Local History, Power, Estimates: Analysis of Financial Documentation of Local History Organizations in 1920–1930 through the Prism of Soviet Ideology (on the example of the Kursk province)

Abstract

Introduction. the end of the Civil War and the return to peaceful life contributed to the restoration of the activities of various public organizations, including local history. Period 1920s went down in history as the “golden decade” of the local lore movement. Encouraged by the opportunity to act, researchers left over from pre-revolutionary Russia, new staff made plans to study the history, culture, and natural monuments of their regions. Active organizational work was carried out, regional, provincial, allRussian conferences on local history problems were held, a central coordinating body was created – the Central Bureau of Local History. In the Kursk province, multi-level local history organizations began to be created since 1921. The activities of activists were aimed at preserving the established monuments of history, culture, nature, identifying and examining new ones, popularizing knowledge about the region, and attracting new members to local history organizations. The purpose of the work is to analyze the activities of the local history organization of the Kursk province through the preserved estimates of income and expenses. Materials and Methods. The set scientific tasks were solved through the use of a number of methods: theoretical (analysis of scientific literature, comparative analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization) and empirical (study and generalization of sources, hermeneutic). Results. Being formally independent organizations, local lore associations did not have the possibility of financial independence, since membership fees, the activities of societies were ineffective from a profit standpoint. Through the payment of subsidies by various institutions of both federal and regional subordination, the alleged voluntary and independent local history organizations fell under the strict control of the state authorities, which are trying to introduce the principles of Soviet ideology, planned economy and local history. Discussion and Conclusion. Local history organizations in the USSR as a whole, and in the Kursk province in particular, were not completely independent organizations, they did not always act in accordance with the orders of the authorities, reserving the right to make decisions. It resulted in their liquidation and the formation of “state local history” as a phenomenon