Private and state distillation in Western Siberia in the second half of the XIX century: some aspects of the problem

The article deals with a very specific sector of the economy of Western Siberia, namely distillation, i.e. the production of alcohol. It is shown how the private business by way of the free competition enjoyed a leading position in the market of local spirits. The growth of the private distillation production, the closure of state factories and restraining measures for administration of the Altai mountain region - the main range of the issues raised in this paper.