All-Russian Peasant Union

Under the influence of some members of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party in May 1905, a peasant congress was organized in Moscow in order to agree and coordinate efforts in this direction.

The congress elected the Main Committee, which included 8 people (Semyon and Vasily Mazurenko, Vasily Krasnov, Sergey Kournin, Medvedev, Ovcharenko, Grigory Shaposhnikov, Khomutov), as well as the "Central Assistance Bureau" composed of Stepan Bleklov, Alexander Levitsky, Alexey Staal, Vladimir Tan-Bogoraz, Arkhip Teslenko.

[2] The congress participants recognized the necessity of convening a Constituent Assembly elected by universal direct, equal and secret ballot, the requirement of voting rights for women was unanimously adopted; age limit determined by a majority of 20 years; the idea of a two-step election provoked a strong protest.

Although this edition was attended by some interesting details that were not in the first brochure, but the Committee of the Peasant Union took responsibility only for the first, official publication.

From November 6 to 10, 1905, in the new political conditions, that is, the first regular (or second) congress (or delegate meeting[2]) of the Peasant Union was held legally in Moscow.

In particular, it was decided: According to incomplete data, by October-December 1905, in the European part of Russia there were already 470 volost and rural organizations of the All-Russian Peasant Union, uniting up to 200 thousand people.

Union committees began to be viewed as grassroots bodies of the group, supporting it with instructions and agitation in the peasantry.

In May 1906, a meeting of the Union was held in Helsingfors, which approved these tactics and decided to prepare an armed uprising in alliance with the revolutionary parties.

[2] The Peasant Union took part in the elections to the Second Duma and held there several of its members who joined it in the Labor Group.

The Union’s bureaucracy continued to operate for a while, however, its activities gradually calmed down and finally ceased by the end of 1908.

[1] Some representatives of this organization abroad formed the Foreign Bureau of the Peasant Union, and the Mensheviks were included in it.

In March, a part of the former leaders of the Union, representatives of the Popular Socialists, the Social Revolutionaries, the Mensheviks, and the cooperative movement formed the Main Committee.