Astrakhan Province Research Articles

Studying the biochemical composition of peanut accessions from the VIR collection

Background. Peanut is one of the most important oil crops for food purposes. Natural peanut butter contains two unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic, which make up to 80% of the total fatty acid content in peanut oil. The quality of oil depends on the ratio between these two acids. Analyzing the diversity of oil content and fatty acid composition in peanut accessions preserved at VIR and assessing the effect of soil, climate, and other factors on these characters is vital for the development of new peanut cultivars rich in oil. Materials and methods. Peanut germplasm accessions were studied for their biochemical composition of fatty acids and the content of oil and protein. The accessions were reproduced for three years (2019–2021) at two ecogeographic locations: in Krasnodar Territory, and Astrakhan Province. Cv. ‘Otradokubansky’ was used as a reference. ANOVA was applied for statistical data processing. Results and discussion. The percentage composition of 18 fatty acids was calculated in peanut oil, with oleic and linoleic acids dominating. The content of oleic acid depended on the genotype for 42–53%, and that of linoleic acid, for 50–71%. The latter was also influenced by the place and year of cultivation. The ranges of variation over the three years of studies in Krasnodar Territory were 35.4–57.6% for oleic acid, and 18.3–38.1% for linoleic acid, whereas in Astrakhan Province they were 33.4–51.2%, and 30.9–42.7%, respectively. Under unfavorable conditions, the content of oleic acid in peanut prevailed. The oil content depended on the genotype for 81%, and its percentage was 32.0–44.4%.

State Regulation of the Salt Industry on the Astrakhan Salt Lakes in the First Half of the 19th Century

Introduction. Based on the materials of the State Archive of the Astrakhan region, which were first introduced into scientific circulation, the issues of salt extraction by the Kalmyks and its transportation by state peasants and Tatars on the Astrakhan salt lakes in the first half of the 19th century are highlighted. Methods and materials. The research is based on both published and unpublished sources. Analysis. The role of the state in organizing the selection of salt lakes, determining the amount of salt extracted and its transportation, hiring labor, remuneration, catering, and supply issues is analyzed. It was revealed that in the Astrakhan province, in addition to state-owned salt extraction, work was carried out on lakes owned by private salt producers, with the mandatory conclusion of a contract with the Astrakhan Salt Board and their payment of excise duty. Attention is focused on the rules developed by the Astrakhan Commission of Kalmyk Affairs for Kalmyks who were employed in government and private jobs. Results. Increased centralization and regulation of the organization of the salt business on the salt lakes of the Astrakhan province by the state was expressed in the identification of specific lakes for salt extraction, the organization of labor for its extraction, storage, and transportation, the establishment of wages, the price of sold salt, and the attraction of salt industrialists. It was aimed at increasing the Treasury’s income from the extraction and sale of Astrakhan salt. The contribution of the authors. Identification, collection, and processing of documents from the State Archive of the Astrakhan region were carried out by M.M. Khairlapova; preparation of sections of the article; and analysis of the process of organizing the salt industry by T.V. Yudina.

"In general, I’m a big fan of India and the East – this must be Basargin Tatarism" (Vice-Admiral Grigory Gavrilovich Basargin – military governor of the Astrakhan province and commander of the Caspian flotilla)

"In general, I’m a big fan of India and the East – this must be Basargin Tatarism" (Vice-Admiral Grigory Gavrilovich Basargin – military governor of the Astrakhan province and commander of the Caspian flotilla)

Variability of morphological and phenological traits in <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp. accessions contrasting by growth type in different ecological and geographical conditions

