Scientific Journal of KubSAU

The study of the Russian-Slavic cultural, political and economic links is quite actual nowadays. At the turn of 18 – 20 centuries Russia was the only independent Slavic state that was a reason of special attention of foreign countries. The most intensive contacts in Slavic world can be found on a regional level. Both pre-revolutional and modern scientists actively explore such aspects as resettlement of Bulgarians to the Kuban, places of their compact location, main activities and further destiny of its members. There is a detailed specification of colonization of Bulagarian landowners from 18 until the beginning of 20 century in the article, based on the archive documents. Also described moments of first appearing of Bulgarians on the Russian territory and particularly in the Kuban. The article is focused on the main stages of economic familiarization and adaptation of settlers to the natural and social features of new locations. The conditions and forms of vital activities in labor, lifestyle, sociopolitical and cultural life that are typical for their social relations are marked in the article. There is also noted that main occupation of Bulgarian settlers was horticulture, where they achieved greatest successes thanks to mastery of artificial irrigation using a special mechanism for that (a big wheel with attached vessels); Hothouse economy, that allowed them to produce thermophilic crops; organization of teams, that assumed collective labor, labor relations and mutual support. To sum up, Bulgarian settlers harmoniously fitted into socio-cultural area of the Kuban region