It was in February 1861 that Tsar Alexander II issued the statutes abolishing the institution of serfdom in Russia. The procedures set in motion by Alexander II in time undid the ties that bound 22 million serfs and 100,000 noble estate owners. Rather than presenting abolition as an "event" that happened in February 1861, "The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia" presents the reform as a process. It traces the origins of the abolition of serfdom back to reforms in related areas in 1762 and forward to the culmination of the process in 1907. Written in an engaging and accessible manner, the book provides: an up-to-date interpretation of this important development in Russian history, drawing on research by Russian and Western historians; a document section containing selections from sources previously unavailable in English translation; a glossary of specialist terms; a chronology of the main events; a who's who identifying the main people; and a guide to further reading.
"The Abolition of Serfdom" in Russia shows how the reform process linked the old social, economic and political order of 18th-century Russia with the radical transformations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries that culminated in revolution in 1917. It should be invaluable for students and teachers of courses on the history of Russia, Europe and rural societies.
