Machinery Imports to Russia, 1815-1853: Evidence from the Sound Toll Registers Online and Foreign Trade Statistics of the Russian Empire

Abstract

This article uses the Sound Toll Registers Online database and the official foreign trade statistics of the Russian Empire to study the spread of the first industrialization by investigating the machinery imports into the Russian Empire between 1815 and 1853. Transferring technology from abroad has been regarded as the main driver for the technological change in the Russian industrial production in this period. This paper aims to utilize the potential of STRO and investigate the general development and structure of machinery imports to Russia by applying descriptive analysis and non-parametric statistical comparisons.