«THIS CITY IS FAMOUS FOR TANNERIES, SOAP FACTORIES AND GARDEN VEGETABLES…» (the main directions of Yaroslavl’s economic activity in foreign sources of the XVII century)

DOI: 10.47026/2712-9454-2024-5-3-5-20

УДК 94(470) «17»

ББК 63.3(2 Рос-4 Яро)

Petr G. AGRAFONOV

Key words: foreign authors, Yaroslavl, economic development, XVII century, trade, handicraft trade, crafts, agriculture.

The relevance of the research is determined by recently increased interest in the late medieval history of Yaroslavl, as well as updating the approaches to the study of this topic. The article represents a review of the news of foreign authors concerning the economy of Yaroslavl in the XVII century. Among the sources considered in the work are trade and administrative documents, travellers’ notes, reports of foreign trade representatives, excerpts from scientific works. Not all the authors of the texts used visited Russia personally, but published materials of the foreign origin contain information that complements the image of the city’s economic life during this period.

The purpose of the study is a comprehensive characterization of the basic data presented in foreign sources of the XVII century and related to the main directions of the city’s economic life. The analysis of these data largely makes it possible to clarify the idea of the city’s economic situation and the directions of its economy development.

Materials and methods. Materials for the work – published during the XVII century foreign sources containing reports on the nature of crafts and handicraft, on trade operations. The research uses the method of comparative analysis, systematization, generalization; the principles of objectivity and historical specificity are observed.

Study results. The study analyzes information from foreign sources regarding the economy and development of Yaroslavl’s economic sectors during its “golden age”. The information provided in such publications is correlated with similar domestic materials. As a result of a comparative analysis of two groups of sources, the author makes a conclusion about the greatest development of the following types of economic activity – tanning industry, flax processing, handicraft metal products finishing, soap making, as well as processing of animal raw materials. On the basis of active development of these local crafts, their products were traded in large volumes – tanned leathers, linen fabrics, soap, metalware. Foreign trade developed rapidly, primarily with Sweden, Holland, England, as well as with the countries of the East. An important place in the trade turnover of Yaroslavl in the XVII century was also occupied by the intermediary trade in grain crops. A comparison of domestic and foreign sources gave us the opportunity to conclude that Yaroslavl was significant as a trade and craft center, which played an important role in the system of Russian trade of the XVII century.

Conclusions. Based on data generalization and a comparative analysis of the materials presented in the work, it can be concluded that the information content and historical representativeness of the sources under consideration significantly complement the characteristics of Yaroslavl economy during this period.

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Information about the author

Peter G. Agrafonov – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Russian History, Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushinski, Russia, Yaroslavl (ppeter@yandex.ru; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1030-4334).

For citations

Agrafonov P.G. «THIS CITY IS FAMOUS FOR TANNERIES, SOAP FACTORIES AND GARDEN VEGETABLES…» (the main directions of Yaroslavl’s economic activity in foreign sources of the XVII century). Historical Search, 2024, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 5–20. DOI: 10.47026/2712-9454-2024-5-3-5-20 (in Russian).

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