The Duel as a Form of Political Publicity Stunt by Russian Deputies in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

The article represents reflections on A. A. Ivanov's “A Case of Honor”: Deputies of the State Duma and Duel Scandals (1906–1917)"(“Delo chesti”: deputaty Gosudarstvennoi dumy i duel’nye skandaly (1906–1917)). The general structure of Ivanov's monograph may lead one to the conclusion that duel as scandals were rare episodes in the first Russian State Dumas, but a closer look at contents of the book reveals that such scandals were numerous, resonant, and quite characteristic of the time. Comparing Russian duels with those of European parliamentarians, the former had little in common with classical duels. The press was also involved in these scandals, giving wide publicity to dueling deputies and thus encouraging them to continue the practice. This suggests that duel scandals were a form of publicity stunts that often turned into the main goal of dueling deputies, to the detriment of state and party interests. As is noted in Ivanov's monograph, duels were illegal and condemned by the Orthodox Church. By taking part in duels, Russian parliamentarians publicly showed disrespect for law and church. According to the monograph, the police did little to prevent such conflicts, and this blasé attitude undermined the authority of law enforcement in public consciousness. Thus, all the parties involved in Duma duel scandals contributed to the development of legal nihilism, which became one of the foundations of the Revolution of 1917.