Background. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a thermophilic crop that occupies the third place in the world in terms of cultivation area among leguminous crops. Vegetable cowpea cultivars are successfully cultivated in the open ground in Russia, in its southern regions and the south of the Far East. The creation of new cultivars adapted to cultivation in different regions and suitable for widespread industrial production, is extremely relevant. Materials and methods. The variability of 20 morphological and 3 phenological traits of six cowpea accessions with different growth habit types and architectonics was assessed in various ecological and geographical conditions at VIR experiment stations (in Astrakhan Province, Primorye Territory and Krasnodar Territory) in 2019-2022. The variability and interrelationships of the traits were estimated using basic and multivariate statistical methods. Results. The analysis revealed a significant influence of the factor complex (genotype/accession, research location) on the variability of traits. Phenological traits, the length of internodes and leaflets, depended most strongly on the research location. The range of variation in the number of nodes, branches, peduncles and beans per plant, stem thickness and bean size were determined by the genotype to a larger extent. The range of stem length variability was significantly influenced by the research location and the genotype, though the genotype had a stronger influence. The genotypes responded differently to changes in growing conditions. For the most of the studied accessions, an increase in the main stem length was noted in the monsoon climate conditions of the Primorye Territory, for some of them the type of growth habit changed from determinate to indeterminate. In our research, the plant length was positively correlated with the amount of precipitation and with the average relative air humidity. Excessive humidity and precipitation had minimal effect only on cv. ʻLyanchiheʼ, whose plants retained dwarfness and compact architectonics. Factor analysis (principal factors analysis) revealed 4 factors responsible for the main part of the variance of the analyzed traits. The characteristics of the leaf were combined in the first factor, those of architectonics and time of plant development in the second, features of the seedling and the juvenile stage in the third, and those of the bean in the fourth factor. These complexes of traits (factors) determined the variability of cowpea in our research. Conclusion. The performed analysis of morphological and phenological traits revealed a significant increase of stem length and changes in plant architectonics under conditions of high relative humidity and a large amount of precipitation. In some cases, even the type of growth habit was changed. The further research on the studied characters variability involving more accessions and the determination of molecular mechanisms that control stability of the growth habit type and length of the stem will allow us to proceed to a more efficient and rapid creation of new cultivars suitable for mechanized cultivation. This is extremely important for the development of new areas by cultivating species, the demand in which as a source of food and feed is increasing in the Russian Federation.

РАЗВИТИЕ ПРЕДПРИНИМАТЕЛЬСКОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ В РЫБНОЙ ОТРАСЛИ ВОЛГО-КАСПИЙСКОГО БАССЕЙНА КАК ФАКТОР ПРИВЛЕЧЕНИЯ ТРУДОВЫХ МИГРАНТОВ ВО ВТОРОЙ ПОЛОВИНЕ XIX – НАЧАЛЕ ХХ в.

The creation of a free labor market in the post-reform period contributed to the intensification of entrepreneurial activity and the growth of industrial enterprises in all sectors of the economy of the Russian Empire. The development of rich natural resources in the outlying and sparsely populated regions of the country was impossible without a significant number of free labor. In the Volga-Caspian fishing Region, the development of entrepreneurial activity in the post-reform period coincides with the increase in the number of labor migrants who came here for seasonal work and moved to permanent residence. The territorial scope of the study is the Volga-Caspian fishing Region, most of which was administratively part of the Astrakhan Province. The purpose of the study is to analyze entrepreneurial activity in the fishing industry of the Volga-Caspian Region as a factor for attracting labor migrants to the region in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Achieving the goal includes solving its constituent tasks: to characterize the demographic dynamics in the Astrakhan Province in the post-reform period; to analyze the state package of measures to stimulate small business and its effectiveness; show the development of large capital in the Volga-Caspian fishing Region; to identify the main types of migration flows to the Volga-Caspian fishing Region. The methodological apparatus of the study is represented by the theory of modernization, as well as a complex of special historical and general scientific methods. The paper, based on statistical data and office documentation, shows that the development of entrepreneurial activity in the fishing industry contributed to the growth in the number of migrants from other regions of the country; the contribution of labor migrants to the work of fisheries and the processes of colonization of the outlying region is characterized; shows the difficulties faced by the fishing population in the post-reform period, and the effectiveness of government measures to support it.

