THE MAIN DIRECTIONS OF SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTIVITY OF ASTRAKHAN PEOPLE’S MONARCHIST PARTY (based on the materials of the «Russkaya Pravda» newspaper)

Intensification of the political struggle between political parties and organizations formed at the beginning of the XX century necessarily contributed to the emergence of periodic party publications as translators of their ideological positions and socio-political practice. Soon after the creation of Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party, its printing organ, the «Russkaya Pravda», began to be published, the first issue of which was published in October 1906. The newspaper, which had a circulation of up to 6,000 copies, became widely popular outside Astrakhan governorate. The purpose of this study is to analyze the main directions of socio–political activity of Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party, reflected on the pages of «Russkaya Pravda» as a regular print organ of the right-monarchist party, known not only in the Volga region, but throughout Russia. Materials and methods. The main research methods were historical-genetic, retrospective and problematic methods based on the methodological principles of historicism, systematics and objectivism, which made it possible to perform a holistic analysis of the issues of the regular printing organ of Astrakhan People’s Monarchical Party «the Russkaya Pravda» to highlight the main activities of the party in question. Research results. Based on the analysis of the issues of the party press organ, the article examines the main directions of socio-political activity of Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party, gives prominence to the main thematic blocks that reveal the activities of the well-known at the beginning of the XX century Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party, which stood on a clearly expressed conservative position. The reflection and concretization of the party’s objectives in the newspaper are shaded. Thematic areas related to the size of the party, its internal party organizational management, party ethics and rules of conduct for party members in relations with other parties and the population are given prominence. The main ways of this party’s political struggle with revolutionary forces reflected in the newspaper in the context of the First Russian Revolution are analyzed. Based on the materials of the press, the position and tactics of Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party during the election campaigns to the II and III State Dumas are considered. The priorities of the activities carried out by public organizations created under Astrakhan right-wing Conservative Party are reflected. The nature of relations between Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party and the authorities is considered, the thematic content of the articles that led to confiscation of a number of the «Russkaya Pravda» issues is touched upon. Conclusions. The periodical press organ of Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party, «Russkaya Pravda», makes it possible to specify the ideological positions and determine the main directions of this party’s socio-political activities. In this aspect, the newspaper became an important means of information communication and a source of translating to the public the political views and socio-political practices of Astrakhan People’s Monarchist Party.