The Road to Capitalism (1840-1890)

The country was still reeling with the humiliating defeat against the Anglo-Franco-Turkish coalition in the Crimean War, when Alexander II was crowned Russian Emperor. The Emperor undertook a series of reforms in an attempt to boost the national economy and effectively opened the way for capitalist development yet preserving the foundation of absolutist rule.  In 1861, he introduced the emancipation of the serfs, although peasants were still forced to pay for the land they worked on. Trial by jury was introduced as part of the reforms, and Alexander continued to reform the army and city administration leading to a much higher degree of self-government.

Despite these reforms, the society wanted more and revolutionaries considered Alexander to be too conservative. After numerous assassination attempts, Alexander II was mortally wounded in a bomb attack carried out by Ignaty Grinetsky on the embankment of Ekaterininsky Canal (now Griboyedov Canal) and died the same day, 1st March 1881. The magnificent Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Bllod was built in his memory. His enraged son Alexander III repealed many of the reforms, including a constitution that was ready to be signed, and thus started a period of repression and conservatism.

St Petersburg was fast becoming a capitalist city at this time, with the number of Russian and foreign factories growing rapidly. Banks and offices began to fill Nevsky Prospect and many other major streets. By the 1980’s construction was booming and multi-storey apartments were appearing all over the city. During this period the famous Mariinsky Theatre was built along with many palaces for the country’s Grand Dukes. A series of monuments to Catherine the Great, Nicholas I and the poet Alexander Pushkin were erected, and the Liteiny Bridge was constructed.

Next: The "Silver Age", Turn of the Century