Yakutsk City Self-Government Attached to the Admiral A.V. Kolchak’s Government in 1919: Elections, Organization and Abolition

Статья посвящена анализу городского самоуправления Якутска в 1919 г., особое внимание уделено его состоянию в период Гражданской войны и последующей ликвидации городского управления после большевистского переворота. Исследование освещает выборы и структуру городского управления при А.В. Колчаке с учетом принципов историзма и объективности. В результате анализа стало ясно, что в декабре 1918 г. правительство ограничило избирательные права горожан. Последние выборы в городскую думу прошли в 1919 г., был сформирован новый состав органов городского самоуправления. The article explores the historical context of city self-government in Yakutsk during the revolution, addressing the lack of historical research on this topic during the Civil War in Russia. The study aimed to analyze the structure of self-government institutions, personnel composition, and the electoral process, considering the factors influencing these processes during the social upheaval of the Civil War. It also examines the liquidation of city self-government following the Bolshevik coup in December 1919, including the subsequent arrest of its members. The scientific innovation lies in providing the first comprehensive representation of the election process and the personal composition of the Yakutsk city government (City Duma and City Council) during Admiral A.V. Kolchak’s reign, using a methodology based on historicism, objectivity, consistency, and comprehensiveness. The retrospective method revealed cause-and-effect relationships and recurring patterns in the historical evolution. In December 1918, Admiral A.V. Kolchak annulled the decree issued by the Provisional Government in April 1917 and amended city government elections, limiting citizens’ electoral rights through changes to the electoral qualifications. The last elections were held in the fall of 1919, resulting in a city self-government consisting of 25 members with an average age of 47.96 years, predominantly holding official or employee positions and having secondary education. The composition and number of members of the city self-government changed multiple times, and the city authorities continued to rely on the city regulations of 1892 when forming the executive committees. On the night of December 14–15, 1919, the local Yakutsk garrison executed an armed revolt and apprehended Admiral A.V. Kolchak’s followers. From December 15, 1919 to January 1, 1920 Soviet power entities were established, marking the dissolution of the city government and the subsequent arrest of its members.