Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2017 number

The paper considers information reports of District departments of the Joint public political administration (OGPU) of the Ural region for 1924 both as the documents included in the system of information and analytical activities of law enforcement agencies and as a historical source. Within the source study research historical conditions of emergence of a source are analyzed, the characteristic to authors is given, circumstances of creation of the document are described, the analysis of content and interpretation of a source is performed. The conclusion about compilation nature of reports which performed functions both of informing and a report for superior organizations is drawn. In the course of data movement from informants to district representatives, and then from district department to regional management, information was significantly transformed (contracted and eliminated). Practically all aspects of production, public and everyday life of citizens got to the sphere of attention of OGPU that allows to use data as a source for studying of a wide range of problems. In particular, the social structure of the early Soviet society is considered in the reports, as well as loyalty of separate social groups to RCP(b), Soviet authorities and Red Army. The source includes the direct speech of citizens in a statement of informants, gives an idea of rumors which circulated among inhabitants. Contents of reports allow to consider the main tendencies of development of the early Soviet society, such as laicisation, social mobilization, democratization (Sovietization), technological progress (with emphasis on the idea of recovery of economy to pre-war level), an urbanization and educational development.