Influence of judicial reform of 1864 on modernization of Russian society of the second half of XIX century and beginning of XX century

The article considers influence of judicial reform of Alexander II on modernization of the Russian society of the second half of XIX and beginning of XX centuries. The authors consider essence of the concept “modernization”, its different definitions, and peculiarities of the Russian modernization. These peculiarities express themselves in that in Russia there was a catch-up modernization or “behind time modernization” which finished with the destruction of patriarchal principle of feudal system, increase of the legal culture and partial Europeanization of the society. The article analyses the influence of judicial reform on different spheres of the social life. The authors come to a conclusion that this reform had a positive influence on the growth of popula-tion knowledge in juridical direction. In the meantime a judicial reform had a little influence on modernization processes in the Russian Empire and Alexander III counter-reforms stopped modification of the judicial system thereby have weakened the influence of judicial reform on modernization of the Russian society even more.