History of Russia of 17th-19th centuries in P.A. Kropotkins interpretation

The article is devoted to the analysis of debatable themes of history ofRussia of the 17th-19th centuries in interpretation of the ideologist of anarchy-communism, outstanding scientist P.A. Kropotkin. Thepioneer of Russian anarchism Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin influenced Kropotkins opinion, that is why the basic positions of theanarchist historical concept developed by M.A. Bakunin are also analysed in the article. P.A. Kropotkin, as well as M.A. Bakunin, consideredthe debatable questions of Russian history from the anarchical position. It is necessary to note that M.A. Bakunins political andphilosophical views influenced its interpretation of the basic events of the history of Russia. The ideologist of anarchism gave specialattention to peoples uprisings. He considered the hatred of people against the state system as a whole as the main reason for peasantsriots. In М.А. Bakunins opinion, the state appeared in the history of Russia only in the 15th-16th centuries. Until then people livedfreely, without the serfdom and the state pressure. Peter I, in his opinion, strengthened the government, adding western bureaucracy.The ideologist of anarchism considered that people repeatedly tried to overthrow the authority of the state, but Stepan Razins andYemelyan Pugachevs attempts were not crowned with success. Only in the 19th century the Decembrists awoke the public idea.M.A. Bakunin believed that only the union of radical youths efforts and national revolutionary spirit can liberate people from the authorityof the state. General evaluation by ideologists of Russian anarchism on many key questions of history of Russia is traced. Inparticular, they considered the period of formation of the centralized state as the period of formation of government. Before the 15th-16th centuries, in their opinion, Russia had a period of independent cities. Only Ivan III and Ivan Grozny conquered independent citiesand destroyed the bases of free life. Later, the ideologists of anarchism considered, Russian history witnessed strengthening of positionsof the state due to reduction of freedom of broad masses. Introduction of serfdom was a significant step on the way of strengthening ofthe position of the state and the privileged class. The reforms by Peter I are unequivocally estimated as negative: Peter I only strengthenedthe state machinery created only for suppression of the last displays of freedom. P.A. Kropotkin attributed significance to the peasantsreform of 1861. Assigning greater hopes for Tsar the Liberator, they were later disappointed by the results of the reform, whichhad only formally released peasants, but economic shackles were still on hands of the working people.

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