Vladivostok Commercial Seaport during pre-war years, 1937–1940

The article examines the operation of the Vladivostok Commercial Seaport as a key element of the transport infrastructure in the Soviet Far East during the pre-war years (1937–1940). The author analyzes various aspects of the port’s development during this period, focusing on the restructuring of its management system, infrastructure modernization, and its coordination with the railway hub, military authorities, and industrial sectors. Key challenges in the port’s operations in the time included insufficient warehouse and berthing capacities, technical limitations, shortages of labor and resources, as well as interagency disputes. Archival evidence illustrates how geopolitical tensions and the prioritization of defense needs reconfigured the port’s functions, ultimately reducing its economic role.