During the reign of Catherine II, the empire included vast regions - the Northern Black Sea region, the Azov region, the Crimean Peninsula, Right Bank Ukraine, the lands between the Dniester and the Bug, Belarus, Courland and Lithuania. Part of the internal policy of the Russian government was measures to populate sparsely populated areas.
On October 25, 1762, Ekaterina Alekseevna issued a manifesto “On allowing foreigners to settle in Russia and the free return of Russian people who fled abroad.” The continuation of this document was the manifesto of July 22, 1763 “On the permission of all foreigners entering Russia to settle in different provinces of their choice, their rights and benefits.”
Ekaterina Alekseevna justified the manifesto with her maternal (“maternal”) care and work for the peace and prosperity of the Russian Empire entrusted to her by God, as well as concerns for the multiplication of this monastery. The Empress also noted that many foreigners, as well as her former subjects who found themselves outside of Russia, were asking to be allowed to settle in the empire. Catherine graciously allowed the resettlement of foreigners of all nations (except Jews), and also gave permission to return to compatriots who had left Russia for some reason. Foreigners had to first settle the sparsely populated areas of Russia, including the Black Sea region and Ukraine, which had been severely depopulated in the previous centuries (the predatory raids of the Crimean Tatars played a large role in this).
Catherine took all measures to ensure that the manifesto was known in Western Europe. The manifesto was printed in Russian, French, German and English, in one hundred copies each, and they were sent to Russian diplomatic agents operating abroad. The agents had to get the document published in local newspapers. It is clear that in order to attract people (after all, they had to leave their usual life and go to God knows where in the “barbarian” and sparsely populated regions of the Northern Empire), additional incentives were needed. A year later, documents were developed and published: “Manifesto on the benefits and privileges granted to foreign migrants” and “Decree on the establishment of the Office of Guardianship of Foreign Migrants.” Thus, a special institution had to deal with the affairs of the settlers. The settlers received various privileges.
The empress's favorite, Adjutant General and Count Grigory Orlov, was appointed president of the Office of the Guardianship of Foreigners. Later, the Saratov Office of Foreign Settlers was established in Saratov (operated from 1766 to 1877). In its activities, the Office was directly subordinate to the Office of Guardianship of Foreigners located in St. Petersburg. The office received the task of managing the settlers until they became so comfortable in Russia that the forms of government historically established in the empire could be extended to them.
Future colonists, if they did not have funds for travel, had to contact Russian diplomatic workers and their representatives, who were obliged to ensure the relocation of the settlers and provide them with money for travel expenses. The settlers received personal freedom, the right to choose their place of settlement, exemption from all taxes for a fairly decent period of time (in cities for five years, in rural areas - up to thirty years), interest-free loans were provided for ten years for acquiring housing, farming, to reimburse expenses for moving, buying food before the first harvest, livestock, agricultural implements or tools for artisans. The settlers who created their own production were allowed to trade and even export goods abroad duty-free. New subjects received the right to freedom of religion and the opportunity to build their own places of worship, as well as the right to their own local governments in places of compact residence, created without interference from government officials. They retained the possibility of unimpeded exit from the Russian Empire. Moreover, the settlers were exempted from military service (recruitment). As a result, new citizens of Russia received advantages and benefits that Russians and other indigenous inhabitants of the empire did not have. Full benefits with minimal responsibilities. Given the overpopulation and serious restrictions on the territory of the German states, many settlers benefited significantly from starting a new life.
After this, the process of settling the sparsely populated regions of Russia proceeded at a fairly rapid pace. The recruitment and dispatch of colonists to Russia was carried out by both official commissars and private entrepreneurs (“callers”), who entered into an agreement directly with the Guardianship Office. In the period from 1763 to 1766. About 30 thousand people were sent to the Russian Empire, about half of them were able to be agitated and sent to Russia by the challengers. The colonists were placed in St. Petersburg and in the suburbs of the capital, in Oranienbaum. Here they lived on average 1-2 months. The settlers were introduced to Russian traditions and laws. In particular, the colonists retained freedom of religion, but they were prohibited, under penalty of the full rigor of the law, from carrying out missionary activities. After becoming familiar with Russian laws, the colonists took an oath of allegiance to the Russian sovereign and went to the place of settlement. Transportation was usually carried out by river transport. Most of the German settlers were sent to develop the Volga region. In 1765 there were 12 colonies on the Volga, in 1766 - 21, in 1767 - 67, 1769 - 105.
The government quite rigidly set the main task for German colonists in the Volga region - the development of agriculture. The German settlers generally coped with this task. They produced mainly rye, but also grew potatoes, and increased the plantings of flax, hemp, tobacco and other crops. Already in the 19th century, colonist industry developed. In the Volga region, flour production, the oil-pressing industry, the manufacture of agricultural implements, and the production of wool and linen developed. Leather production also appeared, and weaving developed.
