Anna N. Shulgina

Postgraduate Student

European University at St. Petersburg

(St. Petersburg, Russia)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2024-1-90-103

Abstract. In the 1920s, border revisions took place between the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR. In 1924, the Ukrainian SSR laid claim to the southern counties (uezdy) of Voronezh province (guberniia), where a significant part of the Ukrainian-speaking population lived. At that time, the most active discussions on the issue of delimitation between the republics took place. The article examines this local territorial dispute through the interaction of actors of different levels. In addition to the central actors, representatives of the Union republics, the provincial authorities were also included in the discussion. They collected material for the central Commissions and participated in their meetings. Besides, the Voronezh authorities determined how to cover the issue locally. In addition to the provincial authorities, other local actors, including Ukrainian activists and the peasantry, participated in the discussions. Discussants often referred to the opinion of the population, and provided contrary information about the desires of local residents. Several actors (Voronezh authorities, Ukrainian authorities, and local Ukrainian activists) tried to directly influence the opinion of the population of the disputed counties. In late November and early December, Voronezh authorities held volost and village gatherings in the province on the issue of the Ukrainian SSR claims. Thus, local actors participated in the border deliberation process. However, the final decision remained with the Political Bureau.
Keywords: territorial dispute, RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Voronezh province, Soviet nationality policy, local press.

Full text of the article (PDF)

For citation: Shulgina, AN 2024, ‘The Territorial Dispute between the RSFSR and the Ukrainian SSR in 1924: Participation of the Local Actors (The Case of the Voronezh Province)’, Tula Scientific Bulletin. History. Linguistics, issue 1 (17), pp. 90–103, http://doi.org/10.22405/2712-8407-2024-1-90-103 (in Russ.)

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