State Policy in the Field of Fur Resources of Siberiaduring the First World War
The article describes the basic directions of State Policy towards protection of species of Siberian fur animals in the First World War. The author analyzes the work of the Meeting at the Fair Committee in Nizhny Novgorod that developed some measures of public policy aimed at protection of «Barguzin» sable and reserves organization. The article considers the text of unpublished normative act regulating social relations in the field of production, trade, storage and transportation of valuable commercial species of animals. Based on the research results of the discussion of the Law at the Fair Committee in Nizhny Novgorod, the author concludes that the adoption of the Act of July 9, 1912 “On the establishment of restrictive measures on sable hunting” was an important political direction in the prewar and war years. The article also emphasizes that under the First World War activities of the Government of the Russian Empire in the field of fur resources were aimed at the establishment of nature reserves and equipment of the scientific expeditions. Unified state policies in the field of Siberian fur resources were supplemented by various local Regulations which introduced restrictive authorization for trade. In the first part of the article the author concludes that the effectiveness of public policy in the field of fur resources of Siberia declined due to lack of administrative mechanisms for implementing the provisions of the legal acts in practice. In the second part of the study, the author analyzes the results of the existence of «Barguzin reserve» during the First World War on the basis of unpublished and non-introduced into scientific use archival documents. The article points out that the state policy in the field of fur resources of Siberia can be characterized as “conservative policy”. Russian Government during the First World War, sought to not only save valuable commercial species, but also to find compromise solutions to this issue with representatives of the trade population. Participation in meetings of large firms at Fair Committees allowed to representatives of public institutions to identify the interests of trading houses in the practical implementation of government measures, which influenced not only the preservation of valuable species of animals, but the level of development of the fur trade in the period of military activities as well.