RUDN Journal of Russian HistoryRUDN Journal of Russian History2312-86742312-8690Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)2575510.22363/2312-8674-2021-20-1-32-46Research ArticleThe “Jewish Question” in Zemstvo Activities of the Liberal Fronda of Northern Ukraine in the 1880sKotelnitskyNazar A.<p>Kandidat Istoricheskikh Nauk [Ph.D. in History], Corresponding Member of the Center for Ukrainian Studies</p>subton7@gmail.comInstitute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences Center for Ukrainian Studies26022021201324626022021Copyright © 2021, Kotelnitsky N.A.2021<p>The article explores the position of the Zemstvo liberal party of northern Ukraine on the Jewish question in the Russian Empire in the 1880s. Based on little-known historical sources, the author reconstructs the public landscape in the north of Left-Bank Ukraine, where vivid discussions of the Jewish problem unfolded. A comparative analysis of the positions of the liberal and conservative Zemstvo circles demonstrated the main initiatives of the progressive Zemstvo, which fundamentally separated the aristocratic opposition fronda from the loyal authorities of the zemstvo environment. A detailed analysis of the primary sources shows that the liberal Zemstvo members strongly opposed the reactionary proposals of the conservatives - including a decisive rejection of punitive measures, the elimination of the civil inequality of the Jewish people in the Russian Empire, a fundamental change in state economic policy with the aim of comprehensive and wide-ranging reforms of social relations in the province, and a search for the harmonization of moral and spiritual relations in society. The publication examined the personal contribution of liberal Zemstvo party members of the Northern Left Bank to the development of a political philosophy for resolving the Jewish problem in the country, at the level of journalism of national importance, and at the level of the activities of the Chernihiv provincial commission on the Jewish question. The author demonstrates that the representatives of the Zemstvo opposition publicly opposed the slightest discrimination and restriction of civil rights and freedoms of Jews, considering such discrimination as manifestations of anti-Semitism and an insult of the Jewish people. The liberal partys reform plan for the conceptual solution of the Jewish question in the Russian Empire was an integral organic component of the broad socio-economic and ethno-political doctrine of state modernization.</p>Russian Empirenorthern UkraineJewish problemZemstvo liberal partyChernihiv provincial commission on the “Jewish question” conservative zemstvoРоссийская империясеверная Украинаеврейская проблемаземская либеральная партияЧерниговская губернская комиссия по «еврейскому вопросу»консервативные земцы[Abalyan, A. “The problem of the status of the Jewish population of Russia and Germany in the late XX – early XX centuries.” Politeks 14, no. 2 (2014): 71–84 (in Russian).][Khizhnyakov, V. “Zapiska o uchitelyakh-melamedakh.” In Trudy Chernigovskoy komissii po yevreyskomu voprosu, 54–56. Chernigov: Gubernskaya tipografiya Publ., 1881 (in Russian).][Khizhnyakov, V. Vospominaniya zemskogo deyatelya. Petrograd: Ogni Publ., 1916 (in Russian).][Kotel'nitskiy, N.A. “Public activity of I.I. Petrunkevich in Chernigov Region (1868–1879).” RUDN Journal of Russian History, no. 4 (2010): 5–24 (in Russain).][Kotel'nitskiy, N.A. World view of I. Petrunkevich: details of a political portrait.” Dialogues Over Time, no. 66 (2019): 405–415 (in Russian).][Malakhov, V. Sotsial'no-politicheskoe polozhenie evreiskogo naseleniya v regionakh Rossiiskoy Imperii. 50-e – nachalo 80-kh godov XIX veka. PhD diss., Russian State University for the Humanities, 2015 (in Russian).][Sevost'yanov, A. “In the Russian-Jewish ethnic war.” Nationalism Issues, no. 4 (2016): 176–221 (in Russian).][Tikhonov, A. “Evreys'ki pogromi 1881r. v ukrains'kikh guberniyakh Rosiys'koy imperii.” Ukrains'kiy istorichniy zhurnal, no. 5 (2007): 65–74 (in Ukrainian).][Varzar, V. “Yevrei-arendatory v Chernigovskoy gubernii.” Otechestvennyye zapiski, no. 9–10 (1878): 175–205 (in Russian).][Vitenberg, M. Vlast', obshchestvo i evreiskiy vopros v Rossii v 80-e gody XIX veka. PhD diss., St Petersburg University, 2008 (in Russian).][Yegorov, V. “Reforms of Alexander II regarding the Jewish population of the Russian Empire.” Vladimir Law Institute Journal, no. 2 (2011): 147–150 (in Russian).]