The
creation and activities of local organizations

of
the Bund Belarus

The formation
of the Bund as the organization was laid union of the circles of the Jewish
workers and artisans western provinces of Russia empire. Have them on the basis
of traditionally existed in the trades among mutual-aid funds (the Jewish
craftsmen — hevres) for the benefit of mass labor movement in terms of economic
recovery and encouraging the participation in the struggle to improve their
conditions of workers and artisans, as put forward demands to increase wages
wages, and shorter working hours, better working conditions were all clear and
urgent.

Gradually, the
union is «shop» Cass (a profession) in the city, and then the
district. Reason for this is was, firstly, the need for financial support for
strikers (especially if the strike was prepared in all crafts), and secondly,
the desire of the Social Democrats to establish a network of closely related
labor organizations, united by one goal. Cash gatherings used the Social
Democrats to promote Marxist ideas, and later for the dissemination of
revolutionary literature and training facilitators in the working environment.

Benevolent
Fund, were also formed on an occupational basis — the shop. They were led by
departmental gatherings that solve critical issues and the organization of the
strike (which was very timely in the wake of the mass strike movement in the
90«s. This has enabled the Social Democrats to use the mass workers» movement
for political agitation and klasovogo education workers. Thus began the process
of transformation mutual-aid funds to fund the fight, which took place under
the influence and direct participation of the Jewish Social-Democrats, which
have developed active in the province at the turn of the 80 — 90 years of the
XIX century, and was most common in the mid 90’s. With the end of the period
promotion and transfer of Social Democrats to mass agitation in the working
environment. The first such ticket was founded in Vilna in 1888 at chulochnits.
[2, pp. 56]. By Remark Martov «became the head of the strike movement,
helping to formulate the strikers their demands, the Social Democrats have
reached a short AREM noticeable effect on the workers and Masa had to turn
fragmented, the private struggle of individual groups of workers in class
struggle against the oppressor of his poleiriata mass classes «[4, p.83].

This fund
began to struggle not only at the head of the strike movement in the province,
but also a center of education workers. Craftsmen fund set up everywhere and
the Government as a source of antigovernment propaganda. In 1896, in Minsk acted Booking artisans bench and blacksmith shops of the 50 people on her needs met
weekly for 10 kopecks. with the student and 20 kopecks. with apprentice [6, LL
2 on 9 on.]. The same cashier from 1894 existed at the tailors, cobblers,
schetochnikov etc. [6, pp. 12 on. — 13 on].

Thus against
the background of the strike movement has developed and matured a mass workers’
organization, has united a community economic requirements for employers
(increased wages, shorter hours, better working conditions, etc.). In October
1897 took place on 1 congress of representatives of 15 cities: Vilnius, Minsk, Warsaw, Dvinsk, Bialystok, Bobruisk, Smorgon, Lodz, Kovno, Mogilev, Gomel, Vitebsk, Odessa, Verzhbolova, Vilkovyshek [5, pp. 199]. Thus was created the Bund.

At the turn of
the XIX-XX centuries. basis of the organizational structure of the Bund
continued to be cash struggle (strike funds). Their primary objectives are: to
disseminate among the masses of social democratic ideas, the development of
class and political consciousness of workers, improve their economic situation.
The transition from propaganda in small circles to the general agitation among
the working masses, marked changes in the tactics of the Social-Democrats, the
middle 90’s. XIX century., Demanded radical changes in prevailing before the
work and organization. The reform plan was scheduled for leaders of the
movement in Vilna, as follows: 1) the final conversion of shop insurance funds
in public resistance (cash counter), etching of them the last remnants of peaceful
mutual-aid funds, and 2) direct connection of the Social Democratic Center with
these insurers through the permanent collections of prominent figures for each
fund «with the center (meeting facilitators), and 3) adaptation of the
circles to the problem of making the leaders of the mass movement of workers,
so the clubs should be taken only active workers are able and inclined to
engage in propaganda; classes in the groups must be free from academic and
school nature, closer to life, 4) classes in the groups should be conducted
primarily in the jargon, to make possible the participation of all capable of
propaganda work of the proletarians [2, pp. 57].

