Railway courses in the system of staff training for the railways of the Russian Empire (late 19th – early 20th century)

This article traces the emergence and development of a system of lower‑level railway staff training courses in the Russian Empire during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Against the backdrop of large‑scale railway construction and an acute shortage of qualified workers, state‑run technical schools proved unable to meet the needs of the railways. The solution lay in organizing technical classes and courses at depots and workshops, which made it possible to train specialists directly on site. Drawing on administrative records and periodicals, the authors identify the main types of courses, analysing their curricula, funding sources, and the social composition of students. Particular attention is paid to the technical classes and courses established on the Siberian and Transbaikal Railways. For comparative purposes, data on courses operated by the Nikolaev, South‑Western, Libavo‑Romenskaya and other lines are also considered. The authors conclude that the course‑based system became a flexible instrument for alleviating personnel shortages, tailored to the needs of specific railway services and production units.