Kozachenko A. Zemstvo self-government in Poltava Province in 1865-1919.

The work is dedicated to research of zemstvo legislation of the Russian Empire at the end of XIX - at the beginning of XX centuries, the Provisional Government of Russia in 1917, the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Ukrainian State in 1917-1918, regulatory, legal and administrative activities of zemstvo self-government bodies by example of Poltava province, county and parish zemstvos. The thesis reveals the system of zemstvo elections, which had uncommon and uneven nature according to the Regulations of 1864 and 1890, was indirect by peasant curia. The system of zemstvo bodies consisted of district election congresses, provincial and district meetings and boards. The legislation conferred zemstvo a status of a legal entity, right to budgeting, economic powers but did not vest it with executive powers and established governor's firm control for its activity. Zemstvo sought to improve its own structural units, operating procedures and accretion of powers. National character of zemstvo liberal democratic movement, achievement of zemstvo institutions in the sphere of public health, education, wages, pensions and formation of market relations in the agricultural sector are disclosed on the materials of Poltava zemstvo. The paper describes peculiarities of zemstvo self-government functioning during the First World War, democratic zemstvo reform of the Provisional Government of Russia of 1917, zemstvo support of the Central Council, anti-democratic zemstvo reform by P.P. Skoropadskyi, zemstvo opposition to the White and Bolshevik regimes.