«Masguerade orgy»: the radical press about the coronation of Alexander III

In order to be legitimate the authority should generate and maintain the belief that current political institutions are the most suitable for a present society. The choice by Alexander III of the scenario which was oriented on the pre-Petrine time predetermined further tragic fate of the Russian monarchy. Thereby, the special interest was given to the evaluation of the coronation of the Emperor in the radical press. The analysis of the publications in the newspapers «Obshhee delo» and «Vestnik Narodnoj voli» demonstrates the ambiguous position of the radical press to the monarchy institution, and indicates that the desacralization process of the monarchical authority in the second half of the 20th century in Russia was irreversible.