Migratory Processes on the Imperial Majesty Lands of the Kuzbass Region in the late XIX Century

Abstract

The research features the migratory processes on the so-called Cabinet lands that belonged to the Tsar family and were located on the territory of the present day Kuzbass region. The paper focuses on the period of the late 1860s – early 1890s. The research objective was to present data on the main problems and features of the local resettlement movement. A detailed analysis of the statistical and narrative data was based on the works by N. A. Vaganov, I. E. Ovsyankin, N. M. Yadrintsev, etc. The subject remained largely understudied, which makes the material applicable for educational and scientific purposes. The author identified and characterized the stages of migratory process and its dynamics. The research proved that the Kuznetsk district was not "the promised land" for Russians, unlike the Barnaul and the Biysk districts. Due to its mountains and dense forests, it was unattractive for peasants from the central part of the Russian Empire, who were used to flat steppes. Nevertheless, the Kuznetsk land became home for several thousand peasants who settled here in the second half of the XIX century.