Mikhail Bonifatievitch Shatilov as Revolutionist and Museum Scientist

This article discusses the life and social activities of Mikhail Bonifatievitch Shatilov. Basing on authentic historical sources the authors identified the facts of his biography. Born into a family of rural teacher Shatilov was able to get a good education. As a student of Imperial Tomsk University, he became close with an outstanding investigator G.N. Potanin and took the interest in studying the Siberian history from him. Influenced by Potanin, Shatilov became an oblastnik, defended economic and social interests of Siberia before the central authorities. The beginning of Revolution 1917 led Shatilov to Socialists. He became Secretary of the Tomsk Committee for public order and security and, together with the Chairman of the Committee B.M. Ghan, organized the first revolutionary transformations in Tomsk province. With a view to strengthening the revolutionary authorities, Ghan and Shatilov initiated the creation of the People Assembly. Formed in May 1917, the Executive Committee of Tomsk Provincial People Assembly adopted all the powers of the Tomsk Committee for public order and security, and it was the only legitimate authority in Tomsk province until December 1917. Ghan was the Chairman of the Executive Committee of People Assembly, and Naumov and Shatilov were his deputies. At the end of 1917 Shatilov became a member of the Provisional Siberian Regional Council created by oblastniks as the Siberian Government. In January 1918, however, leaders of the Soviet power in Tomsk arrested Shatilov and other oblastniks. Just at that time, not arrested supporters of the Siberian Duma formed illegal Provisional Siberian Government and imposed Shatilov in his absence. In the summer of 1918 the Soviets were overthrown in Siberia, and the Siberian Regional Duma declared State independence of Siberia. Shatilov and other ministers of the Provisional Siberian Government came out of hiding. But they had only 4 months for their activities, and as a result of a fierce power struggle Shatilov and other members of the Government and the Siberian Duma were arrested. Under pain of death, Shatilov retired and ended his political career. During 1922-1933 Shatilov worked as the head of Tomsk Regional Museum. In short time he formed a healthy team, organized its collecting, attributing, exhibiting, and cultural and educational works. Shatilov expressed the ideas about the essence of the Museum, its research and educational functions, in his scientific publications, and they are interesting until now. Shatilov's submissions on Museum did not meet official principles on the Socialist restructuring of the Museum science. Else, he did not satisfy Soviet powers as socialist-revolutionist. He was arrested, and some years ago executed on charges of counter-revolutionary activity. Although later he was rehabilitated, his name and works were not allowed for study for a long time. Facts and judgments listed in the article allow you to put M.B. Shatilov in a number of prominent members of revolutionary events in Siberia, to position him as an outstanding Museum professional.

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