Ethnic calendar

Multinational SPb

National-cultural associations of St.-Petersburg:
History and the present

Traditions and peculiarities of a cultural life of Petersburg as modern multinational mega polis have roots in its history. St.-Petersburg was founded and formed as multinational capital which population reflected diversity of ethnic structure, variety of cultures and religions of Russian empire. Migrants from different provinces of Russia and foreign experts participated in the process of the city construction.

The national policy of Imperial Russia

The tsarism always considered ethnic and religious factors in government. During centuries the imperial government was realizing national policy of chauvinistic character, which, however, never accepted character of a genocide. In Russian empire existed legal regulation of life of non-russian people according to the « Charter about foreigners », developed in 1822. Later it was supplemented with acts in the field of national attitudes, including in cultural sphere. Culture of "foreigners" was exposed to discrimination from authorities which forbade the edition of the literature and teaching in educational institutions on national languages. In some cases thewre were special laws for "foreigners" that regulated a choice of a residence and a trade, a kind of economic activities, service in army, opportunities and limits of public service, choice of religion. At the same time, national military divisions, policy of toleration was reflected in the creation elementary schools with teaching on the native language in national surburbs.

In the beginning of XX century Russian population was illiterate. For non-russian people the opportunity of training was extremely limited. Many people, including russian, could not satisfy the needs in the field of culture and formations through official structures. That fact promoted creation of voluntary public associations with the purpose of satisfaction of social and spiritual needs and interests of the certain ethnic and religious groups. In the beginning of XX century in the central part of Russia there were over 1000 voluntary public associations, with more than half of them of cultural and educational character (further NCC). Their activity was important for ethno-cultural development of the society.

Creation of national cultural communities in Petersburg

Multinational character of the population of Petersburg became a favorable condition for creation of national cultural communities. History NCCs always played an integral role in political and cultural life of Russia of the last two centuries. The attitude of authorities to NCCs was more tolerant in capital, rather than in a province, their activity were under the administrative control that allowed to develop various kinds of public initiatives. The first Estonian school was created in the capital. The quantity of the Jewish societies exceeded the number of societies in "national" provinces. Progressive figures of Petersburg, representatives of national intelligency were aspired to create voluntary public associations with the purpose of preservation and development of the native language and culture, organization of leisure time, dialogue, edition of the literature in national languages, strengthenings of regional communications, consolidation of ethnic groups for the sake of a survival in different ethnic environment and rendering of different kinds of the help. There was also a plenty of Russian cultural-patriotic communities (CPC). Members of imperial family were in charge of some of them. High activity of societies promoted formation of multinational culture of Petersburg and attitudes of tolerance and good neighbourhood between representatives of different nationalities that was an example for other cities of Russia.

One of the first NCCs in St.-Petersburg was "Shuster-club" created in 1772 with the purpose of the organization of leisure of Germans.

The greatest number of societies arose in turning-points of history when the authority carried out a liberal policy and reacted to public associations more loyally. Revolution of 1905-1907 has gained acceptance of the first Law in Russia about public organizations - « Time rules about societies and unions » (March, 4th, 1906). This law operated till February revolution. So, by 1917 in Petrograd there were about 150 NCCs.

Main principles of national policy after the October Socialist revolution

The Soviet government proclaimed the main principles of national policy including equal rights for all people of Russia, liquidation of illiteracy, development of national cultures. These principles were legislatively fixed in the «Declaration of rights of people of Russia», «Declaration of rights of working and explotable people », Constitution of RSFSR of 1918 and other certificates which served as powerful stimulus for creation and development of amateur public organizations. The Soviet government proclaimed domination of class interests above national. Therefore societies which activity did not differ class proletarian essence from the point of view of authorities and mismatched communistic ideology, admitted nationalist, bourgeois and were closed.

In the end of 1917 - in the beginning of 1918 in Petrograd there created governmental structures that were in charge of cultural and educational interests of national minorities of the city. Petrograd commissariat for affairs of nationalities of the Union of Communes of Northern area (Komnats), created in February, 1918 and led by Estonian communist J.J.Anveltom, became the central organization. In its structure there were a legal department and national commissariats that were controlling the activity of national CPC.

From December till October 1918 alongside with societies that existed before the revolution there were created new ones. Komnats registered 57 voluntary public organizations in Petrograd: among which were Tatar, Finnish, Belarus, Ukrainian, Polish, Georgian, Armenian, Lithuanian, Estonian and other societies. The most numerous societies were Jewish. The special place among national societies belonged to those that were financially supported by the state authorities. In 1918 - 1920 in Petrograd under aegis of Russian Communist Party РКП there were created working and communistic clubs as politized public cultural and educational organizations.

Nationalization of all spheres of social life and liquidation of NCCs

Active process of nationalization of all spheres of social life of society began in the beginning of 20s. Vigorous activity of NCCs in such conditions seemed questionable for the Soviet authorities which headed for gradual liquidation of public NCCs. Organizational, legal and ideological problems in most cases were taken as reasons for closing the societies. This way of liquidation of NCCs became especially effective after the acceptance of the «Decree about obligatory registration of societies in bodies of the government» (1918) and Decisions «About the order of the statement and registration of societies and the unions which are not pursuing the purposes of extraction of profit and the order of supervision of them» (1922).

