Jewish community of Simferopol in Revolution of 1917th: socio-political aspects of activity (according to the materials of the newspaper «Yuzhnye Vedomosti»)

Abstract

Research aim. The Purpose of the research is to analyze the situation with the Jewish community of Simferopol during the period of the revolutiоnary transformations of 1917, using as the main source of the Simferopol newspaper «Yuzhnye Vedomosti».

The methodology of research is determined by selection of general scientific methods such as analytical synthetical descriptive and general-historical ones – retrospective, historical-genetic and quantitative, which were selected in the framework of studies of local history.

The scientific novelty. The article is devoted to the history of studying the situation of the Jewish community in Simferopol during the revolution of 1917 based on the analysis of one of the most representative sources. With the help of the materials of the newspaper «Yuzhnye Vedomosti» it was possible to reconstruct certain aspects of the socio-political life of the community, first of all the creation of self-governing institutions, participation in the municipal election campaign and discussions between Zionist and socialist party organizations. A significant part of the names of local politicians and public figures has been introduced into scientific circulation.

Conclusions. The beginning of the 1917 revolution was greeted by the Jewish community of Simferopol with the hope of improving their political and legal situation. The strategic assignments of Simferopol Jews did not differ from the intentions of communities in other regions of the country, Therefore, they aimed at democratizing social and political life and the further exploitation of the thesis of the need to form an Israeli state in the Palestinian territories. It revealed that the intermediate missions were to participate in a municipal campaign, the election to the Russian Constituent Assembly, the Russian Jewish Congress and the creation of an effective mechanism for managing its own public council, which was to administer the community. It has been established that the personnel potential of society was formed by attracting influential persons from various fields of activity to political work. It was found that applied implementation of the above tasks was manifested in the creation of the Jewish Temporary Public Committee and its executive committee, the receipt of fifteen seats of the city council by the members of the Jewish community of Simferopol, active participation in the work of local governments of the governorate level, agitation a series of public events that have attracted public attention.