Contribution of the merchant A. A. Leshchyov and the engineer V. A. Shchitsinsky in construction of the railroad to Shadrinsk in the beginning of the 20th century

The paper describes the history of opening of the railroad that bound the city of Shadrinsk with the Great Siberian Railroad on the verge of the First World War of 1914-1918. The process of approval took a lot of time and had negative effect on the economics of the once reach town of Trans-Ural region. The paper specifies the role of the railroad in the economic development of the provincial town. Special attention is given to the contribution of a Shadrinsk merchant of the second guild A.A. Leshchyov as an initiator and manager of the railroad construction, who for 18 years was dealing with gaining approval of the central authorities and management of the works. The negative role of the engineer V.A. Shchitsinsky, a person who’s first priority was his own benefit, is shown. The paper is written based on the archive records of the Shadrinsk State Archive, local periodicals. It is based on the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity. The author used methods of analysis and synthesis, deduction and induction. The paper provides a conclusion on contribution of representatives of the merchant stratum into economics, charity of the provincial town of Shadrinsk in the end of the 19th-beginning of 20th century.