State Duma | Nicholas II

120th anniversary of the Russian State Duma

Today marks the 120th anniversary of the inauguration of the Russian State Duma [Parlement].

It was on this day – 10th May [O.S. 27th April] 1906 – that the Inauguration of the State Duma [Parliament] and State Council took place in St. Petersburg.

The photo shows Emperor Nicholas II standing in front of the throne in St. George’s Hall of the Winter Palace. Draped and flanked by the Imperial Regalia, the Imperial family (to the left of the throne) and members of the 1st State Duma (to the right) witness the Tsar opening the First Duma. The latter “in black frockcoats, like jackdaws, they jostled among the brilliant uniforms of the tsar’s suite,” wrote one eyewitness.

Emperor Nicholas II gave a welcoming speech in which he expressed the hope that the “best people” of the Russian Land would contribute to the implementation of new reforms, help to identify the real and most important and urgent needs of the population and facilitate the administration of the Russian Empire.

Unfortunately, most of the Duma deputies were occupied solely with party interests and, above all, with the continuation of their revolutionary work in order to overthrow the monarchy. As the future proved, among the “best people” there were a large number of state criminals and traitors to the Motherland. The Tsar’s sister Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, who was present at this event, recalls in her memoirs: “The workmen….looked as though they hated us”.

The main issue in the work of the first State Duma of the Russian Empire was the land issue. The Duma also made active and unsuccessful attempts to carry out political reforms, came up with initiatives to end repressions against the participants in the revolution of 1905-1907. All in all, during the work, the deputies approved one bill – the law introduced by the government on the allocation of 15 million rubles to help victims of crop failure. The First Duma was dissolved by Nicholas II, noted in history as the “Duma of Popular Wrath”.

The Imperial Manifesto of 30th October 1905, transformed Russia from an autocracy to a semi-constitutional monarchy.

Why a constitutional monarchy would not have saved Russia

Nicholas II is often and unfairly criticized for not adopting a European-style constitutional monarchy for Russia. It is alleged that on the day of his grandfather Emperor Alexander II’s assassination in 1881, the Emperor had earlier in the day signed a manifesto which would have ushed in a constitution, creating two legislative commissions made up of indirectly elected representatives. This document, however, does not exist in the archives today, nor is their any evidence of ites existence.

It is interesting in that those who believe that a constitution would have appeased the revolutionaries, are sadly mistaken. Various revolutionary groups in the capital were relentless in their goal of assassinating the “Tsar-Liberator”, the same man who in 1861, issued the historic Edict of Emancipation, which officially abolished Russian serfdom. This did not appease the revolutionaries.

The revolutionaries succeed in their mission on 14th March [O.S. 1st March] 1881, when Alexander II was assassinated in St Petersburg. This act of terrorism shook his heir and the Russian Empire to the core. Fearing an attempt on his life, Alexander moved his family to the fortress-like palace at Gatchina. The revolutionaries still pursued him, numerous plots were foiled, which resulted in the imprisonment, exile, even death of the revolutionaries.

The last Russian tsar Nicholas II was further pursued by the revolutionaries, who were growing in numbers and tactics. One has only to read the memoirs of his security chief General Alexander Spiridovitch to fully understand the number of plots to assassinate Nicholas, which were foiled, and the efforts to protect Russia’s last Tsar.

Again, had Nicholas adopted a constitution, he would not have saved Russia – the revolutionaries were not seeking democratic reforms or a European-style monarchy – they wanted a new socialist world order!

Russia had no need for a Euorpean-style monarchy. Why? It’s simple, Russia was not European. The Russian Empire was Orthodox. On the day of his Holy Coronation in Moscow in May 1896, Nicholas II took a solemn oath before God to uphold autocracy in Russia, this is WHY he refused to share power or appease members of the Duma, which were made up mostly of left-wing or revolutionary factions.

“Nicholas II showed himself as a responsible reformer” – Valentina Matviyenko

Posted on February 20 by Paul Gilbert

PHOTO: fist page of the Imperial Manifesto of Emperor Nicholas II
of 20th February (5th March, New Style), 1906

On 20th February 2026, Russia celebrates the 120th anniversary of the signing of the manifesto by Emperor Nicholas II, which marked the beginning of the modern bicameral organization of legislative power in Russia. On this important historic date, parliamentarians of various levels and all Russians were congratulated by Chairman of the Federation Council and Senator from St. Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko.

According to her, the decision of Nicholas II to transform the State Council from an advisory structure to a legislative one was a truly prophetic choice of the right model of the state structure of multinational and multi-confessional Russia.

“The Russian Emperor showed himself as a responsible reformer, who first thought not about protecting the sacredness of his power, his autocracy, but about the effectiveness of governing the country. Nicholas II consciously divided the legislative function between the two highest state institutions – the reformed State Council and the State Duma – and thus, laid down a bicameral domestic parliamentary tradition, which has been justifying itself for more than a century . . . “, she added.

In the historic manifesto, Nicholas II pointed out that the law could not come into force without the approval of both chambers. This rule is still preserved by the modern Russian parliament: after approval by the State Duma, the law goes to the Federation Council and after consideration by senators it goes to the President for signature.

Valentina Matviyenko held a meeting in the Upper House with the head of the Federal Archival Agency (Rosarkhiv) Andrei Artizov and the scientific director of the State Archives of the Russian Federation (GARF) Sergei Mironenko. They showed Matvienko the original of the manifesto of Emperor Nicholas II of 20th February (5th March, New Style), 1906, which laid the foundation for the modern bicameral organization of legislative power in Russia. It announced the reorganization of the State Council, with the granting of rights to it “in matters of legislation” and with the involvement of “elected representatives of the population”.

“This is a very important document for us, and a memorable date. In fact, it laid the foundation for a bicameral parliamentary system. Already on 27th April 1906, as you know, there was the first joint meeting of the State Council and the State Duma,” Matviyenko said.

PHOTO: (above) Valentina Matviyenko familiarizes herself with the original of the Imperial Manifesto of Nicholas II; (below) Matviyenko meets with Andrei Artizov (left) and Sergei Mironenko (right).

She thanked Artizov and Mironenko for the opportunity to hold this historic document in her hands and to get in touch with Russia’s history.

“I have great respect for those people who work in the archives, who preserve our documentary sovereignty, the history of our country. As a rule, they are very modest people, but they are devoted to their profession and their work. I understand and appreciated the significant dedication of preserving these archives”, she added.

During the meeting, the state and prospects of archival affairs in Russia were discussed. They recalled that in the early 1990s, noting the great contribution of Valentina Matviyenko to the preservation of priceless documents and the building of the State Archives.

Matviyenko proposed an archival exhibition for the 120th anniversary of parliamentarism in Russia, which would include the original copy of the manifestos of Nicholas II, which formed the legislative branch of power, in the Tauride Palace of St. Petersburg.

Earlier, the speaker said that in 2026, the spring session of both the Upper and Lower Chambers of the Federal Assembly has a special resonance in the history of Russian parliamentarism, which turns 120 this year. She noted the choice of the model of legislative power, which Nicholas II made 120 years ago, laying down a “bicameral domestic parliamentary tradition,” prescient.