Political history of Russia's province of the late XIX - early XX centuries on documents in the archives of Kursk region.

Print PDF

Annotation / Аннотация
The author undertakes complex studying of documents of archives of Kursk area about a political history of region of end ХХ-th - the first quarter ХХ-th century: occurrence, formation and activity of the organisations of one of the most popular in the country of parties - Parties of socialists-revolutionaries to show its struggle against imperial autocracy, mutual relations with the Soviet power.
Автором предпринято комплексное изучение документов архивов Курской области о политической истории региона конца ХХ – первой четверти ХХ в.: возникновение, становление и деятельность организаций одной из популярнейших в стране партий – Партии социалистов-революционеров (ПСР), показать ее борьбу с царским самодержавием, взаимоотношения с Советской властью.

Keywords / Ключевые слова
Archives, revolution, Civil war, reprisals. Архивы, революция, Гражданская война, репрессии.


Today, when many archival documents stored earlier under a signature stamp "Top secret" became accessible to researchers, there was a unique possibility to restore political history of the Russian regions.

Rather valuable complex of sources is represented by the materials connected with activity of a machinery of government of autocracy on struggle against revolutionary movement where documents of official judicial and extrajudicial office-work enter: acts, materials of inquiries of consequences on affairs members of Socialist Revolutionary Party, correspondence of the gendarme authorities (circulars, reports, reviews, inquiries, magazines of external supervision and intelligence), and also Kursk Provincial gendarme management (KGZU).

The provincial committee of Socialist Revolutionary Party has declared itself in August, 1904. It confirm leaflets and the leaflets signed by Kursk committee PSR: “To young soldiers”, “By whom and what for were killed Minister of Internal Affairs V.K. Pleve?”, “Anniversary of Nikolay The Latest (1894-1904)”, etc., printed in printing house of committee in number of 800 pieces. Many of them are now in funds of the State archive of Kursk region.

Thereupon the great interest is caused by group of the affairs opening the basic direction in activity GZU – the organization of external and internal supervision over a political situation in region. As a result of spent by Department of police of actions for perfection of system of political search, the gendarme authorities already by the end of the first Russian resolution have been well informed on a state of affairs in the party organizations and possessed the considerable information on PSR’s members, on character and a course of their activity.

As a whole, about activity of confidential agency KGZU it is told in a number of the publications which were issued last years. At the same time, tens are stored in documents of the state archive more affairs about agents and police spies which wait for the researcher. For example, after signature stamp removal the private affairs of KGZU’s employees containing not only the detailed biographic data, but also photos of agents became "top secret accessible.

Bright picture of events 1917 – 1920 in Kursk region have helped to restore documents of funds of provincial commissioners of Provisional government, provincial, district, volost executive committees of Councils of working, soldier's, country deputies.

Events in Moscow have struck on July, 6th, 1918 the strongest blow to party of the left socialists-revolutionaries. Undertaken secretly from many heads of party and from weight of ordinary Party members murder by left members of Socialist Revolutionary Party the German ambassador of count Mirbaha has led to that in party there were the groups which have refused support of a line of the Central Committee.

In AUFSB of the Russian Federations on Kursk region interest represent materials VCHK-GPU on stories about Socialist Revolutionary Party movements in 1920-1930th. They testify that persecutions on socialists have amplified after murder by left members of Socialist Revolutionary Party the German ambassador of count Mirbaha on July, 6th, 1918 Already on July, 9-10th local authorities have started to displace left members of Socialist Revolutionary Party from all responsible posts, to exclude their fractions from structure of Councils, to arrest party members of the left socialists-revolutionaries. Bolsheviks dismissed not only Councils, but also the congresses following left members of Socialist Revolutionary Party.

Gradually Bolsheviks began to pass to open arrests known members of Socialist Revolutionary Party. Activity of members of Socialist Revolutionary Party was checked and the next years. So, in 1930-1931 local security officers have received instructions from Moscow “to check practical actions of ex-members of Socialist Revolutionary Party, working in economic organization”. All suspects from the point of view of wrecking and communication with the illegal organizations were recommended to be arrested. In 1930 Kursk GPU the plan of carrying out of operation on arrest right and left members of Socialist Revolutionary Party has been developed, 26 persons were subject to arrest and the reference. The next wave of neutralization has passed in 1937 - the beginning of 1938

At the same time the one-party system continued to affirm as the country. There was an active search of “enemies of the people”. Especially actively it passed in second half 1930th At this time have stopped existence all scientific, cultural and the public organizations which had to socialists of that time at least the indirect relation, including the Society were convicts and exiled settlers with its 50th branches and publishing house (1935). Closing of societies was accompanied by arrests of their members. So, in Kursk in 1937 the big group of ex-members of Socialist Revolutionary Party has been arrested, many of which were members of VOBPKiS (on December, 9th the same year all of them have been shot).

As a whole complex studying of documents of archives of Kursk area has allowed to recreate an objective picture of political history of region of end ХХ – the first quarter ХХ century, namely: occurrence, formation and activity of the organizations of one of the most popular in the country of parties – PSR to show their struggle against imperial autocracy, mutual relations with the Soviet power etc.