Larisa Kangaspuro (University of Helsinki)
A tragic feature of the Russian history is the close connection of its culture with prison, penal labour and exile. The history of prison has turned out to be a part of the history of Russian society.
The chronological frame of this paper begins from the Great reforms of the 1860s with the birth of the popular press and the relative freedom of speech during the reign of Alexander II. It expands to the early 20th century, when the political situation in the Russian Empire began to change dramatically.
The prison question and discussion on prison reforms offer an interesting case on the interaction between the Tsarist regime and the civil society. Literature provided one channel to criticize the authorities. Authors in Russia have always been more than authors. They wrote novels based on either personal experience or personal research on prison and exile. In their days, and later, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Lev Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and other writers had a vast influence on public opinion. In fact, they probably were the main source of information for the public concerning penitentiary system.
Other writers, such as Count Vladimir Sologub and publicist Nikolai Yadrintsev, also showed their civil initiative by participating in the Commission for the Reorganization of Prisons in Russia.
In the post-emancipation Russia, following the example of mid-19th century Europe, the prison question was fashionable both in legislative assemblies and in literature. In summing up, we can say that civil society influenced significantly to the development of the penitentiary system of Russia during this time.