The professional composition of the population of the Kalmyk steppe of the Astrakhan province based on the materials of the 1897 census: source analysis

Currently, researchers are paying special attention to one of the branches of historical science — historical professionology. Research in this area is devoted to the study of the historical development of various types of occupations, professions, the main sources of which are the results of population censuses. This study is devoted to the source analysis of the materials of the First general population census of pre-revolutionary Russia. The subject of the research of the scientific article is the study of the professional structure of the population on the example of the Kalmyk steppe of the Astrakhan province. The research object is the materials of the First General Population Census of the Russian Empire in 1897, since the population census of 1897 became not only the first informative source in the history of the Russian state about the entire population, but also the basis for new promising studies of socio-economic and statistical-demographic conditions. The research methodology includes conducting a source study, within the framework of which one of the stages of source analysis was carried out — an analysis of the content of census materials for the Astrakhan province, providing for the use of structural and functional analysis, historical and comparative method and classification method, which allowed to identify the information potential for studying the occupations of the population of the Kalmyk steppe. The novelty of this scientific article lies in the fact that for the first time in Russian historiography, a critical analysis of the professional composition of the population of the Kalmyk steppe of the Astrakhan province was carried out at the end of the XIX century. The author came to the conclusion that the Astrakhan province has been in economic development since the beginning of its successful colonization in the XVI century. It became an agricultural and cattle-breeding region of Russia, in which the migrant population from virtually agricultural provinces, while continuing to preserve the traditional type of their occupations, was reorganized, adapting to local types of management in the new conditions of the capitalistically transforming All-Russian market. This could not but influence nomadic farming, in particular the Kalmyks, which contributed to the transition to a pastoral and agricultural form of farming in the Kalmyk steppe, and subsequently to a sedentary lifestyle. The research was carried out through the implementation of the project of the Russian Scientific Foundation No. 23-18-20019 "Between East and West: the civilizational and cultural development of Kalmyk society as part of pre-revolutionary Russia" (https://grant.rscf.ru/project/23-18-20019 /).

“WANTING TO DEVOTE MYSELF TO SERVICE IN THE KALMYK STEPPE”: ABOUT THE ULUS TRUSTEE SALIM-GIREY NURALIKHANOV

At the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th centuries. The Kalmyk steppe retained the status of a special territory within the Astrakhan province, which was expressed in a management system built taking into account the nomadic life of the autochthonous population, with the preservation of certain elements of self-government. Throughout the 19th century, foreign administration experienced a shortage of officials capable of not only adapting to the conditions of the steppe, but also building a system of communication with the local population. The solution to the problem could be graduates of educational institutions who are representatives of the nomadic foreign population and who have expressed a desire to enter the civil service. One of them is the Sultan of the Inner Kyrgyz Horde of S.-G. Z. Nuralikhanov, who, despite financial difficulties, was able to get an education and enter the service. Within the framework of this article, from the standpoint of socio-cultural anthropology, his-torical elitology and imagology, based on the analysis of office documentation and formal service lists, a study of his life path was conducted. In conclusion, it was concluded that, despite his short period of service in the Kalmyk steppe, Nuralikhanov was the only representative of the foreign population of the empire as part of the guardianship corps of the Administration of the Kalmyk people of the As-trakhan province.

Выпускники факультета восточных языков Императорского Санкт-Петербургского университета на службе в инородческих управлениях конца XIX-го – начала XX века

