Question

Why was russia slow to modernize​

Answer 1

I'm still wondering the same thing, but I can give you an insight as to why it might not have so quickly : The government

You see, the Tsar of Russia simply did not do anything to help the people, so most of Russia remained peasant farms. This all changed following the October Revolution in 1917, about 10 - 15 years later Stalin enacted a Five-Year plan which would make collective farms and Industrialize the USSR. :D hope this helped

Answer 2

Russian modernization was slow to take place because the concepts of modernization conflicted with the autocratic power structure itself and amplified social conflicts in the country.

Step-by-step explanation:

Alexander II, amid internal problems, sought to modernize the country and expand its domains in Asia. to this end he abolished servitude and instituted wage labor on a large scale. Alexander II even established councils, the Ziemstvos, responsible for political participation in Russian lands, but still under the tutelage of the Tsar. Newspapers and magazines were created and, apparently, Russia was moving towards a political modernization.

However, ethnic minorities organized themselves and demanded autonomy or political apparatus of representation within the Empire, which affected the autocratic power of the tsar. Alexander II responded to these movements with the force of arms, and massacres were perpetrated by his order. As it was understood that the modernization of the country threatened the autocracy of the current government, the Tsar decided to delay the modernization of the country.