Patrimonial archives of the Tambov landowners’ estates: the documentary heritage nationalization

We consider the potential of the Russian landowners’ estates patrimonial records management as a historical source for the features characteristic of the landlord economy development after the serfdom abolition. We study the fate of patrimonial archives of Russia in the comparative aspect with the history of other countries, mechanisms of values nationalization from the largest Tambov estates, its consequences for documentary collections. An important element of the work was the consideration of historiographical aspects of the work with the private estates document circulation. Consideration of the positions of A.M. Anfimov, L.P. Kovalenko, L.P. Minarik regarding authentic qualities of patrimonial records management allows to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using patrimonial documents in historical research. Specific characteristics of landlords’ records management are considered on the material of a separate Fund of the Novo-Pokrovsky estate in the Tambov Governorate (State archive of the Tambov Region). The Fund combines 1309 units, reflecting the history of the estate from the time of its purchase in 1895 until the liquidation of the estate in 1918. A variety of records management documentation shows the development and complexity of administrative control of a certain manor. The structure of the archive includes orders, circulars and instructions of the Main office to the manager, administrative orders of the chief manager to the heads of individual districts, cases of purchase by count A.V. Orlov-Davydov of other estates in the Tambov Governorate, books of summary budgets of savings, annual reports, abstracts of incoming papers, summary production statistics on individual holdings, credit data. These materials are reliable sources for studying the economic consequences of modernization of large landlords’ economy.

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