The government of Catherine II dealt with the problems of settling other parts of the empire. Thus, the agrarian-colonization policy of St. Petersburg in relation to Siberia acquired a structural, systemic character. Catherine II, with the help of a decree, “invited” fugitive Old Believers to Siberia. In Altai, the community of Bukhtarma Belovodtsy “masons”, fugitives who were hiding in the mountain gorges of Altai, was legalized. At the same time, the practice of increasing the Siberian population at the expense of administrative and criminal exiles (“settlers”) continued.
At the same time, the government took measures to populate the Black Sea region. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. Catherine issued a decree calling on Christians under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire to enter Russian service, promising rewards. Residents of the islands of the Aegean Sea, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and partly Crimea responded to the call. From them they formed the so-called. “Greek army” - 8 battalions (about 5 thousand people). In 1774, the volunteers decided not to return to their homeland and asked the Empress, through Count A. Orlov, under whom they served, for the right to settle in Russia. On March 28, 1775, a rescript was issued allowing soldiers who served Russia and their families to settle in the empire. The place for their residence was the Azov province with Taganrog, the cities of Kerch and Yenikale.
This decree had a decisive influence on the decision to exodus the Greeks from Crimea. Christians in Crimea were subjected to severe persecution by the Tatars. The Greeks were looked upon as unreliable subjects, the most persistent Christians were destroyed, the weak were converted to Islam. Christians had limited rights, could not be in government service, and were kept almost in the position of slaves. The Crimean Greeks, aware of the resettlement of their fellow tribesmen and representatives of other nationalities to the south of Russia, the privileges that the settlers received, and the heights that some foreigners reached in the economy and in the public service, also sought to move to the empire. Metropolitan Ignatius of Gotha and Kafa held a series of secret negotiations with Prince Potemkin and the commander of the Russian troops in Crimea, Prince Prozorovsky. As a result, the Metropolitan submitted a petition to the Empress to transfer Christians to Russian citizenship and to allocate them enough land for their settlements.
The negotiations were successful, since St. Petersburg was interested in settling New Russia and further weakening the Crimean Khanate. Christians of Crimea - about 8% of the population of the peninsula, mostly Greeks and Armenians, provided the bulk of the income to the khan's treasury. With the departure of the Christians, the khan became more financially dependent on the Russian government. On April 21, 1778, Metropolitan Ignatius announced his resettlement to Russia. Khan Shagin-Girey was furious, but could not prevent this decision. In addition, Tatar dignitaries were bribed by giving them expensive gifts and significant sums of money. In total, more than 18 thousand people resettled. The settlers were settled in the Mariupol district of the Azov province. They received unique benefits and privileges. They were allocated 1.2 million acres of land. Each man received about 33 hectares (30 acres), that is, the average family received up to 100 hectares of black soil. In the first years, despite the benefits, it was difficult for the immigrants to settle into new places. The situation was aggravated by drought, which destroyed the entire harvest. But by the end of the century they were well settled. The community has grown significantly in number. The source of their wealth was agriculture and cattle breeding (mainly sheep breeding).
In 1783, the Crimean Peninsula completely entered the Russian Empire and colonists began to be invited there: Russians, Germans, Bulgarians, Armenians, Greeks, etc. Each family received land and was exempt from taxes for a certain period. Greek settlers generally showed no desire to return to Crimea.
Nakhichevan-on-Don, Nor-Nakhichevan (now the Proletarsky district of Rostov-on-Don) is associated by many with historical Nakhijevan, the oldest Armenian city; there is an assumption that the new city was founded by people from the old one with the same name. But that's not true. Pages of the history of this Armenian settlement are presented in the book “Our Faith” by father and son Minas and Georgy BAGDIKOV, published in Rostov-on-Don with the assistance of the Armenian community and philanthropist Tigran Manukyan.
BEFORE TALKING ABOUT THE DECREE OF EMPRESS CATHERINE II (NOVEMBER 14, 1779), which allowed the Armenians to found a new city and 5 villages, the authors of the book return several centuries ago to Crimea. They remind you that Armenians lived there before our era. At the beginning of the 8th century, the Armenian prince Vardan established himself in Kherson, who, with the help of the Crimean rebels, overthrew the Byzantine emperor Justinian II and took the Byzantine throne (Vardan Pilik, 711-713). The military power of the Armenian Crimean principalities increased. No wonder Europeans in the Middle Ages called the Crimean Peninsula Maritime Armenia. In the 11th-12th centuries, as a result of the invasion of the Seljuk Turks in Armenia, a considerable part of the population moved to Crimea. Among them were people from Ani. Only in the 15th century did the Tatars conquer Crimea.
In 1774, according to an agreement between Russia and Turkey, the Tatar Khanate in Crimea was recognized as independent from Turkey. Catherine II, trying to economically weaken the Crimean Khanate, began to implement a plan to evict Armenians and Greeks from Crimea (whose taxes constituted the main source of income for the khan). Thus, on March 9, 1777, a decree was issued on the resettlement of Greeks and Armenians to Russia, granting them various privileges.
