Ukrainian Social Democrat P. Kanivets: Revolutionary and Legal Aspects of His Activity in 1890-1905

Abstract

The purpose is to study the biography of P. Kanivets — one of the active participants in the Ukrainian social democratic movement at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. His activities are noted in numerous scientific works, there is no comprehensive study that reproduces his biography yet.

In writing this publication, both traditional and modern methodological approaches were used, incorporating principles of historicism, critical analysis, impartiality, and macro- and micro-approaches to the study of the past. One of the primary methods used is the biographical approach.

Scientific novelty. The biography of a little-known figure of Ukrainian history is reproduced, through which the important trends of the social and political life of the Ukrainian lands as part of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries are characterized, in particular, the issue of the development of the revolutionary movement and the functioning of the law enforcement system of the autocracy is considered.

Main results. It has been established that P. Kanivets was born into a modest Ukrainian noble family in the Chernihiv region. During his studies at St. Volodymyr University of Kyiv, he actively participated in Ukrainian political organizations, including the Ukrainian Social Democracy Group and the Ukrainian Revolutionary Party. P. Kanivets’ involvement with the Ukrainian Social Democratic Union is evident in his efforts to smuggle social democratic newspapers, brochures, and leafl ets across the border. This article provides a detailed report of the circumstances surrounding the unsuccessful smuggling of illegal literature on February 8, 1905, and the subsequent arrest of the activist in the village of Altynivka in the Chernihiv region using a micro-historical approach. It is revealed that P. Kanivets was arrested and imprisoned multiple times by the tsarist law enforcement agencies due to his revolutionary actions. However, it is worth noting that the reformed judicial system and the secret police adhered to the principle of the presumption of innocence, as evidenced by their investigations and court decisions. Finally, P. Kanivets’ imprisonment ended favorably for him. This was a result of the democratization of the political system following Tsar Nicholas II’s publishing of the Manifesto on October 17, 1905, which “granted” political rights and freedoms to the subjects of the Russian Empire. Subsequently, the Decree of the Senate granted amnesty to political prisoners, allowing the hero of our article to regain his freedom and continue his revolutionary activities. Conclusions. Presenting the biography of the Ukrainian social democrat with the help of modern research tools made it possible to obtain new scientific information about the revolutionary movement in the Ukrainian provinces in the context of the functioning of law enforcement and judicial bodies of the Russian Empire at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.