The Russian Empire during the XIX - early XX century maintained a complex administrative-territorial structure, including territories, including those inhabited by nomadic aliens, who retained a special status not only in the social structure of society, but also some traditional elements in the system of governance. The purpose of this article is a historical and anthropological analysis of the all-subject report of the Minister of Internal Affairs V.K. Pleve, prepared on the problem of training personnel for the alien administrations, on the example of the Kalmyk steppe of the Astrakhan province. The document discovered in the fonds of the Russian State Historical Archive shows the acuteness of the problem faced by the imperial authorities throughout the late imperial period. The trusteeship system, which was established in the first half of the 19th century, as well as the previously existing institute of bailiffs, needed qualified personnel who could establish a communication channel with the autochthonous population and effectively incorporate them into the all-imperial space. In the course of the study, the career strategies of graduates of the Faculty of Oriental Languages of the Imperial St. Petersburg University who entered the service of the Administration of the Kalmyk people through the Zemsky Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with temporary financial support allocated from the funds of the public Kalmyk capital were examined from the perspective of the prosopographical approach. Among the first four people who tested this innovation were: Dzhanturin S. S., Kozin S.A., Luchich K. V., G. I. Makhinin, but not all of them served in the Kalmyk steppe. In the future, several more scholarship graduates will follow this path. As a rule, getting an education and entering the civil service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs could provide a decent start in the further career of an official. The established trajectory of service in society initially moved graduates of prestigious educational institutions to the imperial fringes, who then sought to secure a more dignified position in the capital or the government offices closest to the capital. In the opinion of the authorities, the language skills they had acquired during their years of study would enable them to adapt in a foreign environment, which would increase the efficiency of the administrative process. The author concludes that only a few of the graduates of the Vostfakt remained to serve in the alien administration. But it was their activity that served for the benefit of the Kalmyk people, leaving a bright trace in their memory.

Establishment of the System of Sanitary and Medical Services for Workers of the Caspian-Volga Fisheries in the Second Half of the XIX - Early XX Century

The authors examine the history of the establishment of the system of sanitary inspection and medical care for workers of the Caspian-Volga fisheries. There is considered the fishing legislation of the XIX - early XX century. It is stated that, despite the approved rules, fishery workers actually had no qualified medical care, the provision of which was entrusted to the owners of the fishing business. The authors come to the conclusion that the supervision of the sanitary condition of the fisheries was not effective due to a number of reasons: unresolved personnel problems, the large territorial expanses of sanitary areas with a lack of vehicles for sanitary doctors, the difficulties of bureaucratic interaction between the Department of Fisheries and Seal Fisheries, regional authorities and owners of the fishing business, etc. The shortcomings of the sanitary and medical services for fisheries, as well as the specific geographical location and natural and climatic conditions of the Astrakhan province contributed to the wide spread of various epidemic diseases. Due to the lack of the public free healthcare system and qualified medical personnel, there emerged infectious diseases, which led to high mortality among fishery workers.

Features of the process of allocating land to the Astrakhan Tatars in the Astrakhan province in the first half of the 19th century in the light of the characteristics of their socio-legal status

The publication presents an analysis of the materials of the case "By the Decree of the Governing Senate on the allotment of the lands of the Kundra, Yurt and Emesh Tatars", deposited in the fund no.383 "First Department of the Ministry of State Property" of the Russian State Historical Archive. These materials date back to 1839–1847. The case was initiated in connection with the completion of the process of sedentarization of Astrakhan (Yurt, Emesh and Kundra) Tatars in the first third of the 19th century and the need to endow them with land on the basis of a Senate decree. The sparsely populated Astrakhan province predetermined the highest "proportion" of allotment of land to Astrakhan Tatars – 15 tithes per male. The documents of the case are interesting because they clarify several issues related to the history of the Astrakhan (Yurt) Tatars: the socio-legal status (Russian subjects and state peasants), the attitude to conscription and the amount of taxation, the number of Yurt, Emesh and Kundra Tatars in the 1830s; a clear definition in the source of belonging to the Tatar world. The documents presented in this publication indicate the interest of the Russian authorities in the final consolidation of the socio-legal status of the Tatar population of Astrakhan province as a settled taxable population with a clearly defined set of state duties. The authorities were also interested in finalizing the boundaries of rural settlements and securing land holdings for Yurt-Tatar societies in order to avoid land disputes between different owners.
 For citation: Imasheva M.M. Features of the process of allocating land to the Astrakhan Tatars in the Astrakhan province in the first half of the 19th century in the light of the characteristics of their socio-legal status. From History and Culture of Peoples of the Middle Volga Region. 2023, vol.13, no.4, pp.180–188. https://doi.org/10.22378/2410-0765.2023-13-4.180-188 (In Russian)

