Union of Landowners

an organization for the defense of the interests of large private landowners during the Revolution of 1905–07. After the suppression of the revolution the union ceased to function. It was reestablished in November 1916 by the large landowner S. N. Balashov with the aim of supplying the army with farm produce and defending private land ownership. Organizations of landowners and kulaks, also called all-Russian unions of landowners, first appeared in March 1917, after the February Revolution, and adopted a charter at a founding assembly held in May 1917 in Moscow.

After the triumph of the October Revolution, the union became an underground anti-Soviet monarchist organization. Leading members included former Minister of Agriculture A. V. Krivo-shein, State Council member VI. I. Gurko, Prince S. D. Urusov (a deputy minister of internal affairs), and the landowner M. D. Ershov. In March 1918 the union belonged to the counterrevolutionary Right Center. The union’s members were associated with the White movement and belonged to the National Center and the Tactical Center. The union disbanded when the Red Army defeated the main forces of the counterrevolution in 1920.