Revision of M.M. Speransky and the fight against corruption in Siberia in the first quarter of the 19th century

The article is devoted to the study of the fight against corruption in Siberia in the first quarter of the 19th century. The increased interest in the history of local government is connected not only with the desire of historians to look deeper into the past but with purely practical needs as well. Returning to the forgotten traditions of regional government, it is important to take a fuller account of the historical experience that has been developed over the centuries. The greater autonomy of the state apparatus as compared to the center of the country was the specific feature of the Siberian administration. A distinctive feature of the Siberian bureaucracy was its almost complete isolation from the local society.The main source of livelihood for most officials was the monetary allowance received for the service, which made them dependent on the state, thus fostering a loyal attitude to the existing political regime and the formation of the psychology of loyalty. Lack of self-government in the region, insufficient control over the state bodies by the population and almost complete absence of democratic freedoms laid the basis for the development of corruption; caused abuse of power, and even led to the merging of crime with the administrative-police system. The situation was exacerbated by the disparity of the high status in the local society, determined by the position in public service and relatively small salaries of Siberian officials.