"The History of Russia in the 19th Century" by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Andrei Borisovich Zubov is not a chronological retelling of events, but a reflection on the reasons that brought the possibility of the death of "historical Russia" closer. The catastrophe of the early 20th century, Professor Zubov believes, has much deeper roots than is commonly thought. A careful study of these reasons helps not only to better understand the past, but also to explain the present.

The first volume covers an extremely important period of the country's transition to modern statehood - attempts to abolish serfdom, the development of a constitution and the establishment of a new order in Europe thanks to Alexander I. These largely unsuccessful reforms, however, changed the way of thinking of the Russian elite and laid the foundations of Russian culture of the Golden Age and the Great Reforms of the era of Alexander II.