Congresses, conferences and meetings in Tomsk Province as an indicator of social and political activity of the masses in March - October 1917

The paper presents the characterization of congresses, conferences and meetings of social and class, political, religious, national organizations as one of the most significant manifestations of social and political activity of the masses in the major Siberian region -Tomsk Province - in March - October 1917. Based on the analysis of decisions and resolutions, the vectors have been defined of political evolution of the main social groups of the province's population during the given period. During the first days of March 1917, all across the country, the formation of local self-governing bodies which received the common name of public safety committees (KOB) started. Created in the wake of the revolutionary upsurge, the committees constituted a democratic coalition seeking to put the idea of class peace in practice. The essence of their activity was the search for a compromise among different social groups targeted at the realization of civil rights and liberties. The committees initiated by the masses became the first truly democratic local authorities. They represented all social strata, organizations and institutions. By the mid-summer 1917, in Tomsk Province the committees were replaced by executive committees in charge of implementing decisions made at peoples' meetings. Thus, a new structure of local government formed in the region. The legislative branch was represented by regional, city, district and volost' people's meetings whereas the executive one -by the relevant committees. After the Provisional Government adopted a number of regulations regulating the activity of local government, in Tomsk Province, since the summer 1917, active work was started to organize elections in accordance with the laws adopted. By November 1917, over 80 national organizations and 9 national clubs were active in the region. After the Revolution the Russian clergy found itself in a difficult situation. The collapse of the autocratic foundations forced it to define its attitude toward the new government and elaborate a new behavioral pattern. The labor movement became an important component of the social and political life of the region. The possibility of legal trade-union activity that emerged after the February Revolution contributed to workers and employees' increasingly struggling for their rights. Sessions and conferences materials show that by November 1917 the power in Tomsk Province was in the hands of the coalition of democratic forces comprised of the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Social Democrats. They controlled the local authorities, a significant part of councils and trade unions. Within this coalition such movements as national, women's, youth and cooperative ones developed.

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