Журнал «История: факты и символы»

ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL REFORM OF CATHERINE II: ITS LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION AND THE PERSONALITIES OF HIGH OFFICIAL ADMINISTRATORS (ON THE MATERIALS OF CENTRAL RUSSIA PROVINCES)

Author: Belov A. V.

In the second half of the 18th century large-scale transformations known in historical science as Catherine II's provincial reform took place in Russia. As a result, an extensive network of arms of government in which regional authorities worked headed by governors appeared. Beside that in regions there were created numerous administrative units tasked at local management including fire engineering services, educational institutions, relief aid committees, hospitals, theaters, libraries, etc. In this publication the reform of local management of the second half of the 18th century is not shown briefly as a general process on materials of all huge Russian Empire. On the opposite the author explores here the materials of a single historical region. Special attention is paid to the preparation and the very process of the transformations. At the same time the main objectives of the reform resulted in the creating new administrative, police, social structures are exposed to the analysis. The impact on the result of reforms by personal and professional qualiies of its chief performers - the empress's deputies in regions is assessed in the article. As the research demonstrates, the personal factor at a stage of implementation of the program of transformations was significant. The research is performed on the extensive archive material. The majority of sources is introduced for scientific use for the first time. A territorial framework covers the central provinces of Russia: Kaluga, Vladimir, Moscow and Yaroslavl since they carry out a role of a basis of one of the main regions of the country, its historical kernel.