Elections of the nobility in Russia (1831–1861)

The article deals with some insuffitiently known aspects of electoral institutions’ formation and evolution in Russia. Problems of 1831 election reform’s influence on elections of the nobility (people participating in provincial congresses, their electoral behaviour, candidates’ confirmation) have been studied. The author states that drastic increase of property qualification has led to cutting down the voters’ number. Only giving to noble land-owning ladies active (indirect) rights to vote allowed to support the voters’ number. The introduction of penalty sanctions to absenteeists led towards the same purpose. The article is based upon non-published sources from the archives of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tambov and Tver.