NUMBER OF JEWS IN WESTERN SIBERIAIN IN THE 19TH – THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Гончаров Ю. М.

Доктор исторических наук, профессор, Алтайский государственный университет

ЧИСЛЕННОСТЬ ЕВРЕЕВ В ЗАПАДНОЙ СИБИРИ В XIX – НАЧАЛЕ XX В.

Аннотация

В статье рассматривается динамика численности еврейского населения в Западной Сибири в XIX – начале XX века в связи с социально-правовым положением еврейского населения и особенностями колонизации региона.

Ключевые слова: евреи, Сибирь, население

 Goncharov Yu. M.

Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Altay State University

NUMBER OF JEWS IN WESTERN SIBERIAIN IN THE 19^TH – THE BEGINNING OF THE 20^TH CENTURY

Abstract

The article consideres the dynamics of the Jewish population in Western Siberia in the 19^th – early 20^th century in connection with the socio-legal status of the Jewish population and the characteristics of the colonization of the region.

Keywords: Jews, Siberia, population

Specifics of formation of the Jewish diaspora in Siberia is connected with the reference here criminal and political criminals from the European part of Russia. At the beginning of the 19^th century there are quite considerable compactly living groups of Jews (in Tobolsk, Kainsk, Omsk, Tomsk) and exactly from this point it is possible to speak about the Jewish diaspora in Siberia.

In total number of Jews of Western Siberia from 1835 (1735 people) to 1864 (3014 people) grew in 1,7 times at preservation of former specific weight (0,14–0,15%) [1]. To the middle of the 1860^th Jews were settled practically on all region except for the Altay Mountain District (however and here 12 people lived in Biisk and 6 – in Kuznetsk) and northern Berezov. Thus most willingly they lodged in large administrative centers. In 1864 nearly two thirds of Jews of the region lived in three cities: Tobolsk, Tomsk and Omsk.

Census of 1897 gives a rich material for demographic, social and economic characteristics of the Jewish community at a boundary of the 19–20 centuries. According to census of 1897, in the Tobolsk province the total number of persons of Judaic religion wares 2463 people. It is necessary to make a reservation that in census schedules the nationality wasn't specified, but data on the native language and religion were specified. The number called the Jewish language native was on the province a little smaller – 2387 people, from them 1903 people, or 79,7 % lived in the cities. In Tomsk Province, according to census of 1897, were 7611 people of the Jewish nationality, i.e. indicated as the native language Jewish (3810 man and 3801 woman). Thus, number judaizing (7899 people) it appeared higher, than number indicated by the native language Jewish. In Omsk during census of 1127 people called the native language Jewish, relating to Judaic religion 1138 people in Omsk and 11 people in Omsk the district registered [2].

Everything, by estimates of Patkanov, in 1897 11339 Jews lived in Western Siberia, they were the 11th on number the region people. Thus in the cities lived 68,14% of Jews while 31,4% of Poles, 26,3% of Germans and about 6% of Russian were citizens [3].

About that number of Jews according to census of 1897 can be strongly underestimated, says that, according to police data, in 1897 only Tobolsk lived 2670 Jews (13,3% of citizens) in one, i.e. more than according to census as a whole on the province [4].

Absolute and relative number of Jews quickly grew in the region cities in the beginning of the 20^th century. In 12 years, from 1897 to 1909, their number in the cities of the Tobolsk and Tomsk provinces increased from 6859 to 16559 people that was 4,2% from urban population. Thus it should be noted that the main growth is the share of 3 cities of the Tomsk province: Tomsk, Kainsk and Mariinsk, in the cities Tobolsk province growth of number of Jews practically wasn't observed. For example, in 1911 in province lived 2434 people of Judaic religion (1108 man and 1326 women) [5]. In 1913 their where 2668 people [6].

As a whole, after 1909 when, according to sources, number of Jews in the cities of the region reached the maximum, in the majority of the cities of Western Siberia it is possible to note decrease in absolute and relative number of the Jewish population. So, in comparison with 1909, in 1913 the number of Jews was reduced: in Tobolsk from 1206 to 971 people (from 5,7% to 4,6% of the population of the city), in Tomsk – from 5984 (5,6%) to 3497 (3,7%), in Kainsk – from 1608 (25,7%) to 1090 people (18,2%). Growth of number of Jews was observed only in the new cities which have appeared on the route of the Siberian Railway. So, for example, in Novonikolayevsk for the same years the number of Jews increased from 642 (1,2%) to 1177 people (1,4%). Communities in the cities: Taiga, Tatarsk, Bogotol are formed also. In the last, in particular, in 1913 1608 Jews, or 25,7% of citizens were.

Thus, throughout the 19^th – the beginnings of the 20^th century number of Jews quickly grew in Western Siberia. Thus, despite an abundance of figures, exact number of Jews in the population of the region it is not always possible to define. However, clearly that at the beginning of the 20^th century in the region lived around 16–18, and it is possible 20 thousand people.

The vast majority of Jews, despite various restrictive measures, preferred to live in the cities, having kept bent for of city life inherent in them. Their percent in urban population, constantly increasing, was essentially above, than in rural.

In the 20^th century the largest Jewish communities were in Tobolsk, Omsk, Kainsk, Tomsk and Mariinsk. In a number of the cities, in particular, Jews didn't live in the cities of the Altay Mountain District.

At the beginning of the 20^th century there are changes in moving of Jews of the region. In a number of the old cities (Tobolsk, Tomsk, etc.) their number is reduced. At the same time there is a formation and growth of the Jewish communities in the new cities, such as Novonikolayevsk, Bogotol, Tatarsk.

References

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2. Pervaya vseobschaya perepis naseleniya Rossiyskoy imperii 1897 goda. – Vol. 78: Tobolskaya guberniya. – SPb., 1905. – P. XXX, XXXII; – Vol. 79: Tomskaya guberniya. – SPb., 1904. – P. 69; – Vol. 81: Akmolinskaya oblast. – SPb., 1904. – P. 2.
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5. Obzor Tobolskoy gubernii za 1911 god. – Tobolsk, 1912.
6. Obzor Tobolskoy gubernii za 1913 god. – Tobolsk, 1915. Vedomost № 10.