On the first (fourteenth in a new style) September 1911, at the Kiev City Opera House, to the then Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin, who was watching the play "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" with Nikolai II, a certain Dmitry Bogrov came up during the intermission and fired two shots. One bullet hit the arm. But the second hit in the stomach and hurt the liver. As Nikolai II later said, Stolypin turned to him and crossed the air. Historians write that the prime minister baptized the sovereign, saying that he was happy to die for the tsar. A few days later, Stolypin died.
The man who got in the way
In general, reading the biographies of Stolypin, you come to the conclusion that he interfered with everyone. Some were hindered by his reforms, others saw him as a reactionary, others, on the contrary, found him a dangerous revolutionary, while others simply irritated his character and closeness to the tsar. And, admittedly, Stolypin knew how to irritate, although, as many contemporaries noted, he dreamed of compromises. Not for nothing that the most famous of all the phrases he said publicly was the phrase: "They need great upheavals, we need a great Russia." This ambivalence towards the prime minister raises questions about who really was behind his assassination.
Noble breed
The origin of Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin, who was born on the second (fourteenth) April 1862 in Dresden, would be the envy of many nobles. His family already existed in the sixteenth century. His grandfather was a general, like one of his grandfather's brothers, Nikolai. His other brother, Arkady, was a senator, and Alexander was Suvorov's adjutant. But the brothers also had five sisters. And the daughter of one of them, Maria, became the mother of … Mikhail Lermontov. Agree, an impressive pedigree. Yes, the question of why our hero was born in Dresden is easily resolved: his mother went there to visit her relatives - to stay.
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Rapid career
Let's leave aside the years of Stolypin's studies. Although we note that at the St. Petersburg Imperial University, Peter Arkadyevich studied in the specialty of agronomy. By the way, the student Stolypin passed the exam in chemistry with excellent marks to Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev himself. And in general, he studied very, very well. Still, let's return to a fast-paced career. So … in 1885 Stolypin was a collegiate secretary. This is the tenth grade of an official. Moreover, university graduates traditionally started from the fourteenth, and in very rare cases - from the twelfth grade. This, by the way, is about how Stolypin studied. In 1888 he was a chamber-cadet. In the same year - titular counselor. This is the ninth grade of the bureaucratic table of ranks of that time. Not even half a year has passed since Petr Arkadyevich is appointed by the Kovno district marshal of the nobility and chairman of the court of conciliators. And this,by the way, a position corresponding to the fifth class of the civil service. And he just became a titular councilor. Stolypin's thirteen-year activity in Kovno is recognized by biographers as unequivocally successful. Perhaps someone does not think so. But the general message is this. In general, it must be admitted that Pyotr Arkadyevich did not move up the career ladder at the expense of patronage. Apparently, he loved and knew how to work. And, probably, he was one of those nobles who really wanted to serve the Fatherland.he loved and knew how to work. And, probably, he was one of those nobles who really wanted to serve the Fatherland.he loved and knew how to work. And, probably, he was one of those nobles who really wanted to serve the Fatherland.
Mysterious marriage
Before talking further about Stolypin's career, I would like to say a few words about the history of his marriage. And this story is rather mysterious. The fact is that Peter Arkadievich married while still a student. He was only twenty-two years old. At that time it was considered … How can I put it mildly? This was considered very early. So, as reported in the biographies, Stolypin married the bride … his older brother Mikhail. He died as a result of a duel with Prince Shakhovsky. According to legend, dying, the elder brother allegedly joined the hands of his bride and Peter Arkadyevich. This, they say, predetermined everything. By the way, again, according to legend, Pyotr Stolypin then shot himself with the murderer of his brother and was even wounded in his right arm. And then this hand did not obey. Whatever the legend says, judging by the memoirs of contemporaries, Stolypin's marriage was happy. He and his wife had six children - one son and five daughters.