The Failed Kalmyk Pilgrimage to Tibet at the Beginning of the 19<sup>th</sup> Century: Historical and Source Study Aspect (Based on the Materials of the State Archive of the Astrakhan Region)

For the first time in Russian historiography, the article analyzes the collection of documents from the State Archive of the Astrakhan Region and the Russian State Historical Archive related to the failed pilgrimage of the Kalmyk Buddhist clergy’s representatives to Tibet at the beginning of the 19th century. A significant amount of interdepartmental correspondence accompanied the whole preparation process for this pilgrimage, which was supposed to be part of the government policy on developing the Russian-Chinese diplomatic cooperation. The permission for Buddhist clergy to contact fellow believers in Tibet followed the organization of the Russian embassy to China in 1805, headed by Yu. A. Golovkin. The Russian government expected the successful completion of the embassy, one of the tasks of which was to get free access for Russian citizens to Tibet. Kalmyk pilgrims, escorted by government officials, should be the first Russians officially granted by China to visit Tibet in the second half of the 18th century. The unsuccessful completion of the embassy prevented the pilgrimage from realization but intensified the interaction of the Russian government with the Buddhist clergy of the Kalmyk steppe. The article provides information on compensation for the expenses of the Kalmyk clergy, the organization of the trip of lamas to St. Petersburg, and the permission to build a Buddhist temple in the Astrakhan province at the request of one of the participants of the never-realized pilgrimage. The article presents a transliteration and a modern (diachronic) translation of two letters written by the Kalmyk clergy in “todo bichig” (“Clear Script”) to representatives of the Russian government.

Report in Documentary Communication in Southern Region of Russia during First Half of 18th Century

This article examines the report as a new type of document in the business writing system of the first half of the 18th century. The aim is to identify common and distinctive features of reports from various institutions in the southern region of Russia. The materials used for this study are documents from the Don Army (State Archive of the Volgograd Region) and the Astrakhan Province (National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia). Through a comparative analysis of their content, functions, and speech organization, it is revealed that all reports were submitted from subordinate subjects to superiors, served informative purposes, and occasionally served as accompanying documents. They shared a similar form (addressee, addresser, title, main text, date, place of creation), although there were variations in the placement of requisites, document titles, and addresser formulas. Differences were also identified, such as the larger number of reports in the documentation of the Don Army and their frequent use as accompanying documents, while Astrakhan reports often contained financial reports. In Don reports, the addresser was referred to in the final formula as “about this report,” while Astrakhan reports only included their name (or signature). It can be concluded that reports were increasingly integrated into official communication, becoming firmly established in the military sphere, and their form became more standardized, reflecting the development of common rules for document management.

Ecogeographic study of peanut accessions from the VIR collection

Background. It has been shown that southern oilseeds, including peanuts, can be successfully grown in the south of the Russian Federation under the conditions of Krasnodar Territory and Astrakhan Province. Currently, only two peanut cultivars are included in the State Register of the Russian Federation: ‘Otradokubansky’ and ‘Astrakhansky 5’. Development of raw material for obtaining new peanut cultivars adaptable to the growing conditions in Krasnodar Territory and Astrakhan Province is a relevant task.Materials and methods. We examined 57 peanut accessions of various origins from the VIR collection. The study of peanut accessions for agronomic characters was carried out in two ecogeographic sites located in Krasnodar Territory and Astrakhan Province. Cv. ‘Otradokubansky’ was used as a reference. ANOVA was applied for statistical data processing.Results and discussion. A wide range of variability in agronomic characters was revealed during the study of peanut accessions. The most stable character was the 1000 seed weight. The share of the genotype the variability of productivity was from 30 to 40%. A great effect of soil and climate factors and the place of cultivation on the ripening of beans was observed. Seed yield depended on the genotype (60–70%) as well as on the temperature factors and the presence of moisture in the soil. The best accessions were selected according to their agronomic characters; they may serve as promising material for breeding. Some accessions are able to produce a good harvest either in Astrakhan Province or Krasnodar Territory, while others can do it regardless of the place of cultivation. This study confirmed the possibility of growing peanuts in Astrakhan Province on medium loamy soils under irrigation, or in Krasnodar Territory on black earth without irrigation.

