Social and political portrait of the deputy corps from the Oryol province in the First State Duma of Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century: structure, origin and political activity

the article examines the formation and socio-political composition of the deputy corps of the Oryol province in the First State Duma of the Russian Empire. Based on the analysis of the electoral legislation of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, the features of the curial system and the biographical data of the deputies, the key trends in the representation of various social strata of the studied region in the State Duma of the Russian Empire of the first convocation are identified. Particular attention is paid to the procedures for election by curiae, which determined the predominance of the peasantry among the deputies, as well as the limited participation of urban and working classes. Representatives of the peasantry, despite their modest education and difficult living conditions, showed a high degree of political activity, which was expressed in their participation in agrarian commissions and numerous deputy inquiries. At the same time, among the deputies, there are figures of the nobility and intelligentsia with significant educational and social capital, which contributed to the formation of a liberal and reformist direction in the activities of the deputies of the first convocation of the State Duma. An analysis of the biographies and parliamentary activity of the deputies of the Oryol province allows us to draw a conclusion about the complex social structure of Russian society at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as about the contradictions and limitations inherent in the electoral system of that time. The work emphasizes that despite institutional barriers and social inequality, the participation of representatives of the lower strata in parliamentary activity became an important step towards the democratization of the country's political life.

history, Russia, the First State Duma, the Oryol province, electoral system, curia, political activity, social structure, biographical analysis