THE FAR EAST, CENTRAL ASIA AND CAUCASUS AT THE XVI ALL-RUSSIA INDUSTRIAL AND ARTS EXHIBITION 1896 IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD
The Nizhny Novgorod Fair is an outstanding phenomenon in economic history and one of the most brilliant highlights of Russian commerce. It was the major domestic market of the Russian state, regarded as a barometer of Russian economic life and, even more, as a reflection of the cultural and economic realities of the country. The Nizhegorodskaya Fair furthered the development of the circulation of domestic goods within the country and later played a significant role in foreign trade. Having emerged practically on the boundary between Asia and Europe, at the point where Volga with its tributaries intersects with land trade routes, it became a connecting link in the trade between East and West. At the exhibition, much attention was paid to the trade with Oriental countries - the fair bore witness to the expansion of Russian trade influence in the countries of the Far East and Central Asia; meanwhile in domestic trade, the importance of Caucasus showed particularly impressive growth. The Oriental Exposition was a success at the XVI All-Russia Industrial and Arts Exhibition 1896.