| Summary/Abstract |
The author examines the role of Dobrovolny Flot (lit. "Volunteer Fleet," hereinafter Dobroflot or the Fleet) in the expansion of shipping traffic between the European and Far Eastern regions of Russia between 1891 and 1914. This paper presents the first ever comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of this state-controlled shipping enterprise and contributes to the evaluation of commercial performance indicators of maritime freight and passenger transportation in the Russian Empire. An empirical analysis reveals a firm relationship between government support and the stability of coastal shipping operations. Additionally, the author finds that growth of the state-owned company's profitability came mainly from an increase in profits from the transportation of commercial cargoes. Using archival documents, corporate statistics, and records of State Duma debates, the author demonstrates that attempts to increase the volume and activity of interregional transportation led to major changes in the principles of government regulation, that the reform was inspired by the desire to support cargo transportation rather than passenger traffic, that the reform was characterized by cooperation between officials and business circles, and that legislative acts (of 1892, 1902, 1912, and 1914), although flawed in some respects, nevertheless provided a basis for future public-private partnership. This conforms to conclusions that the development of the transportation business was largely caused by growing income resulting from transformations in Russia's infrastructure sector, by the government's regional innovations, and by private interests related to cross-border commercial interaction. The author's findings support arguments that government support could accelerate transformations in the shipping business and contribute to the commercial orientation of the state-owned company's activities.
|