The 1905–1906 Crisis in Bogoslovsky Mining District as Reflected in Telegraphic Messages

Abstract

This article traces the dramatic events of the turn of the year 1905/1906 in Bogoslovsky, one of the largest mining districts of the Urals, owned by a joint-stock company. At that time, the district experienced the highest phase of its financial crisis, which was a consequence and manifestation of a nationwide economic crisis that engulfed Russian metallurgy in the early 20th century, as well as the revolution that was unfolding in the country. The reflection of this crisis at the microlevel makes it possible to feel the tension of those days and the reaction of those directly involved and witnesses of the events. The main source of information is telegraphic messages the representatives of the mining department, i.e. the district engineer and the chief manager of the Ural plants exchanged with the managing district and the directors of the St Petersburg Board of the Bogoslovsky Mining Society. Reference to them facilitates the interpretation of the processes that took place in the district. It becomes possible to trace the growth of financial problems in the district and the related delays in wages to workers, to find out the ways they used to survive facing the lack of money and the dynamics of sentiment, which evolved from patient expectations accompanied by complaints to the organisation of a strike. Furthermore, the author describes the measures the officials of the mining supervision and the district manager took to overcome the crisis in the factories as well as the measures taken by the directors of the Management Board and shareholders in St Petersburg. The article also traces the reaction of government agencies to the “Bogoslovsky crisis”. The author determines the methods and amounts of financial assistance rendered to the district by the state, which makes it possible to clarify information about it in scholarly literature. It is proved that the peak of the crisis was overcome due to the patience of the workers, sensible actions of the local management that did not allow the production to stop, and the insistence of the creditors who made up the “anti-crisis management” in the capital.

Keywords

• Урал
• горнозаводская промышленность
• Богословский горный округ
• Государственный банк
• горный надзор
• антикризисное управление
• подтоварные ссуды.