Shipping and trading in the life of the Southern Bessarabia population (the end of the 70s of the 19th century – 1910)

Abstract

In the article, based on the documents that are kept in the Izmail archive, as well as
statistic materials from the annuals of the statistic committee of Bessarabia (the period from
1879 to 1910), it is analyzed the issues of recommencement and further development of shipping
and the Danube trading after the end of the Russian –Turkish war of 1877-1878 and 1910.
The development of shipping on the Danube river was one of the priorities in international
and inner trading for the Russian Empire throughout the studied period. In the first half of the
19th century, the government took certain steps to develop the Danube trading: Izmail and Reni
customs were created, convenient berths and port warehouses were built. However, the
development of Russian Danube ports has already, at that time, been restrained by rivalry of
shipping companies of European countries – Romania, Austria, Hungary and others. The loss of
tzarism in the Eastern War practically «threw out» Russia from the Danube trading, that is why
the return of the Southern Bessarabia in 1878 to its jurisdiction arose hopes for possibilities in
the region’s development.
The end of 70s – early 80s of the 19th century, for fair, brought a definite improvement in
this branch: the Danube private shipping company was established, the Izmail and Reni customs
were recommenced. As a result, it was an increase in the number of the local population,
engaged in trading business.
However, the improvement process was momentary. The backwardness of the Russian
economy from the advanced European countries, the lack of convenient ways to transport goods
to the Danube ports, the minimum monetary investments of government to the development of
port infrastructure, hard revalry from European shipping companies, all this held back the
development of the Danube trading, and, as a result, the economic development of the Southern
Bessarabia.