RUSSIAN RAILWAYS AND THE SEABORNE GRAIN EXPORT TRADE: 1883-1911

The interaction between railway development and agricultural expansion is a salient feature of the post-emancipation Russian economy. The railway network's growth allowed the Empire's agricultural core to shift southeastward and facilitated rapid growth in grain exports. Exports rose initially through the Baltic ports and later through the ports of the Black and Azov seas. A limited degree of regional specialization emerged, but governmental constraints and overall economic immaturity hampered further economic development.