s ▁greatest ▁book ▁is ▁" S iber ia ▁As ▁Col ony " ▁( С и би рь ▁как ▁коло ния ), ▁where ▁he ▁post ul ates ▁that ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁Si ber ia ▁is ▁dom ination ▁of ▁the ▁white ▁race ▁and ▁a ▁European ▁way ▁of ▁development , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁and ▁that ▁Si ber ians ▁already ▁have ▁many ▁differences ▁from ▁their ▁Russian ▁and ▁East - S lav ic ▁ancest ors ▁– ▁especially ▁cultural ▁differences ▁such ▁as ▁love ▁of ▁freedom ▁and ▁private ▁initi ative . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Russian ▁civil ▁war ▁After ▁the ▁February ▁Revolution , ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁ob last n ich est vo ▁gained ▁momentum , ▁as ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁ob last nik s ▁conven ed ▁their ▁first ▁general ▁meeting ▁in ▁Ir k ut sk , ▁where ▁they ▁heard ▁and ▁discussed ▁the ▁report ▁delivered ▁by ▁I . I . ▁S ere br enn ik ov ▁" On ▁the ▁aut onomy ▁of ▁Si ber ia ". ▁In ▁August , ▁the ▁ob last nik s ▁conven ed ▁the ▁Conference ▁of ▁Public ▁Organ izations ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁decision ▁of ▁Tom sk ▁Provin cial ▁People ' s ▁Assembly ▁as ▁of ▁May ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁On ▁August ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁the ▁Conference ▁approved ▁" The ▁Reg ulations ▁for ▁the ▁Aut onomy ▁of ▁Si ber ia " ▁and ▁heard ▁the ▁report ▁by ▁P . A . ▁Kaz ant se v