История: факты и символы (Sep 2021)
CATHERINE II COLONIZATION POLICY IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION PROCESSES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD LABOR MARKET
Abstract
The study of dynamics, directions and driving forces of migration processes in Russia during the Modern Time is a relevant theme included in the wide European context. The paper considers colonization policy of Catherine II from the position of the theory of human capital, studying of labour migration and development of the international labour market. Based on the analysis of the office documents of the Chancellery of Guardianship of foreigners under Senate as well as of letters and reports of Russian diplomatic representatives abroad, the article reveals the main positions of European states towards the distribution of Catherine’s Manifesto of 1763 about the attraction foreigners to Russia and to the realization of colonization project. The author concludes that during the development and implementation of Russian immigration policy of 1760s the Western European patterns, models and methods of attracting foreigners were widely used. The paper reveals the reasons of the negative attitude of the governments of a number of European countries to resettlement of their subjects to the Russian Empire. In particular, the authorities of small German principalities feared the outflow of residents, especially qualified workers, that became extremely tangible after the end of the Seven Years’ War. Austria recruited colonists for Hungary and therefore competed with Russia; in France and Prussia the publication of Russian Manifestos on call of foreigners was totally forbidden. In these conditions extreme importance was given to the actions of Russian diplomatic agents, settling conflicts and secretly persuading foreigners, as well as to agitation activities of the so called “private recruiters”, who although used more rough methods, but succeeded greatly in recruitment of colonists.
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