Russian Cause" in the South Caucasus at the Beginning of the 20th Century: People, Ideas and Institutions

The article analyzes the formation and activity of institutions of public self-organization of the Russian population of the South Caucasus at the beginning of the 20th century. The article considers the emergence and activity of regional departments of the Society of Zealots of Russian Historical Enlightenment in memory of Emperor Alexander III. The Tiflis and Batumi departments sought to provide assistance and support to Russian peasant migrants. Departments tried to organize the opening of public libraries in the region. The Tiflis department actively cooperated with other public organizations and the church. The Revolution of 1905-1907 it hampered the work of departments and led to their closure. As a response to the revolutionary events in the South Caucasus, new associations of the Russian population are being created. One of the most influential of them was the Patriotic Society in Tiflis, which was headed bythe famous publicfigure and publicist N. N. Shavrov. The Patriotic Society took part in the elections of a deputy from the Russian population of the South Caucasus, in which a member of the society F. F.Timoshkin won. In 1912 on the eve of the elections to the IV State Duma, political competition began between the institutions of self-organization of the Russian population of the region, which led to mutual discrediting and electoral failure. A Social Democrat became a deputyfrom the Russian population of the region.