The resettlement began in August 1778 under the leadership of A.V. Suvorov. After a long and painful journey, the caravan of Armenian settlers reached the banks of the Don and only on December 9, 1779 stopped at the “promised land.” The Crimean Armenians came under the control of the Astrakhan diocese, headed by Archbishop Joseph of Arguntinsky-Dolgoruky. The archbishop played a huge role in the founding of the new settlement and the preservation of centuries-old cultural values taken from 40 Armenian churches in Crimea. Among them was a 6th-century khachkar from Ani, in whose honor the monastery and Surb Khach church were built in Crimea. It is still kept on the Don soil.
The transition from Crimea was very difficult. Many died from hardships on the road. The Armenians spent the first harsh winter in dugouts. The leadership of Nor-Nakhichevan needed funds to build the city's infrastructure. Archbishop Joseph decided to turn to the Armenian colony of India for help. Arriving there with the merchants, after the sermon he turned to his compatriots with a request to help the sick, infirm, and orphans. The Armenians of Madras and Calcutta raised significant funds (names and amounts are given in the book). On April 21, 1781, on the day of the celebration of the enthronement of Catherine II, the city of Nor-Nakhichevan was born.
THE ARCHBISHOP STARTED IMPLEMENTING THE PLAIN OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAIN temple of the city, which he decided to name after Gregory the Illuminator. Founded in 1783, erected with money from the flock and Indian Armenians and consecrated in 1800, the temple was the center of spiritual and cultural life for many years. During the period of religious persecution in the Soviet years, the cathedral in a truncated form (without a dome, cross and belfry) was still in operation until 1937. Then it was taken away from the believers. After the establishment of Soviet power, ancient manuscripts were taken to Yerevan. Martiros Saryan writes about this in the book “From My Life,” noting the role of Alexander Myasnikyan in the transportation of manuscripts in 1921.
The temple of Grigor Lusavorich seemed to have survived. The 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s passed. The 60s began. Before them, on May 9, 1959, a memorial was built over the mass grave in the square and the Eternal Flame was lit. And the newspapers began to write: “...at the mass grave every day, and especially on revolutionary holidays, a large number of workers of the city and region accumulate... and the presence of an Armenian cathedral in this place is inappropriate. In addition, it must be borne in mind that this room is located at the monument to the founder of scientific communism, Karl Marx."
Of course, you can’t argue against Marx. Especially when the cathedral belongs to some non-titular “Chuchmeks”. True, they founded this city, and Catherine the Great promised them something. But on June 18, 1966, the temple was blown up by sappers at night. Caskets containing the relics of Armenian saints and medieval khachkars placed in the walls flew into the air. A House of Culture was built on the site of the cathedral. I wonder if Russian churches were blown up in the USSR in 1966?
I had to devote so much space to the history of the temple in the Proletarsky district of Rostov-on-Don, because the authors of the book are deeply religious people and devoted many pages to the history of the Armenian Apostolic Church, its contacts with the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian-speaking reader will learn about how Christianity reigned in Armenia, how through the marriage of the sister of the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II Anna and the Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, the Christian faith came to Kievan Rus.
ABOUT THE ARMENIAN ORIGIN OF THE SO-CALLED MACEDONIAN DYNASTY Emperors are well known to historians. The authors also explore in detail the fact of veneration of Gregory of Armenia (Grigor Lusavorich) by the Russian Church. 1 of the 8 churches of St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow is dedicated to him. In addition to it, Ivan the Terrible also built a temple in the name of St. Gregory of Armenia in Kazan. His image was on many icons and in theological books.
The book “Our Faith” (with the subtitle “St. Gregory of Armenia, pray to God for us”) also contains a lot of interesting information about Armenians of various occupations who grew up on the Don soil. From here came the Catholicos Nerses V (reigned 1843-1854), Makar I (1885-1891), Gevorg VI (1945-1954), prominent statesmen Alexander Myasnikyan and Sarkis Lukashin, artists Martiros Saryan, Grigory Shiltyan, poets Rafael Patkanyan, Ludwig Duryan, writers, publicists Mikael Nalbandyan, Marietta Shahinyan, architects Mark Grigoryan, Hovhannes Khalpakhchyan, artist Hayk Danzas, violinist Avet Gabrielyan and many other Armenians, descendants of 18th-century settlers who retained in their veins a piece of the blood of Maritime Armenia and the great city of Ani.
Today there are Armenian churches and Sunday schools on the Don. The Armenian community is making efforts to preserve national identity and hopes that someday a temple in the name of Grigor Lusavorich, the saint of two churches: Armenian and Russian, will again appear in the Proletarsky district.
