ОРГАНЫ МЕСТНОГО САМОУПРАВЛЕНИЯ

The paper considers the history of the appearance of the Fundamental Beginnings of the zemstvo reforms of July2, 1862. Basing on the analysis of the archive and published sources it is proved that P. V. Valuev viewed zemstvo reform as part and parcel of the project of “Governmental Constitutionalism”.

The paper is thematically linked to the author s paper in «Newsletter of Saratov University». New Series. Ser. History. 2012. Vol. 12, iss. 4. It focuses on the discussion of Valuev’s project of Zemstvo Reform by the representatives of liberal bureaucracy M. A. Korf andG. A. Sherbatov

The paper focuses on one of the important aspects of zemsky reform preparation - N. A. Milyutin's observations on Valuev's preliminary draft of zemstvo establishment (Preliminary Essay). The polemic sharpness of Milyutin's “observations” that occured due to promoting his own self-governance model has been traced.

The paper analyses the peculiarities of the political process in post-February revolutionary period which was notable for peculiar political forces arrangement, mythologized public consciousness with its belief in miracles and «setting in the realm of freedom». A new legal system was not developed, the level of public legal awareness and political culture was very low. This was one of the important reasons of Russian sovereignty downfall, the situation in the center and the province confirming this.