The transformations carried out during the reign of Alexander 2 had important consequences for Russia at that time. Not only the descendants, but also the contemporaries of the emperor noted both the positive and negative significance of the reforms of Alexander 2 for the development of statehood.
Inevitability of reforms
Immediately after accession to the throne in February 1855 - the day after the death of the father of Emperor Nicholas 2 - Alexander 2 made it clear to his subjects that he perfectly understood at what time he would have to rule and in what state he got the country. He stated this in his first speech as emperor before the members of the State Council. The socio-political situation in Russia at that time was far from stable and progressively developing. It was necessary in a short time to resolve a number of rather complex, both internal and external political issues in order to bring the country out ofcrisis.
The failed Crimean War led to the breakdown of the financial system and the complete international isolation of Russia. Dissatisfaction grew among the nobility and peasantry with the rule of high officials and proteges of the emperor in the provinces. The people understood that changes were needed and were ready to follow any leader if he promised to give them. The spread of the terrorist movement was accepted in society as a protest against the obsolete monarchy. The educational reform of Alexander 2, which began in the first years of his reign, calmed the overheated minds of progressive youth for a while, but not for long. In the end, the emperor fell victim to a conspiracy of the Narodnaya Volya, despite all his good intentions.
Unrest of students before the reform
In the last years of the reign of Nicholas 2 in the student community, tired of the harsh regime of education and life, the first signs of future mass rebellion were already outlined. But the change of the ruler, the subsequent relaxation in the life of students, the new leadership at the universities of both capitals partially extinguished the grumbling of the dissatisfied. The reasons for the reforms of Alexander 2, including the educational one, were not only one or another spontaneously erupted event - there were a considerable number of circumstances.
The small student riots that marked Moscow in 1858 were caused by the tactlessness and ignorance of the police, firmly fixatedon a stable and sluggish present, while progressive youth was rapidly rushing into a dynamic future. Clashes with the police in those years had nothing to do with politics and were justified by the emperor - Alexander laid all the blame for them on the guards, but by the beginning of the 60s, the oppositional mood of Russian society also captured universities. The answer to the obstinacy of the student environment was the education reform of Alexander 2. Briefly, it can be described as follows: the old charter, which has been in force since 1835, was replaced with a new one, the Nikolaev proteges were removed, Alexander's appointees sat in the rector's chairs of universities.
Education for all
At the beginning of 1861, some fundamental events took place for the country, which largely determined the course of the reign of the new emperor: the abyssal catastrophe, new student riots to kill peasants, police provocations, the ambiguity with which even the most insignificant incidents in the country are perceived by society. The initiator of most of the reforms, which began in the early years of the 60s, was Alexander II himself. Education reforms were supposed to significantly change the rules of education at universities, real schools, and enable peasant children to learn to read and write. The educational reforms were joyfully accepted by the female half of the country's population - it became obvious that educational institutions would soon be opened for them. Before the reign of Alexander, 2 girls from noble families received the education necessary for their status atAt home, in merchant, petty-bourgeois and peasant houses, only rare parents cared about such trifles as the ability of children to read and write.
Developing a draft of the future Charter
By the fall of 1861, the university rules approved by Alexander a few months earlier should have come into effect. They had nothing to do with the future Charter and were designed for temporary implementation while the Ministry of Education worked on projects for the expected large-scale transformations.
The reform of the public education of Alexander II was carried out in a balanced and thoughtful way. Russian professors studied the procedures and forms of education at the best European universities, where they were seconded specifically for this purpose. All their developments have been discussed by officials, prominent scientists and prominent political figures for more than one month. The project was sent to educational institutions not only in Russia, but also in some Western countries. A wide discussion was also held in the press, which was favorably accepted by Alexander 2 himself. The education reforms, the pros and cons of which caused heated discussions, were nevertheless accepted and implemented throughout the country. Their signing took place on June 18, 1863.
