Novorossiya

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Novorossiya (Novorossiia) (Russian: Новоро́ссия, literally New Russia) is a historic area now mostly located in southern Ukraine, and partially in southern Russia.

The western part of New Russia (between Dnister and Dniepr rivers) was known as the province of Yedisan in the Ottoman Empire, and was previously inhabited, as well as the central part, by the Nogai Horde.

The Russian Empire gradually gained control over the area by peace treaties with Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of Russo-Turkish Wars of 1735-1739, 1768-1774, 1787-1792, and 1806-1812. The colonization of the land in the end of 18th century was led by prince Potemkin who was granted the powers of an absolute ruler of the area by Catherine the Great. The lands were generously given to Russian dvoryanstvo (nobility ) and the enserfed peasantry from Russia and Ukraine was transferred to cultivate what was a sparsely populated steppe. Also Catherine the Great invited to the lands European settlers: Germans, Poles, Italians, Greeks, Yugoslavians, and others.