The Russian Feminist Movement and the Roots of Its Political Action 1889-1825

Abstract

The feminist movement made efforts to enter the political arena in light of its adoption of the first steps that resulted from the December 1825 coup, then the establishment of Sunday schools, which it took as a starting point for expressing its political ideas in the period 1859-1861, in addition to the affiliation of many women to the political organizations that were established, the most prominent of which were the Land and Freedom Organization (1861-1864), the People's Revenge Organization (1869), the Tchaikovsky Organization (1870), the New Land and Freedom Organization (1876), and the formations that emerged from them, such as Freedom and Death (1879), the Black Labor List (1879), and the People's Will (1879). They played an active role, as they contributed to the armed struggle undertaken by the revolutionary organizations and participated in the assassinations of political figures during the reign of Alexander II, in whose assassination they participated. This confirmed their active contribution to the revolutionary activity, which proved that political change had begun as early as the eighth decade of the nineteenth century.

The active participation of Russian women in the Russo-Turkish War of 1853-1856 carried a clear message about the necessity of giving them the opportunity to express their views. Although their political vision was unclear, their contribution to the rescue efforts was another attempt to gain their rights. The Sunday schools established between 1859 and 1861 were another platform for Russian women to express their political ideas. Through these educational institutions, the feminist movement began to disseminate their revolutionary ideas, calling for their political rights. The feminist movement's involvement in revolutionary societies, such as the Land and Freedom Movement of 1861 and the Tchaikovsky Organization of 1871, marked a turning point in their political activism. Women became part of the political movement advocating for reform in the policies of the ruling authorities.