Міжнародний вплив як чинник реформування засобів інформації в Російської iмперії середини ХІХ ст.

The article analyzes a method devised by the Russian court in the 1850s to subjugate independent media to imperialist interests. Russia’s elites began to push for reforms under the influence of democratic processes that had spread across Western Europe and after the Emperor’s autocratic rule had been weakened by the defeat in the Crimean war. The social and political achievements of European countries prompted Russian elites to demand changes in the Empire. They formulated their demands and voiced their opinions in the press. The imperial authorities attempted to counteract critical opinions by creating false independent press. Historical sources indicate that high-ranking imperial officers endorsed the editors of “trustworthy” newspapers in the Russian capital. This effectiveness of this strategy was manifested by the success of the anti-Polish campaign that unfolded in the Russian press during the Polish January uprising.