Bobruisk District (general observations)

History

1342-1506 - the territory was included in several duchies of Great Lithuanian Princedom (Medieval and Modern Time state, formed by local Baltic and Slavic peoples of their small princedoms in the mid. XII century as a counterforce to Crusaders Baltic States (Teutonic Order State [1309-1525] and Livonic Order [1237-1561], Latin name was Magnum Ducatus Lithuanorum). To be said, that all settlements of the future Bobruisk District that time were property or of Great Prince (he was Polish King at the same time since 1385), or of local magnates (major landlords). That situation was with almost no changes before 1793.

1506-1569 - Great Lithuanian Princedom changed its administrative division and local duchies, which were preserved as some sort of federal units of the Princedom were transformed into provinces. Great Lithuanian Princedom became more integrated state. Future Bobruisk District territory became a part of Minsk Province.

1569-1793 - Great Lithuanian Princedom and Polish Kingdom composed a federation with the name of Rech Pospolitaya (Slavic translation of Roman Res Publicae [Republic]), so the territory was part of Minsk Province of Rech Pospolitaya.

1791-1793 - Great Lithuanian Princedom was transformed into several provinces of Polish Kingdom, so the territory was a part of Minsk Province of Polish Kingdom.

1793-1801 - after the 2nd partition of Rech Pospolitaya by Russian Empire and Prussian Kingdom (1793) the territory was part of Lithuanian Province of Russian Empire.

1801-1917 - the territory formed Bobruisk District of Minsk Province of Russian Empire.

1917 - Russian Empire was destroyed by revolutions.

General Information

Jewish resident places: Bobruisk, Chirkovichi, Domanovo II, Glusk, Gorki, Gorodok, Itel, Kazimirovo, Kovchitsy II, Kozlovichi II, Luban, Lubonichi, Lyaskovichi, Novye Doroghi, Osipovichi, Ozarichi, Parichi, Pastovichi, Pechishche, Pobolovo, Porechye, Rechen, Shchedrin, Simonovichi, Slobodka Kostrichskaya, Startsy, Starye Doroghi, Svisloch, Urechye, Vorotyn, Zabolotye, Zakalno

Territory: 11,686 square km.

Population (in the late XIXth century): Total number: 256,000 people;

• Russian Orthodox Christians - the majority;
• Roman Catholic Christians - the major minority;
• Jews - considerable minority (31,600 people or 12.3%);
• Christians of other branches - less than 6%;
• Moslems (Tatars) - less, than 6%.

Jews as population appeared at once after trade and business settlements were developed in that territory - in the XVIth century - mostly from Poland and Germany, but also from some major trade centres of Euroasiatic steppes and Asia Minor like Saray (the capital of Golden Horde [Mongol-Tatar Medieval Empire of XIII-XV centuries] and Bulgar on Volga river, Tabriz [Nothern Iran], Constantinopole [Istanbul before Turks came], etc.) Tatars moved there mostly after decay of Golden Horde and later from Crimea and South Ukrain.

Optimal conditions for peaceful development of the local settlements (meaning the development of trade and business here) were:

1. In the last XVIth-1st half of XVIIth century.
2. In XIXth century (after Napoleon wars were finished in 1815).

During the period between those two there were almost constant local and international conflicts and wars. We have not much about the 1st optimal period, but everything known is shown in the summaries on particular settlements. The only thing, we'd like to mark here is the value of Rech Pospolitaya main currency - zloty. In XVI-XVIII century Zloty (English translation - "golden") was a coin which contained 3,537 grams of gold.

As for the 2nd one, here is some information about life in those times:

District during early Russian principality

1. They were not to work on land as peasants (to get a permission to be farmers, Jews were to ask for special Supreme (Tsar's) allowance).
2. They were to be registered in any kahal (it meant, in any settlement, where a kahal existed officially) - in shtetles or towns.

In general, Jewish persons' official social status was to be one of:

• petty-bourgeois (most common);
• craftsman (registered as a member of local craft guild);
• merchant (for that person, whose capital was over 1,000 roubles);
• farmer (very rare, see above).

