Potanin's Circle" in Siberia in 1917-1919: From Educational Activities to the Power Contest

During the first two decades of the twentieth century, an important role in the social and political life in Siberia belonged to "Potanin's Circle"-an informal group of Siberian intellectuals in Tomsk who gathered around Grigory Potanin, a famous scientist and a mastermind of the Siberian regionalism (oblastnichestvo) movement. The history of "Potanin's Circle" can be divided into two periods: the pre-revolutionary perio, and the period of the Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War. By now, only a few aspects of the Circle's work during the Revolution and the Civil War have been covered in the historical literature. In this article, devoted to the second period of the history of the circle, the author presents the results of the system analysis of the Circle's work. The analysis was performed with the use of prosopographic method together with the traditional methods of historical research. The research is based on the archival records, periodicals, personal documents. The research showed that Potanin and his associates joined the revolutionary process immediately after the czar's demise. Unlike in the pre-revolutionary period when the members of "Potanin's Circle" were mostly involved into educational activities and propaganda, after the Revolution, the members of the Circle focused primarily on political issues. In 1917, they concentrated on the practical implementation of their program of Siberian autonomy and on the preparation of the convocation of the Siberian Regional Duma. The Bolsheviks' seizure of power at the end of 1917 made "Potanin's Circle" lose some of its members and use illegal methods, including building relations with the anti-Soviet armed underground. The counter-revolutionary revolt in Siberia at the end of spring and in the summer of 1918 increased the activity of the Circle. Many of its members held important positions in the anti-Soviet regulatory and administrative authorities. The Circle's social and propaganda activities at that time were mostly focused on creating the ideological background for the anti-Bolshevik campaign. They used Sibirskaya Zhizn' [Siberian Life], a newspaper edited by A.V. Adrianov, as the main channel for airing their ideas. The author proves that, as it was before the Revolution, during the Revolution and the Civil War, "Potanin's Circle" preserved such features as an informal character; a stable and active core consisting of Potanin's closest friends and associates; and spreading of its influence far beyond Tomsk. At the same time, in 1917-1919, "Potanin's Circle" became an active and influential social and political group that took part in the power contest. In this regard, the Circle can be compared to regional branches of some political parties. The collapse of Kolchak's regime and Potanin's serious illness and death led to the dissolution of "Potanin's Circle", which impoverished the social, political, and cultural life not only in Tomsk but in the entire Siberia.

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