THE POLITICAL POSITION OF THE URBAN CONSUMER COOPERATION OF SIBERIA ON THE EVE OF 1917
In focus - clearing up of a political position of the Siberian city consumer cooperation by 1917. The considerable impact on its activities was exerted by political exiles which is clear from the documents of the police Department, cooperative organizations, materials of periodicals and memoirs. Presence at city consumer cooperatives of various political forces was not continuous, greatest role in management personnel was played by Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries. Great opportunities for politicians to use consumer societies for the propaganda purposes opened during campaigns against high cost in 1915-1916. In the conditions of disappointment in an official food policy their propaganda promoted growth of social and political activity of shareholders and understanding of democratic requirements - freedom of the coalitions, democratic reforms, formation of the government of national trust, upgrade of the cooperative legislation. But radical representatives of political parties not always got a complete support of members even in workers’ consumer cooperatives. Two currents - economic and political - were shown on a number of questions: reception of exiled in cooperatives, the ideological direction of the cooperative press and cultural work, content of speeches of cooperative leaders, interaction between the city authorities and public organizations. Despite considerable influence of political parties and efforts of party activists, first of all the Bolsheviks, aimed at submission of resources of cooperation to party tasks, most of shareholders were guided by purely economic motivations and desire to be engaged in actually cooperative work. Activity of city and workers’ cooperation was determined by mainly economic, but not ideological and political factors. Most of shareholders deliberately or spontaneously supported ideology of a peaceful evolutionary way of reorganization of a social and economic order.