The transbaikal merchants within railway construction plans in inner Asia: role change

The goal of this article is to expose the role of the merchant class in the development of transport infrastructure of Transbaikalia, which would provide economic growth of the region and fulfilling of its role of an outpost on the eastern periphery of the empire. The sources used in the study can be conveniently divided into four groups: correspondence of the military governor of Transbaikalia with regional merchants; protocols of consultations at the governor-general of Irkutsk about construction of the Kyakhta railroad line; reports of the specialists about explorations to build a railroad line through Kyakhta; newspaper articles expressing public opinion on the necessity to create a transportation infrastructure in the East. The analysis of the source base allowed exposing the entire spectrum of opinions about the expediency of railroad construction in the region and defining arguments in favor (and against) building of this or that route as well as prospective sources of its financing. The construction of the Trans-Siberian railroad became the first major state project aimed at development of eastern territories of the Russian Empire. The strive of Russia to further consolidate its positions in the East and economically conquer the Mongolian market awoke to life the plan of constructing the Kyakhta railroad branch connecting China, via Mongolia, with the Trans-Siberian railroad. Two possible scenarios, from Mysovaya to Kyakhta and from Verkhneudinsk to Kyakhta were lobbied by Kyakhta and Verkhneudinsk merchants with prosperity of their towns in mind and readiness to financially support the construction. The final choice was made in favor of the Verkhneudinsk variant as a more suitable for the strategic goals of the empire. However, the First World War and the following turmoil put an end to all construction plans. The merchant "behavior" was in direct dependence with the expected profits. Prospects of the Trans-Siberian railroad sparked interest in the Transbaikalian entrepreneur community. And though at this stage merchants had yet been financially unable to support the state project, it took an active part in the discussion of its implementation. Plans to expand the transportation infrastructure with the further "implementation" into the Mongolian-Chinese space triggered initiative of the Transbaikalian business circles. Realizing the importance of the Kyakhta railroad branch for prosperity of their towns the merchants of Verkhneudinsk and Kyakhta lobbied routes profitable to them, paid for the exploration work in the planned construction sites and showed serious intentions of financially supporting its construction. The merchants of Verkhneudinsk won the competition. The choice of their supported variant was explained by the industrial development and high density of population of the territory through which the railroad line would run, whereas the Mysovaya line would run across lands of the nomads. However, the Russian Empire did not have time to implement the "Kyakhta project".

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