Considering the issue of the beginning of steam navigation on the don (the middle of the XIXth century)

The article deals with the issue of the beginning of steam navigation on the Don in the middle of the XIXth century. The activities of shipowners and joint-stock companies in the construction and operation of steamships are analyzed. The role of the Kama- Volga Shipping Company and the Society of the Volga-Don Railway and the Shipping Company along the Don and the Sea of Azov in organizing the regular freight and passenger traffic along the Don is demonstrated.