Who is Stolypin and his reforms. Petr Arkadyevich Stolypin - biography, information, personal life. Stolypin's agrarian reform

A people without national identity is manure,

on which other peoples grow

(Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin)

Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin - a prominent political figure tsarist Russia XX century. Political activity deserved the close attention of his descendants. Few statesmen remain in the memory of the people, but Pyotr Arkadyevich remained. It's really outstanding person, a convinced monarchist, a family man, an honest and deeply religious person who sought to do things for the good of his great Motherland.

He came from a noble noble family, was born on April 5, 1862. For him, from an early age, the word "honor" was not an empty phrase. When his older brother died in a duel, he fought with his killer. The duel ended with Stolypin being wounded in his right arm, which was later almost paralyzed.

Pyotr Stolypin was well educated. In 1884, he successfully graduated from Petersburg University. One of the examiners was Mendeleev, who gave Peter excellent marks for his subject and was delighted with his erudition and great intelligence.

In 1899, Petr Arkadyevich was appointed marshal of the nobility in Kovno (now Kaunas). Three years later, at the age of 39, he became the youngest governor of the Russian Empire. First he worked in Grodno, then in Saratov.

He actively showed his position during the revolution. He fought the revolutionary contagion with decisive measures. More than once he asked for help from the troops to restore order in the province and suppress anti-monarchist sentiments. Stolypin in Saratov, feared and respected. Most of all, his figure inspired respect.

There is one famous historical episode when, during the unrest, Pyotr Arkadyevich went out to a heated crowd of ten thousand, eloquently and confidently called on the rebels to disperse, and then suddenly, a young revolutionary began to approach him. Stolypin, without a share of doubt, with confidence and ease, getting excited, threw his overcoat to him, saying authoritatively - "hold it." It all ended with the guy standing with his overcoat until the end of Stolypin's speech, without uttering a word. This episode clearly shows his courage and charisma.

In April 1906, Stolypin was appointed Minister of the Interior of the Russian Empire. This post was the most important. He was the youngest cabinet minister and was distinguished by great energy compared to his other colleagues. The ministers were lost in the Duma, where deputy orders reigned - booing, interruption in the middle of a word, noise ... Stolypin, on the other hand, felt quite confident in such an environment.

Already in August 1906, there was an assassination attempt on him. It happened on Aptekarsky Island. Pyotr Arkadyevich was receiving visitors at his dacha, when suddenly gendarmes drove up to the house. They were revolutionaries dressed in officer uniforms. In their hands were large briefcases containing bombs. The explosion on the Aptekarsky Island claimed the lives of 22 people, about 30 were injured. The minister himself was not injured in the explosion, but his children were seriously injured. After the assassination attempt, Stolypin, at the invitation of Nicholas II, moved with his family to the Winter Palace.

In July 1906, Pyotr Arkadyevich became the chairman of the cabinet of ministers of the Russian Empire, but at the same time he retained the post of minister of the interior. Stolypin outlined the immediate tasks as follows: "First calm - then reforms." Soon the first revolution ended and it was time for reforms. The minister sought to rid the country of poverty, ignorance and lack of rights. Pyotr Arkadyevich carried out many reforms, but his most famous reform is the Land reform.

Stolypin's land reform was a very interesting project, although it had opponents even among the monarchists. The death of Stolypin did not allow the reform to be completed, but its results initial stage impressed. Russia received so much wheat that it could provide not only itself, but almost all of Europe with it. He said that Russia needs 20 years of internal and external peace, and then the country will become completely different. Unfortunately, the country was not given peace for 20 years. Stolypin did a lot to suppress internal unrest - revolutionary activity. In foreign policy, he also protected Russia from wars more than once.

Stolypin's reforms were progressive, but did not find support from any political force. He was not loved, although rather simply envied by the Black Hundreds and other champions of Russian identity. For the revolutionaries, he was generally enemy number 1. One of the influential figures in the revolution once said that if his land reform came to fruition, then there would be no one to make a revolution. Therefore, naturally, the radicals sentenced Pyotr Arkadyevich to death.