Features of the University Charter and the consequences of its implementation
Behind the desire to bring such radical transformations closer to the needs of both the emperor and the subjects at the same time, some provisions of the Charter only implied the democratization of student society. The created corporation of professors endowed them with autonomousself-government of the council and faculties, thereby depriving students of the opportunity to legally create their own partnerships, which distinguished Western universities. The educational reform of Alexander 2 was developed allegedly in the European image and likeness, but practically nothing like them.
Undoubtedly, more free attendance of lectures, admission of volunteers to them, public supervision of the management of universities served as pluses. Not only the educational, but also the upbringing component of teaching was widely promoted. But the absence of student self-government, the influx of volunteers who could freely implant in the masses not always useful free-thinking principles, quite often became reasons for new unrest. The reasons for the reforms of Alexander 2, which were based on inefficient government, were not actually corrected, and this concerned not only the University Charter.
Secondary education reform
The expansion of the network of public schools in Russia also falls on the 60s of the XIX century. In addition to the transformations that affected the university environment, the education reform of Alexander 2 affected all educational institutions available at that time, where children from all walks of life were involved. From now on, secondary education could be obtained not only in classical gymnasiums, but also in real schools, in which mathematics and natural sciences were taught more intensively. Some contemporaries considered these schools to be discriminatory to the education system, created only for people from the lower and middle classes, since they did not conductteaching languages, which distinguished classical gymnasiums. Subsequently, graduates of real schools were actually denied access to universities due to lack of knowledge of languages.
Did Alexander 2 consider it important? The educational reforms carried out during his reign made it possible for significantly more children to receive secondary education than before, and this was the main thing at that time.
Education of women before Alexander's reforms
Strange as it may seem, but only at the end of the XIX century in Russia for the first time they started talking about the establishment of state schools for girls. Institutes where the daughters of the nobles had the opportunity to get an education first appeared under Catherine 2, but there were few of them, they were not widely popular because of the principles of gender inequality that were established at that time, in which women were assigned only the role of the mother of the family and nothing more.
This state of affairs was changed by the democratic Alexander 2 - education reforms, which he considered no less significant than the abolition of serfdom, extended to girls. Moreover, the women's issue, which in those years was increasingly spreading in society, was ardently supported not only by emancipated ladies - many representatives of the fair half wanted to feel their public significance. In 1859, women's schools were opened in almost all Russian cities. Empress Maria Alexandrovna herself patronized them.
From the abolition of serfdom to the education of peasant children
Emperor Alexander 2 went down in history under the name "Liberator". The abolition of serfdom, which was carried out under him, somewhat overshadowed the rest of the transformation of his reign, and there were many of them. The same reform of Alexander's public education 2 – why not give him the name "Enlightener"?
Among the intelligentsia, in addition to the women's issue, the consequences of the exodus of peasants from the landowners and their further fate were discussed. The ideas about the needs of organizing primary education for peasant children practically did not cause controversy - the enlightened minds of the state recognized the need for their education unconditionally. Many cited the genius of Russian science Mikhail Lomonosov as an example, fate
who was so amazing and unique. Alexander II also had deep respect for him. Education reforms were supposed to open the way for many peasant children to the world of knowledge. A great supporter of education among the people was I. S. Turgenev, who proposed his own project for the creation of a literacy committee, which was approved by the emperor.
Historical significance of the transformations introduced in the reign of Alexander
Besides the fact that Alexander 2 abolished serfdom, adopted and signed new educational charters, carried out a complete educational reform, among his merits there are other important transformations that affected the entire Russian society. The years 1862-1863 account for the adoption of changes in the management of the financial resources of the state,1865 - press law. Reforms - self-government, judicial, military - were adopted by society in different ways, but their necessity was recognized by everyone. Although not everything was carried out as planned, it is difficult not to recognize the very fact of the transformations and the positive significance of the reforms of Alexander 2 for the further development of the state. Let some of them give different assessments to this day, but both in the domestic and foreign policy arena, Russia in the era of Alexander 2 became stronger.
