FORMATION OF THE ETHNO-CONFESSIONAL COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION OF SEMIPALATINSK IN THE LATE 19th - EARLY 20th CENTURIES
The article examines the history of the formation of the ethno-confessional composition of Semipalatinsk population. Based on the analysis of the 1897 census materials for the Semipalatinsk region, the ratio of representatives of various ethnic and religious groups in the city of Semipalatinsk was revealed. It is shown that despite the polyconfessional composition of the population, in religious terms, Christianity and Islam occupied the key positions. It is determined that the complexity of the ethno-confessional composition of the population predetermined Semipalatinsk’s becoming one of the largest centers of spiritual culture for various religions in the Steppe Governor-General of the Russian Empire.