The Peasant World through the Eyes of a Zemstvo Chief

The article, based on the legislative act ‘Provision on zemstvo chiefs’, office records and memoirs of the participants of the events, characterizes the peasant world relationship between the rural land community and zemstvo chiefs. Gaps in the legislation are noted: the functions and competences of zemstvo chiefs were not clearly specified, which negatively affected both the implementation of their official duties and the evaluation of their activities in the periodical press by representatives of various segments of the population and political parties. It is proved that in many respects the effectiveness of the institute of zemstvo chiefs depended on their administrative experience, education and personal qualities. Main attention is paid on the analysis of relations between the zemstvo chiefs of Stavropol district of Samara province A. N. Naumov and Saratov district of Saratov province V. N. Mikhalevsky and peasant communities. It is proved that the effectiveness of the activity of zemstvo chiefs depended on their administrative practices in co-operation with peasants. The activity of A. N. Naumov was aimed at creating an infrastructure to ensure the intensification of agricultural production. V. N. Mikhalevsky used traditional repressive methods. The role of S. A. Panchulidzeav in resolving the conflict situation in Saratov uyezd is emphasised.