Prior to Emperor Alexander the First Jews in Russia (as a rule) were prohibited from owning land and working on it.
But an abundance of fertile soil in New Russia (Novorossia), a deficit of agricultural workers in that area and  the Russian Government's desire to break up Jewish exclusiveness and encourage the assimilation process led to a decision to permit and even encourage Jewish agricultural settlements in that part of Russia. Such settlements were called koloniya (singlar) or kolonii (colonies, plural) and were created on land owned by the government. The full name of such colonies was "Jewish Agricultural colony" (Yevreyskaya Zemleobrabatyvayushchaya koloniya) The law permitting such colonies was passed in 1804. An additional law, passed in 1835, permitted such colonies in the NW part of Russia and I do know that a small
number of colonies existed in Russian Poland, though I don't have more information on that. Most of the colonies were established in the Crimea, in Kherson and Yekaterinoslav gubernias.

When the Emperor Alexander the Third came to power (fervent anti-Semite) this process was stopped completely and Jews were again prohibited from buying or renting land first in Russia (1882) and then in Russian Poland (1891).
We may consider "koloniya" as a "Jewish derevnya" May I mention here that German immigrants were also invited for the same reason and their settlements were also called "colonies" in official papers. I remember while living in Odessa two such German colonies nearby: "Gross Likhtental' " and Klein Likhtental' "; they were very prosperous.

Source:
I. M Rubinov.  Economic Condition of the Jews in Russia