One of the most prominent statesmen of Russia of the 19th century was, without doubt, Peter Stolypin. He contributed to the implementation of many reforms, and not all of them were met with approval. During his life, he made many ambiguous decisions, which is why historians who study his biography often disagree about the effectiveness and feasibility of Stolypin’s reforms.
The future reformer was born in Germany. He married in his student years, when he was only twenty-two. One day, a cadet named Rodichev called the gallows “Stolypin’s ties”, hinting that the government controls people through intimidation. The acuteness was widely known, and in the end, Stolypin summoned Rodichev to a duel, but he refused and made a public apology. Stolypin’s older brother was killed in a duel with Prince Shakhovsky. Subsequently, the reformer himself shot with his brother’s killer, as a result of which he was wounded in the right arm. His famous agrarian reform required more land than it did in the European part of Russia. It was then that he organized a mass resettlement to Siberia.
In his student years, Peter Stolypin was interested in chemistry. He passed the exam to Mendeleev himself, and was awarded the mark “excellent”. He had six children. Stolypin tried to kill 11 times, and all attempts took place within five years. He did not survive the last attempt.
One of his initiatives was the abolition of the line of land for the Jews. Moreover, he was repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism. The famous poet Lermontov was Stolypin’s second cousin. The reformer’s wife was the great-granddaughter of Suvorov. And she was first the bride of his deceased older brother. Stolypin was distinguished by extreme fearlessness in the face of danger. Even his most ardent opponents recognized his devil. He had no bad habits – he did not drink either alcohol or tobacco.
Lev Tolstoy stated that the main mistake of the Stolypin reforms was the use of violence in the fight against violence. It should be noted that their families were friends for many years. In 2012, a commemorative coin was minted in Russia in memory of Peter Stolypin. During one of the attempts, an explosion was made, as a result of which Stolypin’s two children were injured. Emperor Nicholas II offered him financial help, but he refused, saying that he “does not sell the blood of his children.” The activity of the reformer six times became the object of screenings. In Russia, in many cities there are Stolypin streets, as well as monuments and memorials in his honor.
