In the dissertation with the use of a complex of written, historiographical, cartographic, material sources the processes of settlement and economic development of the territory south of the conditional line on the rivers Tyasmin, Velyka Vys, Sinyukha between the rivers Dnieper and Southern Bug during the XVII – first half of the XVIII century «The Zadnieper places», which was used in official Hetman and Russian documents to denote the inhabited territories of the southern Right Bank – the zadnieper territory of the Left Bank Hetmanate.
The historical and geopolitical conditions of the allocation of the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate in a separate economic and administrative territory with its defined borders are analyzed, its administrative-territorial structure is given. The analysis of historiographical sources showed the need to clarify and rethink the fact of the emergence of Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate in the light of state initiatives of the Hetmanate government, which sought to expand its territory to the Dnieper Right Bank. It is determined that the specified territory was not the object of a separate complex and systematic study, and was considered only in passing in the context of the history of other territorial formations of the Right Bank XVII – mid-XVIII century. It was found that the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate as a separate territory appear in the historical arena as a result of the geopolitical realities of the struggle of the three states for control over the steppe part of the Right Bank of Ukraine. The same territory was later set aside for the settlement of serbs and other balkan peoples – New Serbia in 1752.
The reasons, character, rates and level of development of colonization processes on the territory of the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate are revealed. The question of change during the historical time of the territory's separateness – the number of settlements, their status is clarified, the population of the territory is determined, the processes of formation of the church structure of the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate are revealed. The historical and geopolitical conditions of not only the allocation of the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate in a separate territory, but also their influence on the nature and pace of development of the territory are revealed. In general, in the processes of colonization and recolonization of the zadnieper territory of the Hetmanate, we can distinguish four main chronological periods, which were actually determined by the changing geopolitical situation in interstate relations, covering the time from the beginning. XVII century until 1752 – the time of the transfer of Zadnieper places for the settlement of New Serbia. The gradual formation of the territory of the right-bank hundreds of regiments of the Hetmanate indicates the gradual development and settlement of the zadnieper territories through «people's» colonization and implementation of government policy of the Hetmanate, especially since the 30's XVIII century.
The nature and directions of economic development of the region are clarified, the peculiarities of private and commodity-money relations and money circulation in the region are revealed, the reasons and process of departure and transfer of Zadnieper places to New Serbia are revealed. It is noted that the beginning of economic development of the region in the late XVI century was associated with the industrial activities of the population of neighboring right-bank towns, especially Chyhyryn. In the XVII century the polish nobility and cossack officers were involved in the conquest of the region, bringing new economic forms of activity to these territories – beekeeping and milling. These forms of management are becoming the most profitable, and therefore spread since the late 30's of the XVIII century after the final entry into the zadniprovsky territories of the Myrhorod and Poltava regiments of the Hetmanate.
There is no single point of view among researchers on the reasons for the cessation of the existence of the Zadnieper places. Our assertion is generalized that with the creation of New Serbia on the territory of the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate the russian government, first of all, strengthened its borders on the Right Bank; secondly, it limited the economic and military potential and development of the Hetmanate; thirdly, it increased the possibility of controlling the Zaporozhian Sich and laid the foundations for its liquidation in the future; fourth, it formed a bridgehead for expanding its own borders. The chronological and historical process of departure and transfer of the Zadnieper places to New Serbia is presented on the basis of archival documents. Key words: Potyasmynnya, the territory of the Zadnieper places of the Hetmanate, Cossack regiments, colonization, recolonization, property rights, commodity-money relations, creation of New Serbia.
