Collected Works of V. I. Lenin - Vol. 3 - From Marx to Mao

THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAPITALISM IN RUSSIA
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from Central Russia, it has at the same time an original
industrial structure. For ages the basis of the “organisation
of labour” in the Urals was serfdom, which to this day, the
very end of the 19th century, leaves its impress on quite
important aspects of life in this mining area. In the old
days serfdom was the basis of the greatest prosperity of
the Urals and of its dominant position, not only in Russia,
but partly also in Europe. In the 18th century iron was one
of Russia’s principal items of export; in 1782 nearly 3.8
million poods of iron were exported; in 1800-1815 from 2
to 12 million poods; in 1815-1838 about 13 million
poods. Already “in the 20s of the 19th century Russia was
producing 12 times as much pig-iron as France, 42 times
as much as Prussia and 3 times as much as Belgium.” But
the very serfdom that helped the Urals to rise to such heights
when European capitalism was in its initial period was
the very cause of the Urals’ decline when capitalism was
in its heyday. The iron industry in the Urals developed very
slowly. In 1718 Russia’s output of pig-iron was about 62
million poods, in 1767 about 92 million poods, in 1806—
12 million poods, in the 30s—9 to 11 million poods, in the
40s—11 to 13 million poods, in the 50s—12 to 16 million
poods, in the 60s—13 to 18 million poods, in 1867—172
million poods. In one hundred years the output was not even
doubled, and Russia dropped far behind other European
Ministry of Finance Yearbook, Vol. I, St. Petersburg, 1869. Statistical
Returns for Mining, for 1864-1861, St. Petersburg, 1864 1867 (published
by the Scientific Committee of the Corps of Mining Engineers).
I. Bogolyubsky, Essay in Mining Statistics for the Russian Empire,
St. Petersburg, 1878. Historico-Statistical Survey of Russian Industry,
St. Petersburg, 1883, Vol. I (article by Keppen). Statistical Returns
for the Mining and Metallurgical Industries of Russia in 1890,
St. Petersburg, 1892. Ditto for 1901 (St. Petersburg, 1904) and for 1902
(St. Petersburg, 1905). K. Skalkovsky, Mining and Metallurgical
Productivity of Russia in 1877, St. Petersburg, 1879. The Mining
and Metallurgical Industry of Russia, published by the Department
of Mines for the Chicago Exhibition, St. Petersburg, 1893 (compiled
by Keppen). Returns for Russia for 1890, published by the Central
Statistical Committee, St. Petersburg, 1890. Ditto for 1896, St. Petersburg,
1897. Productive Forces of Russia, St. Petersburg, 1896,
Section VII. Vestnik Finansov for 1896-1897. Zemstvo Statistical
Returns for Ekaterinburg and Krasnoufimsk uyezds of Perm
Gubernia, and others.