Slobodka

Slobodka before 1917

History

XVI century	- Slobodka was a possession of the Great Lithuanian Prince.
Since 1793	- in Russian Empire.
Since 1801	- a shtetle in Minsk District of Minsk Province.

Vital Statistics

Date	Number of Jews	Number of Non-Jews	Commentaries	Specific gravity in total population number
Late XVI century			Jewish population appeared
1889	about 150		Total population	No info
1905	271		Total population	over 50 %

Jewish Life

By 1900 there was 1 praying house in Slobodka.

Economical Review.

Traditional activities of local Jewish population were trade with timber, grain, vegetables and vodka. Since early time Usa river was the main road for Slobodka habitants.

During Russian principality, vodka trade was under state hard control and became less popular among Jewish businessmen. But Russian authorities did a lot to develop the region because of military and fiscal reasons mostly. First of all, old communications were reconstructed there:

- post communications road Ivenets - Rubezhevichi;

- trade road Ivenets - Derevnoye - Stolbtsy.

In XIX, because of development of the AllRussian Market, new types of communications appeared in the region.

Since 1871 the closest rail and telegraph stations were in Nehoreloye (30 km). But it did not effect rapidly to the development of Slobodka. Before 1917 traditional businesses and small trade dominated there absolutely.

In 1889 there were 18 wooden houses and a mill in Slobodka. In 1905 there were about 37 ones there.

There is no any evidence, that there was any significant business or trade enterprise in Slobodka before 1917.

General cultural information.

In the late XIX - early XX century in Slobodka there were an Orthodox church and a primary public school. The closest doctor was in Koydanov (28 km), the closest synagogue, post office and telegraph station were in Ivenets (11 km).