Formation of Local Organs of Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks in Tomsk Province in late 1919 – 1921

The first local organs of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks appeared in the Tomsk Province on various territorial levels after Kolchak’s troops had left it. As Soviet power returned to the region, the underground Bolsheviks and Red Army representatives started to organize communist meetings to elect party bureaus and committees. They were temporary party organs that functioned until party conferences could officially be held in accordance with the Charter of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks. The Tomsk provincial committee was the largest one: it participated in the life of smaller, district committees by selecting party candidates. The lower level included local committees, which either had the power of district committees or were subordinate to them. The local committees could be urban or rural. The volost party committees were subordinate to the district committees or local committees. They were formed through election by the peasant population at volost party conferences and congresses. If the political and socio-economic situation made it impossible to organize elections, the volost committees were appointed by the local committees or district committees. The cells were the bottom link in the party hierarchy. They were formed at general meetings of members and candidates for party membership and approved by the district party committees. The rural cells could be organized by the peasant population or appointed by the political workers of military units and instructors of higher party organs. The development of local organs of the Russian Communist Party of Bolsheviks in the Tomsk province was complicated by the constant lack of party workers. Severe staff shortages were typical of all party organizations in the province at all levels and had a negative impact on the party work. Attempts by the provincial committee to resolve the situation were futile. As a result of the personnel problem, Novonikolaevsk and Tomsk were the only urban settlements with their own urban party committees in the province.