The relevance of the article is to highlight previously unexplored process showing evolvement of local self-government bodies in modern Russia when a new system of public relations was created before the adoption of the country’s Constitution in 1993. The claim that creation of the municipal government system began on the basis of the new Constitution is not substantiated by historical research. The presented article is intended to fill this gap. The material was prepared based on the study of scientific literature and archival materials. The basis of the research is made by documents from the archives of the city of Nizhny Novgorod and the Central Archive of Nizhny Novgorod region. At this, the concrete-historical method, methods of using external and internal criticism of documents, comparative analysis were used. The article reveals the process of local self-government transformation in Nizhny Novgorod in 1991–1994. The attempts to reform local self-government were initiated as early as within the framework of the Soviet political system. However, drastic changes occurred here only after the August Putsch failure and the beginning of the leading communist party officials’ dismantling. Changes in the system of local self-government bodies began with the executive branch. On December 24, 1991 By the Decree of the President B.E. Yeltsin the post of head of the Administration of the city of N. Novgorod was taken up by D.I. Bednyakov. This appointment was perceived by the deputies of Nizhny Novgorod City Council of People’s Deputies as an undemocratic step of the new “democratic” government. From that moment, the powers of the city executive committee of the local Council of People’s Deputies were terminated. Nizhny Novgorod City Council of People’s Deputies functioned until the fall of 1993. After the October events in Moscow, a radical restructuring of the entire system of local self – government began on the basis of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of October 26 , 1993 “On the Basics of Organizing Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation for the Period of Step-By-Step Constitutional Reform.” In pursuance of this decree, an act was issued by the Head of the Administration dated 29.10.1993, according to which it was prescribed: “to cease the activities of Nizhny Novgorod City Council of People’s Deputies beginning from October 29, 1993.” Preparations began for the election of a new representative body of city self–government – the City Duma of Nizhny Novgorod. Following the results of the elections held on March 27, 1994, the staff of the first convocation of the City Duma was formed. The article argumentatively shows that formation of new local self-government bodies began on the basis of decrees issued by the President of the Russian Federation and resolutions of local authorities even earlier than adoption of the Constitution of 1993. This conclusion has important practical and theoretical significance for understanding the political history of modern Russia.

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The article reveals the nature of the transformations in the law enforcement system, in particular in water police, in Soviet Russia. On the basis of a wide range of previously unused archival sources, the process of organizational formation of the water police on the Volga in 1918–1921 is presented. The main feature of this process was constant reforming of this security system in order to find the optimal organization to protect waterways and river transport. The first Soviet head of the river police of Nizhny Novgorod P.I. Protasov took up his post in January 1918. In 1919, protection of waterways and public order on them was carried out by the internal security troops of Nizhny Novgorod sector by separate rifle brigades of the Paramilitary Guard Troops (VOKhR) of the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) of the RSFSR. At the beginning of 1920, for the first time in our country, the system of All-Russian police on transport was formed. According to this reform, Nizhny Novgorod became part of Nizhny Novgorod section of the river police, which was part of Nizhny Novgorod District Administration of the Volga region. Distribution of protection areas on river transport was fixed in the document dated May 18, 1920. In accordance with it, security on the navigable waterways was assigned to VOKhR troops, to the water police and watchmen. The new status of the water militia and the expansion of its tasks were determined by the «Regulations on the Workers’ and Peasants ‘Militia», adopted on June 10, 1920. The next reorganization of the security system on the river transport of the Soviet Republic was carried out in November-December 1920. It was aimed at strengthening centralization and unity of command in this matter, elimination of disparate actions in the activities carried out by security structures. The article highlights the issue of personnel selection for the water police, taking into account the «class approach» in the formation of new authorities, including the police. Previously unknown facts about the personal composition of the water police leaders are given, and the further fate of some of them is traced. The article gives a fairly complete idea of the first years in the formation and activity of the water police in Nizhny Novgorod and the Volga basin.

Purpose of the study. The relevance of the article is due to scientific interest in recent events of modern Russia, the process of formation of executive and representative authorities in Russian municipalities. At the same time, historical science is not sufficiently present in this research field, giving priority to political scientists and sociologists. The presented article is intended to fill this gap. Materials and methods. The presented article is based on the study of scientific literature, archival materials, periodicals. The research is based on documents from the archives of the city of Nizhny Novgorod and the Central Archive of the Nizhny Novgorod region. At the same time, both general scientific and private methods of historical research are used: the concrete historical method, methods of using external and internal criticism of documents, comparative analysis. Study results. The article reveals the history of the election of the mayors of Nizhny Novgorod in 1998 and 2000. It shows the socio-economic and political situation in the city, which caused the difficult nature of both the election campaigns and their results. Moreover, in both cases, it was not without the use of “dirty electoral technologies”, the inability of the authorities to regulate the electoral process, up to the cancellation of the results of the already held elections. Conclusions. The experience of democratic formation of new municipal authorities testifies to the need for careful study of their legislative framework, thoughtful organization of the electoral process, the readiness of regional and central authorities to make non-standard decisions to correct the situation.