Bulletins of the USSR Plenipotentiary representative office in Mongolia. Based on the materials of the Russian State Archives of Socio-Political History

The article analyses the documents from the Russian State Archives of Socio-Political History – the Bulletins of the USSR Plenipotentiary Mission in Mongolia; the paper also considers the activities in 1923–1925 of the plenipotentiary representative A.N. Vasilyev, who headed the Soviet mission during that period. Vasilyev tried to pursue a balanced and pragmatic policy aimed at strengthening Soviet influence in Mongolia and protecting the interests of the USSR. His work left a significant mark in the history of the Soviet-Mongolian relations and became an important stage in shaping the Soviet strategy in the region. He demonstrated flexibility and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, which allowed him to successfully solve his tasks. It was a difficult period when the formation of the Mongolian state actually took place. The Provisional People’s Government, created as a result of the National Democratic revolution of 1921, faced the need to carry out a wide range of reforms aimed at modernizing the economy, developing education and strengthening national independence. It is also necessary to take into account the heterogeneity in the composition of the newly formed government, which included the theocratic monarch Bogd-Gegen, the representatives of the Buddhist clergy, the princes, and the members of the People’s Party. The coexistence of theocratic authority in the person of the Bogd-Gegen and representatives of the people’s party reflected the compromise necessary to stabilize the political situation and unite various social forces. Mongolia’s political development during the period under review was characterized by an acute struggle for power between various political factions within the ruling party. The main reasons for that instability were the following: the Mongolian leaders’ insufficient political maturity, the dogmatism and ideological limitations of both the Mongolian leaders themselves and the functionaries of the ICCI and the Eastern Secretariat. The differences in approaches of the actors to Mongolia’s issues, sometimes their uncompromising position in solving the internal issues, led to the escalation of conflicts. Despite their similar goals to strengthen statehood and overcome backwardness, different groups proposed different approaches to achieve those goals. Some of the factions adhered to the position of caution and gradual reforms, relying on the expansion of international relations. Others advocated fundamental transformations in the country, their strengthening and full orientation towards the USSR and the Comintern. The Bulletins of the USSR Plenipotentiary Mission in Mongolia contained the up-to-date information about the political, economic and cultural life of Mongolia, reflected the mood in the Mongolian society, the positions of various political forces and the course of implementation of Soviet policy in the country. The analysis of those materials makes it possible to reconstruct the picture of Mongolia in 1920ies, to understand the features of the Soviet-Mongolian relations and Vasilyev’s role in their development.

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