Marzoev, Islam-Bek T.
Izvestia SOIGSI. 2020. IIS 38 (77).

Abstract:
Information about the population, its size, composition and local distribution has been collected
by many states since ancient times. Such information could only be obtained as a result of population
censuses, which had direct practical, applied significance and served the fiscal, military and
administrative purposes of the state. The first information about the conducted population counts in
Kievan and Novgorod Rus dates back to the 8th century. For several centuries, land and household
censuses were carried out in Russia. By the decree of Peter I in 1718, the beginning of the poll censuses
was laid, which were supposed to provide data for taxing the population with a per capita tax and
drawing up a recruitment allocation. The article processes previously unpublished materials from the
census of the male population of Ossetian societies, which was compiled in 1863 by the Commission
for determining the personal and land rights in the Ossetian district. The originals of family lists are
hand-filled tabular forms consisting of three columns. The data obtained in the course of the work of
the Commission is a valuable historical source. The scientific and practical significance of this census
lies in the information it contains about the life of ten Ossetian societies, the number of settlements
and the male population in them, their social composition, and rich factual material for genealogical
research.

Keywords: Russia, North Caucasus, Ossetia, Ossetians, population census, genealogy

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