The Policy of the Russian Autocracy Toward the Zemstvo Liberal Opposition of the Chernihiv Governorate (late 70s - early 80s of the XIX century)

The article is devoted to the study of repressive measures of the Russian autocracy against the zemstvo liberal opposition in Chernihiv province in the late 70s - early 80s. Having analyzed unique historical primary sources, the absolute majority of which are introduced into the international scientific turnover for the first time, the authors came to the conclusion that the main reason for the punitive measures of the Russian monarchy against the aristocratic opposition of the region was the unprecedented, public opposition activities of the liberal zemstvo in 1878-1879. The first strike of the Russian authorities against the Zemstvo opposition was the prompt arrest and administrative internment of its leader, I. Petrunkevich, in the ethnically Russian provinces of the country. Top officials and the head of the political police of Chernihiv province proposed to the central authorities to take tough measures in the fight against the "liberal contagion": to expel from the territory of Chernihiv province the most dangerous members of the aristocratic opposition; to establish supervision over the remaining representatives of the Zemstvo liberal party by the police and gendarmerie; to promptly amend the legislation of the Russian Empire in order to establish control and supervision of the institutions of state power over the elected institutions The authorities implemented the absolute majority of these recommendations. By the fall of 1886, the zemstvo liberal movement in Chernihiv province had been crushed and its personal composition reduced to a minimum.