Temperance Societies in the Middle Urals in 1907-1914 (Verkhotursky, Irbitsky, Kamyshlovsky, Shadrinsky Uyezds of Perm Province)

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the importance of temperance societies in four “marginal” uyezds (cantons/counties) of the geopolitically significant industrial region, the Middle Urals, in the peaceful period between the end of the revolution of 19051907 and the beginning of World War I. The objectives are to reveal the most critical statistical data about them. The problem area is how they influenced their members and society in general. Authentic and representative sources are used: the note of Yekaterinburg Ecclesiastical Consistory secretary to the Clerical Office of the Holy Synod Chief Procurator dated 10 February 1911 about church temperance societies of the eparchy; the biweekly journal Ekaterinburgskie Eparkhial'nye Vedomosti [Yekaterinburg Eparchy Journal]; the materials and reports of all-Russian temperance congresses and unions; reference books. The research methodology included compiling a list of temperance societies on the basis of a dedicated questionnaire and analyzing and synthesizing the resulting data. The obtained conclusions are the following. The temperance movement was young. As of 01 January 1911, there were 20 temperance societies. Out of them, two (10%) appeared in 1901-1904; five (25%) in 1905-1907; thirteen (65%) in 1908-1910, which means that nearly two-thirds of the societies were younger than 3 years old. The societies had 1,906 members, which is 1.6 society per 100,000 people. All of them were Orthodox parochial. The five leaders of these societies, whose occupation has been identified, were priests. In 19 out of 20 societies, whose social composition has been determined, fifteen (75%) consisted predominantly of peasants involved in agriculture; two biggest ones (10%) of factory workers; two (10%) of grain-growers, mineworkers and charcoal burners; the composition of one (5%) remains unknown. Therefore, according to the social composition, the societies were “workersand-peasants”. The typical activities of the societies in 1907-1910 were anti-alcoholic talks, sermons, and gatherings in the temperance vow houses; distribution of anti-alcoholic literature, and mutual help. In 1911-1914, the societies also wrote letters to the State Duma, held temperance festivals, initiated public censures against bootlegging (illegal wine sale), for sober church holidays, and for closing state-owned wine shops. The activities of the temperance societies in four marginal uyezds of the region were nearly as significant as in the central Yekaterinburgsky Uyezd. They played an important part of a “lighthouse” of a sober, brotherly life based on Christianity. As a result of their activities, people gradually recovered spiritually and physically, the atmosphere in families and communities improved, which facilitated the peaceful reformist development of the society.

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