Trade in Cotton Fabrics in Moscow in the First Half of the 19th Century

The textile market in nineteenth-century Russia was extensive, with Moscow trade occupying a pivotal position. According to expert estimates, the Nizhny Novgorod Fair accounted for 40–45 percent of trade turnover. In addition, Moscow wholesale contracts and supplies, as well as retail trade in the metropolis with its own population of between 275,000 and 400,000 people before the 1861 Reform, reached 35–40 percent. The extensive and varied trade in fabrics and yarns in Moscow was shaped by the city’s role as a hub of the textile industry. This article represents the first comprehensive examination of the trade in cotton fabrics based on an analysis of archival documents, including published registers of factories and plants, indexes of manufacturing exhibitions, and materials from Zhurnal Manufaktur i Torgovli. Thе Kitai-gorod as a commercial area, situated near the Kremlin and Red Square, constituted a significant textile sales cluster. Manufacturers from Moscow, Vladimir, Kaluga and other provinces transported their goods to this location, which subsequently underwent distribution throughout Russia. The research is centred on the examination of various aspects of trade statistics, the assortment and classification of cotton goods, the correlation between merchant status and factory ownership, the topography of trade and the type of fabrics. The elite group of merchants belonging to the highest First and Second guilds has attracted considerable attention. The research findings indicate that during the first half of the nineteenth century, the Kitai-gorod district, along with the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, was the most significant location for the cotton trade. Manufacturers from various provinces, especially Moscow and Vladimir, had their own sales points and established clientele in Moscow. The findings significantly enhance our historical understanding of consumption patterns during the early decades of the nineteenth century.