Peasant revolts against the peasant revolution

Тhe peasant revolts, wars, and revolutions known in history had both revolutionary and reactionary sides. A particularly complex interweaving was observed in Russia (USSR) in the first third of the 20th century due to the maximum number of economic structures and classes in the country and four revolutions. The main reason for the struggle of the peasant classes, including re-volts, was poverty, caused by both agrarian overpopulation and social causes, among which the main one before the October revolution was the remnants of feudalism. All four revolutions in Russia were largely peasant revolutions, but they differed in class composition and class leader-ship. As a result of the Great October socialist revolution, a joint dictatorship of the working class and the peasantry (the petty bourgeoisie) was established in the country, not predicted by K. Marx, but foreseen by V.I. Lenin. However, the small working class after V.I. Lenin’s death could not hold on to power, and as a result of the “Stalinist” counter-revolution, an internally unstable dictatorship of the petty bourgeoisie (peasantry) was established in the country. We reveal the class processes in the peasantry that led to revolts and revolutions.

„We were celebrating the October and the May Day”: names of the holidays in the Soviet period in the Arkhangelsk dialects

The article, written on the basis of material in the Arkhangelsk dialects, is devoted to the “new” holidays that appeared (the October, the Victory Day, the May Day) or acquired significance (the New Year) in the Russian North in the Soviet period. Their dialect names are described, with special attention paid to the manner in which dialects adapted official names (for example, the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution became October). In addition, the ceremonial content of the holidays of the Soviet era (the preparation and use of special festive foods and drinks, the preparation of the house for the holiday, including its cleaning and decoration, the tradition of gost’ba, or visiting relatives in the holidays) are analysed. Further, the study considers the beginnings of omens and regulations, mainly related to the agrarian labour cycle (start and end of field work) and changes in nature (ice drift and river-freezing, or rekostav). These began to take shape around the most important “new” holidays — Oktyábr’skaya (October) and Pervomai (May Day). Also discussed is the interaction of the Soviet holidays with holidays on the church calendar that were near in time (May Day — Passover, New Year — Christmas) and agrarian-labour holidays marking the completion of seasonal field work (Oktyábr’skaya — sowing (obsevnaia).