The Merchant Class and Municipal Governance in Verkhneudinsk Based on the Brief Encyclopedia of the History of Merchants and Commerce in Siberia

The history of the merchant class and its participation in municipal governance in the late 18th and early 19th centuries remains largely unexplored. The article studies the materials of the Brief Encyclopedia of the History of Merchants and Commerce in Si-beria (4 volumes) concerning the merchants of Verkhneudinsk and their role in the city’s administration. The lists of merchants presented in the encyclopedia allow for an as-sessment of their quantitative and qualitative composition, social status, and capital. The encyclopedia also provides information on merchants’ participation in local self-government; although their involvement was limited, during the period under study, the merchant class, constrained by insufficient financial resources, was largely una-ble to engage in politics.