Loris-Melikov Constitution

Russian history

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June 30, 2026

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The Loris-Melikov Constitution was a proposed reform in Russian history, primarily associated with Mikhail Loris-Melikov, who served as minister of the interior under Tsar Alexander II. In late 1880, Loris-Melikov was tasked with both suppressing revolutionary movements and developing a reform program. His proposal included allowing locally elected representatives to advise the government on current issues. This plan was approved by Alexander II but was never formally enacted because the Tsar was assassinated in March 1881, before the reforms could be implemented. Loris-Melikov resigned when his successor, Alexander III, rejected the reform program and committed to preserving autocracy.12

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Alexander II
Life
This so-called Loris-Melikov Constitution, if implemented, might possibly have become the germ of constitutional development in Russia. But on the day when, after much hesitation, the tsar finally signed the proclamation announcing his intentions (March 1, 1881), he was mortally wounded by bombs in a plot sponsored…
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This so-called Loris-Melikov Constitution, if implemented, might possibly have become the germ of constitutional development in Russia. But on the day when, after much hesitation, the tsar finally signed the proclamation announcing his intentions (March 1, 1881), he was mortally wounded by bombs in a plot sponsored…
Read More

Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev
…III to reject the so-called Loris-Melikov constitution that was designed to bridge the gap between the government and the leading elements of society. He influenced the government’s reactionary domestic policies throughout the rest of the 1880s but exercised little authority during the last 15 years of his life. His role,…
Read More
…III to reject the so-called Loris-Melikov constitution that was designed to bridge the gap between the government and the leading elements of society. He influenced the government’s reactionary domestic policies throughout the rest of the 1880s but exercised little authority during the last 15 years of his life. His role,…
Read More