Alexander TOVMASYAN
… Late evening. A large family, having read a prayer according to Lutheran custom, sits down to dinner. Nobody's having fun. Two months ago the war with the Nazis began, and although everything is still going on as before, there are plenty of provisions, and not a single man from their village has been called up, it is still alarming and restless. Suddenly there is a loud knock on the door. There are three people behind the threshold: the headman of the settlement and with him two others with stern faces in military uniform. They call the owner for a conversation. Five minutes later, he returns pale with a frozen expression of bewilderment on his face and announces to the family that they need to get ready before morning, taking only what they can carry in their hands, stock up on warm things, since they will be taken far, far beyond the Urals, to Siberia. Why? Relocation order. For what? Simply because they are Germans.
And 179 years before that, they, the Germans, were invited to Russia. And not just anyone - Catherine II herself invited. But to understand the motives for this act, it is necessary to look even deeper into.
The great Russian empress herself, named at birth Sophia Frederica Augusta of Angelt-Zerb, was born in 1729 in the then German city of Stettin into a German (from today's point of view) family. Perhaps this is the reason for her future friendly relations with the descendants of the ancient Germans. However, when Fike (this was Sophia Frederica’s family nickname) was brought to the Russian Empire at the age of fifteen as the bride of the heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich, she immediately began to learn the language of her new homeland, its history, and become acquainted with the Orthodox religion and Russian traditions. The girl accepted Russia as her own, native country. Now she was called Ekaterina Alekseevna. But the husband, the future head of state, was a fan of everything foreign, and especially the Prussian way of life. As history has shown, Catherine II did everything possible to become empress. No, not the wife of the reigning person, but the Russian monarch.
As a result of the coup d'etat, Catherine was crowned king in 1762, in September. Unlike her husband, whom she removed from the Russian throne after a short period of chaotic reign, her program of rule was thought out, thorough and consistent. It contained many interesting directions that seemed to cover all aspects of the life of the people and the state. The new empress compiled a list of her main tasks. She said that an enlightened nation needs to be governed, so initially every effort should be made to improve the level of education in the country. There must be order in the state, society must obey the laws, and well-trained police must ensure this. The main goal should be the prosperity and greatness of the Russian state, inspiring respect among its neighbors with its military strength and power.
Contemporaries characterize Catherine II as a ruler who respected, loved and valued our country and everything natively Russian. But where did the Germans come from then? Why were they needed in the country? And the point was the following. For the first time, foreigners, including Germans, appeared in Russia in decent numbers under Peter I, who invited them as scientists and craftsmen, capable of passing on their experience and knowledge to local residents by their personal example, as well as as teachers and mentors. Catherine saw and assigned a slightly different task to the strangers. She was obsessed with expanding her empire. And she achieved this as a woman. A male ruler would prefer, with such a goal, to wage war and capture new territories in the struggle. She used such qualities as intelligence, prudence, cunning and royal favor. Not without courage, of course, in some controversial endeavors. During the years of her reign, through the efforts of the empress, the Russian territory increased significantly in size - the southern fertile lands of Crimea and the Black Sea region, a section of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, were added. Thirty years after Catherine’s accession, the number of residents of Russia increased by more than one and a half times, and our state became the most populous among European countries. And here the resettlement of the Germans and the Manifesto of Catherine II of 1762 played a significant role.
In general, thoughts about organizing colonies, or in other words, projects for settling the sparsely populated territories of our country, arose even under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. But it was up to the new ruler to bring them to life. Ekaterina personally prepared the so-called “calling” manifesto, inviting foreigners to move to Russia. The young empress justified it with her maternal – “maternal” – care and work for the peace and prosperity of the empire entrusted to her by God, which she sets for herself as the most important rule and guide to action upon accession to the throne. And also with concerns about the multiplication of this monastery. Further, Catherine noted that many foreigners, as well as those who found themselves outside of Russia, its former subjects, ask - “beat with their brow” - for permission to settle in the empire. She “most mercifully” announced that she was favorable to the resettlement of foreigners of different nations (except for Jews) to us, as well as to the return of those who had previously fled from their Fatherland for some reason. The resettlement permit was approved. The manifesto itself was titled “On allowing all foreigners entering Russia to settle in the provinces they wish and the rights granted to them.” According to the decree, poorly populated regions of Russia, including Ukraine, were subject to settlement by foreign citizens.
It is quite understandable that the day after the announcement of the manifesto, flows of settlers did not pour into our country. Although Catherine did everything possible to make her decision known in Europe. The manifesto was printed in Russian, French, German and English in one hundred copies and sent to Russian diplomatic agents operating abroad. In the future, her loyal subjects had to not only get the document published in local newspapers, but also make every effort to ensure that all this was as popular as possible. But, of course, European residents simply did not want to leave their native lands and go to God knows where in the wild and sparsely populated parts of a distant and frightening country. Both they themselves, and a little later Russian diplomats who served in different states, came to the same conclusion - such steps require certain guarantees and privileges that should force people to decide to take this desperate step.
