The political practice of the Russian conservatism in 19th century was the subject of acute discussions of contemporaries and continues to cause diverging views, both in historical science and in journalism. Controversial and ambiguous assessments are largely due to the complexity of the phenomenon of conservatism, the comprehension of which occurs in modern Russia from the standpoint of historical experience. Since political conservatism, as a rule, relies on a conservative ideology, it is necessary to consider them as a whole. This article examines the questions of the theory of conservatism and the “ideological context” of conservative practices during the reform period.