An interesting object is kept in the Museum of History and Culture of the city of Orsha
The Museum of History and Culture of the City of Orsha tells about distant and recent events of the past and awaits its visitors at the updated exhibition. However, most of the museum items are hidden in storage and only occasionally leave the walls of the funds. Today we will tell you about one of them.
In the collections of the cultural institution "Museum Complex of History and Culture of Orsha Region" there is an interesting item. It is the medal "For the efforts in the first general census of the population in 1897." The medal was added to the collection in 1999 and was donated by Vladimir Kuzubov.
The first general census of the population, which covered the territory of the Russian Empire (except for the Grand Duchy of Finland beyond Helsinki), was conducted on January 28 (February 9) 1897. On this day, the preliminary census sheets filled out in December 1896 – January 1897 were corrected. In fact, the preparatory work for the census was led by the outstanding geographer and statistician Pyotr Petrovich Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. Since December 1875, he had been at the head of the Statistical Council and increasingly convinced that "accurate knowledge of the number and composition of the population... reflects the degree of development of science and civil achievements."
About 150,000 counters participated in the census, filling out more than 30 million forms. As a rule, the information was collected by people well acquainted with the residents. They were drawn from folk teachers, clergy, retired military officials, and zemstvo activists.
The census sheets contained the following questions: surname, first name, patronymic; mark of physical disabilities; gender; age; relationship to the head of the household and head of their family; marital status; estate; place of birth; registered here, and if not here, then where (for those required to register); where they usually reside; mark of absence and temporary residence; religion; native language; literacy – whether they can read, where they study, studied, or completed their education; occupation – main and secondary.
At first, there were not enough volunteers to act as census takers. On November 21, 1896, by the decree of Emperor Nicholas II, a medal was approved for awarding individuals who participated in the First General Census of the Population as leaders, direct performers, as well as those who voluntarily performed the duties of counters, that is, all who contributed to the success of this event. After that, in many provinces, "the offer of services exceeded the need."
To receive the award, it was necessary to census at least 500 people. Among its holders was Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, who led the counters in the Serpukhov district of Moscow province.
At the Saint Petersburg Mint, 95,000 copies of the medal "For the efforts in the first general census of the population in 1897" were minted from dark bronze with a diameter of 29 mm. However, several types of this award and private minting from light bronze and even silver with a diameter of 25-27 mm are known.
It was worn on the chest on a white-blue-red ribbon. On the front side (obverse) – an image of the monogram of Emperor Nicholas II, surrounded by two laurel branches and crowned with the crown of the Russian Empire. Around the edge between the rim and the wreath is the inscription: "FIRST GENERAL CENSUS OF THE POPULATION." On the reverse side (reverse) – a horizontal inscription in 5 lines: "FOR THE EFFORTS IN THE FIRST GENERAL CENSUS OF THE POPULATION 1897."
Medals of private minting differed somewhat from state-minted medals in the composition of the design and inscriptions.
The next census was planned for 1915, but did not take place due to the outbreak of the First World War.
V. MOISEEVA,
head of the museum of history and culture of Orsha.