When this united appeal came to the attention of the Empress, she, a foreigner, German by birth, who came to a foreign country, instantly understood its essence. Therefore, a year later, what we would call now, “by-laws” were developed and published - documents that made it possible to implement the provisions of the first decree. These are the “Manifesto on the benefits and privileges granted to foreign migrants” and the “Decree on the establishment of the Office of Guardianship of Foreign Migrants.” Having received the required guarantees and privileges, as well as a whole special institution that will protect their rights, foreigners became bolder. The process of settling uninhabited Russian lands has begun. A stream of people poured into our country, and for the most part they came from the southwest of Germany.
The first was soon followed by another “challenging” manifesto. This document was also translated into different languages and published in foreign publications. A publicist of that time by the name of Schletser called the action produced by the manifesto a real flight to Russia. And this was not surprising. After all, the document promised unprecedented benefits to the displaced. Personal freedom and settlement of choice in any area of Russia. Exemption from any taxes for a decent period: in rural areas up to thirty years, in urban areas - up to five. Foreigners who organized production were allowed to trade and even export their goods outside the country duty-free. A loan was also provided for ten years without interest, so that immigrants could acquire housing, furnishings, household items, and reimburse travel expenses. It is clear that for poor European residents this was incredibly tempting. How do you like exemption from military service? The rulers of the German lands, who were constantly at war with each other, were in great need of replenishing their armies and did this through frequent recruitment. Plus freedom of religion and permission to build buildings of your own religious cult. And also the right to have their own local governments and the possibility of unimpeded exit from Russia. Only advantages...
The creator of this controversial manifesto, Catherine II herself, explained it by the fact that there are still many “idle” places on the lands of the Russian Empire, that is, uninhabited and unexplored, where various riches are hidden in the depths. She said that in our country there are many lakes, rivers, fields and forests “subject to commerce”, that there is the possibility of “reproduction” of factories, manufactories and “other plants”. The Empress promised that these innovations would benefit Russian loyal subjects. A register of free and convenient Russian lands for settlement was immediately published: Tobolsk, Astrakhan province, Orenburg, Belgorod and many others. That is, in fact, the colonists could settle not where they wanted, but in designated areas. And, for example, the Volga region, designated as the promised land, did not in fact turn out to be rich in ore, commercial rivers and lakes. The newcomers were quite strictly forced to engage in agriculture, and there were quite good artisans among them. And yet foreigners rode and rode, founded settlements, developed lands, and started farms.
In three years, from 1763, the number of immigrants amounted to almost 23 thousand people. After this, it was decided to temporarily stop the flow until those who had already arrived were provided with houses, all the necessary equipment and began to work fully to provide for themselves. The colonies on the Volga grew and grew: if in 1765 there were only twelve of them, then the next year ten more were added, and in 1767 there were already sixty-seven of them. Two years later, a population census was carried out, showing that six and a half thousand German families lived in 105 colonies of the Volga region.
Of course, it was very difficult for both the authorities and the first colonists, but the further course of history proved to all opponents of the manifesto how useful the event started by Catherine II was, both in relation to the settlement of uninhabited territories and the useful proximity of Russians and Germans.
…It’s early morning, German families are crowding around waiting for the train to board soon. They don’t know where they will be taken, and despite the approaching front line, no one wants to leave. Here they were teachers, doctors, workers and engineers. The Russians learned from their hard work and accuracy. They raised and improved this land with their sweat and blood. And the only fault was that their distant ancestors responded to the call of Catherine II and decided to come here. Here they found a new homeland, and our country found them, Russian Germans. They were not allowed to defend the country with
During the reign of Catherine II, the empire included vast regions - the Northern Black Sea region, the Azov region, the Crimean Peninsula, Right Bank Ukraine, the lands between the Dniester and the Bug, Belarus, Courland and Lithuania. Part of the internal policy of the Russian government included measures to populate sparsely populated areas. On October 25, 1762, Ekaterina Alekseevna issued a manifesto “On allowing foreigners to settle in Russia and the free return of Russian people who fled abroad.” The continuation of this document was the manifesto of July 22, 1763 “On the permission of all foreigners entering Russia to settle in different provinces of their choice, their rights and benefits.”
Ekaterina Alekseevna justified the manifesto with her maternal (“maternal”) care and work for the peace and prosperity of the Russian Empire entrusted to her by God, as well as concerns for the multiplication of this monastery. The Empress also noted that many foreigners, as well as her former subjects who found themselves outside of Russia, were asking to be allowed to settle in the empire. Catherine graciously allowed the resettlement of foreigners of all nations (except Jews), and also gave permission to return to compatriots who had left Russia for some reason. Foreigners had to first settle the sparsely populated areas of Russia, including the Black Sea region and Ukraine, which had been severely depopulated in the previous centuries (the predatory raids of the Crimean Tatars played a large role in this).
