The liberal intelligentsia in the Russian revolutionary process of the early 20th century as a subject of scientific study

The article explores recent research on the role of the liberal intelligentsia in the revolutionary process in the Russian Empire of the early 20th century. Drawing on the works of Russian scholars published between 2016 and 2020, which coincide with the centenary of the Great Russian Revolution, the study sheds light on the participation of liberal intelligentsia in revolutionary events, and reveals the dynamics of the worldview position of representatives of the thinking elite. The works of V.V. Shelokhaev, V.P. Buldakov, F.A. Gaida, V.A. Shchipkov and others are considered. The authors selected studies that analyze the reasons for the collapse of the liberal idea in difficult historical conditions and the termination of the participation of representatives of liberal intelligentsia in the revolutionary process, which determines the relevance of this study. In the study of the historiography of the issue, studies were identified, in which, firstly, it was shown, that the democratic ideas of the representatives of the liberal thinking elite did not find understanding and response from the majority, since they did not correspond to the values traditional for the society of that time. Additionally, recent studies indicate that there was no tendency towards consolidation among Russian liberal intelligentsia, resulting in a failure to provide clear for the majority and concrete answers to the challenges of the time. As a result, the liberal intelligentsia gradually became an outside participant in the revolutionary process.