Vol 18, No 8/2 (2012)

Considerable experience of studying the history of the Middle Volga region let us to address a new scientific problem: complex and controversial process of «acquisition of the homeland». The planned study will be focused on the specific features of social and economic, administrative, political and cultural development of the Middle Volga region as a part of the Russian state, on the formation of the unique social and cultural character and regional identity of its population.

The paper analyzes the problems and conceptual approaches of researches on the history of national and confessional policy of the Russian Empire, which were published in the last two decades. Through the prism of historiography the author shows the history of imperial policy in the Volga-Ural region, primarily with respect to such categories of population as steppe nomads, Muslims, pagans, baptized «aliens». The particular attention is paid to the debates around education policy of the Russian Empire in the region.

 In the article the development of fishery in the economical activities of rural population of Southern Middle Volga on the bound of XVII-XVIII centuries. The author concludes that fishery was poorly developed on that area besides some settlements situated on Volga and Kama coastal zones. Fishery played a secondary role in the daily economical activities of the local population.

 In this article the author have considered the notion of ruling elite in conformity with the first half of the XVIII century and quantitative correlation between the foreigners and the Russians in the composition of ruling group in this period.

The article deals with the conditions under which the dualism of faith and buddist outlook emerged among christened Kalmyks on the territory of South-Eastern frontier of European Russia in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Archaeological evidence is supplied to confirm the existence of Buddhist traditions in that area.

 In the article the participation of clergy in the realization of school reforms of Alexander I and Nikolay I on the territory of Kazan educational okrug is analyzed. The support of clergy played a considerable role in the formation of comprehensive schools in Russia in whole and in the Volga Region in particular.

The article deals with the social role of meshchanstvo (lower middle class) in the structure of municipal social self-government in the 50-60-s of the XIX century in the context of historiographic problem of «municipal citizenship» formed by Catherine’s legislation at the end of the XIX century.

In the article the genesis, the conditions and functions of social-revolutionary organizations of South-East of European Russia on the bound of XIX-XX centuries is viewed.

In the article social and political differentiation of the population of the Volga region, shown in the election campaigns of 1917 is presented; social and economic requirements of workers, soldiers, peasants are revealed; ways of influence of society on power in revolution are analysed.