Echoes of the Kronstadt Events of 1921 in Arkhangelsk Province

Abstract

The country-wide uprisings of the winter and spring of 1920–1921 still lack a coherent explanation and require further reflection. This article reconstructs events of this period in one of the most “quiet” territories of Soviet Russia, the Arkhangelsk province, using political summaries and secret reports, as well as investigative files and later memoirs. It was understood, both locally and centrally, that peasants were eager to follow the “successful example” of mass resistance to the authorities. The aim of the state was not only to use punitive measures to prevent mass protests and to minimize the influence of “irritants”, but above all to disrupt the distribution of undesirable information. The use of a large number of informers recruited from various sections of society allowed competent authorities to have an overview of what was happening in the country and to respond promptly to any potential unrest. Secret information, including that received from foreign sources, forced local authorities to prepare in advance for possible events in the provincial center, and to make efforts to prevent possible peasant revolts in bordering territories in the north of Western Siberia and in the Velsk uyezd and Vologda province. The actions of local authorities were on the whole successful; unrest in the Arkhangelsk province was avoided. However, the sense of danger that persisted as a result of these events, despite the end of the Civil War, contributed to a social mistrust that lasted for many years.