Shevchuk-Bela Y. Legal status of national minorities of the South of Ukraine in the structure of the Russian empire at the end of XVIII - at the beginning of XX c.c. (based on materials of Odesa)

The dissertation is a research of the legal status of national minorities of the Russian empire at the end of XVIII - at the beginning of XX c.c. based on materials of Odesa city. The author proceeds from the assumption that a national minority includes a certain group of citizens of the country (or non-citizens who are constant residents on its territory) which is less numerous than other citizens, and is inferior in its position in a society. This causes upholding of the political rights and the establishment of the means of legal defence by this group. The defined group is sufficient for influencing the political life of the region of compact residing of a national minority or the country as a whole. The important attribute of a national minority is the fact that it aspires to preserve the features of the language, culture and religion. For this purpose it creates special establishments, national-cultural centers, educational or charitable societies, etc. The national policy of the Russian empire and the peculiarities of its enforcing on the territory of Southern Ukraine are analysed in this work. The rights of the Greek, Bulgarian, German, Polish, Armenian and Jewish national communities of Odesa city and region and their enactment in laws and other documents of Russian empire are analysed on the basis of the wide range of the written sources used by the author. Characteristic features of drafting the normative-legal basis concerning national minorities rights in the areas of the native language usage and education in the native language; religion, economic activity, representation in city self-government and its practical application are covered in the thesis.