Nikolay Alexeyevich Milyutin (; 6 June 1818 – 26 January 1872) was a Russian statesman remembered as the chief architect of the great liberal reforms undertaken during Alexander II's reign, including the emancipation of the serfs and the establishment of zemstvo.Moon, David (2001). The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1762–1907, pp. 127, 178. Harlow: Longman Harcave, Sidney (1968). Years of the Golden Cockerel, p. 174. New York: Macmillan

Peter Kropotkin, an anarchist, described him as "the soul of the emancipation of the Serfs in bureaucratic circles."

Early life Nikolay Milyutin was born in Moscow on 6 June 1818, the scion of an influential, but impoverished, aristocratic Russian family.Lincoln, W. Bruce (1977) Nikolai Miliutin, an enlightened Russian Bureaucrat. p. 40 New York: Oriental Research Partners. He was the nephew of Count Pavel Kiselyov, the most brilliant Russian reformer of Nicholas I's reactionary reign.Harcave, Sidney (1968). Years of the Golden Cockerel, p. 174. New York: MacmillanFrank, Joseph (1979). Dostoevsky: The Seeds of Revolt, 1821–1849, p. 253. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University PressLincoln, W. Bruce (1977) Nikolai Miliutin, an enlightened Russian Bureaucrat. New York: Oriental Research Partners. Milyutin's brothers were Vladimir Milyutin (1826–55), a social philosopher, journalist and economist, and Dmitry Milyutin (1816–1912), who served as Minister of War under Alexander II.Moon, David (2001). The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1762–1907, pp. 127, 178. Harlow: Longman Frank, Joseph (1979). Dostoevsky: The Seeds of Revolt, 1821–1849, p. 253. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Milyutin's formative years were spent on his father's estate, Titovo, in Kaluga Oblast.Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. X-XI, 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press Serfs worked the land at Titovo, while Milyutin's father occupied most of his time hunting and carousing with friends.Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press Milyutin's mother was left to oversee most aspects of life on their estate.Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press According to Milyutin, there were so many serfs at Titovo that "to list all would be impossible."Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press While Milyutin largely omitted the more unsavory aspects regarding life at Titovo from his published memoirs, an unpublished draft, detailing his childhood, discusses the brutality with which his father treated his serfs.Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press On one occasion Milyutin witnessed his father "mercilessly" flog one their serfs, as he later explained: "But thus were the mores in those times: a good landowner considered [flogging] unavoidable to keep his serfs in line."Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press Afterwards, as was then common practice, the serf was made to come and "thank the master" for having administered his "lesson."Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press The incident left an indelible impression on Milyutin's young mind.Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press

Career Milyutin graduated from Moscow University and joined the Ministry of the Interior in 1835. A man of liberal views who sympathized with the Slavophile cause, Milyutin helped reform the municipal administration in St Petersburg, Moscow, and Odessa during the 1840s.Harcave, Sidney (1968). Years of the Golden Cockerel, p. 174. New York: Macmillan

As an Assistant Minister of Interior since 1859, he succeeded in defending his vision of ambitious liberal reforms against attacks by conservatives and disconcerted nobility. The Emancipation Manifesto of 1861 was largely drafted by him.Moon, David (2001). The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1762–1907, pp. 127, 178. Harlow: Longman Up to the passage of the act, Milyutin had served as Adjunct of the Minister of the interior, Sergey Lanskoy. However, Milyutin was distrusted by the Czar as "a restless and uncompromising reformer." After passage of this act, though, Milutin was dismissed from office. In regards to the Liberal Party, "As you know, the hopes of the party were dashed to the ground by the dismissal -- one might also say disgrace -- of Nicholas Milutine the day after the [Emancipation] Edict was published..."

During the January Uprising he was dispatched to Poland in order to implement reforms there. He devised a program which involved the emancipation of the peasantry at the expense of the nationalist landowners and the expulsion of Roman Catholic priests from schools.Lincoln, W. Bruce (1977) Nikolai Miliutin, an enlightened Russian Bureaucrat. p. 90-102 New York: Oriental Research Partners. Over seven hundred thousand Polish peasants were granted freehold land to farm as the result of Milyutin's reforms.Chapman, Timothy (2001). Imperial Russia, 1801–1905, p. 110 New York: Routledge A Russian university was established at Warsaw, and all secondary school lessons were required to be given in Russian, not Polish.Chapman, Timothy (2001). Imperial Russia, 1801–1905, p. 110 New York: Routledge Finally, the property of the Catholic Church was confiscated and sold.Roosevelt, Priscilla (1995). Life on the Russian Country Estate, pp. 179, 230, 340. New Haven: Yale University Press Although Milyutin had previously opposed the "direct and outright Russification" of Poland, according to one biographer, historian W. Bruce Lincoln, Milyutin's reforms effectively "hastened the coming of stern Russification policies" in Poland.Lincoln, W. Bruce (1977) Nikolai Miliutin, an enlightened Russian Bureaucrat. p. 90-102 New York: Oriental Research Partners.

Milyutin resigned his office in December 1866, after having suffered a paralytic stroke, and spent the rest of his life in seclusion.Lincoln, W. Bruce (1977) Nikolai Miliutin, an enlightened Russian Bureaucrat. p. 90, 94, 100 New York: Oriental Research Partners. He died on 26 January 1872 in Moscow.Lincoln, W. Bruce (1977) Nikolai Miliutin, an enlightened Russian Bureaucrat. p. 90, 94, 100 New York: Oriental Research Partners.

Cultural references The Filipino novel Revolution: 80 Days (2022) featured Milyutin as a friend of the protagonist Richard Haze.

See also Government reforms of Alexander II of Russia

References

Further reading Leslie, Robert Frank. Reform and insurrection in Russian Poland, 1856-1865 (Greenwood, 1969). Lincoln, W. Bruce. "Milyutin and the Russian Serfs:" History Today (July 1969), Vol. 19 Issue 7, pp 495–504; online; covers 1840 to 1859. Lincoln, W. Bruce. "The Makings of a New Polish Policy: N. A. Milyutin and the Polish Question, 1861-1863." Polish Review (1970): 54–66. online Zyzniewski, Stanley J. "The Russo-Polish Crucible of the 1860s: A Review of Some Recent Literature." The Polish Review (1966): 23–46. Online

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