Frontier Roots of Demographic Stability of Large Modern Russian Settlements in the South of the European Part of Russia

Abstract

The problem of stability and demographic success of a certain part of Russian rural settlements has been the focus of attention of the general public and representatives of various social sciences and humanities for many decades. Historical science finds its place in the study of the deep roots and causes of such stability and success. Even the major works of regional authors, as a rule, cover several decades of the initial history of the first settlements. Only in a few studies, the southern Russian frontier of the 18th – the first half of the 19th centuries is considered in a long historical retrospective. The aim of this research is to compare the paths to the current state of large settlements in the southernmost territories — the so-called second South Russian frontier. The current state of the studied large settlements in the South of European Russia shows that the decisive role in their stability was played by the initial favorable factors including comfortable natural conditions, support from the state, and the high level of socio-economic activity of people. The article provides additional concrete evidence of the positive result achieved by the state and the Russian population in the development of frontier territories through the skillful use of favorable conditions. The paper is intended for the specialists in history and social sciences, students and all those interested in the fate of the South Russian frontier.