page_title: Pomor trade
section_title: Golden age and discontinuance
hierarchical_section_title: Pomor trade / Golden age and discontinuance
caption_attribution_description: Anna Olava, reconstruction of a sailing ship of the type "Sunnmørsjekt", used for trade in dried cod in northern and western Norway from medieval times to the early 20th century. The reconstruction is exhibited at Herøy kystmuseum, Herøy, Møre og Romsdal, Norway.
context_page_description: Pomor trade, is the trade carried out between the Pomors of Northwest Russia and the people along the coast of Northern Norway, as far south as Bodø. The trade went on from 1740 until the Russian revolution in 1917.
  The pomor trade began as a barter trade between people in the area, trading grain products from Russia with fish from North Norway as the main trade. With time it developed into a regular trade against money: in fact the ruble was used as currency in several places in North Norway. The pomor trade was of major importance both to Russians and Norwegians. The trade was carried out by Russian pomors from the White Sea area and the Kola peninsula who came sailing to settlements and places of trade along the coast of North Norway. The pomors were skilled traders and sailors, and they did also explore the areas around the White sea. In addition to their trade westwards, they established a trade route east across the Ural mountains to North Siberia.
context_section_description: Later in the 19th century, North Norway experienced an economic recovery, with better communications south, a steamship coastal route. North Norway's need for grain imports declined. Yet the pomor trade increased, it reached its golden age in the last years of the 19th century. Trade privileges were lifted around 1870, and the trade period was extended. In 1874 the trade was between 15 June and 30 September, which by and large is the time the White Sea is ice-free. An important reason for the increase in trade was the legalisation of trade directly with the fishermen. The amount of trade places were also increased.
  The Pomors modernized their vessels in this period. The 'lodje' (Norwegian word) disappeared in the 1880s, and schooners, jekter and galeases were used. The Solovetsky Monastery of the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea was the religious centre of the Pomors. The monastery possessed large properties around the White Sea, and amongst its activities were boat-building, a saltworks and fisheries. It owned several steamers participating in the Pomor trade in the early 20th century. 
  In 1870, 400 Russian pomor vessels visited Tromsø. Normally, over 300 pomor vessels with a crew of around 2000 visited North Norway annually. In 1900, Russia was Norway's fourth most important trade partner, and it was still rye flour that was the main commodity. After 1910, less flour was traded, the Russians paid for the fish with money instead. During World War I Russian export regulations were changed, and fear of German submarine attacks limited the Pomor trade. After the Russian revolution in 1917, the pomor trade was ceased. This had negative effects on the economy in North Norway, specially for the settlements along the coast. The fishermen no longer had a possibility to sell their summer catch. Still, the occasional pomor vessel came to Norway after the trade was officially terminated. The last one came in 1929, when Joseph Stalin's collectivisation came into full effect, ending private property rights and persecuting merchants.
caption: This is a Norwegian jekt, a boat type once common in Norway, it was also used by the pomors in their trade. Photo: Silje L. Bakke
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