The state of animal husbandry among nomadic peoples in Stavropol province at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries as reflected in the reports of the provincial veterinary unit

The article, based on the annual reports ofthe Veterinary Unit ofthe Medical Department of the Stavropol Provincial Government, makes the first attempt in Russian historiography to analyze the development of animal husbandry among the nomads of the province in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Although the content of these reports consisting of statistical and overview sections covered the province as a whole, they contain quite voluminous materials on the development of cattle breeding among Kalmyks, Nogais and Turkmens. The main attention in the article is focused on three factors that influenced the state of animal husbandry and on the corresponding directions of state assistance to the development of animal husbandry among nomads. First of all, the measures of the provincial administration aimed at improving livestock breeds were of particular importance. Since cattle in the province, including the territories of nomadic peoples, were susceptible to various epizootics, among which anthrax was especially dangerous, the development of the state veterinary service was also of exceptional importance. Finally, the development of tillage in the steppe regions of the province inevitably led to a reduction in pastures, and this also required the adoption of measures of state support for the development of cattle breeding. In general, as follows from the reports of the Veterinary Unit, nomadic peoples who switched to a sedentary lifestyle and belonged to privileged and well-off segments of the population were actively involved in improving cattle and sheep breeds, which contributed to the development of animal husbandry in the farms of Russian peasants and the development of cattle trade.