The Humanitarian Activity of Regional Right Organizations in 1905–1916 (by the Example of Vladimir Province)

In Vladimir province in the period of 1905–1916 there were about 30 monarchist organizations of the Union of the Russian People and parties that were included in the Union as its sections. Along their own political work, the monarchists also paid serious attention to spiritual and moral, cultural and educational, as well as philanthropy activities. They arranged religious processions and public prayers (that practically replaced political demonstrations for them), spiritual and ethical readings, lectures of popular Right politicians (V.M. Purishkevich, V.F. Zalesskiy and others), “patriotic” concerts, and initiated pre-conscription training of the youth, recreating in some towns “Poteshny [toylike] Forces” of the Peter’s era. Members of Vladimir section of the Union managed to open a “union” school at their own expense. Vladimir monarchists struggled against drunkenness popularizing the teetotal system and carried out philanthropy activities helping the victims of revolutionary outrages and crop failures. With the beginning of the First World War Vladimir monarchists concentrated their attention on helping the front-line forces, ill and wounded soldiers, and also refugees. In spite of rather modest results of the monarchists in those spheres, their activities managed to improve the image of the Right organizations and didn’t allow their political opponents to demonize the “Black Hundred” unions and organizations at the provincial level (while they succeeded in doing so on the all-Russia scale).