SCHIMBĂRI ÎN STRUCTURA SOCIALĂ A SOCIETĂŢII BASARABENE CONFORM „REGULAMENTULUI” DIN 29 APRILIE 1818

Abstract

In this paper, based on archival and published sources, the changes that occurred in social structure of Bessarabian society after the application in Bessarabia of the Regulation of 29th April 1818 are analyzed. The author ascertains that in order to maintain its dominance in the newly annexed territory tsarism used the already known means of displacement of titular nation, largely applied at the national pe riphery of the Russian empire – the change of demographic structure by colonization of lands with foreigners – Russians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Gagau- zians, Germans, Greeks, Armenians, Jews etc.; denationalization of Bessarabian Romanians – russification by education, state administration, the policy of dispersal of population; alienation of spiritual values of the nation and composing of a cosmopolite elite, based on a different system of values, heterogeneous for Romanian people etc. The author demonstrates that a special role in accomplishing of social policy, which appeared quite pronounced right after the annexation, was played by the tsarism’s attitude toward different social categories of the population, especially by support of laic and ecclesiastic proprietors, granting of land to Russian nobles, intense colonization of the territory etc., that eventually generated a catenation of protests and demands of peasants and townspeople against this regime. As a result, the baleful consequences of social policy promoted by imperial administration manifested during the whole period of the Russian domination, and the outcomes caused by truncation of the Country and dismembering of the people are still felt even today.