At the beginning of the twentieth century in Russia the symptoms of the brewing revolutionary crisis were identified. Dissatisfaction with the existing order covered the general population. Russian reality provided numerous reasons for such discontent. The population, however, was less inclined than ever to put up with it. The main part of the population was the peasantry, which demonstrated adherence to patriarchal traditions and orders. Socioeconomic and political life in many places of the provincial part of the country on the eve of the first revolution has not undergone major changes. This article examines the socio-political situation in the Kozmodemyansk district of the Kazan province on the eve of the first Russian revolution of 1905–1907. In historical studies, this topic was not the subject of special study. In the early XX century, certain changes began to occur in the economic, political and social life in the agrarian provinces of the country, including the Kozmodemyansk district of the Kazan province. During the period under review, agriculture continued to experience great difficulties. Crop failures and shortages of bread and herbs were a chronic phenomenon. The situation of many peasant households worsened. Therefore, the peasants, especially horseless, were forced to engage in various crafts. The industry was in the initial stage of development. In the Kozmodemyansk district the logging industry and handicrafts mainly developed. Workers and peasants lived hard, especially in lean and crisis years, but there was no mass discontent with their position and the existing system in the district. However, the emerging stratification of the rural population into rich and poor and the increasing number of low-paid workers created the ground for discontent and struggle to improve their situation. The working class in this period remained small, disunited and disorganized, psychologically incapable of active mass actions. An insignificant part of the emerging working class, which came mainly from peasants, could not make serious changes in social life. There were no major peasant uprisings during this period in the district either. At the same time, some part of the peasantry expressed dissatisfaction with their position. The main forms of peasant protest were: deforestation, attempts to seize land, refusal to pay taxes, requirements to reduce rental payments. The industrial crisis of 1900–1903, the plight of the Russian countryside led to an aggravation of the social and political situation in the country. At that time revolutionary organizations became active. Expressing the interests of the masses, they were engaged in the dissemination of revolutionary ideas, political education; conducted political agitation among the workers. In illegal circles political literature and the works of progressive writers were studied. The cautious activities of the members of the revolutionary circles often met inertia and misunderstanding on the part of the population. The most receptive to ideas of a revolutionary nature was the youth, who was literate. A few representatives of revolutionary organizations began to educate the people, explaining and revealing issues related to politics, economics, culture. However, the coverage of the working people of the district by revolutionary propaganda by circles and individual agitators was still insignificant. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the socio-economic and political situation in the Kozmodemyansk district was characterized as quite stable.