Soviet citizenship as factor of illegality? The problems of the political and law status of soviet citizens in Xinjiang in the second half of the 1920s

The aims of the article are to study the problems of the political and law status of Soviet citizens and former subjects of the Russian Empire who received Soviet citizenship in the second half of the 1920s, to determine their influence on Soviet-Chinese relations in the Central Asian region. The study is based on the service and administrative documentation of the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (PCFA) and the Foreign Department of the United State Political Service of the USSR and personal correspondence of Soviet consuls from the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation and the Central Archive of the Federal Security Service. The article also describes the historiography of the problem. The strengthening of the political and economic influence of the USSR in Xinjiang in the 1920s had conflicting consequences. A significant part of the political circles of Xinjiang, in particular, the heads of districts, opposed it, as feared for the sovereignty of the province. This led to a deterioration in the political and law status of ordinary Soviet citizens, as well as those who recently received or were about to receive a Soviet passport. Expansion of the rights of Soviet consuls, registration of former subjects of the Russian Empire and Russian emigrants, registration of those wishing to soviet citizenship could not change the situation. Soviet citizens were forbidden to trade, moved from city to city, they were charged with increased taxes, they were evicted from China, forced to perform various kinds of work, many were beaten, arrested and even executed. Attempts by Soviet consuls to protect the rights of Soviet citizens were not successful. Thus, despite the establishment of Soviet-Chinese relations, the position of Soviet citizens in the second half of the 1920 s was difficult. The reasons for this were the ambiguous attitude of the Chinese authorities towards strengthening the position of the Soviet Union in Xinjiang, as well as the lack of necessary law norms in China in general and in Xinjiang in particular to regulate the status of Soviet citizens. An important reason was the refusal of the Soviet leadership from consular jurisdiction in China. However, the Soviet leadership did not openly conflict with the Chinese authorities, giving priority to foreign relations. As a result, Soviet citizens in Xinjiang were held hostage to high politics. This affected the attitude of the new Soviet citizens - former subjects of the Russian Empire and Russian emigrants - to the USSR, and ultimately indirectly contributed to the weakening of the USSR's position in Western China.

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