Russia Germans of Kalmykia: A History of the Ethnic Group from Population Censuses

Introduction. The study deals with Russia Germans of Kalmykia and analyzes the state of the ethnic group (traditionally referred to as a minority across the designated territory) from 1897 to the late 1930s on the basis of census data (1897, 1926, 1939), archival documents, and published works. The relevance of the issue lies in its poor historiography: works examining census data as a historical source on Kalmyk Steppe are few enough, and they actually focus on the indigenous ethnic community (Kalmyks) with only fragmentary reviews of two-three other groups. Goals. The paper seeks to characterize the German ethnic group, which has been integral to Kalmyk Steppe’s population since the late nineteenth century, its demographic features, and social structure. Materials and methods. The study rest on the general scientific principles of historicism and objectivity, and employs the methods of historical reconstruction and system analysis that have proved instrumental in identifying certain demographic changes over time. Results. The German community in Kalmykia started taking its shape in the mid-1870s, and was closely connected with the history of local Estonians, the latter having arrived in Kalmyk Steppe almost simultaneously and founded a settlement next to the German one. The traced growth dynamics attests to the group was enjoying a constant increase since its foundation. Sound facilities and decent educational levels became key to the successful development of both farms (households) and villages joined by German settlers. On arrival in Bolshederbetovsky Ulus, the newcomers immediately built prayer houses in their villages and opened primary parish schools with teachers of their own. These would, on the one hand, facilitate the community’s consolidation in the new place and, on the other hand, ensure the younger generation be brought up in the spirit of ancestral values. Kalmykia’s ethnic Germans were part of the multinational society, but meanwhile tended to preserve some specifics of their culture. According to the Soviet Census of 1939, the size of this group increased 3.5 times compared to the early 1890s. The events witnessed by the following decade changed their history once and for all.