The article discusses some of the results of the Great Reforms of the 1860-1870s. The author states that it was a rare example in history when the imminent serious political and economic crisis, expressed in the preservation of serfdom in the largest country in the world that could lead to significant social upheavals, was resolved with the help of reforms. The crisis of the serf system had been brewing since the end of the 18 century; it permeated all aspects of the country's life and hindered its development. But the enormous scale of the upcoming changes, which could lead to widespread discontent of the nobility, which formed the basis of the state apparatus and the army, frightened the governments of Alexandr I (1801-1825) and Nicholay I (1825-1855), who also remembered the fate of father (Pavel I, 1796-1801), killed as a result of a nobles plot. The catalyst for reform was the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Crimean War from the more advanced European powers and the change of government that occurred as a result of the accession to the throne of the new Emperor Alexandr II (1856-1881). Alexandr II decided to reform, understanding the destructiveness of defeat in the war and, given the widespread dissatisfaction with the existing order. Russia freed from many remnants of the middle ages, especially from serfdom, as a result of the changes in the 1860-1870s. It was possible to prevent a major civil conflict. The post-reform period was a time of successful economic development of Russia. New enterprises were built, industrial production increased significantly, intensive railway construction was carried out. It was during this period that new industries appeared in the country, which later played a significant role in its development. We are talking about oil production and refining. At the same time, the reforms carried out “from above” were of a compromise, incomplete nature. The remnants of the feudal order lay a heavy burden on the Russian economy. Every year, public discontent and opposition to the government’s policy grew, both from below and from above. Under these conditions, radical groups professing the populist ideology turned to terror, the victim of which was, among others, the reformer Alexandr II himself.
