The «Rout» of the Rup in 1903: The Scale and Factors of the Government's (Un)Success
Abstract
The article is the first special study of the Gendarmerie operation of the end of 1903 – the beginning of 1904, aimed at the liquidation of the Revolutionary Ukrainian Party. Until now the historiography of the issue is limited to several mentions of operation’s individual episodes in publications with a broader content. The source base of the study is comprised of archival documents of Gendarmerie offices and security departments, periodicals of the RUP and memories of its activists. Based on the author's reconstruction of the state and personal composition of party structures in 1903–1904, an attempt was made to determine the consequences of the operation for the central, regional and local organizational levels of the RUP. Attention is paid to the factors that determined the ambiguous course of events and different positions inside party organizations (personnel, management bodies, material and technical base, connections, scope of activities, etc.). The historiographical assessment of these consequences as “a catastrophe for the RUP” has been subjected to a critical review. Being based on the opportunistic statements of the party leader M. Porsh and its “archivist” and historian A. Zhuk it is not confirmed by empirical material. As a result of the Gendarme operation of 1903 the RUP really suffered great losses the latter being partial and temporary. A significant part of the party network at all levels managed to avoid failures and ensure the continuity of the party's activities. Crushed organizations were able to resume their work in a few months. The change of the party leader and the split at the “unheld” congress of the RUP in 1904 contributed to a clearer definition of the party's ideology and organizational structure. This gives reason to qualify the events of that time rather as an (un)success of the government: having delivered a striking blow to the leading organizational centres of the RUP on the territory of the empire, it was unable not only to implement its plan to destroy the whole party, but even to liquidate any local organization.
Downloads
References
Central'nyj derzhavnyj arhiv vyshhyh organiv vlady i upravlinnja Ukrai'ny (CDAVO Ukrai'ny), f. 3807. (In Ukrainian)
Central'nyj derzhavnyj istorychnyj arhiv Ukrai'ny v m. Kyjevi (CDIAUK), f. 275, 320, 336, 1439. (In Ukrainian)
Dobra novyna. L'viv, 1903. (In Ukrainian)
Doroshenko, D. Moi' spogady pro davnje mynule. 1901–1914 roky. Vinnipeg; Manitoba, 1949. (In Ukrainian)
Duchyns'kyj, A. Revoljucijna Ukrai'ns'ka Partija (RUP) na Poltavshhyni za arhivnymy materialamy 1901-1905 rokiv. U zb.: Za sto lit, kn. 2, 1928, s. 283-320. (In Ukrainian)
Erastov, S. Spogady. Pam’jatky Ukrai'ny. Istorija ta kul'tura, no. 3 (dodatok), 2006, s. II-ХХХVI. (In Ukrainian)
Fed'kov, O. M. Ukrai'ns'ka social-demokratychna spilka na pochatku XX st.: u poshukah idejno-politychnoi' identychnosti. Kam’janec'-Podil's'kyj, 2017. (In Ukrainian)
Galagan, M. Z moi'h spomyniv (1880-ti – 1920 r.). Kyi'v, 2005. (In Ukrainian)
Gankevych, L. Z pidzemnoi' Ukrai'ny. U zb.: Kalendar «Vperedu», 1920, s. 83-88. (In Ukrainian)
