Research and Exploitation of the Forests of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District at the Beginning of the 20th Century

Abstract

Introduction. The economic development of the Russian Empire stimulated the formation of the forest industry in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. In the Northern Urals, the undeveloped forests of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District were the basis for the emergence of one of the new and large centers of the industry in the country. In the mid-1910s, a detailed study of forests was carried out here with the aim of their industrial development. Materials and Methods. The topic of forest economic research in the late 19th – early 20th centuries in Russia has not been studied enough. Analysis of archival materials on the activities of the company – Joint-Stock Company of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District from the standpoint of the concept of “frontier” modernization will allow us to understand the idea and results of industrial development of forests in the east of the country. Results. Timber industry has become a priority for the Joint-Stock Company of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District, sawmills and a paper mill have been built. The tasks of a detailed study of forests and the development of integrated forest management were set. The implemented forest management testified to the plans of the Board of the Company to use forests on the basis of the principles of continuity and inexhaustibility. In practice, it was difficult to comply with them, since the enterprises were already functioning. Conclusions. At the beginning of the 20th century, a large timber industry was formed in the Northern Urals, which included mechanical processing and deep processing of wood. Despite the incompleteness of forest management works, the desire of the Board of the Joint-Stock Company of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District to achieve integrated use of forests in a relatively short time is obvious.