Abstract: This article refers to the memoirs of Countess Praskovya Sergeevna Uvarova as the source that sheds light on the peasant reform of 1861 in the Uvarovs  family estate, as well as allows assessing the degree of participation of the representatives of enlightened society in the Great Reforms of 1860s–1870s, determines the impact of these reforms upon the personal story of the author of memoirs. Understanding the events of everyday life alongside the scale of the figure of Countess P. S. Uvarova of the selected source are valuable for reconstructing the landmark events and processes in the country, one of which was the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The article employs biographical method to reconstruct the personal story of P. S. Uvarova and the historical events of that time through her emotional experiences. This opens a new perspective on the events of the past. Analysis of the source describes all the stages of the reform, from the announcement of the Manifesto of February 19, 1861 and response of the enlightened society, to the measures on land development is a single county through the prism of the direct participant of these events.

Abstract: The process of development of historical geography as a branch of science and academic discipline hasn't been easy. It has taken quite a long time to define the subject matter of historical geography which can be explained by specific features of the subject and interdisciplinary nature of research in historical geography. The XVIII century is believed to be some starting point for historical geography in Russia. However, this branch of science started to develop only in the second half of the XIX century. This is when a long process of accumulation of knowledge, introduction of new sources  of science and experience of historiography has allowed to define the main paths and basic trends in historical geography. At the turn ofthe XIX - XX centuries historical geography became an academic discipline. The author of the present article also describe the main milestones of development of historical geography and summarizes the experience of teaching historical geography at universities in pre-revolutionary Russia.