Evgeniya V. Komleva,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of History of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Settlements of the Turukhansk Region in the Notes of the Decembrist F.P. Shakhovskoy
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2020-6-9
The article analyzes a fragment of draft notes of the Decembrist Fyodor Petrovich Shakhovskoy about the Turukhansk region, which contains information about the settlements located in the region in the mid-1820s. These materials, having undergone a small revision, were included in the book published in 1833 by State Councillor I.S. Pestov, dedicated to the review of the Yeniseysk province, and reflect the methods and stages of work on this generalizing text. Based on a variety of sources, F.P. Shakhovskoy compiled a detailed list of all the settlements located North of Turukhansk, indicating the distance between them, the number and composition of inhabitants, the presence of residential and state buildings, the architectural sights that they had, the specifics of geography, flora and fauna, and noted the peculiarities of farming inherent in the local population. Describing the state of settlements, the Decembrist pays special attention to the activities of merchant clerks and state-owned spare bread stores. Speaking about the difficulties that stood in the way of the development of this vast northern region, F.P. Shakhovskoy noted its small population, difficult climatic conditions, the oppression of the local aboriginal population by merchants, and the abuse of officials, including employees of state stores. Not the least role in the deplorable situation of Russian residents was played, according to the Decembrist, by their lazy temper, unwillingness to learn new ways of preparing food, and at the same time a conspicuous inclination to excess. These and other data given by F.P. Shakhovskoy make his handwritten notes a valuable source that allows to supplement the information found in official documents and testimonies of other eyewitnesses. As an appendix, the list of settlements of the Turukhansk region located on the way from Turukhansk to the Arctic ocean compiled by F.P. Shakhovskoy is published.
Publishing: 31/12/2020
The article has been received by the editor on 10.12.2020
How to cite: Komleva E.V. Settlements of the Turukhansk Region in the Notes of the Decembrist F.P. Shakhovskoy // Historical Courier, 2020, No. 6 (14) pp. 128–137. [Available online:] http://istkurier.ru/data/2020/ISTKURIER-2020-6-09.pdf
Links: Issue 6 2020
Keywords: Decembrists; F.P. Shakhovskoy; handwritten heritage; Turukhansk region; settlements; yasachnye; merchants; state-owned spare bread stores