On the eve of war in cities of Tomsk Province the crime rate was rather high, and the tendency to its further growth remained. With the beginning of the First World War owing to carrying out mobilization campaign and establishment of an interdiction for trade in alcohol criminality growth has stopped for a while and even was a little reduced in comparison with pre-war level. After revolutionary events of the February, 1917, police dissolution and discharge of criminal elements from prisons, in cities of Tomsk province there was an explosion of the street criminality, it became apparent in repeated increase of quantity of thefts, robberies, armed assaults and murders.

Key words: criminality, First World War, Western Siberia, cities.