In the decision «About the next problems of party construction » of the XIII congress of RCP  the idea about transformation of all volunteer societies into parts of political system of dictatorship of proletariat was proclaimed. It also provoked the liquidation of the amateur cultural and educational societies, though they were not engaged directly into political propaganda activity. The process of liquidation of NCCs was occurring most actively in the 30s. By the beginning of 1938 in Leningrad all NCCs have been closed.

National CPCs played an important role in the process pf preservation, development and studying of culture of ethnic minority of Petrograd-Leningrad. The reason for it became unique personnel potential of its heads and active workers that were representatives of national intelligence of city. Societies created archives, libraries, published newspapers and literature, organized mass actions and mugs. Significant operational experience, including the interaction with authorities, official cultural structeres, formation and public associations has been saved up during their work.

Revival of NCCs in Leningrad

Revival of NCCs in Leningrad started with the beginning of the process of democratization of political situation in the country in the end of 80th years. A legal basis for new public associations became « Regulations for amateur association, club on interests » (1986). In the middle of 90s there were accepted a number of laws which have provided a legal basis of activity of public organizations: laws of the Russian Federation «About public associations» (1995), «About the non-commercial organization » (1996), «About a national-cultural autonomy» (1996) and others.

One of the first public associations became the Tatar cultural center and the Ukrainian cultural and educational society named by T.G. Shevchenko. In 1989 in the Palace of culture there was created the House of friendship of people named by S.M. Kirov. The majority of NCCs NKO of the city were united on its basis.

NCCs in modern Petersburg

Nowasays there are 17 national-cultural autonomies and about 60 societies registered in Petersburg. At active participation and support of NCCs there are 20 schools with an ethnocultural component, national universities, faculties and the educational centers (for example Slavic college) functioning in the city.
In October, 2005 the « St.-Petersburg House of nationalities » was opened by SPb ГУ.
Actions of national diasporas find support in Legislative assembly and the Government of city. Law on interethnic attitudes (2004) has been prepared and passed at active participation NCCs in Legislative assembly of Petersburg.
NCCs closely contact with Committee fer external relations of St.-Petersburg (Management of coordination of the state programs under interethnic attitudes, communications with compatriots abroad and to inter-regional cooperation), Committees for culture, formation and youth policy, law enforcement structuresd, migratory service. At support of Governor V.I.Matvienko there is created an Advisory council on affairs of national associations into representatives of all branches of legislative and executive authority heads of national-cultural autonomies and the interethnic organizations of St.-Petersburg enter.

The city budget includes funds for information support and cultural activity of national associations. There is a support to such actions as annual festival of national cultures « We shall join hands, friends », celebrating of the Day of city, organization of city Days of slavic writing and culture, the Drinking bout, Navruz and others; funds for realization of children's educational programs « Multinational Petersburg » and « Petersburg with eyes of children » are allocated. At support of Administration of SPb periodicals, for example, magazines "Caravans " and « Petersburg national », newspapers of national diasporas (about 15 names) are published. Popular scientific literature and materials of the scientific conferences devoted to ethnocultural aspects of a life of city are published.

Role of NCCs in public and cultural life of city

National cultural public organizations play an important role in public and cultural life of city. During the celebration of the 300 anniversary of St.-Petersburg they participated in preparation of celebrations and establishing monuments to visible national public figures, poets and writers in Petersburg, decorating parks and streets in national style, organisinr the exhibitions.

For long-term history of joint residing in city of representatives of different nationalities and faiths there were traditions respect and friendly dialogue between people, attitudes of the world and the consent. Petersburg has always been famous for the international traditions. The city represents aconvincing example of world outlook pluralism, tolerance, an active civic position in counteraction to extremist and terrorist forms of the sanction of any disputed situations in interethnic attitudes. The «Program of harmonization of interethnic and intercultural attitudes, preventive maintenance of displays of xenofobia, strengthening of tolerance in St.-Petersburg for 2006-2010 » (the Program "Tolerance"), developed with direct participation of NCCs of St.-Petersburg (the Governmental order of St.-Petersburg from 7/11/2006 848), plays a great role in maintenance of image of cultural capital of Russia and education of tolerant views of the citizens  the important role,.

The material is prepared by the leading scientific employee of a department of modern ethnography and interethnic attitudes of the Russian Ethnographic museum N.M. Romanova

Literature:
Romanov N.M. National and the religious organizations of St.-Petersburg. SPb, 2004, 144 p.
Romanova N.M., Mikhailenko V.V. National society of St.-Petersburg. ХVIII-XX centuries. SPb, 2004, 218 p.
Smirnova T.M. Nationality - Petersburg. National minorities of Petersburg and Leningrad region in XX a century. SPb, 2002, 582 p.
The national policy of Russia on boundary ХХ-ХХI of centuries. The collection of legal certificates.