Local Government Reform in the Russian Empire (Second Half of the 19th Century)

The paper examines the legal foundations of the organization of local government, fixed by the Regulations on provincial and county Zemstvo institutions of 1864. Analyzing the structure of Zemstvo institutions, the work determines that they were created at the county and provincial levels. Zemstvo assemblies and councils were established in all provinces and counties. Assemblies were formed by the population of the county and province, in which elections were held on the basis of the curial system. A stronger side of the formation of the town council of members was the differentiation that was used in the organization of elections. Thus, a property qualification was introduced for landowners and urban residents. In turn, a multi-stage order was introduced for the rural curia through the institution of electors. Thus, it is worth emphasizing the complex nature of the reforms of Emperor Alexander II, and the work concludes that the reform of the abolition of serfdom in 1861 and the Zemstvo reform were connected. It is particularly worth emphasizing the connection of the Zemstvo reform with the Judicial Reform, according to which the election of magistrates was attributed to the competence of the county zemstvo assembly. The paper analyzes the subjects of the department and the limits of the power of the zemstvo institutions, which are fixed in the third chapter of the Regulation. The jurisdiction of the emerging bodies included issues related to the local needs of each county and province, which is of particular importance for the systemic development of the country and bridging the gap between the administrative center and the regions. The paper elucidates the functioning of the zemstvo institutions, namely: the organization of meetings, its quorum, the work of the departments. The Regulation provides for the reporting and responsibility of zemstvo institutions. In general, the progressive nature of the Zemstvo Reform of 1864 is emphasized, which was a kind of political school in the field and contributed to the formation and development of civil society.

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