“The calamity experienced is great”: The Old Believers of Western Transbaikalia in the conditions of climatic anomalies of 1888-1889
https://doi.org/10.21285/2415-8739-2023-4-116-125
EDN: KUKRPI
Abstract
The article deals with the emergency situation that arose in Verkhneudinsky and Selenginsky districts in 1888 as a result of climatic anomalous phenomena. As a result of the drought and the subsequent heavy rains and hail, grain crops in vast fields were completely destroyed. The Verkhneudinsky district was inhabited by local Old Believer communities, whose main occupation was agriculture. There were not so many Old Believers in the Selenginsky district, but they were also engaged in farming. At the same time, there was a loss of livestock in some settlements. Taiga resources and fish resources within the study area were not enough to solve the problem of hunger. The purpose of this work is to describe the crisis socio-economic situation in Verkhneudinsky and Selenginsky districts in 1888-1889 according to the State Archive of the Irkutsk region. This made it possible to consider the economic ties of the Old Believers with the residents of neighboring districts within the Trans-Baikal region. Special attention is paid to the role of state authorities in providing assistance to residents of Verkhneudinsky and Selenginsky districts. To assess and solve the problem, a special Commission was established to collect information about the victims, which was headed by an Official of Special Assignments, Baron A.N. Korf. Based on the results of the study and assessment of the situation, the Commission invited the authorities to provide assistance to the victims with money, bread and seeds. The article also reflects the strategic role of rural economic stores in the life of local communities engaged in agriculture. Rural economic stores in Old Believer villages and in settlements of neighboring districts of the Trans-Baikal region performed donor functions both to eliminate hunger and to restore arable farming in Verkhneudinsky and Selenginsky districts.
Keywords
famine,
climatic anomalies,
crop failure,
Old Believers,
family,
agriculture,
rural economic store,
state aid,
bread
About the Authors
S. V. Vasilyeva
Banzarov Buryat State University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Svetlana V. Vasilyeva,
Dr. Sci. (History), Professor, of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies
24A, Smolin St., Ulan-Ude 670000
S. A. Kozlova
FGBI “Western Baikal protected areas”
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Svetlana A. Kozlova,
Head of the Environmental Education Department
291B, Baikal'skaya St., Irkutsk 664050
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