We consider the problem of the functions performed and the purpose of the land community in the life of the Russian village before 1917 and after the revolutionary events (until 1926). We analyze the issue of the community functions, the characteristics of the social protection of its members, management relations, and also consider the features of the existence of the community after the turning point (1917) in the life of the country. The relevance of the study lies in the specifics of considering the issue over a long chronological period, taking into account the transformations of a global nature in public administration. The novelty of the scientific research lies in the complex examination and study of the rural community, its role in the life of the peasantry of the Tambov Governorate, in the evolution of the institution of the community in the period before and after 1917. Sources of work are the funds of the State Archives of the Tambov Region, collections of statistical data. Based on the data obtained, it is revealed that the community until 1917 was an instrument for uniting the common efforts of the peasant class in the labor and social spheres. On the basis of archival data, it is found that the Tambov peasantry remained supporters of the collective land use. After 1917, the community retained some of its social and labor functions. The participation of the community in the distribution of land is analyzed, ways of protecting its members from the encroachments of criminals are considered. The transformation of a rural community into a land society with legal rights is shown. It is proved that the rural community in the first decade of the Soviet state performed important economic and social functions in villages.
