摘要：The subject matter of the present paper is conservatism as a political trend and its place in the development of Russia in the post-reform period. The ideology of conservatism depended largely on the views and personal qualities of the representatives of the movement, for this reason, the paper brings up the background and addresses the works of its most distinguished figures. Assessment of the socio-political situation, created in Russia in the 70-80s of the XIX century, analyzed based on scientific facts, as well as revealed through the spectacle of its perception by contemporaries, gives an idea of the conditions, the conservatives conducted their affairs in. Analysis of the processes under way in the society helps to identify the grounds of evolution of the views of many leaders of the movement from liberalism towards conservatism. The conservatives' attitude to the press, being an important component of their political activity, which they used as a means to influence the public opinion, bespeaks of the ambition to scale up their support base.Analysis of relations of the followers of conservatism with the representatives of the liberal movement, social democrats, and government structures helps to determine the place and role of conservatism in the political system of the society. The mistakes, the conservatives made in the course of their political activities, analyzed in the paper, assist understanding the reasons for their main objective, which was ensuring stability in the development of Russia, not to be attained.
