Metric Books of the Intercession Church in the Village of Komyshi in 1723–1734 as a Source of Studying the Society of the Hetmanate Period

The purpose of the article is to find out the historical and demographic characteristics and socio-demographic behaviour of the population of the Hetmanate, namely to analyze the main demographic and statistical categories - birth and death rates on the basis of metric records of the Intercession Church in the village of Komyshi of Hrun Hundred of the Hadiach Regiment in the first half of the 18th century. The methodological basis of the study is based on the principles of systematicity, anthropologization, and interdisciplinarity. The study uses a number of general scientific, special scientific, and problem-specific methods, including quanatitative historical and demographic methods and a microhistorical approach. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that for the first time the population of Komyshi village of the little-known and poorly studied Hrun Hundred of the Hadiach Regiment of the Hetmanate was the object of a comprehensive socio-demographic study. The article reveals the historical and demographic characteristics and socio-demographic behaviour of the population of this village; analyzes birth and death rates based on the metric records of the local Intercession Church; shows the natural reproduction and dynamics of population growth. Conclusions. The study established the number of female and male children born in the period from 1723 to 1734 in the village of Komyshi of Hrun Hundred of the Hadiach Regiment; the fertility rate was determined, which is estimated as high, and it was found to be lower than the average for Ukraine and other parishes of Hrun Hundred; the birth rate was determined, which is estimated as high, and it was found that it is lower than the average for Ukraine and other parishes of Hrun Hundred; it was proved that in different years the birth rate was different: from 13.7% to 50%; it was found that, despite the high mortality rate in the parish, the population growth remained positive and amounted to +91 people, although the figures fluctuated in different years from –27 to +41; a pattern was identified: the birth and death charts in Komyshi resemble each other. Our findings are part of a broader demographic study of the Hadiach Regiment and the Hetmanate and are mainly practical in nature.