The murder of the minister took place on September 1, 1911 in Kyiv, during the opening of the monument to Alexander II. Stolypin was killed by Dmitry Bogrov, an Okhrana agent and a member of the Socialist-Revolutionary militant organization. A year later, monuments were erected to Peter Arkadyevich in Grodno, Samara and Kyiv. Stolypin was a great historical figure, an excellent politician and great person, to whom a combination of circumstances, lies and betrayal did not allow him to fully realize his talent and bring great benefits to the Russian state.

Pyotr Stolypin short biography And Interesting Facts from the life of a Russian statesman, prime minister, you will learn from this article.

Pyotr Stolypin short biography

Pyotr Stolypin was born in Dresden on April 14, 1862 in an old noble family. He graduated from the Vilnius Gymnasium in 1881 and decided to enter St. Petersburg University at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. After university, Peter enters the service of the Ministry of State Property.

In 1889, the future Prime Minister goes to work in the Ministry of the Interior. In the same year, he was appointed provincial marshal of the Kovno nobility, and in 1902 Stolypin was elected governor of the city of Saratov. During the years of the revolution, Pyotr Arkadyevich led the suppression of peasant unrest.

Stolypin in 1906 received the post of Minister of the Interior and replaced I. L. Goremykin as Chairman of the Council of Ministers. Already in August, an attempt was made on him. He and his family moved to live in the Winter Palace. And in Russia, at the same time, a decree was adopted on the introduction of military field courts, and the gallows, which decided the fate of many, was popularly nicknamed "Stolypin's tie."

The Second State Duma was dissolved on June 3, 1907, the electoral law was changed, and the Stolypin government moved on to reforms. The main reform of the statesman is the agrarian reform. In order to solve the problem, he proposed to increase the productivity of peasant labor without affecting landownership. The destruction of the community will lead to the fact that the land will become the property of wealthy peasants, and ruined people will go to work in the industrial sector and move to the outskirts of a large country.

In 1910 Stolypin visited Western Siberia. Impressed by its open spaces, he considered the Siberian lands to be inexhaustible sources of raw materials and proposed a large-scale scheme for the resettlement of peasants to these virgin lands.

But his position regarding the autocracy set against him the nobles, who took up arms against him and contributed to his fall. During another skirmish, he was mortally wounded by the Socialist-Revolutionary Bogrov in Kyiv on September 14, 1911. He died 4 days later.

Pyotr Stolypin interesting facts

The personal life of the reformer was very interesting. His older brother Peter died in a duel and bequeathed to Peter before his death his bride - Suvorov's great-granddaughter Neidgardt Olga Borisovna. So the girl became the wife of Peter Arkadyevich. The couple had 6 children - one son and five daughters.
Pyotr Stolypin was Yuri Lermontov's second cousin.
While studying at the St. Petersburg Imperial University, he was a student of Mendeleev.
Pyotr Arkadievich had poor control of his right hand due to an injury he received in a duel with the killer of his older brother, Shakhovsky.
There were 11 assassination attempts on him. During one of them, Peter's daughter Natalya received severe leg injuries, and for some time she could not walk at all. One of the sons was also injured. And the children's nanny died before their eyes.

Russia in the 20th century experienced incredibly turbulent, fateful events for it. In one century, the country managed to turn from a monarchy into a communist dictatorship, and then into. It all started with the Russo-Japanese War, the first Revolution, followed by a period of revolutionary terror and upheavals. In these difficult years for the Empire, the figure of Pyotr Stolypin became widely known. Where and when Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin was born, the main milestones of his life - this will be the story.

The beginning of Stolypin's life

Little Petya Stolypin was born in Germany, in the city of Dresden. This event took place on April 14, 1864. Germany became the birthplace of the boy quite by accident, just his mother went there to visit her relatives. At this time, she gave birth.

The Stolypin family belonged to a noble noble family. Famous people were both on the mother's side and on the father's side. Among the family ancestors was the poet Lermontov, and the mother's line went back to Rurik himself!

In childhood, Pyotr Stolypin lived in different places: in the Moscow province, present-day Lithuania, even in Switzerland. His father was a well-known artillery general, later he held large bureaucratic positions, so the family moved a lot.

IN primary school the boy went to Vilna (Vilnius), but he graduated from the gymnasium already in Orel.

In the history of Russia, Pyotr Stolypin remained a well-known reformer, a major official, striving to keep the huge empire from disintegrating in the years of unrest and upheaval. He received an excellent education at the St. Petersburg Imperial University (specialty - agronomy).

