Police and society in the Russian empire of the XVIII century

The purpose of the article is to study the features of the personnel of the police bodies and institutions of the Russian Empire in the XVIII century, as well as the specifics of public opinion and evaluation of the activities of the police and police officers in this period of time. On the basis of a systematic historical and legal analysis, an objective assessment of the activities of police bodies and institutions in Russia of the XVIII century is given, and the reasons for negative judgments about the police and police officers formed in the public consciousness are revealed. The author shows that the negative perception of police activity by the population is a consequence of the process of centralization of state power within the framework of the formation of absolutism. This process inevitably generated an aggravation of social contradictions and a powerful social protest of the General population, as well as criticism from the representatives of the nobility.

Russian Empire of the XVIII century, absolutism, police, population, society, public opinion