THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF AGRICULTURE OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA IN DEFENCE OF THE ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF THE DNIEPER UKRAINE IN THE 1830'S – 1840'S

Abstract

The article focuses on the analysis of the publications of members of the Imperial Society of Agriculture of Southern Russia (with the center in Odesa) and related figures, published on the pages of the “Listki” and later of the “Notes” of the Society and the newspaper “Odesskiy vestnik” in 1830`s – 1840's. It was noted that the authors of these publications belonged to various economic courses from conservative to moderately liberal. It was also pointed out the circulations among the members of the Society the ideas of “physiocrats”, which they themselves understood as a recognition of the priority of agriculture, over all other human activities. The publications whose authors insisted on the necessity for immediate government measures to improve transport connections, especially the deployment of railways and improved the river transport vital to the development of agricultural exports were examined by author. The arguments of the members of the Society in their polemics with the authors of the St. Petersburg “Zemledelcheskaya gazeta”, who unjustifiably criticized the traditional forms of Ukrainian economy and accused the Ukrainian peasants of natural “laziness”, were interpreted too. In addition the author of the research analyzed the publications of the members of the Society, who supported the free trade course. It was concluded that, regardless of the general economic views, the members of the Society mostly grouped around the protection of economic interests of Ukrainian lands.