Social and economic unrest among the population of Tomsk province on the eve and in revolutionary 1917

The aim of the article is to create the most generalized research of social and economic loss and discontent of people from unstable development of economy, and also inability of local administrations to solve those problems that led eventually to surge in revolutionary movement in the region. Positive interpretation of the topic can give additional material for consideration of problems of social and political life, revolutionary movement in Tomsk province. Besides, this subject has been insufficiently considered by А.Ы Zheravina, D.M. Zolnikov, L.M. Goryushkin, О.А. Nozdrin. The source base of our research was made of a wide range of various sources: current records, reference works, periodical press, materials of a personal origin. The methodology and research technique include the principles of objectivity and historicism; historiographic, comparative historical, genetic historical and bibliographic methods have been used. While conducting the research, the author had come to the conclusions: in 1915-1916 municipal and rural government and the Food Commissions of Tomsk province began the perforce establishment of the stationary prices for the main products and essentials through local street-stands and shops, but that measure helped badly, the prices grew quickly. The salary, or as it was called "the price of working hands", was constantly increasing, more and more lagging behind the prices for food and clothes. The second half of 1916 was marked with introduction of food stamps on sugar in provincial Tomsk and the district cities, and in January, 1917, food stamps on flour were added. The settlements panicked, the street-stands and shops were enclosed with numerous queues, including night-time. By the fall of 1917, Tomsk rationing arrangements had been extended to bread, meat, fabrics, footwear, and even to new soles for boots. The fixed prices for them had been increasing smoothly and periodically. In November, 1917, the members of Tomsk municipal food commission noted in "The appeal to population" that food prices in shops had increased by a factor of 6-7 since the second half of 1914, and food prices in the markets had increased by a factor of 9-12. For that reason, not incidental, but constant social and economic disorders and excesses had begun not only in the cities, but also in the rural areas of Tomsk province since the fall of 1917. Revolutionary movement in the region continued to expand, spreading through the new cities, rural communities and villages.

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