The socio-economic state and the political sentiment of the Perm province population in the last third of the 19^th century (as assessed by the provincial gendarme department)

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the socioeconomic situation and the political climate in the Perm province in the last third of the 19th century. It uses unique sources, such as the reporting documents of the Perm provincial gendarmerie department. The main source used is the “Political reviews of the localities” compiled by the provincial gendarmes for the top management. These documents contain not only an assessment of political sentiments, but also a detailed analysis of the economy, social structure, and life in the province, as the gendarmes considered socio-economic issues as the root cause of political stability.
Based on the materials of the Perm Provincial Gendarmerie Department, the article examines in detail the economic specifics of the region, including the development of mining, agriculture, and crafts, as well as the social composition of the population. Special attention is paid to the evolution of the labor movement: from the local and short-lived unrest in the 1870s and 1880s to the widespread, organized strikes of the 1890s, which were caused by the economic crises, reduced wages, and the heavy tax burdens. The work fills the gap in the study of regional history by demonstrating how the gendarmes assessed the social processes and the potential threats to the state order. It is concluded that the gendarmes acted as professional analysts whose reports allow us to reconstruct a holistic picture of the province’s life and the origins of social tension.

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