The Southwestern Territory in the Liberal Concept of the National-State Structure of Russia in the Early 20th Century

Abstract. This article examines the evolution of Russian liberal approaches to defining the place of the Southwestern Territory in the overall concept of the national-state
structure of the future constitutional Russia in the early 20th Century. During this period, a new, qualitatively distinct trend emerged within the zemstvo liberal movement, which has been called “new liberalism” in historiography. Its manifestation was gradual institutional consolidation, culminating in the creation of the illegal foreign publication “Osvobozhdenie” (Liberation) in 1902 and the search for the most suitable forms of unification and allies. One of these became national movements in the outskirts. Based on an analysis of archival data, periodicals, and memoirs, the author concludes that before the First Russian Revolution, issues related to the development of the
Southwestern Territory interested representatives of the new liberalism in the context of the general political struggle against the Russian autocracy, without regard for national issues. However, as early as 1905, with the formation of democratic parties in the region, the question of Little Russia’s autonomy was included on the agenda not only of liberal proto-party organizations but also of all-Russian zemstvo and city congresses.

Keywords: Southwestern Territory, Russian liberalism, autonomy, Russian Empire, early 20th Century.