The collection "History of statistics of the Altai (mining) district" - winner of the Presidential Library’s contest

“Statistics in the 19th century in Altai District, as well as in Russia as a whole, was not a professional matter. The collection of statistical data was carried out simultaneously by different departments. The formation of zemstvos in European Russia led to the creation of statistical bureaus under them. In Altai District it was created at the land part of the administration in 1894...The initiator was the head of the district, Colonel Boldyrev, "an enlightened and educated person", "with a seething temperament, a man of terrible strength and energy", - writes the researcher Tatyana Shcheglova in the preface to the bibliographic publication 100 years since the organization of the statistical bureau under the Altai district administration, which is available on the Presidential Library’s portal.

In 2019-2020, the Presidential Library held a contest "Our Region: Selected Pages of History". The winner was the Shishkov Altai Regional Universal Scientific Library with the collection “History of statistics of the Altai (mining) district”. Today, materials transferred to the Presidential Library are available on the institution's portal.

The electronic collection History of statistics of the Altai (mountain) district reveals the social, economic, political, demographic, ecological and other strata of life referred to this territory at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In the second half of the 19th century, the Altai (mountain) district belonged to the departmental territorial formations and was part of a larger administrative unit - Tomsk Province. The pre-revolutionary Altai covered a huge territory of Western Siberia and included in its borders not only the lands of modern Altai Territory and Altai Republic, but also most of the present Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Regions, the southern regions of Tomsk Region and some eastern regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The collection and processing of fresh information from the field required permanent statistical services. But in contrast to European Russia, the personnel issue in Altai was a stumbling block. There were not enough specialists, and the district administration tried to involve “local statisticians” from among priests, teachers, doctors, etc. There were even cases of involving literate peasants from among the most intelligent and observant peasants in statistical work. For them, the main department of the Altai district developed question books and subscription lists, which were sent out to the volosts. In addition, special training courses were held for beginners, the listeners of which received daily remuneration.

Structurally, the collection of the Presidential Library History of statistics of the Altai (mountain) district consists of three sections.

The first consists of the works of modern authors, in which the process of development of the system of state and zemstvo statistics is analyzed: Features of the organization and operation of administrative statistics in the Altai District at the end of the 19th century, The role of public organizations in the accumulation of statistical sources in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. in the Altai District and others.

The second section contains publications of the Statistical Department under the head office of the Altai District until 1917, which reveal the history of statistics through the development of the regional economy: Agricultural Review of the Altai District, Chui Trade Route to Mongolia and Its Significance for Gorny Altai and others. etc.

The third section of the collection is devoted to the activities of employees of the statistical department at the Main Directorate of the Altai District, many of whom were active members of the Society of Altai Exploration Lovers.

For example, Pavel Yukhnev took part in the preparation of the Siberian Soviet Encyclopedia. In the article 130 years since the birth of land surveyor, statistician, local historian P. M. Yukhnev (1871 - after 1930) historian Tatyana Tishkina writes: “As a member of the Society of Altai Exploration Lovers, he… prepared a report“ From the Northern part of the Altai Okrug. Peasant forestry “. The state of the district's forests, the identification of rational methods of forest use and other questions prepared by the speaker were heard by the leadership of the region. Yukhnev took part in an expedition organized for the purpose of a statistical and economic survey of the population of Gorny Altai".  

The work of statisticians according to the data given in the work 100 years since the organization of the statistical bureau under the Altai district administration took place in difficult conditions: off-road, the use of post stations for the movement of horses... Much time and effort was spent on further data processing and presentation of the research results. For this, students of Tomsk University and teachers inclined to literary work were involved.

It is difficult to overestimate the activity of the first statisticians of the region. Closely cooperating with the Society of Altai Research Lovers, the Statistical Bureau left behind a great legacy, which is relevant to historians, economists and local historians of Russia.