Zemstvo self-government in the Yakutsk region in 1917-1919 (based on the materials of the newspaper “Yakutskiy golos”)

The article considers the attitude of the Yakut Labor Union of Federalists to the zemstvo selfgovernment based on the materials of the party newspaper “Yakutskiy Golos” (“Yakut Voice”). It is noted that in 1917 the Federalists welcomed the establishment of zemstvos, hoping that their representatives would be able to carry out democratic transformations in the Yakutsk region by heading the local self-government. However, the experience of zemstvos in the difficult period of the civil war outbreak was not entirely successful. The federalist press organ “Yakutskiy Golos” accused the representatives of the toionat, who lost power after the revolution, in spreading the anti-zemstvo movement, cited examples of the successful activities of zemstvo self-government, and transmitted confidence in the effectiveness of such structures in the future. It is concluded that the short period of zemstvos' activities in the Yakutsk region was associated with a number of difficulties, but, in general, contributed to the political development of the region.