Forest Management Practices in Economic Activities of Old Believer Semeyskys of Transbaikalia in Second Half of 19th Century

This study analyzes the activities undertaken by forestry administrations in the Transbaikal region and the practices of forest resource utilization by the Semeysky Old Believers in their economic activities during the latter half of the 19th century. Both published and unpublished sources were utilized. The corpus of unpublished materials includes documents related to administrative and regulatory aspects of forestry in the Transbaikal region, housed in the State Archive of Irkutsk Oblast. A comprehensive analysis of these sources enabled an examination of the historical development of territorial forest management structures in Transbaikalia, particularly in areas where Semeysky settlements were located. The focus is on the territory of the TroitskoSavskoye forestry, which spanned the Upper Udinsk district and partially covered the Troitsko-Savskoye district, home to Semeysky communities. The authors highlight intriguing facts about resource-rich areas pertinent to forestry, such as the Malkhansky site known for its nut-gathering resources. Issues related to forest utilization among Old Believers residing within the Kyakhta land grant are identified. It is noted that prior to 1890, forestry administrations had not been established in Transbaikalia, and there were no specialized institutions managing forest resources, leading to uneven exploitation of forest resources and impacting the subsistence systems of Old Believer communities.

forest management, forest planning, conservation and utilization of forests, Transbaikalia, Semeysky Old Believers