Nikolay Milyutin
Encyclopedia
Nikolay Alexeyevich Milyutin (June 6, 1818 – January 26, 1872) was a Russia
n statesman remembered as the chief architect of the great liberal reforms undertaken during Alexander II
's reign, including the emancipation of the serfs and the establishment of zemstvo
.
's reactionary reign. Milyutin's brothers were Vladimir Milyutin (1826–55), a social philosopher, journalist and economist, and Dmitry Milyutin
(1816–1912), who served as Minister of War under Alexander II.
Milyutin's formative years were spent on his father's estate, Titovo, in Kaluga Oblast
. Slaves – or serfs, as they were known in Russia – worked the land at Titovo, while Milyutin's father occupied most of his time hunting and carousing with friends. Milyutin's mother was left to oversee most aspects of life on their estate. According to Milyutin, there were so many serfs at Titovo that "to list all would be impossible." While Milyutin largely omitted the more unsavory aspects regarding life at Titovo from his published memoirs, an unpublished draft, detailing his childhood, discusses the brutality with which his father treated his serfs. On one occasion Milyutin witnessed his father "mercilessly" flog one their serfs, as he later explained: "But thus were the mores in those times: a good landowner considered [flogging] unavoidable to keep his serfs in line." Afterwards, as was then common practice, the serf was made to come and "thank the master" for having administered his "lesson." The incident left an indelible impression on Milyutin's young mind.
cause, Milyutin helped reform the municipal administration in St Petersburg, Moscow
, and Odessa
during the 1840s.
As an Assistant Minister of Interior since 1859, he succeeded in defending his vision of ambitious liberal reforms against attacks by conservatives and disconcerted nobility. The Emancipation Manifesto of 1861 was largely drafted by him.
During the January Uprising
he was dispatched to Poland
in order to implement reforms there. He devised a program which involved the emancipation of the peasantry at the expense of the nationalist landowners and the expulsion of Roman Catholic priests from schools. Over seven hundred thousand Polish peasants were granted freehold land to farm as the result of Milyutin's reforms. A Russian university was established at Warsaw, and all secondary school lessons were required to be given in Russian, not Polish. Finally, the property of the Catholic Church was confiscated and sold. Although Milyutin had previously opposed the "direct and outright Russification
" of Poland, according to one biographer, historian W. Bruce Lincoln
, Milyutin's reforms effectively "hastened the coming of stern Russification policies" in Poland.
Milyutin resigned his office in December 1866, after having suffered a paralytic stroke, and spent the rest of his life in seclusion. He died on January 26, 1872 in Moscow.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n statesman remembered as the chief architect of the great liberal reforms undertaken during Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
's reign, including the emancipation of the serfs and the establishment of zemstvo
Zemstvo
Zemstvo was a form of local government that was instituted during the great liberal reforms performed in Imperial Russia by Alexander II of Russia. The idea of the zemstvo was elaborated by Nikolay Milyutin, and the first zemstvo laws were put into effect in 1864...
.
Early life
Nikolay Milyutin was born in Moscow, Russia on June 6, 1818, the scion of an influential, but impoverished, aristocratic Russian family. He was the nephew of Count Pavel Kiselev, the most brilliant Russian reformer of Nicholas INicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
's reactionary reign. Milyutin's brothers were Vladimir Milyutin (1826–55), a social philosopher, journalist and economist, and Dmitry Milyutin
Dmitry Milyutin
Count Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin was Minister of War and the last Field Marshal of Imperial Russia...
(1816–1912), who served as Minister of War under Alexander II.
Milyutin's formative years were spent on his father's estate, Titovo, in Kaluga Oblast
Kaluga Oblast
Kaluga Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Kaluga.-Geography:Kaluga Oblast is located in the central part of the East European Plain. The Smolensk Highland lays in the western and north-western part of the oblast, while the Central Russian Highland -...
. Slaves – or serfs, as they were known in Russia – worked the land at Titovo, while Milyutin's father occupied most of his time hunting and carousing with friends. Milyutin's mother was left to oversee most aspects of life on their estate. According to Milyutin, there were so many serfs at Titovo that "to list all would be impossible." While Milyutin largely omitted the more unsavory aspects regarding life at Titovo from his published memoirs, an unpublished draft, detailing his childhood, discusses the brutality with which his father treated his serfs. On one occasion Milyutin witnessed his father "mercilessly" flog one their serfs, as he later explained: "But thus were the mores in those times: a good landowner considered [flogging] unavoidable to keep his serfs in line." Afterwards, as was then common practice, the serf was made to come and "thank the master" for having administered his "lesson." The incident left an indelible impression on Milyutin's young mind.
Career
Milyutin graduated from Moscow University and joined the Ministry of the Interior in 1835. A man of liberal views who sympathized with the SlavophileSlavophile
Slavophilia was an intellectual movement originating from 19th century that wanted the Russian Empire to be developed upon values and institutions derived from its early history. Slavophiles were especially opposed to the influences of Western Europe in Russia. There were also similar movements in...
cause, Milyutin helped reform the municipal administration in St Petersburg, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, and Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
during the 1840s.
As an Assistant Minister of Interior since 1859, he succeeded in defending his vision of ambitious liberal reforms against attacks by conservatives and disconcerted nobility. The Emancipation Manifesto of 1861 was largely drafted by him.
During the January Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
he was dispatched to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in order to implement reforms there. He devised a program which involved the emancipation of the peasantry at the expense of the nationalist landowners and the expulsion of Roman Catholic priests from schools. Over seven hundred thousand Polish peasants were granted freehold land to farm as the result of Milyutin's reforms. A Russian university was established at Warsaw, and all secondary school lessons were required to be given in Russian, not Polish. Finally, the property of the Catholic Church was confiscated and sold. Although Milyutin had previously opposed the "direct and outright Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
" of Poland, according to one biographer, historian W. Bruce Lincoln
W. Bruce Lincoln
W. Bruce Lincoln was a scholar of early 20th century Russian history. Lincoln graduated with an A.B. and a Ph.D in 1960 and 1966 from the College of William and Mary and University of Chicago, respectively.-Career:...
, Milyutin's reforms effectively "hastened the coming of stern Russification policies" in Poland.
Milyutin resigned his office in December 1866, after having suffered a paralytic stroke, and spent the rest of his life in seclusion. He died on January 26, 1872 in Moscow.