Vinnytsia City Council (1880–1892): Structure and Powers

Abstract

The aim of the work is to highlight the structure and powers of the Vinnytsia City Council as an executive body of city self-government in 1880–1892. The research methodology is based on a combination of special-historical (historical-typological, historical-systemic) and general scientific methods, namely analysis, synthesis and generalization. The research is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity, scientificity and verification. The scientific novelty lies in the coverage of little-known pages of the history of the Vinnytsia City Council through the analysis of archival documents, the vast majority of which were first introduced by the author into scientific circulation. Conclusions. At the end of the XIX century the city of Vinnytsia achieved significant development in the economic, demographic and humanitarian spheres. The growth of these aspects of urban life is associated with the reforms of city self-government in 1870 and 1890. The feudal basis of pre-reform city government, considerable centralization, and a confusing system of laws hindered the work of local authorities. Initiated from above, the city reform was designed to address all these shortcomings. However, the state expected the reformed city government not only to improve the urban space, but also to perform general imperial functions. That is why, calling the management of cities "public administration", the state tried to downplay the role and importance of these bodies in political system of the Russian Empire. Public administration was understood, first of all, as the fulfillment of the community's instructions, as well as justified the increased control over the activities of self-governing structures by the administration. Nevertheless, based on the analysis of the structure and powers of the Vinnytsia City Council, it can be argued that it was a self-governing body that had considerable autonomy. This confirms both the order of its formation and the wide range of rights and powers defined by law. These bodies have achieved effective results in their work, first of all, in the field of education, public care, medical care, improvement of roads, development of urban space.