Western Ideas and the Shaping of Zemstvo Policy, 1865–1868

This article examines references to foreign practices and models during the early years of operation of the Moscow Provincial Zemstvo Assembly. The 1864 zemstvo statute established general areas of operation for the new organizations, but left the delegates themselves to work out the details of particular programs. In the discussions that ensued, delegates made regular reference to foreign practices to bolster the case for their preferred policy solutions. The article focuses on two issues in particular, both of which were heavily debated in the first three years of Assembly meetings. The first concerned a proposal to establish an all-zemstvo land bank, and the second related to the establishment of a Moscow teachers training institute. Both issues stretched over several meetings, with detailed proposals subject to strict scrutiny from the assembled delegates. In both cases, references to foreign models occurred with great frequency. The supporters of these initiatives referred to a myriad of foreign countries, suggesting that no one country was seen as the sole proper model for Russia’s future progression. We see the use of foreign models from the sponsors of these particular initiatives, but also from those who criticized various aspects of the proposal. The critics did not dispute the utility of foreign models; instead, they proposed other countries as more appropriate examples. The debate was not about whether Russia should follow precedents from Western Europe, but rather about which particular precedents were most useful. The discussions show that no one single model predominated; delegates cited precedents from different countries on different issues. Though the zemtsy conceded that Russia had certain characteristics that made it distinct from the countries they cited, they remained steadfast in their belief that exemplars from abroad were the best model to follow.