Zubatov Sergei Vasilyevich (1864–1917) is the creator of the system of political investigation in pre-revolutionary Russia. As an official in the police department, he created legal workers' organizations, which took their name from his last name. His work occupies an important place in the social history of our country at the beginning of the century. The measures taken by him somewhat softened the social tension on the eve of the revolution, but, unfortunately, they could not prevent its beginning.
Years of study
Zubatov Sergei Vasilyevich was born in the family of a chief officer. His father held a prominent position in the Moscow administration. The young man studied at the gymnasiums, where he became interested in revolutionary ideas and even created his own circle of nihilists. He was actively engaged in self-education, being carried away mainly by the works of authors of the socialist persuasion. In addition, the young man promoted nihilistic ideas among students, for which he was expelled at the insistence of his father.
Relations with revolutionaries
Zubatov Sergei Vasilyevich after the forced termination of his studies became an employee of the Moscow office. Much more important, however, was his work in a private library, wherebanned and withdrawn from circulation literature. Young revolutionaries were frequent visitors, which led to their rapprochement. However, Zubatov did not share their ideas and beliefs, since he considered himself a supporter of Pisarev's ideas, while his acquaintances shared the social and political views of the populists. Nevertheless, they kept in touch with each other. However, after a while he was arrested and accused of having relations with the revolutionaries. Then Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov declared that he was in fact an adherent of the existing regime, and, in order to prove his innocence, he undertook to hunt down everyone who is somehow connected with underground circles.
Transition to the Secret Service
From 1886 to 1887, under the guise of a revolutionary, he hunted down the Narodnaya Volya. Taking advantage of their trust and providing them with various services, Zubatov uncovered the activities of a number of major underground organizations. However, he was soon discovered and declared a provocateur. Members of one circle even decided to kill him. Then the official authorities offered him to officially go to the police service, which happened in 1889. This activity, according to him, caused him great difficulties, which may be explained by his former passion for revolutionary ideas.
Work in the security department
The 19th century, or rather, its second half, was the heyday of the People's Will movement, the formation of underground organizations that staged assassinations and prepared armed uprisings. In conditionsWith the unprecedented growth in the popularity of socialist views, it became more and more difficult to deal with members of secret circles. However, Zubatov, working in the Moscow security department, managed to raise the work of this organization to a higher level. Perhaps the reason for his success lies in the fact that he preferred persuasion to punitive measures. With all the detained revolutionaries, he carried out ideological work, luring many to his side, and forcing others to doubt the truth of the path they had chosen. The 19th century was the century when young people sincerely believed that Russia could benefit from armed struggle. However, Zubatov convinced them that the same goal could be achieved by working for the official authorities. So he managed to create a whole network of his own agents, which worked perfectly. With her help, many secret circles were revealed, assassination attempts were prevented. It has become dangerous to engage in underground activities in Moscow. After some time, Zubatov became the head of the security department in 1896.
At the main post
The organization he led was directly subordinate to the Special Department, which was part of the Police Department of the Russian Empire. The functions of this unit included the task of combating revolutionary ideas in the country. It studied the mood of the student youth, controlled the workers, and uncovered political crimes. Zubatov set up the activities of his department according to the European model. He created a system not only internal, but also externalagents. His people worked not only in Moscow, but throughout the country, tracking down and neutralizing underground circles and organizations. Political investigation has been raised to a new level. So, Zubatov created a special group of snitches, which was actively engaged in tracking down the Narodnaya Volya throughout the country. As a result, organizations were uncovered not only in Moscow, but also in the capital itself, in Minsk.
The idea of legal workers' organizations
At the end of the century, the Moscow authorities faced the movement of the proletariat. To resolve this issue, Zubatov got acquainted with the specialized literature and realized that the problem could be solved if the workers' organizations were taken under control. In 1898, he presented the plan of his project to the chief police chief Trepov and received permission to conduct ideological work among all those dissatisfied with the difficult working conditions. The essence of Zubatov's actions boiled down to the following: the need to convince the workers that they could get their demands met from the tsarist government, and that it was not at all necessary to carry out a social revolution in order to improve their lives, as required by the Marxist theory. Zubatov acted so skillfully that he managed to lure and convince a significant part of the proletariat of his rightness, and this allowed him to start organizing official workers' unions under the control of the authorities.
Work in St. Petersburg
In 1902, a new stage began in his political career: he was transferred toPetersburg and was appointed head of the aforementioned Special Department. Zubatov was appointed to this post at the suggestion of the Minister of the Interior Plehve, who did not share his views on the need for serious and large-scale reforms to prevent a revolution, but considered it necessary to entrust him with this important position. At his new job, Zubatov continued to reform the system of political investigation. He created special security departments throughout the country, which were headed by people loyal to him, who were well acquainted with his methods of conducting search work.
Resignation
When Zubatov was promoted, he received the honorary title of "court councilor". However, literally a year later, unexpected and extremely unpleasant changes took place in his fate. The fact is that he and Plehve could not find a common language in any way because of the growing disagreements between them. Zubatov continued to insist on the need for reforms, and the Minister of the Interior sought to intensify repression. On this basis of confrontation, Sergei Vasilyevich made friends with Witte, with whom he even plotted to remove Plehve. However, the plan was revealed, and Zubatov was immediately removed from his high position. He went to Moscow, and from there went to Vladimir. He was placed under surveillance, he was also forbidden to make contact with his former colleagues. The retired court councillor, however, was rehabilitated after Plehve's assassination. The new Interior Minister Svyatopolk-Mirsky wanted to return him to the service, but he refused.
Last years of life
After being acquitted, he returned toMoscow and engaged in journalistic activities. He published in monarchist magazines, but subsequently entered into correspondence with Burtsev, who was considered not very reliable. He was forbidden to have relations with him. Over the next few years, Zubatov was not involved in politics and only followed the events. When he learned of the Emperor's abdication in 1917, he shot himself.
Activity Meaning
This man entered the history of our country, first of all, as the organizer and creator of professional workers' organizations, the purpose of which was to defend their interests in a legal and peaceful way. The first party was formed in 1901. This phenomenon entered the historical literature under the name Zubatov and "Zubatovshchina", and among contemporaries this designation was often perceived in a derisive sense. However, Sergei Vasilyevich understood the importance of the working class and believed that the spread of socialist ideas among them could lead to dangerous consequences. Therefore, he wanted to bring the labor movement under the control of the authorities and the police. In part, he succeeded, but later, largely because of the confrontation with Plehve, he was forced to stop his activities. His actions and organizations were often called police socialism, although Zubatov himself strongly denied such a wording. He noted that, on the contrary, he was fighting against socialist ideas and that his propaganda was based on the need to develop socialism and private property. He also pointed out that the police component did not play a decisive role in hisactivities. According to him, he needed such a cover for the most effective interaction with the authorities. Nevertheless, Zubatov was often criticized by both the right and the left, despite all his clarifications.
