SUMMARY:

Manfred Hildermeier’s article addresses the problem of interpretation of Russian history of the period which he terms “the long 19th century.” The author differentiates between the slavophilic view of unique Russian history, the concept of backwardness and a new revisionist perspective, which attempts to stress the legacy of the Enlightenment in the course of Russian history and therefore to situate Russian history within the context of European modernity of “the long 19th century.” Hildermeier traces the legacy of the Enlightenment in the development of system of justice, noble estate self-government, and self-government of the cities. Though acknowledging the uneven character of those processes until the second half of the 19th century, the author still views them as basic pillars of reform and rapid development of modern society in the second half of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century. As the problem of modern society’s existence is central for interpretation of “normality” of Russia’s historical path, the author sketches new directions for studies of Russian nascent civil society, which include history of the capitalist (economic) development and the cultural profile of the Russian bourgeoisie (entrepreneurs), studies of a new social elite in Russia’s provinces, exploration of the impact of politics after 1905 on the development of urban middle class society, and the problem of synchronic dynamism of socio-cultural changes in both entrepreneurial and educated elite of Russian society.