Demonstrations of the opponents of the Provisional Government, which had been preceded by a political conflict over its staging (“June crisis”).

 

A number of the Provisional Government’s decisions dated May – June 1917 (canceling the election of chiefs in the army, ordering an offensive, disbanding regiments, etc.) provoked indignation among the soldiers of some reserve military units stationed in Petrograd. Despite the absence of support from the Central Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (Bolsheviks), RSDLP(b), the soldiers involved with its Military Organization, desired to stage a protest demonstration on their own. Then the Bolshevik leadership agreed to hold a peaceful demonstration on June 10 under the soldiers’ slogans. This decision was made under the influence of events associated with the eviction of the Petrograd Federation of Anarchists from their headquarters at the Durnovo dacha, which provoked indignation among the workers (there were various public organizations based at the dacha, and the garden was used as a park for workers and their families). However, this demonstration was banned by the 1st Congress of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies (held June 3–24, 1917), where Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) and the Mensheviks predominated. The Bolsheviks decided to obey the decision of the Congress, although this aroused the indignation of the radically minded soldiers.

 

On June 18 a mass demonstration, organized by the Congress of Soviets to demonstrate the confidence in the Coalition Provisional Government took place in Petrograd. However, as the demonstration started the majority of slogans read: “All power to the Soviets!”, “Down with 10 capitalist ministers!”, “Bread, peace, freedom!”. Anarchists-communists advocated overthrowing the Provisional Government. The soldiers led by them released several prisoners from Kresty prison. On June 19, the headquarters of the anarchists at the Durnovo’s dacha was stormed by government troops. In protest, workers began strikes, the unrest aggravated.

 

These events showed the rise of radical left forces in Petrograd and preceded a larger and more serious July political crisis.