Temporarily responsible peasant: what gave the people the abolition of serfdom?

The Manifesto of 1961 forever abolished serfdom in the Russian Empire. What changed for the common people this reform? First, yesterday's serfdom, formerly the property of the landowner, almost a thing, gained personal freedom. Secondly, he obtained the right to dispose of his property independently. What was always the most important for the peasant? Of course, the land that feeds and allows you to live by your own labor.

Each peasant received an allotment from the landowner for use, for which he paid with corvee or quitrent, which in practice differed little from previous obligations. Thus, the life of the people with gaining freedom has not changed much. Often the temporarily liable peasant received an even smaller plot than he had worked till then. In addition, the best lands remained with the landowners, while the people received the poorest, stony and inconveniently located plots.

The reform assumed that the temporarily liable peasant would become the owner of his allotment. To do this, he had to pay the landlord the cost of the estate and field plots of land, while greatly overestimated. It turned out that he at the same time pays for his personal freedom. The state immediately gave money to the landowners, and the common people had to pay the whole sum within 49 years and moreover 6% annually for using the loan.

The landlord as a result of the reform seemed to lose his property - serfs, but he sold the worst parts of his territory at a high price, which more than compensated for his losses. Those who did not buy the land, paid for its use by quitrent or worked for the former owner.

Temporarily liable peasant was called the "owner" of the land allotment immediately after he concluded a redemption deal. However, it became its full owner only after payment of all debts. It can be said that only at this moment he ceased to be serf and became a free man, since he completely depended on the land that remained in the hands of the landlords.

It was assumed that within 20 years each temporarily liable peasant would give the landlord money for his land allotment. However, exact deadlines were not established, so many did not hurry to take out a loan, continuing corvee or quitrent to pay the landlord for using the land. By 1870, the repurchased land was only about half. Over the next eleven years, their number increased to 85%. It was then that the abolition of the temporarily liable status of the peasants occurred. 1881 was the year when the law on compulsory redemption of the allotment land was passed during the next two years. Everyone who did not draw up a redemption deal during this time, lost his plot. Thus, finally this category of people disappeared by 1883.

The Manifesto of 1861 granted freedom to the peasants without any conditions, but payments for a loan from the state led to the fact that as early as the beginning of the 20th century about 40% of them remained actually semi-serfs, continuing to work for the landlords to pay off the debt. The state received a profit of about 700 million rubles for the period that the peasants' condition was temporary, only in transactions with land plots.