Relations between Soviet Agencies in Petrograd in the Period of Their Formation: Based an Archival Documents and the Biography of A. V. Khrulev

Print

УДК 94(47)+94(470.23).930.25

DOI 10.28995/2073-0101-2019-4-1161-1172

Elena A. Popravko

Army General A. V. Khrulev Military Academy of Logistics. St. Petersburg, Russian Federation

Relations between Soviet Agencies in Petrograd in the Period of Their Formation: Based an Archival Documents and the Biography of A. V. Khrulev

Abstract

The problem of relations between various structures of Soviet power in the period of its formation is raised in this article for the first time. Until now, researchers a priori proceeded from the fact that struggles during this period was either of class nature (bourgeoisie against proletariat; landowners against peasants) or of party nature (Bolsheviks against Mensheviks against Left Social Revolutionaries, etc.). The controversy and even opposition between various organs of Soviet power have not yet been researched in the historiography. The author considers the issue on the example of Soviet law-enforcement agencies of the Porokhovsky district: she studies their interactions among themselves and with the central authorities of Petrograd. The article analyzes contradictions and conflicts of the Soviet authorities of the Porokhovsky district: the Revolutionary Guard of Petrograd, the Executive Committee of the Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies Soviets, and the Military Commissariat. It draws on materials from the Central State Archive of St. Petersburg and the Central State Archive of Historical and Political Documents associated with Andrey Vasilyevich Khrulev. In 1917-1919, he was Commandant of the Revolutionary Guard, from 1919, Head of the Militia of the Porokhovsky district. The article provides new data on A. V. Khrulev’s conscription to the Red Army. Archival materials draw a complex picture of relations between the organs of Soviet government, especially its power structures. The author provides examples for major types of contradictions and conflicts: the Executive Committees of the Soviets and the structures of the RCP (B) clashed on personnel issue; the Central Commandant's Office complained of lack of clarity in upholding departmental interests, incorrect management of cases, etc.; the Military Commissariat fought for delineation of authority with the Revolutionary Guard and was concerned for the status of guardsmen. The author concludes that causes of conflicts were associated with a number of factors: uncertainty of the power structures’ statuses, overlapping of activities, lack of management experience that was exacerbated by availability of weapons and tendency to solve problems by force.

Keywords

Archive, historical source, Revolutionary Guards, Petrograd, Porokhovsky district, A. V. Khrulev, Military Commissariat, Soviet Power, biography.

Download the article: pdf

References

POPRAVKO, E. A. Rannii etap biografii A. V. Khruleva po materialam TsGA SPb i TsGIA SPb [The early period in A. V. Khrulev’s biography from materials of the TsSA of St. Petersburg and of the TsGIA of St. Petersburg. In Russ.]. IN: Vydayushchiisya organizator material’no-tekhnicheskogo (tylovogo) obespecheniya (k 125-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya generala armii A. V. Khruleva) [NIKITIN Yu. A., POPRAVKO E. A. (eds.). Great organizer of logistics and support: To the 125th anniversary of the birth of Army General A. V. Khrulev. In Russ.]. St. Petersburg, VAMTO publ., 2017, pp. 190–195.

SHIYAN, I. S. General armii Khrulov [The Army General Khrulev. In Russ.]. Moscow, Voenizdat publ., 1980, 112 p.

Grant Information

The research has been carried within the framework of the science project “Biographer – 18 – Logistics” of the Army General A. V. Khrulev Military Academy of Logistics.

About the author

Popravko Elena Alexandrovna, PhD in History, associate professor, Army General A. V. Khrulev Military Academy of Logistics, department of humanitarian, social, and economic disciplines, professor, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, +7-911-153-75-69, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Submitted 12.12.2018, published (for citation):

POPRAVKO, E. A. Vzaimootnosheniya organov sovetskoi vlasti Petrograda v period ee stanovleniya. Po arkhivnym dokumentam i materialam biografii A. V. Khruleva [Relations between Soviet Agencies in Petrograd in the Period of Their Formation: Based an Archival Documents and the Biography of A. V. Khrulev. In Russ.]. IN: Vestnik arhivista / Herald of an Archivist, 2019, no. 4, pp. 1161-1172. doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2019-4-1161-1172

You can read completely article in the russian historic-archival magazine “The Herald of an Archivist”. Read more about terms of subscription here.

Полностью материал публикуется в российском историко-архивоведческом журнале ВЕСТНИК АРХИВИСТА. Ознакомьтесь с условиями подписки здесь.