The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 to 1917. The Empire was proclaimed on 22 October (2 November) 1721, following the end of the Northern War with Sweden, when Peter I assumed the titles of Emperor of All Russia and Father of the Fatherland. Saint Petersburg served as the capital of the Russian Empire from 1721 to 1728 and from 1732 to 1917 (known as Petrograd in 1914–1917), while Moscow held that role from 1728 to 1732, retaining its honorary title of "first-throned city" and remaining the site of imperial coronations.[2] In 1913, it held the second-largest territory in the world, after the British Empire.[2] Its territory included the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate and other lands of the Volga Region. For the Nizhny Novgorod region, the imperial period was a time of intensive economic and administrative development.

The Nizhny Novgorod Land within the Empire

The Nizhny Novgorod Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit of the Russian Empire, centered on Nizhny Novgorod. The Governorate existed from 1714 to 1929 and bordered Vladimir Governorate to the west, Kostroma and Vyatka governorates to the north, Kazan and Simbirsk governorates to the east, and Penza and Tambov governorates to the south; its area was 48,241 km² in 1847 and 51,252 km² in 1905. Until 1918, the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate comprised 11 districts: Ardatovsky, Arzamassky, Balakhninsky, Vasilsursky, Gorbatovsky, Knyagininsky, Lukoyanovskiy, Makaryevsky, Nizhegorodsky, Semyonovsky, and Sergachsky. The Nizhny Novgorod Governorate was established in January 1714 by separating the north-western parts of Kazan Governorate; its initial composition included Nizhny Novgorod and the towns of Alatyr, Arzamas, Balakhna, Vasilsursk, Gorokhovets, Kurmysh, Yuryevets, and Yadrin, along with their surrounding territories.[1] The residence of the governorate's ruler was the Governor's Palace (Military-Governor's House-Palace) — a historic building within the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

From the 18th century, the selo of Lyskovo became one of the largest grain-trading centers in the Russian Empire; cottage industries also flourished there — tools, anchors, bells, buttons, needlery, boxes with secret locks, and padlocks were all produced.[1]

The German firm Siemens Halske maintained close ties with the Russian Empire throughout the 19th century: between 1853 and 1855 it constructed a Russian telegraph network stretching over 10,000 km. Orders from the Russian Empire effectively saved the company from the crisis caused by the loss of Prussian contracts. The firm later illuminated Nevsky Prospekt and the Winter Palace, and by the early 20th century several large factories of the Joint-Stock Company of Russian Electrotechnical Plants "Siemens and Halske" were operating in Russia.

The End of the Imperial Period

The Russian Empire ceased to exist as a result of the February Revolution. In Nizhny Novgorod, its fall was met on 1 March 1917: Dmitry Sirotkin greeted the overthrow of autocracy and the formation of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma with applause. On the same day, Blagoveshchenskaya Square, drawing up to 30,000 residents. Until 17 (30) October 1905, the Russian emperor had held absolute power; after that date it was curtailed following the issuance of a Manifesto that established representative institutions.[2]

Sources

  1. nashipredki.com — The Nizhny Novgorod Governorate existed from 1714 to 1929 and bordered Vladimir Governorate to the west, Kostroma and Vyatka governorates to the north, Kazan and Simbirsk (archive)
  2. Wikipedia (ru) — The Russian Empire was proclaimed on 22 October (2 November) 1721, following the end of the Northern War with Sweden, when Peter I assumed the titles of Emperor of All Russia (archive)
Materials from articles used (5)

Lyskovo, The February Revolution, NITEL, The Governor's Palace, Nizhny Novgorod Province