This article analyzes the problem of the relationship between the governors corps and the “first call” peace mediators at the first stage of the implementation of the peasant reform — in the spring—summer of 1861. The position of a peace mediator was conceived to implement the most difficult step: the gradual transition of serfs to a free state. Thanks to the efforts of those governors who were not indifferent to the abolition of serfdom, first of all, the governor of Kaluga V. A. Artsimovich, in some regions it was possible to assemble an outstanding composition of peace mediators who made a significant contribution to the realization of the peasant reform. However, there were also governors who openly did not sympathize with the peasant reform and were quite indifferent to the formation of a pool of peace mediators. In addition, some governors faced quite strong opposition from the local nobility, who did not want to see those landowners who had progressive views as peace mediators. In general, the article shows that it was the governors who first of all depended on the way the institution of peace mediators looked like in a particular province.
Nikolay Mogilevskii (Wed,) studied this question.