Candidate of historical sciences, associate professor Head of the Scientific research Department of  History, Archaeology and Ethnology  Ob-Ugric institute of applied researches and development Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia [email protected]
Abstract. The article studies the phenomenon of province. The concept of province is widely used in the scientifi c publications. This active usage testifi es the objective social realize existence. The province is genetically connected to the city, but does not include only the city. In Russia the components, compiling the provincial world, were non-capital cities, country estates, major factorial settlements and monasteries. There exists a certain «third» culture which is characteristic for the province and exists between the capital and the country. It kept limited intermediary functions, connected with the rapid country modernization.