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Economic activities of the Jews leasing private land were also success-
ful. Despite the absence of state support most of the tenants were in satis-
factory condition (as officials estimated).
In the second half of the 19
th
century the development of Jews agricul-
tural activities was artificially interrupted by bans on agricultural lease for
Jews in the 80–90’s of the 19
th
century.
Since the 70’s of the 19
th
century the concept of a Jewish farmer be-
came generally accepted as the new generation of settlers was formed.
They were people who grew up on the land and were accustomed to agri-
cultural work from their childhood. Formation of such a generation of Jew-
ish settlers served as a proof of the failure of anti-Semitic statements of
Jewish inability to agricultural labour spread by Russian journalists and
public figures.
Anti-Jewish pogroms that took place in the Jewish colonies proved
that such phenomenon was typical only for cities. At the same time, spon-
taneous rural anti-Jewish pogroms were highly questionable. In rural ar-
eas the Jews were even less protected by the authorities than in urban ar-
eas, because the police forces and the army, from which one could expect
protection, were far away and did not hurry to respond to events quickly.
Thus, the rural authority structures showed even more helpless in protect-
ing the Jewish population from the thugs than it was in cities.
By the early 20
th
century Jewish agricultural colonies formed some
elements of infrastructure such as self-government system and the organi-
zation of community life, healthcare, education, the efficiency of which
sometimes surpassed the efficiency of the same structures in the
neighbouring Christian rural areas.
The inconsistency and illogicality of the Russian imperial policy in the
Jewish question was also clearly revealed in the organization of the Jewish
agricultural colonization. No doubt, if the policy was more intelligent and
far-sighted, it could have more successful outcome.
Jewish colonization developed not due to but often despite govern-
ment policy. Successful Jewish colonization was a unique occurrence in the
history of European Jewry in the 19
th
– early 20
th
centuries.
Its success prompted the leaders of the Zionist Palestinephile move-
ment to the organization of the agricultural development of Palestinian
land (the first Aliyah) by Jewish youth, which was one of the prerequisites
to creation of state Israel.