Geopolitics as an “Arbitrator” in the Economic Competition of Trans-Baikal Cities (Mid 19th - Early 20th Century)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the economic rivalry of two Trans-Baikal cities, such as the chief town of the district Verkhneudinsk and the regional town Chita, for the leadership in the region which began with the foundation of the Trans-Baikal region and the appointment of Chita as its capital. Unspoken competition was manifested in determining the status and role in the Trans-Baikal economic area, the place in the regional market system, and the development of banking and railway infrastructure. Despite the fact that Verkhneudinsk had better starting opportunities (a higher level of economic and cultural development), it was almost always in the role of the one which catches up. The status of the administrative center of the Trans-Baikal Region gave Chita the opportunity to «work ahead of the curve». However, the victory in the final round of the competition remained with the chief town of the district, which, however, did not manage to take advantage of its fruits. The author's task is to reconstruct the stages of this peculiar competition and determine the factors that influenced its outcome. The analysis of the sources, first of all, the documents of the State Archive of the Republic of Buryatia, allowed to make the conclusion that the decisions made by the imperial center in relation to both cities were based on the geopolitical factor. It was the task of strengthening Russian influence in the Far East that dictated the deployment of infrastructure facilities in Trans-Baikal cities, which increased their economic status.