee exhibition, which puts on display an original Manifesto, as well as historic documents related to the preparation and implementation of the peasant reform of 1861 from the collection of the Russian State Historical Archive.