The author studied the Zalazna factories of Vyatka Province on the basis of the materials of the First General Population Census of the Russian Empire in 1897. The social and ethno-confessional structure of the factory population, their birthplace, occupation and income sources, literacy and demographic situation were analyzed using methods of historical (historical-systemic, comparative, statistical) research. The results of the study made it possible to comprehensively characterize the population of Zalazna factories in comparison with that of neighboring industrial centers, and provincial and nationwide indicators. The author concludes that the factory society was characterized by relative social and ethno-confessional homogeneity at the end of the 19th century: Peasants, Russians, Orthodox, mostly local natives prevailed here. The factory administration was headed by nobles of the south-western province - Polish Catholic and Ukrainian specialists. Merchants and state peasants traded. They were Tatars (Muslims) and Udmurts (Orthodox). The study of the employment showed that labor in the metallurgical industry was the main source of income for residents of factory settlements. There were contacts between the population of Zalazna and other enterprises of Vyatka and Perm Provinces. Men supplied Zalazna factories with raw materials and fuel, worked in production, engaged in crafts; women were mainly engaged in the household and worked as hired servants. A significant part of the population was temporarily or permanently absent at the time of the census. The facts of finding a job outside the Zalazna factories and combining professions to generate income from several sources were an indirect confirmation of the crisis phenomena in the economy of mining enterprises in the second half of the 19th century. The study of the literacy level of the factory people revealed the dependence on class, age and gender. Younger children, the older generation, most of the women were illiterate. Nobles had the maximum literacy rate, state peasants and Tatar merchants who studied in their native language had the minimum literacy rate. The education of the majority of the population was limited to the program of the zemstvo school. Finally, the analysis of the census forms showed that demographically the population of the Zalazna factories had predominantly nuclear two-generation households; a noticeable percentage of young people, along with a small proportion of elderly and senile people, could indicate a low life expectancy.
