On the Way to the Chinese Eastern Railway: Financial Aspects of the History of Kaidalovo Line Construction

Abstract

The article analyzes the financial component of Kaidalovskaya line construction of Trans-Baikal Railway that established access to the Chinese Eastern Railway from the West. Designed to connect the CER with Russian railway network, this line played a vital role during late 19th — early 20th century establishing a connection between Trans-Siberian Railway and Vladivostok. However, researchers have barely paid attention to it, which makes the study relevant. It is promising to study the history of the construction of Kaidalovkaya line using the modern approaches to the analysis of global connectivity. The construction of the line took place simultaneously with the construction of the other section of Trans-Siberian Railway, which required significant financial investment from the Russian Empire. The construction started on September 16, 1898, and was completed by October 11, 1901. The construction, which fell under the jurisdiction of the Committee of the Siberian Railway, was subject to regular audit supervision of the State Control. The preserved archival documents make it possible to identify key financial actors and determine priority areas for economic support. The construction of this rather short line in comparison with the CER and the Trans-Siberian Railway (321,3 versts, or 342,8 km) turned out to be a costly affair for the treasury. Having become, to a certain extent, a transboundary area, the territory adjacent to the line inhabited by representatives of various ethnic groups required additional investments to ensure its maintenance. The study of the financial aspect of the Kaidalovskaya line construction allows us to see how financial imperatives influenced the goals and mechanisms of the imperial policy on the development of the Far East and on building a system of interethnic and international relations in the region.