On Publication of the Documents Collection “On the Basis of Self-Determination… To the 100th Anniversary of Statehood of Udmurtia”

Abstract

The article reviews the documents collection “On the principles of statehood,” prepared by the archivists of Udmurtia in 2020 and dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the statehood of the Udmurt people. The review shows that for regional historiography, this publication is almost the first experience of publishing of documents by type. It publishes minutes of the first national-cultural organizations and Udmurt congresses, general meetings and gatherings of citizens, Soviet and party bodies of 1917–21, which highlight the history of preparation and creation of the Udmurt Autonomous Oblast. The structure of the collection is described, and the documents included are characterized. In addition to documents from the Udmurt archives, the collection also includes documents from federal archives and those of neighboring regions. The first section includes documents of the Udmurt national movement of 1917 – the first half of 1918. The second section contains documents on the initial stage of the self-determination process of the Udmurt people covering the period from June 1918 to August 1920. The third section includes documents on formation of the Votyak Autonomous Oblast (VAO) from preparation and adoption of the decree on November 4, 1920 to the First Congress of Soviets of the VAO. It should be noted, that photo documents included in the collection complement the text nicely. It is concluded that the documents in the new edition sufficiently cover the realization of the right of the Udmurt people to self-determination. The review appreciates the scientific and reference apparatus of the collection. A detailed introductory article contributes to a deeper understanding of the sources. Extensive notes prepared by the compilers help navigating the documents and supplement their content, expanding the regional context and integrating it into the Russian historical process. The appendices are analyzed. They include lists of participants of the congresses and biographical data on the most active figures of the national-state construction. It is concluded that the reviewed collection adequately replenishes the source base on the early Soviet history of the region. It contributes to intensification of the study of the history of national politics and national-state construction in the first years of Soviet power and can also be used in the educational process in the educational institutions of Udmurtia.