self-government

Caretakers were established in 1779 as “protectors” of settlers. They were mentioned in Nakhchivan only in 1784 (in 1782–1783 – the town governor). Newly appointed by the magistrate in 1837, two custodians functioned until 1844, and their functions were transferred back to the magistrate’s assessors. In 1780, four custodians were appointed in the villages. They, as lower police officers, acting according to the “Instruction” received from the magistrate, existed until the reforms of the 1860s.

Based on documentary sources, the article analyzes the peculiarities of the documentary culture of zemstvo self-government bodies starting from the second half of the 19th century till 1917. The article examines the main types and the types of documents that functioned in the system of documenting the activities of zemstvos and their subordinate institutions.