Pyotr Arkadievich Stolypin in the Context of Russian History and Politics

The papertries to evaluate P.A. Stolypin reform activities and to define his role in the Russian history not through the authors political preferences, buton the basis of Stolypins real contribution to the development of the countrys economy and social-political system. The author disagreesboth with those who see Stolypin as one of the paramount figures in Russian history and with those who believe him to be a failed reformerand a reactionary. P.A. Stolypin pushed Russias agrarian development along the Prussian way, retaining the gentrys land ownership andpromoting the development of the capitalist peasant household through the cultivation of private land ownership and the destruction ofpeasant communities. He did not see the alternative way to modernize peasant households through cooperatives. The author believes that,irrespective of the reforms objectives, P.A. Stolypins activities made a substantial positive impact on the development of the countrysagriculture, and the resettlement of peasants to Siberia continues to play an important geopolitical role as it has been the most resoluteendeavor to move population beyond the Urals and to consolidate Russias grip over the territory of Northern Asia. The contribution of P.A.Stolypins reforms to the countrys development in the early 20th century has been great, but insufficient to prevent the revolution. In theauthors opinion, P.A. Stolypin belongs not to the victors such as Peter I or V.I. Lenin, but to the losers such as M.S. Gorbachev who alsolaunched belated reforms and lost the struggle for power to his contenders.

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