Catherine took all measures to ensure that the manifesto was known in Western Europe. The manifesto was printed in Russian, French, German and English, in one hundred copies each, and they were sent to Russian diplomatic agents operating abroad. The agents had to get the document published in local newspapers. It is clear that in order to attract people (after all, they had to leave their usual life and go to God knows where in the “barbarian” and sparsely populated regions of the Northern Empire), additional incentives were needed. A year later, documents were developed and published: “Manifesto on the benefits and privileges granted to foreign migrants” and “Decree on the establishment of the Office of Guardianship of Foreign Migrants.” Thus, a special institution had to deal with the affairs of the settlers. The settlers received various privileges.
The empress's favorite, Adjutant General and Count Grigory Orlov, was appointed president of the Office of the Guardianship of Foreigners. Later, the Saratov Office of Foreign Settlers was established in Saratov (operated from 1766 to 1877). In its activities, the Office was directly subordinate to the Office of Guardianship of Foreigners located in St. Petersburg. The office received the task of managing the settlers until they became so comfortable in Russia that the forms of government historically established in the empire could be extended to them.
Future colonists, if they did not have funds for travel, had to contact Russian diplomatic workers and their representatives, who were obliged to ensure the relocation of the settlers and provide them with money for travel expenses. The settlers received personal freedom, the right to choose their place of settlement, exemption from all taxes for a fairly decent period of time (in cities for five years, in rural areas - up to thirty years), interest-free loans were provided for ten years for acquiring housing, farming, to reimburse expenses for moving, buying food before the first harvest, livestock, agricultural implements or tools for artisans. The settlers who created their own production were allowed to trade and even export goods abroad duty-free. New subjects received the right to freedom of religion and the opportunity to build their own places of worship, as well as the right to their own local governments in places of compact residence, created without interference from government officials. They retained the possibility of unimpeded exit from the Russian Empire. Moreover, the settlers were exempted from military service (recruitment). As a result, new citizens of Russia received advantages and benefits that Russians and other indigenous inhabitants of the empire did not have. Full benefits with minimal responsibilities. Given the overpopulation and serious restrictions on the territory of the German states, many settlers benefited significantly from starting a new life.
After this, the process of settling the sparsely populated regions of Russia proceeded at a fairly rapid pace. The recruitment and dispatch of colonists to Russia was carried out by both official commissars and private entrepreneurs (“callers”), who entered into an agreement directly with the Guardianship Office. In the period from 1763 to 1766. About 30 thousand people were sent to the Russian Empire, about half of them were able to be agitated and sent to Russia by the challengers. The colonists were placed in St. Petersburg and in the suburbs of the capital, in Oranienbaum. Here they lived on average 1-2 months. The settlers were introduced to Russian traditions and laws. In particular, the colonists retained freedom of religion, but they were prohibited, under penalty of the full rigor of the law, from carrying out missionary activities. After becoming familiar with Russian laws, the colonists took an oath of allegiance to the Russian sovereign and went to the place of settlement. Transportation was usually carried out by river transport. Most of the German settlers were sent to develop the Volga region. In 1765 there were 12 colonies on the Volga, in 1766 - 21, in 1767 - 67, 1769 - 105.
The government quite rigidly set the main task for German colonists in the Volga region - the development of agriculture. The German settlers generally coped with this task. They produced mainly rye, but also grew potatoes, and increased the plantings of flax, hemp, tobacco and other crops. Already in the 19th century, colonist industry developed. In the Volga region, flour production, the oil-pressing industry, the manufacture of agricultural implements, and the production of wool and linen developed. Leather production also appeared, and weaving developed.
The government of Catherine II dealt with the problems of settling other parts of the empire. Thus, the agrarian-colonization policy of St. Petersburg in relation to Siberia acquired a structural, systemic character. Catherine II, with the help of a decree, “invited” fugitive Old Believers to Siberia. In Altai, the community of Bukhtarma Belovodtsy “masons”, fugitives who were hiding in the mountain gorges of Altai, was legalized. At the same time, the practice of increasing the Siberian population at the expense of administrative and criminal exiles (“settlers”) continued.
At the same time, the government took measures to populate the Black Sea region. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. Catherine issued a decree calling on Christians under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire to enter Russian service, promising rewards. Residents of the islands of the Aegean Sea, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and partly Crimea responded to the call. From them they formed the so-called. “Greek army” - 8 battalions (about 5 thousand people). In 1774, the volunteers decided not to return to their homeland and asked the Empress, through Count A. Orlov, under whom they served, for the right to settle in Russia. On March 28, 1775, a rescript was issued allowing soldiers who served Russia and their families to settle in the empire. The place for their residence was the Azov province with Taganrog, the cities of Kerch and Yenikale.
This decree had a decisive influence on the decision to exodus the Greeks from Crimea. Christians in Crimea were subjected to severe persecution by the Tatars. The Greeks were looked upon as unreliable subjects, the most persistent Christians were destroyed, the weak were converted to Islam. Christians had limited rights, could not be in government service, and were kept almost in the position of slaves. The Crimean Greeks, aware of the resettlement of their fellow tribesmen and representatives of other nationalities to the south of Russia, the privileges that the settlers received, and the heights that some foreigners reached in the economy and in the public service, also sought to move to the empire. Metropolitan Ignatius of Gotha and Kafa held a series of secret negotiations with Prince Potemkin and the commander of the Russian troops in Crimea, Prince Prozorovsky. As a result, the Metropolitan submitted a petition to the Empress to transfer Christians to Russian citizenship and to allocate them enough land for their settlements.