To enforce Jewish compliance with the Law, Russian authorities held special revisions on Jewish population in 1806 and 1811. But Napoleon's invasion in 1812 diffused Jews over rural area again. After Napoleon's troops were defeated and banished, Russian authorities immediately required Jews to obey the Law.

So, since 1796 and to 1840s, when Russian Tsar allowed Jews to reside in rural area and to work on land as peasants, there were no official Jewish settlements in Bobruisk District.

District in general at the end of XIX-early XX century

District official posts:

• District Congress of nobility
• District Administration
• District Court
• District Police Department
• District State Security Department
• District Military Department
• District Tax Department
• District Department of Transportation on Water
• District Supervisor on forests
• District Doctor
• District Medical Assistant
• District Obstetrician
• District Veterinary Physician

Jewish Population Statistics

In 1896 in the entire District there were:

• - 16,140 male and 15,460 female Jewish inhabitants;
• - 14 rabbis and 38 other Jewish officials;
• - 911 male and 477 female Jewish children were born;
• - 453 male and 242 female Jewish people died;

By 1900 in the entire District:

• - about 3,500 Jewish people considered agriculture as their occupation;
• - about 4,400 Jewish people considered needlework of cloth as their occupation;
• - about 2,000 Jewish people considered trade with agricultural products as their occupation.

Economic Statistics

In 1896 in the entire District:

• - 4,166 craftsmen worked;
• - grown vegetables were sold for 8,350 roubles;
• - collected mushrooms were sold for 5,410 roubles (the price was 12-20 roubles per 16 kg);
• - grown fruit were sold for 7,060 roubles;
• - grown and collected berries were sold for 750 roubles;
• - 91,499,632 tons of hay were stored up;
• - 279,962 heads of cattle were kept (wolves damaged stock-breeding for 2,263 roubles);
• - 14,515 carcasses of poultry was sold (prices: chicken - 30-50 kopecks, goose - 0.75-1 rouble, duck - 20-40 kopecks, turkey - 1.5-2.5 roubles);
• - hunted birds were sold for 1,158 roubles (prices: wood grouse - 1-2 roubles; black grouse - 40-50 kopecks; hazel hen - 25-50 kopecks; partridge - 15-30 kopecks);
• - 2,816 beekeepers kept 14,160 hives;
• - 36,800 kg of honey were collected and sold for 6,620 roubles (price: 4-5 roubles per 16 kg);
• - 1,760 kg of wax were collected and sold for 4,819 roubles (14-15 roubles per 16 kg);
• - local fish were sold for about 4,500 roubles (price (per 16 kg): small fish -1.2 -1.6 roubles, big fish (pike and bream) - 3-5 roubles, chub and carp - 3-4 roubles, tench - 2.5-3 roubles, perch and sheatfish - 2-3 roubles).
• - 6,190 lumbermen worked (salary: 0.3-1.5 roubles per day);
• - 2,190 men processed wood (salary: 0.1-2 roubles per 2.13 m);
• - 6,500 men transported wood (salary: 0.5-1 roubles per one horse truck, 1-2 roubles per 2 horses truck, 2-2.5 roubles per 3-horse truck);
• - chopped wood was sold for 92,100 roubles (delivered to southern provinces of Russian Empire and abroad);
• - arts & crafts production of wood was sold for 600 roubles, ceramics (without pottery) was sold for 1,500 roubles;
• - broadcloth and canvas were sold for 1,500 roubles (prices: 0.3-1 rouble per 0.71 m of broadcloth and 6-15 kopecks per 0.71 m of canvas);
• - produced wooden goods (mostly furniture) were sold for 5,000 roubles;
• - produced pottery was sold for 4,500 roubles.

Currency Rate

From 1897 up to the beginning of World War I (1914), the Russian rouble was really the convertible currency. The rate was: 6 Russian roubles = 1 British pound.

Jewish Business in Bobruisk District out of Jewish settlements

Jewish Business out of Bobruisk District Jewish settlements