Governor of Grodno
In the spring of 1902, at the age of forty, Pyotr Stolypin was made governor of Grodno. For him, according to the recollections of household members, this was a complete surprise. Pyotr Arkadievich was just taking his family to rest, treating a sore right hand, but was unexpectedly summoned to the capital, where he received a new appointment. The new governor's policy was interesting. Thus, for example, on his initiative a Jewish public school was opened in Grodno. At the same time, on the second day in office, Stolypin closed the so-called Polish Club. This was probably due to the fact that the Jewish population prevailed in the cities of the province, the peasantry was represented by Belarusians, but the nobility - mainly by the Poles. And the nobility was disloyal to the Russian state. Here is a young governor and tried to reduce their influence. Club by the waywas closed because it was dominated by "rebel sentiment". As for Jewishness, Stolypin, apparently, on the contrary, tried to enlist their support. Or, at least, to ensure that revolutionary sentiments do not spread among them. However, his main concern, however, as always, was agriculture. In particular, Stolypin paid attention to the agricultural education of the peasants. Which, by the way, caused discontent among large landowners. In particular, Stolypin paid attention to the agricultural education of the peasants. Which, by the way, caused discontent among large landowners. In particular, Stolypin paid attention to the agricultural education of the peasants. Which, by the way, caused discontent among large landowners.
Governor of Saratov
As the governor of Saratov, Pyotr Stolypin was remembered mainly for how he coped with the revolutionary unrest that arose against the background of Russia's defeat in the war with Japan. As witnesses of those events later noted, Stolypin proved to be not only an effective crisis manager, but also a man of great courage. He could talk unarmed with people, being in the thick of the revolutionary crowd, and the crowd obediently dispersed. He managed to calm the unrest in the province and prevent the escalation of events to the scale that was noted during the 1905 revolution in many Russian cities, not to mention the two capitals. And this did not go unnoticed by the emperor.
Minister of all
In the middle of spring 1906, Stolypin was summoned to the emperor. By telegram. Signed by Nicholas II himself. Arriving in Tsarskoe Selo, Pyotr Arkadyevich learns that it has been decided to appoint him Minister of Internal Affairs. Stolypin hesitates. And it can be understood. A real terrorist war unfolded in the empire against civil servants of all ranks - from high officials to policemen. Sipyagin and Plehve, the interior ministers, were also killed. It got to the point that many officials of the empire were simply afraid to occupy any serious posts. But Nicholas II did not accept Stolypin's objections and ordered him to accept the ministry. Here's another thing to explain: the Ministry of Internal Affairs at that time was responsible for a lot of areas of work and areas of public life. So, it was the Minister of the Interior who was responsible for the mail and telegraph,for administrations in provinces and counties, for food policy in the event of a crop failure, for local courts and fire departments, and even for medicine, insurance and veterinary medicine. And this is not taking into account the usual police functions, exile and prisons. The Minister of the Interior was almost the minister of everything.
Prime Minister
Just a few months after his appointment as Interior Minister, Stolypin was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers. This was preceded by the dissolution of the First State Duma. But Stolypin's relations with the new Duma (Second Duma) did not go well either. Here one must understand what the composition of the Duma was. It included the very revolutionaries who declared a terrorist war on the authorities, and those who pursued some of their own interests, which also did not coincide with the interests of the authorities, such as, for example, Polish deputies who dreamed of secession of Poland, and simply those who wanted some personal preferences. In the end, when it turned out that some of the deputies were directly linked to terror, and the Duma ignored the government's ultimatum to remove parliamentary immunity from them, the Second Duma, like the First, was dissolved by the emperor. The Third Duma was elected under a new electoral law, which allowed to introduce into the legislative body more landowners and, most importantly, wealthy citizens, in order to create a political center and try to rely on it. But even so, many important government bills were sabotaged by the deputies. Mostly for purely political reasons. Meanwhile, the country faced a simple choice: change in an evolutionary or revolutionary way. It was impossible to drag out the reforms.the country faced a simple choice: change in an evolutionary or revolutionary way. It was impossible to drag out the reforms.the country faced a simple choice: change in an evolutionary or revolutionary way. It was impossible to drag out the reforms.
Attempts at reform
What is Stolypin's premiership remembered for? Of course, his attempts at reform. But not only this. However, let's start with the most sensational reform. Moreover, their necessity, as many experts note, was really dictated by time. That is, it was not just a whim of the prime minister. For example, with regard to the agrarian reform, in Russia at that time the productivity of peasant labor was very low. Stolypin believed that the management system itself was to blame.
