VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS IN RUSSIA AT THE TURN OF THE 19TH–20TH CENTURIES: ON THE WAVE OF THE GOVERNMENT REFORMS OR AGAINST THE TIDE

The article examines such institutions of Russia’s public sphere of at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries as voluntary associations — the Free Economic Society, the St. Petersburg Literacy Committee, the Moscow Law Society. They were united by their active participation in the preparation of the government reforms. Discussing the reforms and contributing to their implementation, these associations served as expert platforms within which discussions took place between government authorities and the public on a wide range of issues. They turned into public forums for the expression of opinions, the formation of group identities and the political culture of civic social self-organization. Based on the study of these three cases, the paper is aimed at answering the following questions. What role did the voluntary associations play in the reform process at the turn of the century? Did they act in line with government reforms or go against the tide? What dynamics did the reforms give to the Russian public and how did its relations develop with other reform actors, primarily with the government bureaucracy? How and why did conflict scenarios become possible?