Abstract

The article highlights the struggle of government and socio-political organizations with the secret sale of bread products and distilling. The author notes that with the beginning of the February Revolution, the newly created Provisional Government had to solve urgent economic issues: high cost, shortage of food, provision of a multi-million army, etc. At volost meetings, demonstrations, and prayer services, the public of the Belarusian provinces, as well as in Russia as a whole, expressed full support for the government program: war to the bitter end, the implementation of the grain monopoly, the construction of a democratic state and accelerated movement towards agrarian reform. By the autumn of 1917, the economic crisis was deepening, the black market for bread sales was expanding, food shortages were increasing, and the authority of government and law enforcement agencies was declining. The villagers shy away from selling grain products to the state at “fixed prices” in favor of the “black market”.