ISSUES OF CITY SELF-GOVERNMENT ON THE PAGES OF YAROSLAVL PERIODICALS OF LIBERAL ORIENTATION OF THE LATE XIX – EARLY XX CENTURY (based on the materials of the newspapers “Golos”, “Severny krai”, “Severnoye slovo”)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of issues and problems of urban self–government in Russia during the period of 1870 – the first half of 1914 reflected on the pages of Yaroslavl liberal newspapers. In the context of the recent growing interest in the problems of urban self– government, the study of liberal publicists’ position on this issue during the period of the most vivid development in urban self-government in Russia in the late XIX – early XX century is especially significant. The purpose of the article is to identify the nature of covering the issues of urban self-government on the pages of liberal orientation periodicals, those problems that were mainly criticized by the staff of these publishing houses. Materials and methods. To achieve the purpose of the study, the author reviewed all the most significant publications in the newspapers “Golos”, “Severny Krai”, “Severnoye Slovo”, devoted to various aspects of the existence and activities carried out by city self-government bodies in Russia. Issues of city self-government were discussed on the pages of Yaroslavl liberal periodicals quite often, from different angles and on different issues. Study results. The study of these publications demonstrates a predominantly critical nature of considering urban self-government. The main objects of criticism from liberal publicists were the state of the city duma’s budgets, the shortcomings of the electoral system, the lack of initiative from the city duma councillors in solving issues, the lack of full-fledged publicity at the meetings of the city duma, low political activity and disunity of the councillors, their insufficient attention to the problems of the urban grassroots, sporadic and cell-like nature of the activities carried out by city self-government bodies, insufficient development social activities, such as public assistance, public education and health care, as well as a low level of urban public services and amenities. Conclusions. The study showed that the issues of urban self-government on the pages of Yaroslavl periodical liberal publications were quite a popular topic, and were discussed in a clearly critical perspective.