The negotiations were successful, since St. Petersburg was interested in settling New Russia and further weakening the Crimean Khanate. Christians of Crimea - about 8% of the population of the peninsula, mostly Greeks and Armenians, provided the bulk of the income to the khan's treasury. With the departure of the Christians, the khan became more financially dependent on the Russian government. On April 21, 1778, Metropolitan Ignatius announced his resettlement to Russia. Khan Shagin-Girey was furious, but could not prevent this decision. In addition, Tatar dignitaries were bribed by giving them expensive gifts and significant sums of money. In total, more than 18 thousand people resettled. The settlers were settled in the Mariupol district of the Azov province. They received unique benefits and privileges. They were allocated 1.2 million acres of land. Each man received about 33 hectares (30 acres), that is, the average family received up to 100 hectares of black soil. In the first years, despite the benefits, it was difficult for the immigrants to settle into new places. The situation was aggravated by drought, which destroyed the entire harvest. But by the end of the century they were well settled. The community has grown significantly in number. The source of their wealth was agriculture and cattle breeding (mainly sheep breeding).
In 1783, the Crimean Peninsula completely entered the Russian Empire and colonists began to be invited there: Russians, Germans, Bulgarians, Armenians, Greeks, etc. Each family received land and was exempt from taxes for a certain period. Greek settlers generally showed no desire to return to Crimea.
During the reign of Catherine II, the empire included vast regions - the Northern Black Sea region, the Azov region, the Crimean Peninsula, Right Bank Ukraine, the lands between the Dniester and the Bug, Belarus, Courland and Lithuania. Part of the internal policy of the Russian government included measures to populate sparsely populated areas. On October 25, 1762, Ekaterina Alekseevna issued a manifesto “On allowing foreigners to settle in Russia and the free return of Russian people who fled abroad.” The continuation of this document was the manifesto of July 22, 1763 “On the permission of all foreigners entering Russia to settle in different provinces of their choice, their rights and benefits.”
Ekaterina Alekseevna justified the manifesto with her maternal (“maternal”) care and work for the peace and prosperity of the Russian Empire entrusted to her by God, as well as concerns for the multiplication of this monastery. The Empress also noted that many foreigners, as well as her former subjects who found themselves outside of Russia, were asking to be allowed to settle in the empire. Catherine graciously allowed the resettlement of foreigners of all nations (except Jews), and also gave permission to return to compatriots who had left Russia for some reason. Foreigners had to first settle the sparsely populated areas of Russia, including the Black Sea region and Ukraine, which had been severely depopulated in the previous centuries (the predatory raids of the Crimean Tatars played a large role in this).
Catherine took all measures to ensure that the manifesto was known in Western Europe. The manifesto was printed in Russian, French, German and English, in one hundred copies each, and they were sent to Russian diplomatic agents operating abroad. The agents had to get the document published in local newspapers. It is clear that in order to attract people (after all, they had to leave their usual life and go to God knows where in the “barbarian” and sparsely populated regions of the Northern Empire), additional incentives were needed. A year later, documents were developed and published: “Manifesto on the benefits and privileges granted to foreign migrants” and “Decree on the establishment of the Office of Guardianship of Foreign Migrants.” Thus, a special institution had to deal with the affairs of the settlers. The settlers received various privileges.
The empress's favorite, Adjutant General and Count Grigory Orlov, was appointed president of the Office of the Guardianship of Foreigners. Later, the Saratov Office of Foreign Settlers was established in Saratov (operated from 1766 to 1877). In its activities, the Office was directly subordinate to the Office of Guardianship of Foreigners located in St. Petersburg. The office received the task of managing the settlers until they became so comfortable in Russia that the forms of government historically established in the empire could be extended to them.
Future colonists, if they did not have funds for travel, had to contact Russian diplomatic workers and their representatives, who were obliged to ensure the relocation of the settlers and provide them with money for travel expenses. The settlers received personal freedom, the right to choose their place of settlement, exemption from all taxes for a fairly decent period of time (in cities for five years, in rural areas - up to thirty years), interest-free loans were provided for ten years for acquiring housing, farming, to reimburse expenses for moving, buying food before the first harvest, livestock, agricultural implements or tools for artisans. The settlers who created their own production were allowed to trade and even export goods abroad duty-free. New subjects received the right to freedom of religion and the opportunity to build their own places of worship, as well as the right to their own local governments in places of compact residence, created without interference from government officials. They retained the possibility of unimpeded exit from the Russian Empire. Moreover, the settlers were exempted from military service (recruitment). As a result, new citizens of Russia received advantages and benefits that Russians and other indigenous inhabitants of the empire did not have. Full benefits with minimal responsibilities. Given the overpopulation and serious restrictions on the territory of the German states, many settlers benefited significantly from starting a new life.
