‘The Sentence Has Been Executed Straightaway’: Telegrams about Executions of the Participants of the Peasant Revolt of 1920—1921 from the Fond of the Military Board of the Supreme Tribunal

Abstract

The article draws on the archival sources introduced into scientific use for the first time to study the social character of active participants of the peasant revolt in the Tambov gubernia (1920-1921) who executed under sentences of the revolutionary tribunals. Telegraphic messages from the revolutionary military tribunals about executions of insurgents stored in the fond of the Military Board of the Supreme Tribunal in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) are being introduced into scientific use. The article offers their content analysis. The archival documents provide biographical data and establish main characteristics of insurgents and charges against them. The article analyses of the procedure of execution as a punitive measure used by the regime to suppress the revolt. It observes that the greatest number of sentences was executed at the final stage of the revolt suppression. Meetings of the revolutionary military tribunals were held in the evening or at night. As a rule, the meeting lasted for an hour or a bit longer; the sentence was not subject to any appeal and was executed immediately. The research identifies the social basis and nature of the insurgent movement and reveals the role of deserters and the civilians’ attitude to the actions of ‘bandits.’ The research also proves that the absolute majority of the insurgents were well-to-do peasants and their participation in the revolt was a conscious choice. All executed peasants were young; their average age was about 27. The local character of the revolt is proved by the geography of executed peasants’ residences. There were no Socialists-Revolutionaries among the executed insurgents; therefore, the revolt was free from political influence and expressed interests common to all peasants. The communistic regime saw in the execution of insurgents for ‘malicious and active banditism’ a repression measure to suppress the peasant revolt. The author has found out names of 70 Tambov peasants executed as participants of the revolt, which do not appear in the published sources.