Geography and History of Russian Foreign Trade in the Nineteenth Century

The article is concerned with the history of Russia’s foreign trade in the nineteenth century, the geography of Russia’s trade relations with Europe, Asia, and America. The origins of foreign trade go back to the formation of the Russian state. The first foreign trade partners were Byzantium and the countries of the East. Throughout the country’s history, the level of domestic and foreign trade has reflected the socioeconomic state of the country and its foreign policy position. The article analyzes the political, economic, and foreign policy environment for trade development. Attention is drawn to the impact of international relations promoting or limiting trade business opportunities. The author shows the role of the Russian state in expanding international trade relations. The Russian state, represented by the tsars and emperors, actively regulated trade relations. During the period of strengthening of the centralized state, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (Tsar of Russia from 1645 to 1676) issued the Charter of Trade (1653), a law on the organization of domestic and foreign trade. In 1667, the New Trade Charter appeared in the Tsardom of Russia, which contributed to state control over the quality of goods sold and the organization of domestic and foreign trade. Russia’s first emperor, Peter the Great, pursued a policy of mercantilism and protectionism, using the experience of Western Europe, and actively supporting domestic trade. In the eighteenth century, his successors, the emperors of Russia, continued the protectionist policy and formed by their political actions the main directions of Russia’s foreign trade that was further developed in the nineteenth century, which is the subject of this article.