After this, the process of settling the sparsely populated regions of Russia proceeded at a fairly rapid pace. The recruitment and dispatch of colonists to Russia was carried out by both official commissars and private entrepreneurs (“callers”), who entered into an agreement directly with the Guardianship Office. In the period from 1763 to 1766. About 30 thousand people were sent to the Russian Empire, about half of them were able to be agitated and sent to Russia by the challengers. The colonists were placed in St. Petersburg and in the suburbs of the capital, in Oranienbaum. Here they lived on average 1-2 months. The settlers were introduced to Russian traditions and laws. In particular, the colonists retained freedom of religion, but they were prohibited, under penalty of the full rigor of the law, from carrying out missionary activities. After becoming familiar with Russian laws, the colonists took an oath of allegiance to the Russian sovereign and went to the place of settlement. Transportation was usually carried out by river transport. Most of the German settlers were sent to develop the Volga region. In 1765 there were 12 colonies on the Volga, in 1766 - 21, in 1767 - 67, 1769 - 105.
The government quite rigidly set the main task for German colonists in the Volga region - the development of agriculture. The German settlers generally coped with this task. They produced mainly rye, but also grew potatoes, and increased the plantings of flax, hemp, tobacco and other crops. Already in the 19th century, colonist industry developed. In the Volga region, flour production, the oil-pressing industry, the manufacture of agricultural implements, and the production of wool and linen developed. Leather production also appeared, and weaving developed.
The government of Catherine II dealt with the problems of settling other parts of the empire. Thus, the agrarian-colonization policy of St. Petersburg in relation to Siberia acquired a structural, systemic character. Catherine II, with the help of a decree, “invited” fugitive Old Believers to Siberia. In Altai, the community of Bukhtarma Belovodtsy “masons”, fugitives who were hiding in the mountain gorges of Altai, was legalized. At the same time, the practice of increasing the Siberian population at the expense of administrative and criminal exiles (“settlers”) continued.
At the same time, the government took measures to populate the Black Sea region. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. Catherine issued a decree calling on Christians under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire to enter Russian service, promising rewards. Residents of the islands of the Aegean Sea, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and partly Crimea responded to the call. From them they formed the so-called. “Greek army” - 8 battalions (about 5 thousand people). In 1774, the volunteers decided not to return to their homeland and asked the Empress, through Count A. Orlov, under whom they served, for the right to settle in Russia. On March 28, 1775, a rescript was issued allowing soldiers who served Russia and their families to settle in the empire. The place for their residence was the Azov province with Taganrog, the cities of Kerch and Yenikale.
This decree had a decisive influence on the decision to exodus the Greeks from Crimea. Christians in Crimea were subjected to severe persecution by the Tatars. The Greeks were looked upon as unreliable subjects, the most persistent Christians were destroyed, the weak were converted to Islam. Christians had limited rights, could not be in government service, and were kept almost in the position of slaves. The Crimean Greeks, aware of the resettlement of their fellow tribesmen and representatives of other nationalities to the south of Russia, the privileges that the settlers received, and the heights that some foreigners reached in the economy and in the public service, also sought to move to the empire. Metropolitan Ignatius of Gotha and Kafa held a series of secret negotiations with Prince Potemkin and the commander of the Russian troops in Crimea, Prince Prozorovsky. As a result, the Metropolitan submitted a petition to the Empress to transfer Christians to Russian citizenship and to allocate them enough land for their settlements.
The negotiations were successful, since St. Petersburg was interested in settling New Russia and further weakening the Crimean Khanate. Christians of Crimea - about 8% of the peninsula's population, mostly Greeks and Armenians, provided the bulk of the income to the khan's treasury. With the departure of the Christians, the khan became more financially dependent on the Russian government. On April 21, 1778, Metropolitan Ignatius announced his resettlement to Russia. Khan Shagin-Girey was furious, but could not prevent this decision. In addition, Tatar dignitaries were bribed by giving them expensive gifts and significant sums of money. In total, more than 18 thousand people resettled. The settlers were settled in the Mariupol district of the Azov province. They received unique benefits and privileges. They were allocated 1.2 million acres of land. Each man received about 33 hectares (30 acres), that is, the average family received up to 100 hectares of black soil. In the first years, despite the benefits, it was difficult for the immigrants to settle into new places. The situation was aggravated by drought, which destroyed the entire harvest. But by the end of the century they were well settled. The community has grown significantly in number. The source of their wealth was agriculture and cattle breeding (mainly sheep breeding).
In 1783, the Crimean Peninsula completely entered the Russian Empire and colonists began to be invited there: Russians, Germans, Bulgarians, Armenians, Greeks, etc. Each family received land and was exempt from taxes for a certain period. Greek settlers generally showed no desire to return to Crimea.