Mikola Ilyashevich was one of the first historians to study Russian policies on the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Litva. The author analyzes in detail changes that were introduced by the Russian authorities immediately after the partition of Rzeczpospolita. Obviously, Catherine II began with dividing the territory into new districts and governorates. This seemed to be a kind of fun for the empress whose reforms are viewed as experiments with territory administration laws. Religion was the most sensitive issue in Russia's internal policies. Ilyashevich notes that Russia's predatory intentions manifested themselves in religious intolerance and a crackdown on the Uniate Church. Important changes took place in rural policies. Rzeczpospolita was much more advanced than Russia in terms of the development of capitalism. The introduction of Russian laws hit rural residents. Mikola Ilyashevich is very critical of Russia's rule following the partition of Rzeczpospolita. It had a particularly negative impact on the education system.