Rusų kolonistai Alovės valsčiuje XIX a. II pusėje

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Aleksandrovskas; Alovė; Kolonizacija; Rusinimas; Rusų kolonistai; Sentikiai; Valstiečiai; Aleksandrovsk; Alovė; Colonization; Old Believers; Peasants; Rusification; Russian colonists.

ENWhen the anti-Russian January Uprising in Lithuania had been stopped, the Russification policy became active in various areas of life: a ban on all Lithuanian language publications printed in the Latin alphabet was introduced, local people (the Catholics) were not allowed to hold posts in state offices, the landowners and Catholics were restricted in their activities. These actions were aimed at weakening the economic, political and cultural power of the local population. At the same time, colonization intensified. Russian settlers moved to towns and rural areas. They were given state lands as well as the confiscated lands of insurgents, despite the fact that the local population felt the scarcity of farmlands. Separate settlements were created for the newcomers. Moreover, they were protected from the assimilation, ensuring that they did not disperse among the local peasants. On January 1, 1868, the name of the district and the village of Alovė was changed to Aleksandrovskas - in honour of Tsar Alexander II. The residents became accustomed to the new name of the district, yet its centre was still called Alovė. The newcomers were settled on the grounds leased by farms of Balninkai and Nemunaitis from the Nemunaitis Manor in the district of Aleksandrovskas (Alovė). The Russian authorities treated the lands as unnecessary for local residents, despite their requests for permissions to use and work on the lands. At the request of the settlers, the new village was named Swiatorieczje. A settlement established on the territory of the Nemunaitis farm as well as on the state farmlands, was named Pawlowskaja Sloboda. Wyselok Grigorjewka was the name of the settlement established on the state lands and the ones expropriated from Geisčiūnai. At the same time more settlers came to the Alovė district. New villages were established: Nowonikolajewsk, Makarowka, and Jakowlewka. They were inhabited exclusively by the Old Believers.A large number of newcomers were settled in the village of Kalesninkai. [From the publication]