The role of informal institutions in the creation of regional historical and technical research on the history of metallurgy. 1825-1917
The paper analyses the preconditions for the emergence of studies on the history of technology and the impact of informal institutions on this process, as exemplified by the Russian regional studies on the history of metallurgy during the period of manufactures. The first metallurgical manufacture in Russia was the Gorodishchi blast-furnace plant set into operation in 1636. Afterwards metallurgical manufactures were concentrated in three regions of Russia: the Tula-Kashira (Moscow) region, the Olonets region, and the Ural region. In the 19th century, regional historiography of the history of metallurgy was also developing in these three regions: the Tula, the Olonets, and the Perm Governorates. The development of the history of technology, however, differed in these three regions. The paper aims to identify the factors that affected the development of regional studies in the history of technology. Particular attention is given to information on the history of technology found in the published texts.