Patriotic demonstrations during the First Russian Revolution

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of patriotic manifestations amongst the population of the Russian Empire during the First Russian Revolution. Based on the materials of periodical publications, official appeals and memoirs, the aspects of the organization, content, historical background and perception of various patriotic actions during the revolution are studied. The main forms of popular demonstrations in support of the existing system were marches of a religious nature, resembling Church processions, and appeals to representatives of the highest state and church authorities with expressions of a loyal nature. In their ideological content, the demonstrations reflected the point of view of extreme right-wing political organizations in their view of the role of the monarchy in Russia, as well as characterizing the «enemies» of the country. At the same time, the patriotic demonstrations reflected a traditional view of the relationship between the government and the people. Ecclesiasticism was an important part of the traditional worldview of the country's population, and during the formation of right-wing parties it became one of the foundations of their programs. Therefore, the ecclesiastical element in patriotic demonstrations not only persisted, but also increased quantitatively. Regarding the effectiveness of such actions in the information sphere, based on some facts and observations of other researchers, an assumption is put forward about the effectiveness of the manifestations and the known potential of calming popular unrest.