Interesting fact! At the university, the teacher of chemistry for student Pyotr Stolypin turned out to be the author of the famous table chemical elements- Dmitriy Mendeleev. He took an exam with Stolypin, and even gave an "excellent" mark.

Pyotr Arkadyevich had an excellent memory, was quick-witted, balanced and cold-blooded. During his career, he made many enemies, but also enthusiastic admirers.

First positions

While still a student, young Stolypin began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire. At the beginning of 1887, he entered the service of the Department of Rural Industry, as an assistant clerk. Less than a year later, he was granted the title of chamber junker at the Imperial Court, which was considered a huge career achievement for such an age.

Soon, Pyotr Stolypin again turns out to be a servant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and in the spring of 1889 he was appointed Marshal of the Nobility in the Kovno district.

Work in Kovno

In the provincial Kovno (now Kaunas, in Lithuania), Pyotr Arkadyevich lived for about 13 years. His wife Maria (by the way, the great-great-granddaughter of commander Suvorov) later said that these were the best and most peaceful years of their lives. Here the couple had 4 daughters and a son Arkady, here Stolypin received a huge and invaluable managerial experience.

In the late spring of 1902, the whole family rested in Baden-Baden (Switzerland), "on the waters." But suddenly a telegram from the Minister of the Interior came from St. Petersburg: to urgently come to the capital. It turned out that the minister appointed Stolypin as governor in Grodno (present-day Belarus). Pyotr Arkadyevich was not pleased with the new appointment, but obeyed the order.

Interesting! This situation is a personal rejection, but obedience to an order was repeated several times in the life of an official.

Service in Grodno

Stolypin gradually got used to new position. In Grodno, he showed himself to be a bold and intelligent manager, doing a lot of reforms and innovations in agriculture. He also paid attention to the development of primary education, the solution of interethnic problems.

Governor in Saratov

Here, in Central, Stolypin was transferred shortly before Russo-Japanese War. The empire began troubled times, Revolution. A wave of terror swept the country, and it did not bypass Stolypin's province either. Several times he was assassinated. Stolypin himself did not suffer from the assassination attempts, but his daughter was badly maimed in one of the explosions.

Pinnacle of career and death

After Saratov, Nicholas II appointed Stolypin Minister of the Interior, and a little later, Prime Minister. Pyotr Arkadyevich combined these most important positions in the most difficult times for Russia. He showed himself to be a brave reformer, an excellent manager, an excellent diplomat. He was hated by many: the right - for too bold innovations, the left - for the rigidity and defense of the autocracy.

Among the many reforms of Stolypin, historians distinguish two:

agrarian reform to increase efficiency rural labor aimed at the development of Siberia and the Far East;
the law on courts-martial, which allowed to bring down the wave of terror and was accepted with hostility by the liberals.

Pyotr Stolypin was killed during a visit to Kyiv in September 1911. It was the 11th attempt on his life. He was buried according to the will, in the same city, on the territory of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

That's how much we learned by asking the question "Where and when was Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin born?". From his birth, we came to death, considering, albeit briefly, the path of this extraordinary man.

Silver coin of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of P.A. Stolypin

“They need great upheavals, we need Great Russia"(P.A. Stolypin).

Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin - outstanding statesman Russian Empire.

He held the posts of district marshal of the nobility in Kovno, governor of the Grodno and Saratov provinces, minister of the interior, and prime minister.

As prime minister, he passed a number of bills that went down in history as Stolypin agrarian reform. The main content of the reform was the introduction of private peasant land ownership.

On the initiative of Stolypin were introduced courts-martial tougher penalties for serious crimes.

With him was introduced Zemstvo law in the Western provinces, which limited the Poles, on his initiative the autonomy of the Grand Duchy of Finland was also limited, the electoral legislation was changed and the Second Duma was dissolved, which put an end to the revolution of 1905-1907.

Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin

Biography of P.A. Stolypin

Childhood and youth

Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin was born on April 2, 1862 in Dresden, where his mother was visiting, where he was baptized in the Orthodox Church. He spent his childhood first in the Serednikovo estate in the Moscow province, and then in the Kolnoberge estate in the Kovno province. Stolypin was a second cousin of M.Yu. Lermontov.

