The use of interdisciplinary tools by the author allowed to achieve representativeness and reliability of results, the key factor of which was the attraction of the potential of comparative-historical, retrospective, historical-genetic, biographical, historical-typological, comparative legal, cliometric (quantitative), source methods, methods of regional analytics. The application of the problem-chronological approach ensured that the processes of changes in the elements of the object of study were taken into account.
The history of the study of trade and economic relations in Ukraine was characterized by periods of intensification and decrease of creative efforts of scientists caused by changes in the attitude of the state to social strata, which were the basis of entrepreneurship. It remains important to identify the factors that contributed to the accelerated growth of the trade segment in the first half of the 19th century.
The author of the thesis has made a balanced analysis of the available historiography on the chosen topic, has revealed the evolution of the views of scientists and has revealed inaccuracies in the works of some of them.
Conceptual segments on the interaction and mutual influence of the evolution of the region, city and the functioning of trade; on the importance of trade as a determinant of the status of the settlement; on conflicts and cooperation between government (of a state, region, city) and the trade stratum, which were studied in historiography, have been formulated in this paper for the first time, taking into account the latest approaches to behavioral economics and region studies analyzed on the example of Kyiv Governorate.
The processes of formation and functioning of Kyiv Governorate’s trade as a system, which, on the one hand, was subject to the needs of the state, region, and, on the other hand, had independent features of development, which had a significant reciprocal impact on processes in the region and state, has been studied. The essential features of the evolution of trade are: social transformations that influenced the change of the entire social system, which had undergone civilizational changes (from traditional to industrial) in the realities of the first half of the 19th century. The thesis reveals how the trade practices of Kyiv Governorate impacted on public demand and how their carriers changed trade.
An important feature of trade in Kyiv Governorate in the period of 1793-1861 was that local trade events and establishments became the sales market for bread, sugar, textiles, iron and timber. The dissertation research analyzes the consequences of trade activities, as well as the emergence and solution of conflicts by residents of the governorate.
Some aspects are related to the evolution of the network of trade establishments and merchants who sold alcoholic beverages. The thesis establishes common features for the sale of vodka throughout the country and the features inherent in the right-bank governorates, including Kyiv Governorate.
The problem of providing affordable credit is typical for the current situation. And, in the first half of the 19th century, merchants and other members of the trade class felt it even more. The author of the thesis has established to what extent and exactly how this request was met, what was organized and what was not and why. In the Governorate, private banking houses and private credit were established and to some extent developed. Features and shortcomings related to their operation have been analyzed in the thesis.
Considerable attention in the thesis is paid to the first half of the 19th century. It was at this time that Kyiv Governorate showed high economic indicators in comparison with other Ukrainian governorates, Kyiv became the «sugar capital". It is shown how the central government and local administration stimulated the population to develop networks of trade roads, bridges and transportation. The participation of the state and merchants in the construction of highways – paved roads and stone bridges – has been analyzed.
The practical significance of obtained results is that they can be used to better understand the evolution of modern cities and regions, the role of trade as one of the important elements of functioning of society, the interdependence between trade and cities, not only of the region of Kyiv Governorate, but also of all Ukraine. The materials of the thesis can be used for general and special courses on the history of trade of Ukraine, Central and Eastern Europe, history of banking, history of law enforcement structures, special courses on the history of Kyiv region, for writing master’s thesis, diploma works, term papers.
