Olexander Rusov’s Scientific and Statistical Work

У статті, на основі дослідження значних за обсягом джерел, включаючи маловідомі архівні документи, розглядається науково-статистична діяльність і науковий потенціал відомого вченого, етнографа, фольклориста, громадського діяча Олександра Олександровича Русова. Окреслено його вагомий вклад у розвиток земської статистики. Проаналізовано вагомі статистичні праці та статті науковця, а саме: «Ніжинський повіт» 1879 р., «Опис Чернігівської губернії» 1898 р., «Херсонський повіт», «Харків по перепису 1893 р.» та ін. Розглянуто його участь у таких наукових товариства, як Товариство економістів при Київському комерційному інституті, Товариство любителів соціальних знань, Українське наукове товариство в Києві та інші.In the article based on the research of considerable sources, including not famous archival documents, scientific and statistical activity and scientific potential of a famous ethnographer, folklorist and public figure Alexander Rusov is investigated. A well-known scientist is revealed as a man of great talent and tireless titanic work in the field of the national statistical science development. He is rightly called the «father of Ukrainian rural statistics» because he made a significant contribution to the development of statistical science in Ukraine, developed its credibility in other countries. Olexander Rusov’s Significant contribution to the development of rural statistics is mentioned in the article. His statistical activity in such cities as Chernigov, Nizhin, Elizavetgrad, Odessa, Kherson, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kyiv is also characterized by the author. Significant statistical works and articles such as «The materials on the evaluation of land collected by expeditionary way by statistical office in Chernihiv provincial zemstvo. Vol.1 – Chernihiv district, Vol.2 – Borznenskyy county», «Nijinsky county. Statistical and economic description with the project of property evaluation of the district estate with tables and two maps», «Experience of the program for the study of economic and social relations in the south Russian village», «Materials for land evaluation in Kherson province», «A few words about the territory and population of Ukraine», «The program of statistical and economic research on the territory of the Dnieper and Western Dvina for the project of connection of Riga with Kherson», «Statistics of the Ukrainian population in European Russia» and others are investigated in the article. It is proved that A. Rusov analyzed the socio-economic processes in the southern Ukraine in his works through the prism of liberal consepts. He exposed the crisis in agriculture, class barriers to modernization of economic life, the negative social consequences of economic capitalization and insisted on radical changes in all spheres of social and public life. Alexander Rusov’s participation in such scientific societies as the Society of economists in Kiev Commercial Institute, Society of supporters of social knowledge, Ukrainian Scientific Society in Kiev and others is also investigated in the article