Masonic activities of the members of liberal opposition in the early 20th century Russia: The case of A.I. Konovalov

The article explores masonic activities of businessman and politician A.I. Konovalov (1875-1948). A good deal of attention is paid to the verification of the fact of his joining the Masons, reasons to join the lodge and the character of his participation. It has been concluded that when he joined the lodge, Konovalov's intention was to create a united block opposed to the government. At the eve of the February Revolution, Russian freemasonry provided a neutral platform for the secret coordination of the actions of the opposition. However, the rejection of moral and ethical questions in favour of political agenda led to the situation when Russian masons were not recognized by freemasons in other countries. © 2017 Aquilo. All rights reserved.