Female emancipation in the Russian province in the second half of the 19^th – early 20^th centuries: resource and factor (by the materials of Penza province) 

Nataliya A. Koblova, Applicant, assistant of the sub- department of history of Russia and methods of teaching history, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), nata_koblova@mail.ru

Background. The growing geopolitical instability and increased national security challenges in the modern era highlight the need to examine historical experiences of adaptive mechanisms, particularly in relation to gender dynamics in public space. This study aims to identify the key features in the development of women’s legal status and the practices of social and moral service within the liberal framework of the late 19^th – early 20^th century in the Russian Empire. Materials and methods. The research is based on historical sources identified in the collections of the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the State Archive of the Penza Region. It also utilizes materials from encyclopedic publications, regulatory legal acts, statistical data, and reports from the local press. In addressing the research objectives, the study applies comparative-historical and gender approaches, along with elements of legal-historical and socio-cultural analysis. Results. The main directions of legal regulation of women’s status within the liberal discourse have been identified. The mechanisms of institutionalizing female identity are traced through the expansion of opportunities for public participation. The influence of demographic, legal, and military factors on the evolution of women’s activity has been established. Women’s involvement in zemstvo self-government is highlighted, and their social roles in the context of a mobilized economy are characterized. Conclusions. The legal-historical analysis reveals that the limited legal status of women, combined with the transformation of socio-economic conditions and cultural norms, contributed to the emergence of the “woman question” and the institutionalization of the women’s movement in Russia. This research broadens the understanding of modernization processes and the growing role of the feminine resource amid societal transformations.

emancipation, Penza province, second half of the 19^th – beginning of the 20^th century, femininity, gender identity, “women’s issue”

Koblova N.A. Female emancipation in the Russian province in the second half of the 19^th – early 20^th centuries: resource and factor (by the materials of Penza province). Izvestiya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. Povolzhskiy region. Gumanitarnye nauki = Uni-versity proceedings. Volga region. Humanities. 2025;(3):114–127. doi: 10.21685/2072-3024-2025-3-10