Early Russian Liberalism

This chapter traces the history of Russian liberalism, which began in the second half of the eighteenth century when Enlightenment ideas of reason and progress made their way into Russia. The chapter details how liberalism developed in fits and started as Russian rulers swung back and forth between reform and reaction. The reign of Alexander I is often portrayed as a period of darkest reaction, but some historians date Russian liberalism's origins to this period. The chapter highlights Catherine II's commitment to the principles of liberalism and her Instruction to the Legislative Commission that she summoned in 1767. The Instruction opened the doors in Russia to the liberal ideas of the European Enlightenment.