Socio-Economic Significance Orenburg-Tashkent Railway in the Syrdarya Region of the Turkestan General Government

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the significance of the Orenburg-Tashkent railway in the socioeconomic life of the Syrdarya region of the Turkestan region. This railway line is considered as a mechanism that opened the way for the entry of the region into capitalist relations. Most of the railway line passed through the territory of the Syrdarya region. Among the regions included in the Turkestan Region, the Syrdarya region stands out for its geographical and socio-economic character. This is due to the fact that there were very few cities and industrial centers on the territory of the region. The vast majority of residents led a semi-nomadic lifestyle. It was difficult for the peasants to get their goods transported to other consumer environments. It can be argued that this development trend has changed dramatically with the construction of the railway. Based on archival materials, an assessment of the activities of new railway stations and industrial facilities formed on the territory of the Syrdarya region is given. In addition, much attention is paid to the phenomenon of diversification of the labor sphere caused by the functioning of the railway. In the course of the research work, an objective approach to the factors of the construction of the Orenburg-Tashkent railway is revealed. As one of them, it is concluded that the factor of highway construction was carried out not because of competition between empires (as noted in many studies), but in order to involve the socio-economic isolated part of the empire in integration processes. Due to the activity of the railway, the export-import potential of the region has increased. The Syrdarya region has received ample opportunities for the export of salt, santonin, wool, dried fruits. In general, the railway line had a significant impact on the transition of the region from the old feudal relations to a partial agrarianindustrial form.