УРАЛЬСКИЕ ЗАВОДЧИКИ XVIII — НАЧАЛА XX В.: ВАРИАНТЫ ПРЕЕМСТВЕННОСТИ ПРАВА ВЛАДЕНИЯ

Abstract

Based on extensive information from the history of the Ural mining factory owners Stroganovs, Demidovs, Lazarevs, Vsevolozhsky, Beloselsky-Belozersky, Balashovs, Yakovlevs and Turchaninovs, the paper considers both typical and specific options for the continuity of ownership of factories during the change of generations. It is shown that this procedure in the 18th — early 20th century was regulated by legislation that established binding rules, but at the same time provided its participants with a fairly wide range of options for the transit of ownership. At the same time, the composition of heirs acquired paramount importance, it could be either simple, including only the owner’s sons or daughters, or complex, including persons of both sexes, representatives of several generations or lateral lines of the genus. A significant influence was also exerted by the form of organization of inherited property, which represented either extensive and rather amorphous “mining empires”, which was characteristic of the 18th century, or balanced and stable territorial-economic complexes — mining districts, as in the 19th — early 20th centuries. In the first case, a “natural” division of factories between the heirs became possible, in the second one, the “share” division was more rational while maintaining the common ownership of several heirs. However, this option led to the formation of multiple ownership which was characterized by unpredictability of the further fate of the “family business”. The family’s economic possibilities played a certain role too, making it possible to carry out the monetary and/or property “allocation” of a part of the heirs. This led to a reduction in the number of owners and the achievement of the main goal — the establishment of stable and conflict-free ownership and management of the mining plant estate.