URBAN POPULATION OF YELISAVETGRAD AND OLEKSANDRIYA COUNTIES OF THE KHERSON GOVERNORATE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Abstract

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the urban population of the Yelisavetgrad and Oleksandriya districts of the Kherson province in the second half of the 19th century. The main focus is on the social structure, ethnic composition, religious affiliation, literacy level, and demographic dynamics of city dwellers. Key trends in the socio-economic development of settlements are identified, reflecting the processes of urbanization, industrialization, and the formation of new social strata of the urban population – entrepreneurs, artisans, clerks, workers, intellectuals, and representatives of the petty bourgeoisie. Based on the analysis of statistical compilations, population censuses, materials from local statistical bodies, and local historical sources, a comparative analysis was carried out of the structure of the urban population, the ratio of national groups, the specifics of their social status, as well as cultural and religious traditions and their influence on social and economic processes in urban communities. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the religious composition of the population on the formation of social interaction, the participation of various groups in craft, trade, and educational activities, as well as in the cultural life of cities. The study allows us to trace the processes of urban environment formation, changes in the structure of employment, social mobility of the population, increasing literacy and the spread of education among different social strata, as well as the role of education, science, and culture in the development of urban communities. The work highlights the importance of urbanization for the socio-economic development of the region, the formation of urban institutions, interethnic relations, and the interaction of different religious and national groups. The results of the study are of scientific and practical value for further study of the history of urbanization, social evolution of cities, demographic processes, socio-cultural development, and infrastructure changes in the territory of the modern Kirovohrad region. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the historical preconditions for the formation of the social structure of the urban population of southern Ukraine and the role of education, culture, and interethnic interaction in the life of cities.