During the Nicholas I era, Russia had both good and bad moments in its history. Russia was indeed very vast at the time of the death of Nicholas I, but the need for fundamental reforms were fully felt during this period. Although Russia was not very successful in foreign policy and has struggled with domestic problems, it has experienced many good things, such as the golden age of literature and culture, and the arrival of the Industrial Revolution in Russia. There are many attractions in St. Petersburg that left for tourists to visit during their travel to Russia. At the time of the death of Nicholas I, everyone was waiting for the emergence of a new emperor with reformist views. Russia has been very fortunate that the successor of Nicholas I, his son Alexander II, has a different perspective from his father and has corrected many systemic problems in Russia. Alexander II was also very active in foreign policy, despite his reformist views. One of his actions was to sell the Alaska region to the United States to fear to lose the area to the British Empire. He was also very peaceful, so he distanced himself from France during the fall of Napoleon III. He also helped shape Europe’s situation by joining the League of Three Emperors, consisting of Russia, Germany, and Austria. Nevertheless, he did not give up the war if necessary, as he did in a full-scale war with the Ottoman Empire in 1878, and the Siberia and Caucasus. To rectify the domestic problems, Alexander II made many fundamental changes and reforms, which earned him the respect of the Russian people.
In Russia, there was a form of slavery in which, unlike in other parts of the world, slaves were not traded in person and only sold if the property in which they lived was sold. It can be said that the serfs were peasants who were forced to live on an estate but did not have the right to live freely. One of the first significant reforms that took place during the reign of Alexander II was abolishing the law that kept serfdom alive. With the complete dismantling of the serfdom throughout the Russian Empire, nearly twenty-three million serfs were released and allowed to marry without the property owner’s supervision, to take possession of the personal property, and to have their business. Although the new law did not have many benefits for the large population of serfs, it nevertheless increased the popularity of Alexander II among the weaker sections of society. Of course, there were many other reforms after the Emancipation of the serfs. For example, under Alexander II, a series of significant changes occurred in the Russian Armed Forces. There were also reforms in industry and commerce. Improvements in the use and development of Russia’s natural resources and the construction of the Russian national railway were also on the list.
During his life, there were several assassinate attempts on Alexander II’s life. The first one was when Dmitry Karakozov, a Russian revolutionary, decided to take the Emperor’s life. The second one was during the 1867 World Fair when a Polish immigrant attacked Alexander II’s carriage containing the Emperor, his sons, and Napoleon III. There were several other failed assassinate attempts on the Emperor’s life after that, mostly by People’s Will, a radical revolutionary group. However, after several failed attempts, the People’s Will finally assassinate the Tsar on 13 March 1881. Three members of People’s Will, Nikolai Rysakov, Ignacy Hryniewiecki, and Ivan Emelyanov, severely injured the Tsar by throwing two bombs, first under the Emperor’s carriage, the second at his feet after the first one failed to take Alexander II’s life. The third bomb, which was in the hands of Ivan Emelyanov, was never used since the second one almost killed the Tsar. The wounded Alexander II moved to the Winter Palace, but he died later in the evening due to the wounds and blood loss.
During the reign of Alexander II, there were several significant reforms happened in St. Petersburg’s urban economy. A Central Water Treatment Plant was constructed, which later turned to Vodokanal. Vodokanal has the Museum of Water in St. Petersburg that you can visit during your tour to Russia. We’ve got the information about this museum on our weblog. A centralized water system was also installed in St. Petersburg. Experimentation began on the electrification of St. Petersburg during Alexander II’s reign. And the second permanent bridge was constructed on Neva River, which you can visit during your Russia Tour.
During the reign of Alexander II, two significant structures were built in St. Petersburg that later has turned to notable attractions in St. Petersburg Tour. The magnificent St. Isaac’s Cathedral was finally completed in 1858 after more than forty years. You can visit this majestic cathedral during your tour to Russia. The other one was the famous Mariinsky Theatre, which was constructed in 1860. If you want to have a great taste of Russian culture, you should visit the Mariinsky Theatre during your travel to Russia. Of course, there are other buildings constructed in that period, such as Kushelev-Bezborodko Mansion and Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. Still, these two don’t play a significant role in the tour to St. Petersburg.
There are several monuments to Alexander II in St. Petersburg, which you can visit during your trip to St. Petersburg. However, the most famous one, which is part of the Russia tour program as well, is the Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood. If you have any question about any of these places that mentioned here or want to learn about their statue on Russia tour or their history, you can check our weblog. We also give lots of useful advice about how to travel to Russia and various tips about the best places that you can visit, top attractions of St. Petersburg tour, best restaurants, and prime shopping centers in the city. We recommend you read about other eras of St. Petersburg’s history if you want to experience St. Petersburg at its fullest during your travel to Russia.
