Legal status of national minorities on the Ukrainian territory in the 19th century

Abstract

The peculiarities of the formation and development of legal status of national minorities, who were on Ukrainian territory during the studied period and were engaged in various types of economic activity, as well as the influence of the general imperial and local legislation on certain aspects of the life of national minorities, have been investigated. The regulatory and legislative acts that determined the legal status of various national communities have been analyzed. The conditions and circumstances under which the process of forming the legal status of national minorities on the territory of Ukraine took place during the 19th century have been shown in general terms. Changes in imperial legislation have been demonstrated depending on the attitude of the current government to certain events in the empire, which ranged from providing comprehensive assistance and support to a restrained attitude, and sometimes to open persecution, introduction of economic restrictions, confiscation of granted lands, etc. This was the case with representatives of the Jewish, German and Polish national minorities. Particular attention has been paid to such legislative documents of various levels as the Regulations on the settlement of Jews, the Regulations on Jews, the Instruction of the Office of Guardianship of Novorossiysk foreign settlers, the Statute on foreign colonies in the empire, the Laws “On the lease of landed property to foreigners for up to 36 years”, “On restricting the right of Catholic peasants to acquire land property in nine Western provinces”, “On the analysis of the gentry in the Western provinces and on the arrangement of this kind of people”, Regulations on the Main Department of Colonists of the Southern Territory, etc. It has been shown that the imperial power fully supported the actions aimed at the gradual assimilation and Russification of national communities, increased social tension, thereby weakening the tendency of the formation of national political forces.

Keywords

• germans
• jews
• poles
• legal status
• nationality
• national minorities
• legislative act
• foreigners.