Inclusion of the Altai Mining District Steppe Zone in Economic Activity before the Mass Migrations Era of the Early 20th Century

Abstract

This article is devoted to the description of the steppe territories involving process in the sphere of economic use before the beginning of mass migrations in the region at the beginning of the 20^th century. The authors show that until the end of the 19^th century steppe regions which were located in the western part of the district, were outside the economic interests of both administrative structures and the population of the region. On the one hand, the reason for this was the low quality of steppe lands, which did not allow them to be considered as a possible object of agricultural development in underpopulated conditions of the whole south of Western Siberia. On the other hand, inattention to the steppe part of the Altai mining district was explained by the mono-profile economic orientation of the Cabinet of its Imperial Majesty in the region towards the mining industry. Intuitive rationality aroused interest in the steppe lands of the district only from the side of the nomadic Kazakhs, despite the limitations of the cabinet administration towards them. Gradual changes in the land-migration policy of the Cabinet in Altai in the last third of the 19^th century actualized scientific interest in the steppe territories of the district. The article shows that research of scientists negatively assessed the natural and economic opportunities of steppe lands. As a result, the authors come to the conclusion that the agricultural specialization of the steppe zone of the Altai District at the beginning of the 20th century contradicted the entire preceding scientific and economic development of the region's steppe territories.