Liberation of classes and liberation of nations

Abstract

The urgency of an issue is caused by modern scientific and public interest in a role of ethno-confessional question in the first parliament of Russia – the State Duma of 1906-1917. The article aims to show that the Duma of the first two convocations in 1906-1907 played a noticeable role not only in the class struggle, as it was widely covered in the literature, but also was clear in ethno-political process of multi-ethnic Russia. Based on the systematic, statutory and regulatory and statistical methods the author traces as special Election Rules from outlying regions (1905-1906) with the low level of representation, especially from non-Russian population group, and territorial and ethnic districts that created as a result new ethno-political geography of the Russian Empire. The author concludes that despite these restrictions, the non-Russian peoples’ representation in the First and Second Duma was very noticeable that allowed to organize the Duma ethno-confessional factions. These factions and groups legally demonstrated ethnical, confessional and regional interests and tried to join in legislative process with requirements of ethnic and confessional groups equality, restoration of an autonomy of Poland and development of local governance, the court and the school in national languages.