Family coat of arms of the Stolypins

Stolypin studied at the Vilna, and then together with his brother at the Oryol gymnasium, after which he entered the natural department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the St. Petersburg Imperial University. During the training of Stolypin, one of the teachers of the university was the famous Russian scientist D. I. Mendeleev.

After graduating from the university, a young official in the service of the Department of Agriculture made a brilliant career, but soon moved to serve in the Ministry of the Interior. In 1889, he was appointed marshal of the nobility in the Kovno district and chairman of the Kovno court of conciliators.

To Kovno

Now it is the city of Kaunas. Stolypin served in Kovno for about 13 years - from 1889 to 1902. This time was the most peaceful in his life. Here he was engaged in the Agricultural Society, under whose tutelage was the entire local economic life: the education of the peasants and the increase in the productivity of their farms, the introduction of advanced farming methods and new varieties of grain crops. He became intimately familiar with local needs and gained administrative experience.

For diligence in the service, he was marked by new ranks and awards: he was appointed an honorary magistrate, titular adviser, and then promoted to collegiate assessors, awarded the first Order of St. Anna, in 1895 he was promoted to court councilors, in 1896 he received the court rank of chamberlain, promoted to collegiate, and in 1901 to state councilors.

During his life in Kovno, Stolypin had four daughters - Natalya, Elena, Olga and Alexandra.

In mid-May 1902, when Stolypin and his family were on vacation in Germany, he was urgently summoned to St. Petersburg. The reason was his appointment as Grodno governor.

In Grodno

P.A. Stolypin - Governor of Grodno

In June 1902, Stolypin assumed the duties of the governor of Grodno. It was a small city, the national composition of which (like the provinces) was heterogeneous (Jews predominated in large cities; the aristocracy was represented mainly by Poles, and the peasantry by Belarusians). On the initiative of Stolypin, a Jewish two-class public school, a vocational school, and a special type of women's parish school were opened in Grodno, in which, in addition to general subjects, drawing, drawing and needlework were taught.

On the second day of work, he closed the Polish Club, where "insurgent moods" dominated.

Having settled into the position of governor, Stolypin began to implement reforms that included:

resettlement of peasants on farms (a separate peasant estate with a separate farm)
elimination of striped strips (location of land plots of one farm in strips interspersed with other people's plots. Striped strips arose in Russia with regular redistribution of communal land)
introduction of artificial fertilizers, improved agricultural implements, multi-field crop rotations, land reclamation
development of cooperation (joint participation in labor processes)
agricultural education of the peasants.

These innovations were criticized by large landowners. But Stolypin insisted on the need for knowledge for the people.

In Saratov

But soon the Minister of the Interior Plehve offered him a governor's post in Saratov. Despite Stolypin's reluctance to move to Saratov, Plehve insisted. At that time, the Saratov province was considered prosperous and rich. 150 thousand inhabitants lived in Saratov, there were 150 plants and factories, 11 banks, 16 thousand houses, almost 3 thousand shops and shops in the city. The Saratov province included the large cities of Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd) and Kamyshin.

After the defeat in the war with Japan, the Russian Empire was swept by a wave of revolution. Stolypin showed rare courage and fearlessness - he was unarmed and without any protection entered the center of the raging crowds. This had such an effect on the people that the passions subsided by themselves. Nicholas II twice expressed his personal gratitude to him for his diligence, and in April 1906 summoned Stolypin to Tsarskoye Selo and said that he closely followed his actions in Saratov and, considering them exceptionally outstanding, appointed him Minister of the Interior. Stolypin tried to refuse the appointment (by that time he had already survived four assassination attempts), but the emperor insisted.

Minister of Internal Affairs

He remained in this post until the end of his life (when appointed prime minister, he combined two posts).

Under the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Interior were:

administration of postal and telegraph affairs
state police
jail, exile
provincial and county administrations
cooperation with zemstvos
food business (providing the population with food in case of crop failure)
fire Department
insurance
the medicine
veterinary medicine
local courts, etc.

