The article in the light of the modernization theory explains how to change the age and gender of marital and family structures guild merchants Yenisei province in the 60-ies. XIX - early XX centuries. Particular attention is paid to the processes of transformation of traditional society into an industrial-based analysis of demographic indicators of the merchant class. In archival materials, many of which are first introduced into scientific circulation shows age and sex and family and marriage patterns of guild merchants. A comparison study with other indicators of Siberian regions and national trends. It was revealed that the family and marriage structure of the merchants of the Yenisei province in the study period was influenced by traditional norms, although the trend towards degradation of family forms, first of all, the patriarchal type, characteristic of the rise of modernization processes, traced, especially in urban areas. The dynamics of the age and sex structure, indicative of the stabilization of migration flows in the region, indicating that the «smoothing» of the colonial specifics of the region