The reform was aimed at ensuring that the land from the communities that disposed of it (but did not own) would pass to a new class of peasant-owners. A lot had to be done for this. Including, to break the system of class restrictions that impede, according to Stolypin, the development of the agricultural sector. A system of concessional lending to peasants was introduced, the Peasant Bank was created, and cooperation was encouraged. In particular, part of the agrarian reform was the encouragement of the resettlement of peasants to Siberia. All this, in fact, was very ambiguously perceived both by the large landowners, and by the then political class, in which every political force was trying to win the peasants to its side, and even by the peasants themselves. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to assess the reform. Its implementation was prevented, first of all, by the very murder of Stolypin, the subsequent world war,revolution, civil war. Stolypin himself wanted twenty years of peace for Russia.
The Jewish question and the "Stolypin terror"
Whatever Stolypin did as prime minister, he always got it from different sides. For example, he was even accused of anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, according to the testimony of biographers, on the contrary, he tried to solve the Jewish question in Russia in such a way that young Jews would receive greater freedom and would not join the ranks of irreconcilable oppositionists. Thus, the Black Hundred organizations suffered from his close attention, and the Jewish pogroms that shook public opinion here and there before Stolypin's premiership disappeared from the end of 1907. They were not there until his death. He, according to the testimony of his contemporaries, did everything to prevent a fake - the so-called Protocols of the Elders of Zion - from getting mass circulation. Stolypin demanded a thorough understanding of the "Beilis case" and did not believe in ritual murder. On the other hand, they blame him forthat he never dared to resolve the issue with the shameful rule of the "Pale of Settlement" for Jews. He raised this issue. But then for some reason he sharply backed up. Perhaps he was frightened of the consequences, since he knew well about anti-Semitic sentiments both in society in general and in the government in particular. As for the "Stolypin terror", then yes - under it the "Law on military-field courts" began to operate, aimed at combating revolutionary terror, which unfolded, we recall, throughout the country on an unprecedented scale. These were officers' courts, the trial lasted no more than two days, and the sentence was carried out at twenty-four hours. In eight months (then the law became invalid), more than a thousand death sentences were passed and about seven hundred people were executed. But from 1906 to 1910, five thousand seven hundred and thirty-five death sentences were passed on political crimes. Three thousand seven hundred and forty-one sentences were carried out. This was a completely unprecedented scale of repression in Russian practice. And it is impossible to justify such a thing. But … It should not be forgotten here, the response to which was the Stolypin terror. He became a response to the revolutionary terror, as a result of which in just two years - from 1905 to 1907 - more than nine thousand people were killed! And this also affected Stolypin personally. His friends and acquaintances perished. His children also suffered. This happened after the terrorist attack on the Aptekarsky Island in the Stolypin mansion on August 12, 1906. Then several dozen people died, who ended up in his mansion by chance. The children of the Prime Minister (Arkady and Natalya) were thrown from the balcony onto the street by the explosion. Natalia then could not walk for several years. Arkady escaped with minor wounds. Their nanny was killed. The terror was waged from two sides. Moreover, on the part of the state it was a retaliatory measure.
Were the Bolsheviks right?
In fact, Stolypin's activities were aimed at saving the country from the impending revolution through reforms, through the evolutionary resolution of overripe issues. But, according to some experts, he focused too much on the economy to the detriment of political reforms. Although he tried to limit the influence of large landowners, which, in general, is a political moment. However, his actions thwarted too many and too different social groups. And Stolypin did not have a single command, a fist with which he could turn the tide. As there was no real support in the person of the eternally hesitating king. In general, Russia was then tied in such a Gordian knot that one involuntarily thinks: the Bolsheviks were right after all, who did not try to untie it, but cut it, tying the disintegrating country into parts with the most brutal state terror.in comparison with which Stolypin's terror seems an innocent prank. Perhaps there was simply no other way out. But in connection with all of the above, and returning to what was written at the beginning, we again ask ourselves the question: who actually stood behind the murder of Stolypin?
He had countless ill-wishers. And just remember that the direct perpetrator of the murder, Dmitry Bogrov, was a secret informant, and he got to the theater where Nikolai II and Stolypin were, thanks to a pass received not from anyone, but from the head of the Kiev security department.
Mark Raven