The problem of the position of magistrates in the social life of the Kalmyks of the second half of the XIX century

The object of the research focuses on the formation of the Kalmyks' legal institution during the integration of the Kalmyk ethnos into the Russian Empire. The subject of the article is the most problematic aspects of the situation of magistrates and world congresses of the Kalmyk steppe in the Astrakhan province. The chronological framework of the work covers the second half of the XIX century. The purpose of the study is to analyze the main provisions of the transformation of magistrates' courts in the social environment of the Kalmyks, review the historiographical base on this topic and assess the Kalmyk judicial system of the XIX century in the process of integration of the Kalmyk society of Astrakhan province into the Russian state. The paper uses theoretical research methods, such as system analysis of available sources, deduction and historicism. The research is based on materials from the State Archive of the Astrakhan region and the Russian State Historical Archive. Modern legal science is actively studying the historical experience of the formation and evolution of the Russian multinational state. An important task of scientific knowledge is the study of the genesis of legal institutions in the history of various ethnic groups and ethnic groups, as well as the development of optimal models of their management. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the initial study of the problem of the transformation of magistrates' courts in Kalmykia. The results of the study make a significant contribution to the history of national suburbs, allow us to better understand the importance of reforming management mechanisms in them and emphasize the main features of national legal policy that can be applied in modern social development.

On the question of natural duties and the design of tracts in the Social Life of the Inner Horde of the late XIX - early XX century

The subject of the study is the system of natural duties among the Kazakh population of the Inner (Bukeevskaya) Horde as part of the Astrakhan province in the period from 1893 to 1909. The object of this study is to analyze the issue of replacing the existing natural duties of the Kazakhs of the Horde with monetary service.The purpose of the study is to reveal the main provisions of the issue of replacing natural duties and designing a system of paths on the territory of the Inner Horde, based on previously unused archival materials. When writing the work, the problem-chronological method and the system analysis of available archival sources were used. Of particular value is the archival material from the fund of the Office of the Astrakhan Civil Governor, which is the only source of data revealing the problems of replacing natural duties among the Kazakhs of the Inner Horde. An important research material was the revision note of State Councilor Kraft, a former official of special assignments at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Earlier in the scientific circles studying regional history, the issues of the replacement of duties among the Kazakhs did not receive sufficient coverage, since in historical science the issues of the general state of the Internal Horde, statistical information, the state of the economy, social life were touched upon. This study is the first comprehensive study of the problems of replacing natural duties and designing a system of paths among the Kazakhs of the Inner Horde in the post-reform period. It introduces scientific novelty based on the analysis of new archival materials, and also allows us to identify the need to revise and change the existing natural duties, taking into account the principles of justice, the real needs and capabilities of the population of the Inner Horde.

On the Kalmyk cattle census of the late XIX – early XX century: based on the materials of the instructions of the cattle census

The subject of the article is the rules of the census of livestock among the Kalmyks of the Astrakhan province, in accordance with the established instructions. The chronological framework covers the late XIX – early XX centuries. The object of the study was the Kalmyk cattle census program. The purpose of the study is to disclose the main provisions of the instructions for the registration of pets on the territory of the Kalmyk steppe, based on previously unused archival materials. The methodology of the work applied the principles of historicism, system analysis of available sources. Of particular value are archival materials from the fund of the Astrakhan Civil Governor's Office, which are currently the only source covering the rules of the Kalmyk cattle census. Earlier, in scientific circles studying regional history, the issue of livestock census was not considered. Usually, in historical science, issues of the general state of cattle breeding and statistical data obtained as a result of the livestock census were touched upon, but the process of the livestock census itself was not studied. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the first description of a detailed algorithm for accounting Kalmyk cattle of the post-reform period. The results of the study, in addition to the introduction of new archival materials into scientific circulation, revealed: the role of each representative of the Kalmyks' social groups in the production of the livestock census, the chronological framework of the census itself and additional conditions for its production.

