The Russian Empire State Duma Buffet in 1906–1907: From a Second-Rate Restaurant to a Political Club

This article is devoted to the activities of the buffet of the State Duma of the Russian Empire in 1906-1907. On the one hand, it is considered as a quite typical restaurant-type establishment for the beginning of the 20th century, with fairly high prices for food and drinks, distress and powerlessness of employees. However, the unique location of the buffet at the State Duma, the first representative institution in the history of Russia, led to a number of conflicts. The deputies were dissatisfied with the high prices and the mediocre quality of the products, as a result of which the State Duma Administrative Commission regularly made complaints to the owner of the buffet, A. A. Lomach. He was forced to make a number of unfavorable compromises and ultimately terminate the contract. Also, deputies, in particular representatives of the Social Democratic faction, became concerned about the situation of the buffet employees, organizing a number of inspections and even a kind of parliamentary investigation. On the other hand, the article traces the process of formation of the Duma buffet as an alternative platform for parliamentary interaction and as a unique element of parliamentary everyday life in general.