Demographic development of the German colonies of St. Petersburg province in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (according to metric books)

The purpose of the study is to analyze demographic processes in the German colonies of St. Petersburg province in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The object of the study is the German colonies of the region, and the subject is population dynamics, sex and age composition, fertility, mortality, migration processes and factors that influenced the demographic behavior of the colonists. The work uses data from metric books, population censuses and other archival sources, which made it possible to identify key demographic trends. The results of the study showed that at the beginning of the XX century. There was a demographic rise, but the First World War and epidemics led to a significant decrease in the birth rate and an increase in mortality. Special attention is paid to infant mortality, which reached 60% in some years, as well as the social and class transformation of the colonists, who evolved from an agrarian society to a more heterogeneous structure. The scientific novelty of the work is determined by a comprehensive analysis of demographic processes in the German colonies, which complements existing research on the history of colonization and migration in Russia. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of applying its results by historians, demographers and sociologists to study the adaptation of ethnic minorities, interethnic relations and the influence of colonies on the development of the region.