Party of Legal Order

a counterrevolutionary party of the big commercial and industrial bourgeoisie and landlords in Russia. It was founded in October 1905, and its founders and leaders included A. V. Bobrishchev-Pushkin and N. A. Dem-chinskii. The party program, published on Oct. 20, 1905, was masked by the slogan of Legal Order, that is, the demand for a constitution. It called for the unity and indivisibility of Russia, a strong state, and reinforcement of monarchical authority. The program promised to help in every way to abolish communal ownership of peasant lands and make the transition to individual ownership. It sharply opposed strikes yet demagogically supported “a possible shortening of the workday.”

In November 1905, the Party of Legal Order joined with the Union of October 17 and other parties of the big bourgeoisie to form the United Committee of Constitutional-Monarchist Parties, which presented an unsuccessful common slate in the elections to the First Duma. In the elections to the Second Duma, the Party of Legal Order formed a bloc with the Union of Russian Men. At this time, the party split up, one group joining the Octobrists and the other the Black Hundreds.