# Canonical recap data for Emancipation of Russian Serfs (1861)
# Source: https://recap.at/1861/emancipation-russian-serfs
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: emancipation-russian-serfs
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1861/emancipation-russian-serfs"
title: Emancipation of Russian Serfs
subtitle: Alexander II's decree freed 23 million serfs and fundamentally restructured Russian society, triggering modernization and social upheaval.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1861-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1861
decade: 1860
country:
name: Russia
slug: russia
summaryShort: The emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia, also known as the Edict of Emancipation of Russia, was the first and most important of the liberal reforms enacted during the reign of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. The reform effectively abolished serfdom throughout the Russian Empire.
summaryLong: The emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia, also known as the Edict of Emancipation of Russia, was the first and most important of the liberal reforms enacted during the reign of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. The reform effectively abolished serfdom throughout the Russian Empire.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Reading_of_the_Manifest_%28Liberation_of_peasants%29_-_Kustodiev%2C_1907.jpg/1280px-Reading_of_the_Manifest_%28Liberation_of_peasants%29_-_Kustodiev%2C_1907.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Emancipation reform of 1861"
importance: 85
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_reform_of_1861"
  title: Emancipation of the Russian Serfs in 1861
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- revolution
metaDescription: The emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia, also known as the Edict of Emancipation of Russia, was the first and most important of the liberal reforms enacted du
wikidataQid: Q1192212
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260604091121/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_reform_of_1861"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-04
  label: Emancipation of the Russian Serfs in 1861
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_reform_of_1861"
taxonomy:
domain: political
eventTypes:
- constitutional_reform
- regime_change
canonicalClasses:
- governance
- transformation
impactRadius: national
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: planned
domainCoupling: multi_domain
lifecycleClass: transition
