Freemasonry and its role in the Russian revolution

The Great Russian Revolution is one of the most significant milestones of the 20th century in the history of the fatherland. Causes of the events of 1905-1917 until today, are studied by the authors, and participation in the preparation and course of the revolution of various interested groups of people is a debatable issue. In particular, the participation of Freemasons in the revolutionary events as a significant political force that had a significant impact on the fate of many states remains open. The purpose of the study is to determine the role of Freemasonry as a political and ideological organization in the Russian Revolution of 1917. To achieve this goal, it seems necessary to solve the main tasks: to determine the causes of the Russian Revolution, analyze the history of Freemasonry and characterize the current state of Masonic organizations in Russia. The subject of research is the role of freemasonry in the Russian revolution. The methodological basis of the study was scientific and analytical materials on the events of the revolution, as well as the activities of Freemasonry in Russia in a historical retrospective. The study was conducted using the principles of consistency, historicism and objectivity using the methods of analysis, synthesis and grouping. The paper proposes the stages of the consolidation and existence of Freemasonry in Russia before the revolution of 1917 based on the chronological principle. Taking into account the analysis of Freemasonry, the history of its formation and development in Russia and in the world, the authors come to the conclusion that Freemasonry could play one of the decisive roles in February Revolution. Despite the fact that Freemasonry rejects any political orientation of its activities, it is obvious that some of the direct participants in the revolutionary events identified themselves as Freemasons, however, the details of their involvement are invariably subject to debate.