In the late
XIX-early XX centuries. in each city with a notable labor movement has
established local committees of the Bund. Initially, their role was more of a
coordinating and directing: equipment for the study circles of socialist
literature and political readings, distributing illegal literature and issue
proclamations supporting the strikers with money and formulation of
requirements in the strikes, etc. To do this, the committees were needed
streamlined communication among themselves and with the Central Committee for
the supply of literature, organization of illegal libraries on the ground, a
network of safe houses for the organization of meetings. For the Central
Committee sets forth the general leadership of the movement, liaison between
the local committees, supply of literature and publishing activities [3, pp.
85-86.].

Analysis of
the economic situation during the economic downturn of the late XIX century.
forced the Bund to its 4 th Congress in 1901 to introduce a limited offensive
strikes [1, pp. V]. first place in the activities of organizations out
political struggle. As the nature and expanding forms of fighting organization
became grow the necessary specialized branches (the editorial group and
printing for the publication of proclamations and other revolutionary
literature; Red Cross, helping prisoner and exile, etc.).

Evolution of
the organizational structure of the Bund was a parallel evolution of the main
ideological principles and, accordingly, the goals and objectives put forward
by the Bund at the turn of XIX — XX centuries.

Thus, at the
head of the labor movement of every city in fact there were two centers — the
workers and intellectuals, who possessed a high degree of autonomy. The
confrontation of these centers, the reluctance to restructure work circles of
education led to the Workers’ Opposition in many centers of motion.

But at the
beginning of XX century, аs the exhaustion of the
prospects for purely economic struggle, anti-government protests intensify
political and retaliatory government repression against Zubatovism and impact
of such vocational-revolutionary organizations, like Iskra begin centralistic
growth trends in the Bund and the corresponding restructuring of its structure.
It was expressed primarily in the expansion of the competence of local
committees of the Bund and strengthening the leadership role of the Central
Committee on the basis of strict party discipline.

At the turn of
the XIX-XX centuries. basis of the organizational structure of the Bund
continued to be cash struggle (strike funds). Their primary objectives are: to
disseminate among the masses of social democratic ideas, the development of
class and political consciousness of workers, improve their economic situation.
The transition from propaganda in small circles to the general agitation among
the working masses, marked changes in the tactics of the Social-Democrats, the
middle 90’s. XIX century, Demanded radical changes in prevailing before the
work and organization. The reform plan was scheduled for leaders of the
movement in Vilna, as follows: 1) the final conversion of shop insurance funds
in public resistance (cash counter), etching of them the last remnants of
peaceful mutual-aid funds, and 2) direct connection of the Social Democratic
Center with these insurers through the permanent collections of prominent
figures for each fund «with the center (meeting facilitators), and 3)
adaptation of the circles to the problem of making the leaders of the mass
movement of workers, so the clubs should be taken only active workers are able
and inclined to engage in propaganda; classes in the groups must be free from
academic and school nature, closer to life, 4) classes in the groups should be
conducted primarily in the jargon, to make possible the participation of all
capable of propaganda work of the proletarians [2, pp. 57].

In the conduct
of local committees, and also took over stewardship of the surrounding villages
to the city. Under the direct supervision committee meetings were agitators who
had carried out the decisions of the Committee. In addition to these
institutions, headed by general revolutionary work throughout the city, there
were also craft centers for the same work in certain crafts. Thus, the cash
gradually replaced the rallies from 80-ies of XIX century. workers’ circles,
where the Social Democrats trained workers in literacy and аbility to consider,
the beginnings of political economy, gradually turned into numerous organization,
which became the head of a numerically increased the labor movement. Thus were
created the conditions for creating one of the oldest and most influential in
the territory of Belarus Social Democratic Party — the Bund.

Sources and
literature

1. 1905 in Belarus. Collection of articles, memoirs and Materials, Ed. M. Schulman / Commission CEC of
the BSSR in the commemoration of the 20 th anniversary of the revolution. —
Mn., 1925. — 131 pp.

2. Buchbinder NA History
of the Jewish labor movement in Russia. In unpublished archival material. — L.:
Academic Publishers, 1925

3. Report on the Russian
Social-Democratic movement to the International Socialist Congress in Paris. History of the Jewish labor movement in Russia and Poland. — Geneva, 1901

4. Martov L. proletarian
struggle in Russia. — 2-nd edition, revised and expanded. — Spb., Publishing RG
Glagolev, 1906

5. NARB, fax. 60, op. 3,
d. 91.

6. NIAB, fond. 705, op. 1, d. 1.