Historical Portrait of the Yakut Merchant of the 1-st Guild P. A. Kushnarev

• Main Author: Margarita D. Kushnareva
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Transbaikal State University 2020-06-01
• Series: Гуманитарный вектор
• Subjects: merchants; north-eastern siberia; entrepreneur; capital; social activities
• Online Access: http://zabvektor.com/wp-content/uploads/270620030641-Kushnareva.pdf
• ISSN: 1996-7853; 2542-0038

The main purpose of the publication is to recreate the historical portrait of P. A. Kushnarev. The main objective of the study is to highlight previously unknown facets of the biography of the Yakut merchant. The topic has theoretical and applied relevance, since it is of scientific interest in the modern historiography of Siberia. Achieving this goal involves the widespread use of sources not previously introduced into scientific circulation. The article describes the concept of modernization and the chronological, problem-chronological, historical and biographical methods as the main methodology. The author determined the place of birth, family composition and the main sources of capital formation by P. A. Kushnarev. In 1903, P. A. Kushnarev received the certificate of the Yakut merchant of the 1-st guild and founded the trading house “The Heirs of A. M. Kushnarev”. As the main results of the economic activity of P. A. Kushnarev, the creation of his own transport enterprise is indica ted. Turnovers in the fur trade in 1917 amounted to 2 million rubles. In 1913–1917, the population of the Yakutsk region was supplied with consumer goods by the enterprises of P. A. Kushnarev in the amount of more than 2 million rubles. Fur export abroad amounted to more than 900 thousand rubles. The merchant’s production activities consisted of flour milling, leather production, exploration and mining of gold. P. A. Kushnarev’s public education activity was expressed in financial assistance to educational and charitable institutions of Yakutsk, organization of scientific expeditions, and the release of a local newspaper. The main material heritage of P. A. Kushnarev is the Old Believer chapel in Pavlovsk, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The article defines the personal and business qualities of the Yakut merchant, his hobbies. As the main conclusion, it is indicated that the reconstruction of the historical portrait of P. A. Kushnarev allowed expanding the previously existing ideas about his contribution to the socio-economic development of the Yakutsk region during the modernization of the Russian economy.