История России. Екатерина II.

The Charter of the Towns of 1785, also known as the "Townsman's Charter," was issued by Catherine II of Russia in 1785 as a decree that completely subordinated the peasants to the landowners. This charter granted certain rights and privileges to the urban population, but at the same time, it reinforced the serfdom system in the countryside. It allowed the landowners to bind the peasants to the land, making them legally bound to the estate and unable to leave without permission. The decree also gave the landowners the power to punish the peasants for any infractions of the rules, and it denied the peasants the right to own property or to receive an education. This Charter was considered one of the most important steps towards the strengthening of serfdom in Russia, and it remained in effect until the Emancipation Reform of 1861.