The Russian revolution of 1917 and Tomsk University in the memoirs of L.V. Arnoldov

The memoirs of the former student of the Faculty of Law of the Tomsk university, publicist and researcher of China L.V. Arnoldov Zhizn' I revolyutsiya [Life and Revolution] as a source of the history of the university community during the revolutionary events of 1917 are regarded in the article. The author's life, his childhood and youth spent in various cities of Siberia, studying at the Tomsk university, participation in the Civil War on the side of the White Army, emigration to China and then to Brazil are described. Arnoldov's book of memoirs as a historical source, its genre features are analyzed. It is emphasized that along with the events of the author's life, these memoirs contained valuable reflections of the author about the time, characteristics of people whose views impacted the development of the socio-political thought of that period. Influence of these views on the assessments and descriptions of the period presented in the memoirs are considered. The political views of students and professors of the Tomsk university on the eve and during the February Revolution of 1917 are characterized. The events of February 1917 in Tomsk as well as the reaction to the revolution of students and professors of the Tomsk university through a comparative historical analysis of the memoirs of L.V. Ar-noldov and the diaries of a student of the Tomsk Technological Institute P.A. Leonov are studied. The activities of the agencies of student self-government L.V. Arnoldov was a member of, aimed at the participation of students in the organization of the educational process, are considered. The relations between the university community and the Soviet government after the October events in Pet-rograd are analyzed. The characteristics of the images of professors of the Tomsk university of that period from the text of the memoirs are presented. The everyday life of professors and students of the Tomsk university at the time of the revolution and their further destinies which can be traced through the prism of Russian history of the first half of the 20th century are examined on the basis of archival materials, biographical dictionaries and periodicals. It is concluded that the memoirs of L.V. Arnoldov have a value not only as an instrument of reconstructing the revolutionary events of 1917 in Tomsk and their influence on the everyday life of the university community of the city, but also as an example of the alternative method of development of Russia in the period of modern history.

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