European communities and their place in the urban interethnic division of labor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (using the example of St. Petersburg and Tomsk)

The article focuses on reconstructing the role of European communities (Jewish, German, and Polish) in the system of ethnic labor division in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The issue is examined through the case studies of urban economies in St. Petersburg and Tomsk. The primary source for this historical-comparative research is the aggregated data from the First General Census of the Russian Empire in 1897. Additional sources include statistical records on the entrepreneurial activities of members of these communities, drawn from published materials and archival documents (the Russian State Historical Archive, the State Archive of the Tomsk Region), as well as reference publications from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The study found that the Jewish, German, and Polish communities were sizable, and their relative comparability allowed for an analysis of their role in the economic life of both cities. Living in an ethnically and religiously diverse environment, as well as facing legal restrictions on certain occupations at different historical periods (for Jews and exiled Poles), compelled community members to develop various adaptive strategies. These strategies enabled them to adjust to new conditions and integrate into the host society. One such strategy was active participation in the emerging labor division. Both in St. Petersburg and other cities (such as Tomsk), Jews, Germans, and Poles managed to integrate into urban economies. This was facilitated by the underdeveloped local labor market, their traditional expertise in certain economic sectors, and entrepreneurial initiative, which helped establish new branches of regional economies. In both St. Petersburg and Tomsk, these communities had a significant presence in education, distilling and brewing, watchmaking, surgical and musical instrument production, jewelry and luxury goods manufacturing, tailoring, and running taverns and hotels. Over time, the role of ethnicity in the production of goods and services diminished, giving way to economic considerations. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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