Expert board:

• Scientific Council of RAS on economic history;
• Research and Educational Center «The economic history of Central Russia and the Middle Volga region» of Ogarev Mordovia State University;
• Center of Economic History of  Lomonosov Moscow State University

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ISSN 2409-630X (Print), ISSN 2618-916X (Online)

DOI: 10.15507/2409-630X.051.016.202004.418-430

УДК 93

Е. В. Белокуров

Evgenii V. Belokurov

Independent researcher (Saint Petersburg, Russia),

e-mail: evg.belokurov@gmail.com

 

Public Works as a Measure of Famine Relief in Russia. 1891–1914

 

Introduction. The article deals with the program of public works introduced by Russian government in the late XIX – early XX centuries as a measure of famine relief. It provides the detailed account of public works campaign of 1911–1912, which was the largest in terms of government spending and number of employed persons. Materials and Methods. The study relies on a large body of archival sources and published statistical data. Results. The study demonstrates the increasing scale of public works programs between 1891 and 1914. The number of employed persons rose from several tens of thousands in 1891 to almost 3 million in 1911. The share of wages in total expenses grew from 40 percent in 1891 to 80 percent in 1911. There is also some evidence for considerable improvement of quality of the public works projects. Discussion and Conclusions. On the example of public works, I demonstrate how the bureaucratic apparatus of Russia adapted to the implementation of the new managerial objectives. I conclude that Tsarist state was capable to implement the urgent and effective measures of government economic intervention to prevent social collapse.

Keywords: Russian Empire, food security, famine, public works.

For citation: Belokurov E. V. Public Works as a Measure of Famine Relief in Russia. 1891–1914. Ekonomicheskaya istoriya = Russian Journal of Economic History. 2020; 16(4): 418–430. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.15507/2409-630X.051.016.202004.418-430

 

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