REVOLUTION
The general-ad'jutant NIKOLAY OSIPOVICH KUTLUBITSKY, Mihajlovsky castle commandant was arrested on March, 10. He graduated an artillery military school, was one of the most approached and authorized representatives of the Emperor. Maybe he could save him. On March 11 46 years old emperor Paul was overtaken by violent death. In official communique it was proclaimed that he has died as a result of rapid illness. He was a tzar for four years and four months. There was a widow - EMPRESS MARIA FEDOROVNA, princess SOFIA-DOROTEYA, Fridrich II grandniece, mother of three sons - ALEXANDER, KONSTANTIN and NIKOLAY.
Over last assembly of conspirators, who killed the emperor, NIKITA PETROVICH PANIN and BENIGSEN presided . The senior son of the killed, 23 year old Alexander, became a new emperor. He was crowned in Moscow on September, 15. His brother NIKOLAY PAVLOVICHU was four years old at that time.
The first stage of Alexander's reign (till 1805) was characterized by hot and sincere desire to reform everything, pink and uncertain society hopes and expectations .
AMNESTY
On March, 15 the decree with amnesty to emigrants was published.
THE FIRST REFORM
The department of Secret Expedition is destroyed on March, 17. Its lists of the prisoners were reconsidered. "The Register of people, who will be left in their present position " is signed on May, 15. There were seven hundred secret prisoners, now only 150 remeained. Beginning from number 48 people, who paticipated in Pugachevs revolt are in that Register, numbers from 48 to 52 are Emel'jan Ivanovich Pugachev wives and children, they were in imprisonment for twenty seven years already.
ONE REFORM FOLLOWS ANOTHER
The rights of cities and noblemen, granted to them by Empress Ekaterina in 1785, are restored. It includes cities self-management. All six categories of city inhabitants were allowed to take part in elections, they elect Common Duma. The emperor Paul Petrovich has cancelled this process, and new emperor Alexander has immediately restored it. Rights are returned to near 10000 military and civil officials who have lost them on a verdict of military court or under the decree in past reign; free departure of Russians to foreign territories and entrance of foreigners to Russia are resolved; the private printing houses sealed by Pauls oreder are open; free export of Russian products abroad is allowed; torture is forbidden. Gallows which stood on the squares with names of the guilty on them were destroyed in April. There was even a special decree that police must not cause anybody any insults.
PUBLIC RESCUE COMMITTEE
STROGANOV has offered to form a private committee and to discuss plans of the state transformation there. Alexander has willingly agreed and friends named the creation The Public Rescue Committee. Its members were the counts KOCHUBEJ, STROGANOV, NOVOSIL'TSEV and prince ADAM CHARTORIZHSKY. All together dream to establish representative board in Russia.
INDISPENSABLE COUNCIL
An Indispensable council is organized. It aim is discussing laws in order "to put force and pleasure of empire on the firm basis of the law ".
THE CZAR HAS CONCEDED
On Alexander's command the note, offering to forbid sale of peasants without the ground was brought to the attention of Indispensable council. The council has found this measure dangerous and Alexander had to concede. Some days later he tried to forbid newspaper announcements on people sale, then newspaper began to call it "servant hiring". The decree about prohibition of such publications was placed in May, 28 newspapers .
STAFF SOLVE ALL
Alexander has removed PALEN, PANIN and ZUBOV (the murderers of the father, who helped him to become a tzar) from their official positions. Vice-chancellor N.P.Panin left to resignation in autumn (and never returned to work, he lived 36 years more). He was IVAN MATVEEVICH MURAV'EV-APOSTLE patron, so that man got in disgrace too. One of Murav'ev-Apostle sons SERGEY IVANOVICH, 1796, subsequently would become one of the heads "dekabrists" anf for a long time would dream about killing the emperor.
TECHNICAL PROGRESS
In August, 7 Manifest the following is written: "who will invent a new useful machine, open a factory of a new sort or better organize, or present the composition in these subjects, on firm speculation and experience based, yes will be certified in worthy award, proportional to the usefullness...".
LAND PRIVATE PROPERTY
The decree December, 12 has allowed all free people (not just noblemen, as earlier) to own the land. Merchant class, petty bourgeoises and free citysens may buy all the non-populated lands. Distribution of the state occupied manors to noblemen private property is stopped.
ARTS
The Italian opera, at Paul destroyed, is renewed and will exist till 1806.
EDUCATION
On means and under the petition of the Tula nobility the military preparatory school for sons of deprived noblemen is founded. It is named Aleksandrovsky school.
INDULGENCES TO CHRISTIANS
January, 31 law allows to be professed in any time convenient for parishioners.
INDULGENCES TO PRIESTS
The manifest on clearing of priests from corporal punishment.
SECTARIANS
The senators LOPUHIN and NELEDINSKIJ-MELETSKY have informed about a
pitiable condition of duhobors among the orthodox population in the
Slobodsko-Ukrainian province. Duhobors do not recognize the external church
organization, reject ceremonies and sacraments of orthodox church, do not
worship icons. It is authorized to them to move on "Dairy waters" (Molochnye
vodi) in Melitopol'sky district of Taurian province.