Assembly of Russian Factory and Plant Workers of St. Petersburg

Categories / Social Life/Social Organizations and Unions
ASSEMBLY OF RUSSIAN FACTORY AND PLANT WORKERS OF ST. PETERSBURG, one of the first legal mass organizations of workers in Russia. Established on the basis of the Community of Mutual Help of Workers in Mechanized Industry (1902-03) it was one of the so-called Zubatov's organizations. After S.V. Zubatov was dismissed in August 1903, it was priest G.A. Gapon who became the leader of the community. On February 15, 1904 the Minister of the Interior approved the charter drawn up by Gapon and the organization was renamed. The goal of the Assembly was to spend free time rationally and sensibly, as well as to spread education among workers on the principle of Russian national morale and contribute to better working and living conditions of workers. On April 11, 1904, the Assembly was opened in the tea and reading room of Vyborgsky Department (23 Orenburgskaya Street) in the presence of city administrator I.A. Fullon. Worker of Putilovsky Plant I. V. Vasilyev became the chairman of the board, and Gapon was elected the general manager of the Assembly. In 1904, 11 (according to other reports, 12) district departments of the Assembly were established. All the departments worked daily from 19.00 including tea rooms, libraries, reading rooms, and various circles (math, music, foreign languages, gymnastics, etc.) On Wednesday and Sunday, the Assembly hosted lectures, meetings, music and dancing parties. The Assembly was very popular with women who took an active part in its work. It was supported, including financial support, by the security department, police department, and the city administration. The leading role was played by a group of people (headquarters), of whom many were former members of social-democratic and other organizations of workers (the Karelins, D.V. Kuzin, I.M. Kharitonov, V.A. Knyazev, et al.). By the end of 1904, the Assembly became a mass organization with 10,000 members, and organized a walk-out to protest against the dismissal of 4 workers of Putilovsky Plant who were members of the Assembly. All but a few enterprises of St. Petersburg joined the walk-out. All Assembly departments took part in drawing up and discussing a petition addressed to Emperor Nicholas II. The petition included many of the demands that had been worked out back in March 1904 at a secret meeting held at Gapon's flat in Tserkovnaya Street (today, 6 Blokhina Street). The workers who marched to the Winter Palace on December 9, 1905 were shot at by military and police forces (see Bloody Sunday). On January 10, the Assembly was banned from any activities; its property and bank account for 3,000 roubles were distrained. After the Manifesto of October 17, 1905 had been published, former members of the Board tried to resume activities of the Assembly but it was nevertheless closed down in the end of March 1906.

Reference: Карусева И. М. Из истории "Собрания русских фабрично-заводских рабочих г. Санкт-Петербурга": (с публ. док. из фондов ГМ ПИР) // Политическая история России: Теория и музейная практика: Сб. науч. тр. СПб., 1995. Вып. 2. С. 21-34.

A. G. Kalmykov. Fullon Ivan Alexandrovich
Gapon Georgy Apollonovich
Karelin Alexey Egorovich
Kharitonov I.M.
Knyazev Vladimir Alexandrovich
Kuzin D.V.
Nicholas II, Emperor
Vasilyev I.V.
Zubatov Sergey Vasilievich
Blokhina St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 6
Orenburgskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 23
Карусева И. М. Из истории "Собрания русских фабрично-заводских рабочих г. Санкт-Петербурга": (с публ. док. из фондов ГМ ПИР) // Политическая история России: Теория и музейная практика: Сб. науч. тр. СПб., 1995 Security Department
1903