Socio-economic prerequisites and preparation of peasant reform of 1855-1861

The article is devoted to the problem of preparation of the peasant reform of 1861and its impact on the socio-economic development of the country. Abolition ofserfdom and the peasant reform in Russia was a major act not only legal, butalso socio-economic one. The main reasons leading to the fall of serfdom were: theeconomic development of capitalist relations and the growth of anti-serfdom. Thegovernment recognized that it was better to abolish serfdom «from above» thanto wait for it to be abolished «from the bottom». Abolition of serfdom was oneof the main reforms undertaken by Alexander II. Serfdom as a form of slaverywas condemned by all layers of Russian society; modernization of the country,overcoming technical and economic backwardness were impossible within serfdom;the work of serf peasants was ineffective, little productive and did not contribute tothe development of the Russian economy.