Efimova, V. V. THE REASONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOVERNOR A. A. FILOSSOFOV AND THE GOVERNORATE OFFICIALS. Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2021;43(8):87–97. DOI: 10.15393/uchz.art.2021.697


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THE REASONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GOVERNOR A. A. FILOSSOFOV AND THE GOVERNORATE OFFICIALS

Efimova
V. V.
Petrozavodsk State University
Keywords:
the Olonets Governorate
conflict
publicity
governor A. A. Filossofov
bureaucracy
Summary: Using the framework of the historical and anthropological approach, the article analyzes the influence of the “thaw” of Alexander II’s era on the mentality of the then bureaucracy, manifested in the forms and methods, the course and outcome of the managerial conflict that broke out among the Olonets provincial bureaucracy. Such a task is resolved for the first time on the example of the Olonets province, which was considered an extremely low-grade location for service. As a result, it was found out that the main cause of the conflict was the rejection by the heads of provincial departmental institutions of the governor’s outdated management style. He was unable to assess the consciousness of local bureaucracy that had changed literally during the first five years of Alexander II’s reign under the influence of the allowed publicity, which was most clearly manifested in publications in the periodical press of literary works and articles containing criticism of shortcomings and abuses in the work of state institutions and officials. A significant role in this process was played by the specifics of the formation of provincial bureaucracy in the Olonets province, where officials from the capitals and central provinces of the empire came to serve in order to speed up their careers. In addition to the traditional methods of struggle such as mutual incriminating reports and memos to higher authorities, both sides used the central press. The governor’s confrontation with the heads of various departments went so far that special officials were sent from St. Petersburg to find out its causes and the degree of guilt of its participants, and their opinions were communicated to the emperor. As a result, the governor was declared incapable of holding this position, but in order to prevent discrediting the governor’s rank, he was allowed to ask the emperor for dismissal, and the main leaders of the “anti-governor” party were sent away from the governorate under plausible excuses.




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