The beginning of his work in a new post coincided with the beginning of the work of the First State Duma, which was mainly represented by the leftists, who from the very beginning of their work took a course towards confrontation with the authorities. There was a strong opposition between the executive and the legislature. After the dissolution of the First State Duma, Stolypin became the new prime minister (read more about the history of the State Duma on our website:). He also replaced I. L. Goremykin as Chairman of the Council of Ministers. As prime minister, Stolypin acted with great energy. He was also a brilliant orator who knew how to convince and convince.

Stolypin's relations with the Second State Duma were tense. The Duma included more than a hundred representatives of parties that directly advocated the overthrow of the existing system - the RSDLP (later divided into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks) and the Socialist-Revolutionaries, who repeatedly staged assassinations and assassinations of top officials of the Russian Empire. Polish deputies advocated the separation of Poland from the Russian Empire into a separate state. The two most numerous factions of the Cadets and the Trudoviks advocated the forced expropriation of land from the landlords with subsequent transfer to the peasants. Stolypin was the head of the police, so in 1907 he published in the Duma the “Government Report on a Conspiracy” discovered in the capital and aimed at committing terrorist acts against the emperor, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich and against himself. The government issued an ultimatum to the Duma, demanding that the parliamentary immunity of the alleged participants in the conspiracy be lifted, giving the Duma the shortest time to respond. The Duma did not immediately agree to the terms of the government and proceeded to the procedure for discussing the requirements, and then the tsar, without waiting for a final answer, dissolved the Duma on June 3. The act of June 3 formally violated the "Manifesto of October 17", in connection with which it was called the "June 3 coup".

The new electoral system, which was used in elections to the State Dumas of the III and IV convocations, increased the representation in the Duma of landowners and wealthy citizens, as well as the Russian population in relation to national minorities, which led to the formation of a pro-government majority in the III and IV Dumas. The “Octobrists” in the center ensured that Stolypin passed bills by entering into a coalition on various issues with either right or left members of parliament. At the same time, the less numerous All-Russian National Union party was distinguished by close personal ties with Stolypin.

The Third Duma was "the creation of Stolypin." Stolypin's relationship with the Third Duma was a complex mutual compromise. The general political situation in the Duma turned out to be such that the government was afraid to introduce to the Duma all laws related to civil and religious equality (especially with the legal status of Jews), since a heated discussion of such topics could force the government to dissolve the Duma. Stolypin was unable to reach an understanding with the Duma on the fundamentally important issue of reforming local government; the entire package of government bills on this topic was stuck in parliament forever. At the same time, government budget projects have always been supported by the Duma.

Law on courts-martial

The creation of this law was dictated by the conditions of revolutionary terror in the Russian Empire. Over the past few years, there have been many (tens of thousands) terrorist attacks with total number 9,000 deaths. Among them were both the highest officials of the state and ordinary policemen. Often the victims were random people. Several terrorist attacks were prevented personally against Stolypin and his family members, the revolutionaries sentenced to death by poisoning even Stolypin's only son, who was only 2 years old. He was killed by terrorists V. Plehve ...

Stolypin's dacha on Aptekarsky Island after the explosion

During the assassination attempt on Stolypin on August 12, 1906, two of Stolypin's children, Natalya (14 years old) and Arkady (3 years old), were also injured. At the time of the explosion, they, along with the nanny, were on the balcony and were thrown by the blast wave onto the pavement. Natalya's leg bones were crushed, she could not walk for several years, Arkady's injuries were not serious, but the children's nanny died. This assassination attempt on Aptekarsky Island was carried out by the St. Petersburg organization of the Union of Socialist-Revolutionary Maximalists, which was formed in early 1906. The organizer was Mikhail Sokolov. August 12, Saturday, was Stolypin's reception day at the government dacha on Aptekarsky Island in St. Petersburg. Reception began at 14:00. At about half past three, a carriage drove up to the dacha, from which two people in gendarmerie uniforms got out with briefcases in their hands. In the first waiting room, the terrorists threw their briefcases to the next door and rushed away. There was an explosion of great force, more than 100 people were injured: 27 people died on the spot, 33 were seriously injured, many later died.

The prime minister himself and the visitors in his office received bruises (the door was torn off its hinges).

August 19 were introduced courts-martial to expedite the handling of terrorist cases. The trial took place within a day after the commission of the crime. The trial could last no more than two days, the sentence was carried out in 24 hours. The introduction of courts-martial was due to the fact that the military courts showed, in the opinion of the government, excessive leniency and dragged out the consideration of cases. Whereas in the military courts cases were tried in front of the accused, who could use the services of defense counsel and represent their witnesses, in the military courts the accused were deprived of all rights.

