The Russian administration in Moldavia, held by Russia from 1812, had at first been liberal.

Autonomy had been granted in 1818 and had remained in force until 1828; a Moldavian boyar had been made governor and a Moldavian archbishop installed.

Nevertheless, many Moldavian peasants, fearing the introduction of serfdom, had fled across the Prut River.

The introduction of the zemstvo system in 1869 provides a measure of local autonomy, but ...