Sentence 1: They did not hesitate to send members of the various professions to the respective congresses held in Bessarabia throughout 1917 , and became very influential .
Sentence 2: They did not hesitate to send members of the various professions to the respective congresses held in Bessarabia throughout the year 1917 , and they became very powerful .
Question: Do Sentence 1 and Sentence 2 express the same meaning? Yes or No?