Abstract:

The author considers the problem of perception of Paul I in various historical sources. At various times, his reign was evaluated very ambiguous. In pre-revolutionary and Soviet historiography attention was paid to these aspects of his reign as the restriction of rights and repression against the nobility for the most minor offenses. Behind him the reputation of a petty tyrant, a tyrant and despot. This study emphasizes that Paul I do not fit in any ideologically slender image of the ruler of Russian history.

Keywords: Politics Paul I, nobility, absolutism, chivalry, reform