260 SIBERIA. 



CII Al'TKU XVII. 

 The importance of the Great Siberian Railway. 



Tlie iinportiuice of llie (inial Sjboiiaii Uailway lo |iruf,'r(j.ss; its bcuiiiig upon rural economy, 

 colonization, motaliurgical industry; gold mining, internal and foreign trade. 



TIIK I'normoii.s expenditure of 35<i million roubles entailed by the construction of the Sibe- 

 rian railroad, which probably lor a long time will not prove remunerative in the 

 strict sense of the word, is explained by those numerous advantages not subject to arithmet- 

 ical computation which may be attained by the Government with the realization of this grand 

 enterprise. The previous historical-statistical article has demonstrated that the principal bar- 

 rier to the development of culture in Siberia is the al)sence of regular communication, on the 

 one hand between the most Important administrative and industrial centres of Siberia, and 

 on the other hand between Siberia and European Russia. Consequently when this principal 

 obstacle is removed the causes will disappear which have for such a long time retarded the 

 regular peopling of this extensive and richly endowed region and the rise in the culture of the 

 aborigenes and settlers. In reality the Great Siberian Railway, intersecting the whole of Siberia 

 for ii distance of 7,112 versts, embraces a very wide zone, which cannot be taken at less than 

 100 versts on either side of the line, or about one million and a half square versts. This 

 enormous area, which exceeds the whole extent of central Europe, Germany, Austro-Hungary, 

 Holland, Belgium and Denmark, lies in the mean geographical latitudes, and as regards cli- 

 mate and soil possesses all the qualities favourable to the development of agriculture, rural 

 economy and the industries connected with them. It is worthy of attention also, that accor- 

 ding to the propitious choice of the direction of the Great Siberian Railroad which connects the 

 fertile lands of Western Siberia and the distant region of Ussuri, also embraces the richest 

 deposits of the noble metals, as will be seen by the accompanying map of the Russian Em- 

 pire. If it be also remembered that the chosen route connects the extensive basins of such 

 large rivers as the Obi, Yenisei and Amour and part of the Lena, it cannot be disputed 

 that the line when once laid will give a powerful impetus to the whole economical develop- 

 ment of the country, and will call into existence many new branches of industrial activity. 

 Turning to the more intimate influence of the Great Railroad upon the various features 

 of industrial and economic life in Siberia, it is necessary to pause over the follovring. It 

 is first of all evident that the chosen route traverses the lich Ishimsk, Barabinsk and Kulun- 



