Gendarmes of the Olonets province: the specifics of professional activity (19th and the early 20th centuries)

Abstract

The article describes problems of the Olonets gendarmerie administration’s creation and activity. The author reveals peculiarities of formation of the cadre personnel and defines the definition of the range of tasks, and the evolution of their priority objectives. Considerable attention is paid to the division of powers between the police and the gendarmerie. In the first decade of the existence of the Olonets gendarmerie, the tasks of the secret police were to fight against the Old Believer’s influence and the supervise over the officials of the provincial administration and the local clergy. From the 1870-s the main activity of the gendarmerie was the struggle against the revolutionary movement