The Caucasian War, which had lasted since 1817, officially ended. This event marked the final subjugation of the peoples of the North Caucasus by the Russian Empire.
January 1 — the Zemstvo Reform was carried out, introducing a system of local self-government in the form of zemstvos. The zemstvos were granted the right to deal with local economic matters, education, healthcare, and other social issues.
November 20 — the Judicial Reform was carried out, becoming one of Alexander II’s key reforms. It introduced the principles of openness, adversarial proceedings, and judicial independence, and also established the institution of trial by jury.
These reforms were part of broader transformations known as Alexander II’s Great Reforms, aimed at modernizing and liberalizing the Russian Empire.