The article is devoted to the evolution of M. Dondukov-Korsakov’s views on the Jewish question in the Russian Empire. The analysis of Dondukov-Korsakov’s correspondence with state officials and his own reports filed in the late 19 century shows that along with his personal experience gained in a few parts of the country, his position on the Jewish question in the Russian Empire as a whole was heavily influenced by the common stereotypes of his time as well as the imperial policies towards the Jewish population.