Assessment of the place and role of student movement in the transformation of socio-political system of Russia in the early 20th century (based on the materials of the journal Osvobozhdenie)

The issue of involving young people in political movement in the process of purposeful activities of political parties remains one of the understudied problems in the history of Russian liberalism and its political and legal thought up to the present. The article analyzes domestic liberal theorists’ search for an answer to the question concerning reasons for the politicization of the youth, primarily the student movement in Russia, which was partially reflected in the publications of the journal Osvobozhdenie [Liberation]. It is noted that two groups of factors are distinguished, those of general nature associated with the shortcomings of the social system as a whole and more specific factors related to the concrete youth policy of the state. The authors pay attention to how the liberals who wrote to the journal determined the place of the youth movement in the process of social transformation. Identification of their positions appears important and necessary in order to answer the question, which the liberal parties and party leaders faced in full growth during the period of the revolution, whether it was possible and reasonable to involve young people in revolutionary processes and in socio-political activities of party organizations. For the liberals, this issue was important due to the significant reflection of the Russian intelligentsia in relation to young people, their youthful radicalism. The article is based on the materials of the pre-parliamentary period in the history of Russian liberalism and covers the years from 1902 to 1905.

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