THE CITY OF NOVY OSTROPIL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 18TH CENTURY

Authors

  • Mykola Blyzniak

Keywords:

townspeople, Novy Ostropil, Volyn Voivodeship, Filvark, Craftsmen, duties, Christians, Jews

Abstract

The article attempts to analyze the socio-economic issues surrounding the development of the city of Novy Ostropil as one of the urban settlements on the territory of south-eastern Volyn in the middle of the 18th century. During this period, the city received confirmation of royal privilege for self-government and continued to use it in solving everyday problems of Magdeburg law. Novy Ostropil was owned by Franzyshko-Ferdinand Lubomyrskyi, who leased it for three years to Barbara-Ursula Sangushko in the middle of the 18th century. For this purpose, the rental inventory of the city was compiled in 1751 and has survived to our time. Therefore, the city first became the object of the profits of its owners and tenants. The agricultural sector played a critical role in the life of the city. Based on the inventory, a detailed architectural image and layout and a list of the buildings in the stockade were restored. The latter were made of pine and oak wood, some elements were made of linden, and the roofs were covered with straw, etc. Among the buildings in the Filvark complex was "Izba", which housed Governor S. Chernetsky. Vinnytsia was one of the city's Filvark structure's profitable objects. The city worked in the city "Entrance" on "Khmelnytskyi Black Way", where its exterior and interior were presented. On the river, Sluch’s two mills are arranged according to two and three millstones with steps and foils.
201 households in the city were recorded in the inventory (86.5% were Christians and 13.5% were Jews). Ukrainians dominated here, followed by Poles, and there were the fewest Jews. The Jewish communities of Novy Ostropil and Old Ostropil did not create a single kagal. It was divided into two separate parts, each of which was part of the Kagali of the two nearest cities, Lubar and New Polonny. The number of Jews in Novy Ostropil during 1751–1765 decreased significantly.
Based on the analysis of the inventory, it was possible to obtain separate information about the Ostropil artisans and professional classes of residents of this city. The profession of a shoemaker was among the most sought-after and popular, followed by coopers. The occupation of crafts did not yet give a full opportunity to break with agriculture.
9.5 percent of the city's residents had liberation from general payments and work. In exchange for this, they were engaged to perform certain functions in the structure of the city's economy.
Townspeople living in tenements made up 9.5% of all residents of Novy Ostropil. They were exempted from general city boards and individual duties, but not all. Craftsmen and those engaged in crafts (carriers, millers, winemakers), church ministers, etc., dominated among the peasants. As a whole, in the economic development of the city, primacy belonged to the agricultural sector; therefore, Novy Ostropil should be interpreted as an insignificant urban centre of the agrarian type.

Published

2023-05-03