Система природопользования в решениях общественных сходов кочевых инородцев

The subject of the research of this article is the social sentences adopted at the gatherings of nomadic peoples, on the example of the Kalmyks of the Astrakhan province in the last third of the XIX — early XX century, reflecting the rational behavior of nomads in relation to the environment. The basis of the source base was documentary materials from the collections of the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia. The research methodology is based on the use of problem-chronological and comparative methods of scientific research. In the course of the study, the author focuses on three areas: land use, water supply and rodent control. In conclusion, it is concluded that respect for the environment is a legacy of traditions developed over several generations and fixed by the norms of customary law, and subsequently approved by imperial legislation. However, practical experience shows that not all areas of activity of the imperial government aroused the interest of the nomadic population and did not always correspond to rational behavior, which was more subject to the norms of customary law

First record of Lasioglossum adabaschum (Blüthgen, 1931) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) from Europe with description of hitherto unknown male

Lasioglossum adabaschum (Blüthgen, 1931), a species hitherto known only from the holotype collected in Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), is reported from Europe (Russia: Kalmyk Republic and Astrakhan Province). The species is closely related to L. pallidum (Radoszkowski, 1888) known from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Russia. Lasioglossum adabaschum can be easily distinguished from L. pallidum by the mostly black body (versus almost entirely ochre- or whitish-yellow). The male of Lasioglossum adabaschum is here described for the first time. The known fauna of Europe numbers 2,131 species of bees.

Images from camera traps taken in 2020–2021 used to analyse biodiversity and monitor the saiga population in the Stepnoi Reserve, Astrakhan province, Russia

Images from camera traps taken in 2020–2021 used to analyse biodiversity and monitor the saiga population in the Stepnoi Reserve, Astrakhan province, Russia

Архивный фонд И-2 «Комиссия калмыцких дел» Национального архива Республики Калмыкия как источник по изучению организации делопроизводства и документооборота в Калмыкии в первой половине XIX в. (на примере рассмотрения проекта об оспопрививании в калмыцких улусах, разработанного инспектором Соломоном в 1832 г.)

Introduction. In pre-revolutionary Kalmykia in the first half of the 19th century the activities of the authorities to manage the Kalmyk people, as well as the procedure for organizing work with documents, were regulated by the “Rules for the management of the Kalmyk people” of March 10, 1825 and the “Regulations on the management of the Kalmyk people” of November 24, 1834. The work is devoted to the study of record keeping and document flow in the Commission of Kalmyk Affairs, which carried out the administrative management of the Kalmyk steppe of the Astrakhan province, to identify common features with the all-Russian order of organizing work with documents and features in Kalmyk paperwork. Materials and methods. The research is based on the study of documents from the archive fund I-2 “Commission of Kalmyk Affairs” of the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia. In the process of studying this fund, historical research methods were used, which made it possible to identify, analyze, introduce new archival data into scientific circulation and establish their value as a historical source. Analysis. The study of the composition and content of documents created during the activities of the Commission of Kalmyk Affairs (1825–1836) made it possible to specify the procedure for organizing work with them. Using the example of the adoption of the “Regulations on smallpox vaccination in the Kalmyk uluses” (1839), developed by inspector Solomon, the author examined the procedure for considering and adopting a regulatory document. Results. The study revealed that archival documents created during the period of activity of the Commission of Kalmyk Affairs are unique written sources of the organization of office work and document flow in pre-revolutionary Kalmykia. These studies can become a source for further development of the topic of the state structure of Kalmykia, the relationship with the central authorities, the formation and development of the healthcare system in one of the national outskirts of pre-revolutionary Russia.