THE ROLE OF THE MARIUPOL DISTRICT ZEMSTVO IN THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION IN THE MARIUPOL DISTRICT IN THE LATE NINETEENTH AND EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURIES
Authors:   Mariupol State University, Novikova S. 
Published: August 2024

The research purpose. The article, based on the materials of the Mariupol district zemstvo and national regulations governing the field of telephone communications, highlights the process of formation and development of this industry in the Mariupol district in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The prerequisites and background of this process, which was largely made possible by the private initiative of foreign firms Siemens & Halske and Bell Telephone Company, as well as the initiative and experience of local governments in developing communication networks, are investigated. The methodological basis of the study is a sample and chronological analysis of the activities of the Mariupol district zemstvo in the development of telephone communication in the district. The main research findings. The author describes the activities of the Mariupol district zemstvo in organising the telephonisation of the district's settlements in the early twentieth century: interaction of the Mariupol zemstvo administration with colleagues from the Bakhmut district zemstvo and study of their experience in telephonisation; development of principles and rules for the use of telephone networks in the district, identification of sources of funding for the construction of telephone lines and their maintenance. If we characterise the tariff policy of the Mariupol district zemstvo in providing telephone services to subscribers, we can note that it was quite loyal and flexible, taking into account the previous unsuccessful experience of the same tariffs for all categories of subscribers of the Bakhmut zemstvo. This contributed to increasing demand for telephone services in the district and the rapid construction of new lines, which led the Mariupol administration to increase its own working capital expenditures on construction from 2,100 rubles in 1909 to 21,028 rubles in 1913. The article also shows the problems in the development of telephone communications both in the Mariupol district and in the state as a whole due to the monopoly established by the imperial government in 1885 in the sphere of communication and numerous bureaucratic obstacles, contractors' dishonesty. Conclusions. So, despite all the problems, during 1909-1913, the Mariupol district zemstvo made a significant contribution to the development of telephone communication in the Mariupol district. The zemstvo's interest in this area was driven by the active participation of the region's population in the processes of economic and social transformation caused by rapid industrialisation. Thanks to constant initiative, financial efforts, studying the experience of the Bakhmut district zemstvo, which was one of the leaders in the field of telephony among other district zemstvos at the national level, and cooperation with the Bakhmut zemstvo, in 1909-1913 the active work of the Mariupol district zemstvo was very successful and contributed to the rapid construction of an extensive telephone network in the district, facilitated various activities of the zemstvo on the ground, and improved the quality of life of the population of Mariupol district through the possibility of using more accessible and cheaper telephone communication compared to other districts of the Ekaterinoslav province. Key words: Mariupol district, Mariupol district zemstvo, telephone communication.