Resettlement of the mennonites in the black sea region in the 19th century: particularities of solving the land issue

Introduction. The article considers the processes of resettlement of the Mennonites in the Black Sea region in the 19th century and solving the land issue which is closely connected with it. Methods and materials. The archival documents of funds of the State archive of the Republic of Crimea and published materials from collections, first of all the acts devoted to the issue of foreign colonization in the Russian Empire formed the source base of the research. The general historical principles of historicism and objectivity and also specific methods are the methodological basis of the research: historical and comparative, historical and genetic, historical and system methods. Analysis. The analysis of the colonization legislation concerning foreign immigrants shows high interest of the government in involving the Mennonites to settling of Novorossiysk region. The land issue was resolved differently: till the 1840s all lands were given to the Mennonites to “eternal” possession of the whole colony, without the right of alienation to third parties; also because of the shortage of free state lands the colonists were granted the permission to buy lands; the government also bought comfortable lands to treasury for its distribution among the Mennonites. Results. The authors underline the following features of land management in Mennonite settlements: land plots were distributed by household and family, without splitting (sixty five tithes per family); there was a minority right, which led to an increase in the number of landless. In the second half of the 19th century resettlement of the Mennonites went due to the land purchase or long-term rent with the subsequent repayment, land plots began to be split.