The Late Russian Empire between Odessa and Vladivostok

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K16860
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: History of Europe and America
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Sakon Yukimura 新潟大学, 人文社会科学系, 准教授 (30609011)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ロシア帝国 / 海事史 / グローバルヒストリー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project has described the whole history of the Russian Volunteer Fleet from 1878 to 1924, which connected Odessa with different ports of the Russian Far East and Asia, including Vladivostok, Hankow, Singapore and Colombo. Although studies had been made on the reasons of its establishment, little was known about its actual operations and transformation this study dealt with. Especially I would like to emphasize the importance of Sergei Witte's plan to use Russian merchant ships for develop Asian markets with Trans-Siberian railway. Moreover, I have researched the Volunteer Fleet's rivals, the Russian Steam Navigation and Trading Company and the Russian Donau Steamship, whose base were Odessa.

Free Research Field

歴史学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ロシア義勇艦隊はオデッサとウラジオストクを結び、長崎を含む南アジア、東南アジア、東アジア各港に寄港した。ロシアとアジアの関係を考えるのに重要な存在であり、ロシア史家の間で名前は知られているものの、実態はほとんど明らかになっていなかった。ロシア帝国の東西の港を拠点とし、アジアの多くの港に立ち寄った義勇艦隊の歴史を明らかにしたことは、広大な帝国の統合、ならびにロシアと世界経済の関係を考える上で、重要な一歩となった。