Russian Empire Census of 1897 was the first and the only census carried out in the Imperial Russia. In recorded demographic data as of January 15 (January 28 O.S.), 1897. The Russian Empire in 1913 Greater Arms of the Russian Empire, adopted in 1882 Simplified Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire Flag of Russian Empire 1858-1883 Flag of Russian Empire 1914-1917 Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In Britain and countries of the British Empire, Old Style or O.S. after a date means that the date is in the Julian calendar, in use in those countries until 1752; New Style or N.S. means that the date is in the Gregorian calendar, adopted on 14 September... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Previously, the Central Statistical Bureau issued statistical tables based on fiscal lists (ревизские списки).

The project of the census was suggested by a famous Russian geographer, chief of the Central Statistical Bureau Petr Semenov-Tianshanski (Pyotr Semyonov-Tianshansky) in 1877. It was approved by tsar Nicholas II in 1895. A geographer is a crazy psycho whose area of study is geocrap, the pseudoscientific study of Earths physical environment and human habitat and the study of boring students to death. ... Tsar (Bulgarian цар, Russian царь, â–¶(?); often spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English), was the title used for the autocratic rulers of the Bulgarian Empire in 913-1396/1422 and 1908-1946, in Serbia in the middle of the 14th century, and in Russia from 1547 to 1917... Nicholas II can refer to: Pope Nicholas II Tsar Nicholas II of Russia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The census was performed in two stages. At the first stage (December 1896 — January 1897) the counters (135,000 persons: literate soldiers, teachers and priests) visited all households and filled the questionaries, which were verified by local census managers. At the second stage (December 28 (O.S.), 1897) the counters simultaneously visited all households to verify and update the questionaries. In Britain and countries of the British Empire, Old Style or O.S. after a date means that the date is in the Julian calendar, in use in those countries until 1752; New Style or N.S. means that the date is in the Gregorian calendar, adopted on 14 September...

The data processing took 8 years using the Hollerith card machines. The publishing of the results started in 1898 and ended in 1905. In total, 117 volumes for 89 guberniyas, as well as a two-volume summary were issued. The punch card (or Hollerith card) is a recording medium for holding information for use by automated data processing machines. ... Guberniya (also gubernia, guberniia, and gubernya) (Russian: губе́рния) was a major administrative subdivision of the Imperial Russia, usually translated as province or Governorate General. ...

The questionary contained the following questions:

• Family name, given name, patronymic or nickname (прозвище)
• Gender
• Relation with respect to the head of the family or household
• Age
• Marital status
• Social status: sosloviye, rank , or title (сословие, состояние, звание)
• Place of birth
• Place of registration
• Usual place of residence
• Notice of absence
• Faith
• Mother language
• Literacy
• Occupation (profession, trade, position of office or service), both primary and secondary

In census summary tables, nationality was based on the declared mother language of respondents. A family name, or surname, is the part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ... A given name specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name. ... A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the name of ones father. ... A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Tom is short for Thomas). ... First language (native language, mother tongue, or vernacular) is the language a person learns first. ... Nationality is, in English usage, the legal relationship between a person and a country. ...

The second Russian Census was scheduled for 1915, but was cancelled because of the World War I. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machine guns, and poison gas. ...

Census results

The results of the census is too broad to publish, but its online Russian verision can be found here: demoscope.ru.

The total population of the Russian Empire was recorded to be 125,640,021 people (50.2 % female, 49.8 % male).

Reference

• Первая всеобщая перепись населенiя Россiйской Имперiи, 1897 г. Изданiе центральнаго статистическаго комитета министерства внутреннихъ делъ. Под редакцiею Н.А. Тройницкаго (The First Total Census of Russian Empire. A publication of the central statictical bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Editor H.A.Troynitsky)