Legal basis of freedom of the press in pre-revolutionary Russia

Freedom of the press in the Imperial Russia was not a fundamental right, though freedom of the press has always been of great significance. Historically, the press has always influenced public opinion. Due to the process of development of the society the media impact will only increase. In the early 20th century censorship was strict indeed. However, in 1903, during the celebration of the bicentennial of Russian press, the liberals tried to begin the struggle for freedom of speech in the Russian Empire. Liberal newspapers were filing requests and petitions to the government, although they had never been taken into account. Moreover, censorship was only toughened due to the outbreak of the Russian-Japanese war. The newspapers got into expansive criticism and pointed to the mistakes in the foreign policy of the Russian Empire, consequently the reputation of the authorities was severely undermined. The defeat in the Russian-Japanese war supported the arguments of the press regarding inefficiency of the state power. The situation in Russia has become aggravated up to its boiling point. Everyone admitted that the substantial changes were necessary