In his speech of March 13, 1907, before the deputies of the Second Duma, Stolypin justified the need for this law to work as follows: The state can, the state is obliged, when it is in danger, to adopt the most stringent, most exclusive laws in order to protect itself from disintegration.

Artist O. Leonov "Stolypin"

During the six years of the law (from 1906 to 1911), from 683 to 6 thousand people were executed by the verdicts of courts-martial, and 66 thousand were sentenced to hard labor. Most executions were carried out by hanging.

Subsequently, Stolypin was sharply condemned for such harsh measures. The death penalty was rejected by many, and its use was directly associated with the policy pursued by Stolypin . The terms "rapid justice" and "Stolypin's reaction" came into use. Cadet F. I. Rodichev, during his speech in a fit of temper, made an insulting expression "Stolypin's tie", referring to executions. The prime minister challenged him to a duel. Rodichev publicly apologized, which was accepted. Despite this, the expression "Stolypin's tie" has become catchy. By these words was meant the noose of the gallows.

Many prominent people of that time spoke out against the courts-martial: Leo Tolstoy, Leonid Andreev, Alexander Blok, Ilya Repin. The law on courts-martial was not submitted by the government for approval to the Third Duma and automatically expired on April 20, 1907. But as a result of the measures taken, the revolutionary terror was suppressed. State order kept in the country.

I. Repin "Portrait of Stolypin"

Russification of Finland

During Stolypin's premiership, the Grand Duchy of Finland was a special region of the Russian Empire. He pointed to the unacceptability of certain features of power in Finland (many revolutionaries and terrorists were hiding from justice there). In 1908, he ensured that Finnish cases affecting Russian interests were considered in the Council of Ministers.

Jewish question

In the Russian Empire of the times of Stolypin, the Jewish question was a problem of national importance. There were a number of restrictions for the Jews. In particular, outside the so-called Pale of Settlement, they were prohibited from permanent residence. Such inequality in relation to part of the population of the empire on religious grounds led to the fact that many young people who were infringed in their rights went to revolutionary parties. But the solution of this issue progressed with difficulty. Stolypin believed that Wraiths have legal rights to seek full equality.

Assassination attempts on Stolypin

From 1905 to 1911, 11 attempts were made on Stolypin, the last of which achieved its goal. The assassination attempts in the Saratov province were spontaneous, and then they became more organized. The bloodiest is the assassination attempt on Aptekarsky Island, which we have already talked about. Some attempts were uncovered in the process of their preparation. At the end of August 1911, Emperor Nicholas II with his family and associates, including Stolypin, were in Kyiv on the occasion of the opening of the monument to Alexander II. On September 14, 1911, the emperor and Stolypin attended the play "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" at the Kiev city theater. The head of the Kyiv security department had information that terrorists had arrived in the city with a specific purpose. The information was obtained from secret informant Dmitry Bogrov. It turned out that he was the one who planned the assassination. By pass, he went to the city opera house, during the second intermission he approached Stolypin and fired twice: the first bullet hit his arm, the second one hit his stomach, hitting his liver. After being wounded, Stolypin crossed the tsar, sank heavily into a chair and said: "Happy to die for the Tsar." Four days later, Stolypin's condition deteriorated sharply, and he died the next day. There is an opinion that shortly before his death, Stolypin said: "They will kill me, and the members of the guard will kill me."

In the first lines of Stolypin's opened will, it was written: "I want to be buried where they will kill me." Stolypin's instructions were carried out: Stolypin was buried in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Conclusion

The assessment of Stolypin's activity is contradictory and ambiguous. Some single out only negative aspects in it, others consider him a "brilliant political figure", a person who could save Russia from future wars, defeats and revolutions. We would like to quote lines from the book by S. Rybas "Stolypin", which very accurately characterize the attitude of people towards historical figures: “... from this figure emanates the eternal tragedy of a Russian educated active person: in extreme situation when traditional methods government controlled cease to work, he comes to the fore, when the situation stabilizes, he begins to annoy, and he is removed from the political arena. And then nobody is really interested in the person, the symbol remains.”