The Sumy Section of the Union of 17 October: Formation and Activity (1905–1914)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the formation and functioning of the Sumy branch of the Union of 17 October. The goal is detailed with tasks: a) to characterize the political, organizational and law-making activities of the leaders of the party branch – P.Matiunin and N.Savych; b) find out the personnel potential of the regional organization; c) evaluate the activity of the Sumy branch of the Union of 17 October during the State Duma elections, as well as in the inter-election period.

The research methodology is based on the principles of historicity, complexity, systematicity, criticality, representativeness. The following special methods were used: historical-systemic, comparative-analytical, historicalgenetic, historical-biographical, descriptive. For the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the functioning of the Sumy Octobrist Party organization during the First Russian Revolution and during the reign of the June Third Monarchy regime was carried out.

Conclusions. The response of politically moderate people in Sumy county to the revolutionary movement was their rallying around the local branch of the Union of 17 October. The Lawyer P.Matiunin and the landowner N.Savych played a prominent role in its organization. The cell was formed during the first Duma campaign and continued to be active, primarily during the State Duma elections. The elections to the Third Duma proved successful for the Sumy Octobrists and provided them with two parliamentary seats (P.Matiunin and N.Savych). Duma activities of both leaders of the Sumy branch of the party, on the one hand, distracted them from the management of the organization, and on the other hand, allowed to maintain its image and status, despite the reduction in the number of party members and the transition of some of them to the right camp.