Фронтирный кейс русского инженера КВЖД: письма Г. С. Москвитина (1898-1901)

Abstract

In the given research for the first time letters of engineer-railroader Gavriil Stepanovich Moskvitin, who served at the construction of Chinese Eastern Railway, introduced into scientific circulation. Methods microhistory applied in the study of the traditional way of life of railway man in Manchuria. Earlier published sources said almost nothing about the traditional of railroad mans the Chinese Eastern Railway, which is manifested in everyday life, norms and values, behavior, problems of railway workers and many others. The letters like these form a certain system, which has a chronological sequence. It is equally important that, years after these letters were written, sent, received and read, they were preserved as material evidence of human life and were transferred to the Astrakhan archive by sister G. S. Moskvitina. Taking into account that man and society position themselves in space, the author analyzes the process of development and perception of the frontier space of Manchuria by the Russian engineer-railroader at the end of XIX – beginning of XX centuries. To today, the study of perception and development of the frontier space at the level of microhistory requires special attention from the historian, as it allows a better understanding of the functioning of the Russian Empire and its colonies. The author considers that G. S. Moskvitin letters written between 1898 and 1901 performed a number of functions.