Diplomatic World_nummer 55

46
than civil unions for a long period of time. But businessmen
had more opportunities to represent their interests. For
example, the 1869 Charter of the Moscow Exchange
Committee gave its members the right to discuss proposals
on the development of trade and industry and submit them
to government agencies. I should say that back then the
word ‘exchange’ signified not only the place of trade but
also the community of participating parties. In other words,
in contrast to those in Western Europe, Russian exchanges
(i.e. the community of their participants) assumed some
functions of chambers of commerce via their committees.
In the case of Moscow, the community was
gathering on Ilyinka Street.
Exactly. The first building of the Exchange erected on
Ilyinka Street in 1839 cost half a million rubles. There was
a terrace between two arch entrances to the Exchange, and
brokers who for some reason refused to work in the central
hall for a long time, gathered there, in the open air, at first.
The transformation of Ilyinka into the main business street
of Moscow was completed in the second half of the 19th
century. The square in front of the Exchange was named
Exchange Square. The Exchange was overcrowded, so it
underwent profound renovations and expansion from
1873-1875. Today, it accommodates the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry of Russia.
But let’s go back to our history. In the early 20th century,
once again at the proposal of the authorities, Russian
exchange committees started working on a model of Russian
chambers of commerce and industry. The work was slow.
Why is that? Was it the notorious bureaucratic
red tape?
Oh no, bureaucracy has nothing to do with that.
Interestingly, except for the Moscow Exchange Committee,
every other exchange committee, which, as I have already
said, was executing functions of chambers of commerce
and industry, as well as merchant boards and factory
councils that once called for business self-governance were
obstinately stalling territorial chamber projects. The reason
was simple: they did not want to lose their privileges,
opportunities, and representative capacities. One way
or another, the process was set in motion. First, Russian
chambers of commerce were created abroad, such as the
Russian Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria (1902), the
Russian Chamber of Commerce in London (1915), etc.
A number of bi-national or mixed chambers came into being,
among them the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce in
St. Petersburg (1908) and the Russian-American Chamber
of Commerce in Moscow (1913). In addition, a number of
strictly domestic chambers of commerce were formed with
emphasis on boosting foreign trade.
Nonetheless, the Regulations on Chambers of Commerce
and Industry were approved only on October 19 (formerly
6), 1917, to lay down the institutional foundation of Russian
business self-governance; the document defined principle
objectives, tasks, and powers of chambers of commerce and
industry in Russia. The new law envisaged the establishment
of territorial chambers of commerce and industry and the
mandatory participation of every business entity, the clear
territorial jurisdiction within one province, the obligation
to execute state duties, and the payment of membership
fees. Hence, as I have said before, the national system of
chambers of commerce and industry marked its centenary
in October of this year.
Then you are sort of coeval with the October
Revolution, about which so much has been said
and written?
I am not sure this is symbolic. No doubt, the birth year is
the same. But after the Socialist Revolution, the CCI was
definitely not an organization of business self-governance,
simply because there was no entrepreneurship in its current
meaning in the Soviet Union and the government owned all
means of production. Nevertheless, the All-Union Chamber
of Commerce that was established after the revolution
(renamed the USSR Chamber of Commerce and Industry
in 1971) had the status of a civil organization, actively
participated in the development of the national economy,
promoted contacts with foreign trade and economic
organizations, including chambers of commerce, export
companies, exchanges, etc., or actually performed every CCI
function possible in a socialist state.
The CCI of Russia held a founding congress in 1991 after
socialism fell and the Soviet Union collapsed. Nineteen
regional chambers and several dozen business associations
took part in it. That happened on October 19, 74 years after
the adoption of the first law on chambers of commerce and
industry. A historical circle or, if you prefer, a historical
cycle was completed.
How did you begin?
It was not easy. I was directly involved in the establishment
of the Russian chamber and worked for it from the start, so
I can say there is a huge difference between how we started