Germajze, O. Narysy z istorii' revoljucijnogo ruhu na Ukrai'ni. T. 1: Revoljucijna Ukrai'ns'ka partija (RUP). B. m., 1926. (In Ukrainian)
Golovchenko, V. Vid «Samostijnoi' Ukrai'ny» do Sojuzu vyzvolennja Ukrai'ny: Narysy z istorii' ukr. social-demokratii' poch. ХХ st. Harkiv, 1996. (In Ukrainian)
Kollard, Ju. Spogady junac'kyh dniv. 1897–1906. Ukrai'ns'ka students'ka gromada v Harkovi i Revoljucijna Ukrai'ns'ka partija (RUP). Toronto, 1972. (In Ukrainian)
Kryvobok, O. P. Narys istorii' RUP-USDRP na Chernigivshhyni na pochatku ХХ st. – shtryh do politychnoi' istorii' regionu. Problemy istorii' Ukrai'ny ХІХ – pochatku ХХ st. [Problems of the history of Ukraine of XIX — beginning XX cc.], vyp. 10, 2005, s. 65-82. (In Ukrainian)
Kryvobok, O. P. Nacional'ne pytannja v dijal'nosti politychnyh partij socialistychnogo naprjamu na pivnichnomu Livoberezhzhi Ukrai'ny naperedodni ta v roky Pershoi' rosijs'koi' revoljucii'. Naukovyj chasopys Nacional'nogo pedagogichnogo universytetu imeni M. P. Dragomanova. Serija 6. Istorychni nauky [Scientific Journal of the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University. Series 6. Historical sciences], vyp. 5, 2008, s. 30-36. (In Ukrainian)
Kul'chyc'kyj, S., Soldatenko, V. Volodymyr Vynnychenko. Kyi'v, 2005. (In Ukrainian)
Livyc'ka, M. Na grani dvoh epoh. N'ju-Jork, 1972. (In Ukrainian)
Lotoc'kyj, O. Storinky mynulogo. Ch. 2. B. m., 1966. (In Ukrainian)
Magurchak, A. Vse u nas, navit' najkrashhe, vyhodyt' jakos' ne po-ljuds'komu! (Iz lystuvannja Andrija Zhuka i Mykoly Porsha). Pam’jatky, t. 9, 2009, s. 23-34. (In Ukrainian)
Mykola Gmyrja (nekrolog). Nash golos, no. 6-8, 1911, s. 345-347. (In Ukrainian)
Nazaruk, Ju. S. Avtonomist – samostijnyk – get'manec' (evoljucija politychnyh pogljadiv Oleksandra Skoropysa-Joltuhovs'kogo u 1900–1921 rr.). Visnyk Kyi'vs'kogo nacional'nogo lingvistychnogo universytetu. Serija «Istorija, ekonomika, filosofija» [Visnyk of Kyiv National Linguistic University. Series «History, Economics, Philosophy»], vyp. 15, 2009, s.193-210. (In Ukrainian)
Naumov, S. O. Harkivs'ka «vil'na gromada» RUP (1900–1904 rr.): do 100-richchja partii'. Visnyk Harkivs'kogo nacional'nogo universytetu im. V. N. Karazina. Istorija [The Journal of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. History], vyp. 32, 2000, s. 114-122.
Naumov, S. O. Ukrai'ns'kyj politychnyj ruh na Livoberezhzhi (90-i rr. ХІХ st. – ljutyj 1917 r.). Harkiv, 2006. (In Ukrainian)
Porsh, M. Na spil'nomu shljahu. U zb.: Symon Petljura v molodosti. L'viv, 1936, s. 31-61. (In Ukrainian)
Pracja. L'viv, 1904. (In Ukrainian)
Pustovit, T., Korotenko, V. Dijach RUPu Mykola Gmyrja // Kyi'vs'ka starovyna [Kyiv antiquity], no. 3, 1995, s. 100-107. (In Ukrainian)
Romanovych-Tkachenko, N. Na dorozi do revoljucii': Uryvky zi spomyniv // Ukrai'na, kn. 4, 1925, s. 103-128. (In Ukrainian)
Sarnac'kyj, O. P. Caryzm ta ukrai'ns'ki politychni partii' (1900–1917 rr.). Zaporizhzhja, 2006. (In Ukrainian)
Seljanyn. Chernivci; L'viv, 1903–1904. (In Ukrainian)
Zhuk, A. Pam’jaty Mykoly Porsha (1877–1944). Suchasnist', no. 1, 1962, s. 52-66. (In Ukrainian)
Zhuk, A. Iz spogadiv. Moloda nacija, no. 3, 2002, s. 177-221. (In Ukrainian)
Copyright (c) 2022 Serhii Naumov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
