International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.4, 2023

 

Oceanic and Continental Empires: St Petersburg and Tsarist Russia’s Exploitation of the Arctic in the 18th Century

(Abstract)

 

Alexei Kraikovski

 

This article presents the results of nearly two decades of research on the history of the marine environment in Russia, based on the forthcoming monograph by Kraikovski. He argues that the exploitation of Russia’s marine resources in the 18th century involved three governmental activities: the development of the Russian whaling industry by monopoly companies that received imperial concessions; the government’s attempts to replace traditional Eurasian ships for fishing and freighting; and the seafood consumption resulting from Westernization reforms that prompted Russian fishermen to develop new fish-processing techniques and to develop fisheries for new species. In addition, Peter the Great created “another Amsterdam” in St Petersburg. As a maritime metropolis, this burgeoning new center of westernized consumption is the nexus of this complex story. Recognizing Russia’s attempts to transform itself into a maritime power by changing its social relationship with the marine environment is important for further developing the notion of “maritimity” in the study of global maritime history.