▁the ▁Napole onic ▁invas ions ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁Ser f dom ▁remained ▁in ▁force ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁Russia ▁until ▁the ▁E man cip ation ▁reform ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁en act ed ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁though ▁in ▁the ▁Russian - control led ▁Balt ic ▁provinces ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁abol ished ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Russian ▁census ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁Russia ▁had ▁ 2 3 . 1 ▁million ▁private ▁ser fs . ▁Russian ▁ser f dom ▁was ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁notable ▁Eastern ▁European ▁institution , ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁never ▁influenced ▁by ▁German ▁law ▁and ▁migr ations , ▁and ▁ser f dom ▁and ▁the ▁man orial ▁system ▁were ▁enfor ced ▁by ▁the ▁crown ▁( T s ar ), ▁not ▁by ▁the ▁nob ility . ▁ ▁Dec line ▁ ▁In ▁Western ▁Europe ▁ser f dom ▁became ▁progress ively ▁less ▁common ▁through ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁particularly ▁after ▁the ▁Black ▁Death ▁reduced ▁the ▁rural ▁population ▁and ▁increased ▁the ▁b arg aining ▁power ▁of ▁workers . ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁l ords ▁of ▁many ▁man ors ▁were ▁willing ▁( for ▁payment ) ▁to ▁man um it ▁(" release ") ▁their ▁ser fs . ▁ ▁In ▁Norm andy , ▁ser f dom ▁had ▁disappeared ▁by ▁ 1 1 0 0 . ▁Two ▁possible ▁causes ▁of ▁the ▁disapp earance ▁of ▁ser f dom ▁in ▁Norm andy ▁have ▁been