The origin and beginning of activities of Black Hundreds in Volyn

Abstract

The aim of the article is to study the origin of the Black Hundred movement in Volyn in this period. The author clarifies the role of the Orthodox clergy in the formation of the NRC's organizational network. The key directions of their work are analyzed. The research methodology is based on a combination of special historical, general scientific and interdisciplinary research methods using the principles of historicism, objectivity and scientificity. The scientific novelty of the work is that: the peculiarities of the formation of the Black Hundred movement in Volyn are analyzed; the role of the Orthodox clergy in the activities of the studied political group has been clarified; the main doctrinal provisions of the organization, the social base on which it relied in its activities are determined; the role of the clergy in electoral processes is studied; the role of the Black Hundreds in the complication of interethnic relations in the polyethnic society of the region is highlighted. Conclusions. Since their formation, the Russian Black Hundreds have begun purposeful and active activities in Volhynia. At the initial stage of their work, they focused on the formation of the organizational network. Given that at the origins of the Volyn branches of the NRC stood the Orthodox clergy, whose ideological instigators were Bishop Anthony and Archimandrite of the Pochaiv Lavra Vitaly, they managed to quickly form a powerful network of rural departments of the organization. The main social base that replenished the ranks of the Black Hundreds were local peasants. This is explained by the fact that the parish priests, following the orders of the diocese's leadership, were actively involved in the development of the NRC's organizational network. Since their formation, the Black Hundreds have taken an outspoken anti-Polish and anti-Jewish stance which has found expression in the pages of their press. At the same time, they advocated the preservation of autocracy, strengthening the role of the ROC.