Yakov Rostovtsev
Encyclopedia
Iakov Ivanovich Rostovtsev ( – ) was a leading figure in the formulation of statute
s which effectively emancipated the Russian serfs.
Born in St Petersburg, Russia
, Rostovtsev became a career soldier, and was a young officer at the time of the 1825 Decembrist revolt
. When he was invited to join the plot, he instead reported it to Tsar
Nicholas I
, though without revealing the names of the officers involved.
Rostovtsev went on to hold posts in military education, and was involved in the administration of the cadet corps, reaching the rank of General. In 1857, when the Russian government made public its plans to reform the institution of serfdom
, Rostovtsev was appointed to the secret committee charged with developing those plans. His subsequent report was well received, and brought him the chairmanship of the Commission whose task was to draft the necessary statutes.
The resulting statutes were issued on 19 February 1861, a year after Rostovtsev's death. Apart from Rostosvtev, the key figures behind the emancipation manifesto were Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia
and Nikolay Alekseyevich Milyutin.
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s which effectively emancipated the Russian serfs.
Born in St Petersburg, Russia
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...
, Rostovtsev became a career soldier, and was a young officer at the time of the 1825 Decembrist revolt
Decembrist revolt
The Decembrist revolt or the Decembrist uprising took place in Imperial Russia on 14 December , 1825. Russian army officers led about 3,000 soldiers in a protest against Nicholas I's assumption of the throne after his elder brother Constantine removed himself from the line of succession...
. When he was invited to join the plot, he instead reported it to Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas I
Nicholas 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...
, though without revealing the names of the officers involved.
Rostovtsev went on to hold posts in military education, and was involved in the administration of the cadet corps, reaching the rank of General. In 1857, when the Russian government made public its plans to reform the institution of serfdom
Serfdom
Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
, Rostovtsev was appointed to the secret committee charged with developing those plans. His subsequent report was well received, and brought him the chairmanship of the Commission whose task was to draft the necessary statutes.
The resulting statutes were issued on 19 February 1861, a year after Rostovtsev's death. Apart from Rostosvtev, the key figures behind the emancipation manifesto were Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia was the second son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.During the reign of his brother Alexander II, Konstantin was an admiral of the Russian fleet and reformed the Russian Navy. He was also an instrumental figure in the emancipation of the serfs...
and Nikolay Alekseyevich Milyutin.