Economic development of Alatyrsky county in the first quarter of the XVIII century according to information of “The book of Alatyrsky customs duty” of 1714

Introduction. The era of Peter the Great was characterized by the activation and significant growth of the economy of the Russian state. There was a further strengthening of the All-Russian market communications. Progressive accumulation of statistics, which describe the functioning of local markets, a significant number of which operated on the basis of county-towns, is the main research direction of studying of this process. Alatyrsky county was one of the largest counties of the Mordovian area and the Sura region. To the beginning of XVIII century the town is transformed into a significant commercial center and transit point of the Sura region. In the funds of the Russian state archive of ancient acts was remained «The book of Alatyrsky customs duty» of 1714, which is not only the most valuable source of study of local trade in the era of Peter’s reforms, but also it allows us to trace the economic development of Alatyrsky county in the first quarter of the XVIII century. Methods. The analysis of the considered problem is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity. Following these principles, such methods were used: statistical, historical-comparative, historical-genetic, structural, abstract-logical. Results and Discussion. The customs book in 1714 recorded 59 facts of import of goods to Alatyrsky county and 186 facts of purchase of goods for sale outside the county. In total to the county it was delivered goods for total amount 1 382,485 rubles and exported to 11 485,43 rubles. The analysis of personal structure of participants of transactions showed that to the county the goods were imported generally by townspeople. The composition of personnel, who export goods from the county is about equally from townspeople and peasants. This fact tells about the active participation in the commercial life of the region. All goods which were taken out from Alatyr and its county were divided into three groups - production of agriculture and forest crafts (mainly hunting and apiculture), and also handicrafts. Since the dominant place in the production activity of the population of the region in the period under review was agriculture, in the structure of exported agricultural products the most important place is belonged to grain and raw materials for leather production. It was also revealed the dominance in the local market of agricultural products over the traditional for the region goods of apiculture and hunting (fur) crafts. Conclusions. Quite successful solution to the problems aimed to activating the economic life of the Russian state contributed to the formation of regional economic systems (on the basis of some counties) in the economic space of the region. This process took place in the historically developed specialized zone of localization of resources and factors of economic process. Besides, during the considered time the general territorial infrastructure is finally formed, the specification of relations between the participants of local markets is determined, and also centers of development in the economic regional system of Alatyrsky county are singled out. As a whole, the formation of the county economic regional system occurred in the general mainstream of integration processes of incorporation of the Mordovian area not only into the system of authorities and social stratification of the population of the Russian state, but also into the national economy due to folding of the uniform all-Russian market.