УТВОРЕННЯ МЕРЕЖІ КРЕДИТНИХ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙ, ЯК ФОРМИ ПІДТРИМКИ Й РОЗВИТКУ ГОНЧАРНОГО ВИРОБНИЦТВА НА ПОЛТАВЩИНІ (1894–1914 рр.)

Abstract

The article focuses on the creation of credit organizations network by the Poltava provincial local council to support and develop handicrafts, in particular pottery, and the production of ceramic refractories. The article looks at several ways of obtaining funds for the development of handicraft industry, especially the pottery industry which was distinguished by the Poltava provincial local council in a separate category, and for raising its production and artistic level. Here belongs the bank industrial loan which was allocated by the state bank, although not all manufacturers could use it. The second way is a well-established mechanism of state financing of pottery educational institutions, in particular the Opishnenskaia, Postavmutskaia workshops, the Mirhorod Art and Industrial School named after Mykola Hohol, as well as provincial tile workshops and tile-and-brick factories, whose network was increasing with each passing year. One more way was formation of mutual benefit funds, credit societies. Their active growth was observed in Romenskyi, Kostyantynohradskyi, Hadyatskyi, Zinkovskyi and Mirhorodskyi counties. Such forms of financial support solved the production problems of most potters of the province. Credit societies were regarded by the zemstvo not only as financial mutual assistance but also as a guarantor of their members’ activity. Poltava provincial zemstvo could act as a guarantor of fulfillment by its member of obligations to organizations-manufacturers of tools for artisanal production. The positive thing was also the fact that financial capability of the credit societies were not limited to their own funds. They could borrow from banks under a contractual arrangement or get the State Bank loans for development of handicraft business. The formation of the credit organizations network by the zemstvo contributed to the development of handicrafts, pottery in particular, as well as to the intensive production of environmentally friendly ceramic refractory materials and to an increase in the economic potential of the province.