The Soviet elite of Siberia (March - October, 1917)

The year 1917 was at the point of Russian history. The main problem was the problem of a power. Revolutionary chaos, having destroyed old political structures, forced agents of an old ruling class to leave from political arena. At the same time, the new type of political elite in the person of heads of Councils of deputies as the legitimate political structure applying for the power started arising. The problem of the Soviet elite role in determination of political process development vector is of current importance for revolution phenomenon understanding. In this article the circle of people who was lawfully referring to category of the Soviet elite is revealed, and qualitative characteristics of the Soviet elite agents are defined. Also, the social mobility of elite reflecting political evolution of Councils of deputies is shown. Conclusions that at the initial stage of formation the Soviet elite represented itself a complex heterogeneous phenomenon are drawn: the Soviet elite united in itself both pro-government and oppositional elements. Political purposes of Councils of deputies and certain elite agents in them were various, depended on socio-political forces arrangement in each concrete region and were transformed under the influence of revolutionary process development. The main qualitative characteristic of the Soviet elite agents of Siberia was considerable political experience: the majority of Councils leaders were professional revolutionaries. This fact left an imprint for identity of elite subjects: having gone through arrests and deportations, having been working in underground, they remained faithful to their political ideals, had strength of will and resistant character. Heads of ouncils already had skills of organizing, propaganda and agitation, were outstanding speakers. The lack of education was compensated by political culture that was demanded in specific conditions of revolutionary time. It is possible to conclude that the situation of post-February chaos made certain demands to the political elite applying for the power. Experienced revolutionaries, whose forces were concentrated in Councils of deputies, possessed the potential necessary for ruling of political process development.