Spatial Organization of Russian Economy in the XVI Century

Abstract

This article examines the spatial organization of Russia's economic activity in the second half of the 16th century. The spatial division into regions, which differ from other regions in economic organization, is based on the division proposed by Russian historian and economist N.A. Rozhkov. For each such region the author singles out a branch of specialization, determines general factors of national economy development in the 16th century and shows their influence on spatial organization of economy. The author also compares them with economic and historical research of Johann Heinrich von Thünen, who in 1826 offered the theory of rings, or "belts" of spatial specialization. It is shown that such rings began to form in Russia in the 16th century, which became possible due to the active development of domestic trade and the inclusion of large cities in it, which became centers of vigorous trade activity and large markets for agricultural products. This in its turn was possible due to the influence of four essential factors of Russian economic development in the second half of the 16th century: 1) significant development of domestic trade (introduction of "merchant trade records"); 2) growth of quitrent in comparison to metayage; 3) conversion of corvees into monetary taxes; 4) change in money value. The study of spatial specialization of regional economies in the second half of the 16th century shows that in this period of history there was a resettlement of population from the center of the country into more remote regions, which in its turn contributes to diversification of the national economy and economic development of separate parts of the country and the whole country.