The legislative policy of XVIII-XIX centuries regarding development of Russian merchant class

The article deals with the process of development of Russian merchant class since the IX century. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the state policy establishing the requirements of peasants' transition to the merchant class in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The author discusses the decline of peasants' interest in obtaining the merchant status since 1826, when the payment to the rural community was increased. It is concluded that the reforms of the aforesaid period led to the influx of representatives of different social classes (peasants, nobility) to merchants, they contributed to its openness.