The socio-political and economic situation in Belarus in the second half of the 19th century was not conducive to the emergence of a wealthy class of peasants. The Russian tsarist reformed land reforms with difficulty and did not care for the living standards of the peasants. It only took care to instill in the peasants a sense of loyalty to tsarism. Moreover, the Belarusian peasantry was treated as an element that would quickly become Russifi ed. In this situation, most of the peasants’ living standards deteriorated more and more. Nevertheless, some peasants showed an interest in improving their own welfare, and the peasants were stratified as a result. Farmers, small traders, lower-level administration workers, teachers and entrepreneurs were recruited from the most enterprising peasants. It was among these people that the Belarusian national consciousness was awakening. The process of shaping the Belarusian bourgeoisie, however, proceeded at a very slow pace. Only in the second half of the 19th century the foundations for the modern Belarusian nation were laid.